Fender Mustang Mini

Modeling Combo 7 watts
Works both mains and battery (6xAA)
Compatible with Fender Fuse
Effects & Sons: everything is fully configurable via Fender Fuse, so you have access to the entire range

Via Fender fuse can download and save presets on the amp. Buttons to select presets and effects are well done, we found it. But we must find the presets to your ear, it's a bit annoying, we come to know those we love force

Otherwise the HP sending a sacred sound, I not rise more than 4/10 in my office and all the way to beyond 7 serious struggle to meet the acute (but considering the diameter of HP, nothing to worry about, although On the contrary, the bass is nevertheless excellent)

The amp has a solid handle transportation, coating class, nothing to say from this point of view, impeccable craftsmanship. Only small black dot, the corners are not protected against shocks all protections have been useful but we will not quibble over the details!

UTILIZATION

I have already had beautiful baby of the range, the Mustang V
But it remains to me because it is really big, so I decided to complete my equipment with a small amp to take everywhere (and which will also serve as portable speaker evening, beach, travel ...)
With batteries loaded one has a 10aine hours of battery life, depending on the volume
Otherwise take into account that battery + charger (if you do not have one, like me) you'll get € 60/90 (depending on quality), taking into account the costs so!
The amp itself is extremely intuitive, but I already know well Fuse and operation of presets so I was not too difficult to take in hand.
Some basic presets are completely useless, I reconfigure everything to remove the metal and hard rock sounds to replace the fender cleans all kinds, I'll explain that later!

SOUNDS

The amp suits my style of music. In fact, I played on a Les Paul Epiphone Guitar average range so.
I rather play accompaniments or blues, scales, rock not too beefy and especially reggae (So stuff ranging from Arctic Monkeys Naaman, Jake Bugg, of Unplugged etc ...)
The highlight of this amp is clearly in the cleans.
Not that nags most amps are bad, far from it, but fender has managed to retain a model with striking his amps (Twin Reverb, Champ, Princeton ...)
To say, the store where I bought the Mustang V, I asked to play on the Mustang and a real Twin Reverb, I did not find the difference so the sound was beautiful.
So I advise you to focus on clean sounds on the mini is made for that!
Taking the very good I think, ca not saturate like some amps can be a bit noisy but fun to play quickly over his favorite songs!
The effects are very well done, special mention for the delays and overdrive happiness!
To summarize:
-Favor cleans that are perfect
-The distortion is not to throw everything but the amp is not for ca
Well-proportioned and realistic effects

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for a 15aine day and I spend more, I love its mobility, its attractive price, compatibility with its big brothers and magical sounds he cleans out.
Fender offers an extremely comprehensive portable amp, better than the competition (no pictures against the Vox and Roland functions available level) but we must recognize that it is more recent.
If you are new, I can only advise you against a Mustang 1, the power difference does not change (the mini sending heavy anyway!) And many advantages over it
If you treat yourself to take your courage in both hands and try Fuse, the beast will show his true nature to your delight!

It is a transistor amp 7 watts with a 6.5-inch hp.
A battery or mains (adapter supplied).
It simulates a bunch of amps and effects.
Connection usual headphone, to (or other mp3 player).
The fundamental point: USB port to connect to the computer and set everything with the very successful (and free) software Fender Fuse.
A metal handle is supposed to tilt the amp. Good idea, except that it is not maintained in this position and the amp breaks routinely face ... Not that serious!
It is very pretty, as you have noticed, but what is more annoying for a mobile receiver is that it is also very fragile (coating peeling off, no metal corners, etc.).

UTILIZATION

This is an amp that is designed to be configured with the computer. Very easy and intuitive. Then you can always touch the physical buttons, but this is more mysterious. It may seem inconvenient, but we made it: when we found two three sounds that suit his guitar, set great and all, why tamper with physical settings?

