Fender Mustang [1964-1982]

I've played guitar for over 30 years. I've played different stuff over the years--mostly blues & rock, but now primarily play my 12 string at church.

I had tried a Mustang a couple of years before I actually bought one--they weren't to common around here in the late 70's/early 80's. I bought it in 81. I was in a music store to buy a phase shifter--instead I put a down payment on a Mustang. The store was having a moving sale and the lower price was impossible to pass up! (I later got the pase shifter as well.)

The small neck. I have long fingers, and can handle larger scales--but it's fun to really strecth out on the amller scale. Also it's great for learning tricky pieces before trying them on another guitar.Also the sound--I love the out of phase setting.I also love the floating trem--it's smooth, subtle and works well.

I'm more a humbucker guy than single coil, but I think if I put humbuckers on this, it would ruin it.

It can be to quiet--as far as volume, but tI guess that's why amps have volume controls!

Sturdy, bolt on neck.Electronics on pickguard.

When I bought it I was hesitant in one way as I don't like maple fingerboards. The body I have now had a maple fingerboard, and the one with the rosewood fingerboard had an ugly brown finish. The salesman said they could swap necks--so I did that. Sunburst with rosewood fingerboard!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This is a lesser known Fender Guitar that was made in America. It has a maple body and a rosewood fingerboard. It has a slightly offset body which gives it its distinct look. There are two single coil pickups which each have their own selector, which means you can turn one or both on at once. It's an interesting take on the selector switch. There is a volume knob and a tone knob, as well as an output jack on the face of the guitar. There are 22 frets on the 24 inch neck, so the neck is a bit short compared to Teles and Strats. The bridge is a floating tremolo bridge with a tremolo bar, a more expressive one than is found on Strats or Teles.

UTILIZATION

This guitar plays really well, as it's been worn in over the years. The guitar is pretty light and feels really great to play. The drivers on this guitar are in good shape. The tremolo bridge is actually really great, the arm is far more expressive than most and the strings are not so easily put out of tune by it. Getting a good sound out of this is pretty easy.

SOUNDS

This guitar sounds phenomenal. It was traditionally used for surf rock which means great clean tones for rock and blues players. It's got a nice, clear bell-like tone. I think that I like it best with distortion though, it has a great sound for indie and alternative rock. It doesn't really hit too hard but it gets just the right fuzzy sounds from distortion pedals and stuff. I really like using it with a Fender Twin, and a Big Muff. That gives it a great classic indie sound. It doesn't always work perfectly for me but sometimes there's nothing better!

OVERALL OPINION

I like the distinct tone that this guitar has, it's really different from the other Fenders I've played. It doesn't fit with some of the older rock sounds that I like as much, but it certainly has character. I would say that getting one before a Strat or a Tele might not be the best move unless you are absolutely sure. I also would never want to put humbuckers in it, that'd ruin the sound. It was kind of expensive but that's too be expected for a great guitar. I haven't played too many Mustangs but I've noticed the reissues are terrible inferior. I would recommend this to most people who are really into alternative rock.

I play on two Fender Mustang 1978 serial numbers begin with S8, the first is completely original except for re-hooping, nut and tremolo arm recently found on ebay (attention: Mustang Reissue Japan vibrato stems are not compatible). there is a cut in the back of the body. the finish is "natural" as the picture, black pickguard and pickups caches, pots black Strat-type buttons, mechanical "f" entirely metal, rosewood fingerboard, 22 frets and cut the back of the body. I bought this guitar here 750 euros. the second Mustang was repainted in "silver", with mint green pickguard (the mustang us have a black pickguard in 1977, but this color is even better) and caches pots similar to those of us mustang up 'by 77, if the characteristics are the same as the first. I bought this guitar in pdf 650 euros on ebay us. a small revision and two three repairs later and here with me a second time guitar for the price of a reissue.

The Mustang is a fairly simple instrument, either in design or in the game, one quickly feels comfortable. the short scale is ideal if you have small fingers, rosewood fingerboard is slightly rounded and fairly thin frets. the weight is reasonable. vibrato works well and the guitar is still given when using a pulling hard enough. I use 11/52. mustang two for the price of one (if you look at the price of opportunity in France). it was time that I was looking for a second guitar and finally I found the same so even handle and even sound. at least that's what I thought: the fender "natural" is frène and "silver" is alder. suddenly they have their own personality.

The mustang, not change the microphone during a game like with a Stratocaster or Telecaster: unless you change the wiring, it will make do. I mainly use the one and clear sound bridge pickup is close to a telecaster, arpeggios sound good with these guitars (that said, with two microphones, the phase out of position is really good for arpeggios and neck pickup only in his clear, is similar to that of a Stratocaster). chords sound great too. to the crunch I use an old mxr distortion + germanium with the gain at 10 am and for leads an old Ibanez OD850 overdrive with the gain at the kids, no need to push the single coils have little output level and it quickly becomes draft. I play on a deluxe reverb silverface 1970.

I have owned other fender "affordable" means a telecaster squier jv 1982, a Stratocaster hardtail 1979 and changed quite a strat bullet in 1981, one with the metal pickguard makes easel board, ultra cheap but ultimately not so bad. the important thing is still playing. the Mustang (1964-1981) were entry-level models, but since the grunge fashion of the 90s, the prices have soared and it became anything. guitarists while playing on these guitars did not have the means to play on the high end of the time and turned to those models that offered good customization base to send heavy (humbuckers ...) while maintaining a good 60's design. I think I will keep a long time these guitars.

Fender Mustang 1966, completely original, mine is Dakota Red.
Model designed to fill a gap between the entry-level model student and told the other called Professional.
No surprise, maple neck, guitar body so relatively heavy alder or ash, I do not know.
2 single coil pickups, 1 volume, 1 tone, 1 and 2 unreliable vibrato switch for routing microphones.

As I said above, I was surprised by the weight, this is not a lespaul but we feel that it's real wood tree that is forests.
Playing mainly telecaster, the handle is much thicker and rounder, small adaption time but it does it well.

I do not understand anything routing via micro switches but all the different combinations produce different sounds interesting and wish. This is certainly not a guitar for hard rock but sounds clear and overdrive on a good tube amp make this a killer guitar.
I play on different tweed Fender Champ silverface to blackface through and marriage is perfect.

Purchased initially to have a guitar in my year of birth does not need to borrow my future great grandchildren, I am pleasantly surprised that model that could be described as middle class.
Made at a time or make cheaper models do not rhyme with material means, a time or to earn money you sacrificed the number of benefit but not the quality of services, these guitars, Duo Sonic and Sg Junior example, went through years and always happy to offer those who love vintage because qu'ormis they start dating and that their price is often hilarious, these guitars are excellent and this is their application .