SOUNDS

This is the strong point. This is impressive, especially at low volume (ie use at home). It's realistic and even, it is beautiful.
In addition, no breath, an entry for quite convincing as the headphone output is quite impressive.
He is doing well in all registers. Good test is the overdrive, often crying over this kind of amp. La, we believe it is ...

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for several months. As I do not live in an isolated house in the vineyard (Bordeaux), it replaced my 5 watt tube amp, yet excellent, but so impractical.
Its main competitor is the vox mini 3. The vox is more rustic: you can put it kicks in when you're upset, but it is significantly less good for sound (breath sounds synthetic). Ditto for the Roland mini cube.
So unless your project this summer is to play the markets with a group of punks, there's no hesitation: the Fender Mini is a gem.

As a preamble, I was looking for a versatile and portable amp to go jam with some friends in the evening.
I tried studio and store most of its competitors: 3 Mini Vox, Roland Microcube normal and RX, Vox AC1, a line6 I do not remember which. And I do not even toys such MS2 Marshall, Fender Twin or mini Danelectro Honeytone.

And I turned to the Mini Mustang.

This is a digital amplifier power stage with a transistor 7 Watts, an HP 6 or 6.5 ".

It simulates a sling load of Fender amps, a Vox, a Marshall and a handful of amps including a Mesa High Gain. There are also a myriad of effects pre or post amp.

Almost entirely through software programmable Fender Fuse, rather well done elsewhere if not it is based on Microsoft Silverlight and need to install it too. Ability to import sounds created by other Mustang owners (and not the mini).

Full connectivity: ligne/MP3 input, headphone jack, USB port for programming and output to a PC sequencer, but you can not output audio from the PC to the amp on the other hand.

Simulation HP's headphone and USB.

Built-in tuner.

Tap tempo button.

Comes with power supply but works fine with 6 C batteries

Fairly light and compact.

Optional footswitch.

Made in China but build quality a priori correct.

It is quite full and a priori very versatile and nomadic but no footswitch, so I put 7 here.

UTILIZATION

The factory presets are pretty good overall and there's something for everyone. on the other hand, like the vast majority of factory settings for all types of computer simulation, they are drowned in reverb and delay rather cartoonish (I return below).

A big flaw of this amp from my point of view is the difficulty of access to settings sounds from the amp (this is against simple since the Fender Fuse, but we do not always walk with his laptop in the evening ...):
- The presets have names of amps but they do not always correspond to what is written
- The effects are just called A1, A2, A3, B1 ... Therefore either memorize them or to carry around an index card with the amp as they are written
- There is a knob Treble but also can adjust the bass through pressing the EXIT button at the same time, thus setting NOT Middle (which I find very annoying)
- The USB is misplaced
- You can change the mix / blend / effect level of the effect by pressing EXIT and also the effect knob.

The Vox and Roland are still much simpler: an amp, a / the effect (s), gain, EQ, volume, basta.

And as I wanted to create my sounds myself using the Fuse and change the effects in banks A1-D3, in which case it must absolutely be lugging a notebook with its settings, if not, panic ensured.

Speaking of Fender Fuse, it is very good. Stable, simple and intuitive, it can update the firmware of the amp and above to edit the presets: number and order of effects, effects settings, amp settings and advanced settings of the amp (BIAS , SAG, HP simulation on / off and kind of cab). You can also export its course presets and import of others.

Consider trying different amps with the cab sim on or off, some sound better without, or with another cab as the original.

Honours for Fender Fuse, pass grade for the settings from the amp alone (competition doing much better on this side): I put 4 inadequate.

It will still need to seriously look at using the software to get the max of this amp and be prepared to spend time tweaking the sounds and settings.

SOUNDS

The projection of sound this amp is very good for a 7 W transistor out of a 6 HP. "That is enough to play at home, on the beach or in the evening.

As mentioned previously, the original presets are very good and varied.

The simus are of good quality (better than the competition and I think that's why I chose this amp) and strongly resemble that of Amplitube Fender et al. There would be a little oil in the engine IK Multimedia Fender I would not be surprised.

on the other hand, the string of delays and reverbs are a little tree that hides the forest. I reprogrammed all presets putting only the amps alone in the preset, then adding effects using only the effects knob. So, I can choose an amp and effects that I want (but only one at a time) for greater versatility. But suddenly the amp simus "dry" sound much less well in these conditions, and I repeat it will play with the simulation of HP to get out the best sound possible. It remains correct but less pleasant to the ear than the factory presets. In addition, the effects knob allows you to recreate that effect in post-position amp, so bye bye effects chain or upstream of the amp, not great.
I will return to complete the presets, but in this case, I do not see the interest of the knob effects, except to add reverb or delay.

The dynamics of this amp is huge, grotesque limit. The difference and the subtlety of your game will be transcribed and amplified in most cases. On this side, nothing to say is dynamic in dynamic, as some of the real that I tried.

In short, simus are still quite good, better than the competition, special mention for the Vox (British 60). The effects are also quite successful.

Simulation of the HP headphone and USB is bad, one worse than I had the opportunity to listen.

But even if this is the latest generation of digital technology and this is clearly more and more progress, do not expect miracles: the Twin Reverb does certainly not replace a real, same with the other amps eh!

In short, for the digital good, correct in the absolute zero simu HP, I put 6 Good.

OVERALL OPINION

This amp is clearly not a toy but a real tool.

He enjoys my perspective a very good value for those who want to start with him discovering a multitude of styles of sound, or like me who wants to walk around with something light to go play in the cool of friends with lots of different sounds to play all styles and working all night on batteries (C batteries for me).

Cons, it requires a significant investment in time to take control of the software program and especially its sounds at your convenience if you do not want to keep those factory.

However, even if it is a very good digital, I will not go live with a true (or Mustang with a more powerful anyway because it is not powerful enough to play in groups) and use the home, I kept my Blackstar 1W lamp, which he has only one sound, none the less better than the Mini Mustang.

In short, good amp for travel, parties, or start with the guitar, but no more.

It is a small transistor amp models and 7-watt, which I originally booked only for portable use, especially during the holidays. But given the possibilities of the machine, I think I'll use it daily. The connection is satisfactory headphone jack and input for MP3 player, a USB port to configure the voicings using the Fuse software that downloads and installs easily (and free) on a computer, a footswitch jack, but only one channel .
Delivered today, once unwrapped, immediately tried: very nice finish, not "fake" at all, good overall impression, it looks tough, beautiful linings, carrying handle solid, classic design of knobs .. . you feel immediately at ease, neither disappointed nor lost: it's a real Fender, but in miniature!

UTILIZATION

And the first tests are great. I will not dwell on all the possible configurations: I did not really tested and I think they are anyway the same as those present on the rest of the range. The settings are simple, but it must be precise and delicate with the knobs because there are no notches to follow. The manual is clear but very brief (one page!).

Question power (7 watts), it has what it takes to practice quietly at home without heat lamps and annoy the neighbors. I did not have to push it back, it was a good margin.

Decision input (for mp3 player) and headphone will also go a lot of services. No loop on the other hand to insert any pedals. It is true that there are already so many onboard effects ...

SOUNDS

I especially want to say I am impressed with the sound quality of this little thing: the clean sound with my Strato really going very well. It was a very important before buying, and I was worried by the speaker size (6.5-inch) because I had no way to be informed. I am reassured!

OVERALL OPINION

I only tried it on mains power at the moment, so I can not say anything of use on battery including the battery life. I appreciate the comfortable length of the wire of the AC adapter and USB cord (to use the software Fuse), we can put this little amp at the right height for easy access to settings. Among the small negatives is the lack of protection of corners (but I did not have that on my tube combo) and cover (it's unfortunate).

In conclusion, I am satisfied with this mini Mustang: it represents a good balance of quality/price, and it will be an ideal companion on holiday, powerful and compact!