Fender Mustang

AlbertCAlbertC Frets: 911

I’m interested in some views and opinions on Fender Mustangs – 1960/1970s rather than later re-issues.

Probably throw Duosonics in the mix as well.

I’m after an older guitar for mainly clean/cleanish tones

 

0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom

Comments

  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    Mustangs and Duo-Sonics certainly do clean tones. Of the two designs, I am biased towards the one with the fixed bridge. 

    If you need greater output for overdriven sounds and are not fussy about vintage originality, it would be worth modifying the wiring to add the option to link both pickups in series. Alternatively, whack in a Hot Rails or Li'l 'bucker.

    Might be worth communicating with @HarrySeven about this.

    Be seeing you.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • KoaKoa Frets: 120
    Don’t forget early Musicmasters too, I played a lovely ‘71 recently, nice original pearl guard. Never tried a Bronco so can’t comment but another flavour of short scale Mustang ish vibe I should think 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • grungebobgrungebob Frets: 3300
    I’ve owned and stupidly sold since two vintage musicmasters a 64 and a 67 I think it was. Both sounded wonderful. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • AlbertCAlbertC Frets: 911
    Koa said:
    Don’t forget early Musicmasters too, I played a lovely ‘71 recently, nice original pearl guard. Never tried a Bronco so can’t comment but another flavour of short scale Mustang ish vibe I should think 
    I actually already have a 1963 Musicmaster but my thought process was sell that and get a twin pickup to give me a bit more versatility tonally. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • gringopiggringopig Frets: 2648
    edited July 2020
    .
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • AlbertCAlbertC Frets: 911
    gringopig said:
    AlbertC said:
    Koa said:
    Don’t forget early Musicmasters too, I played a lovely ‘71 recently, nice original pearl guard. Never tried a Bronco so can’t comment but another flavour of short scale Mustang ish vibe I should think 
    I actually already have a 1963 Musicmaster but my thought process was sell that and get a twin pickup to give me a bit more versatility tonally. 
    Interesting. Would you sell on here if so minded and at what price?
    Yes, I am definitely considering selling it on here. I have two electrics to sell and that will be one.
    I haven't decided on my selling price at the moment - I need to do a little homework but it will be a realistic.
    You can have a preview here - https://imgur.com/a/ms0h1Mt
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • gringopiggringopig Frets: 2648
    edited July 2020
    .
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • I had a 68 Mustang that was great for clean tone.  I used it in a band in the mid 80's for a year or so plugged into a Fender Vibrolux Reverb amp.  Got the Dire Straits  sound down cold and wasn't bad for overdriven blues either.  I stopped gigging it because it was getting a bit beat up and worn out.    Someone mentioned a fixed bridge, mine had the vibrato bar and some kind of floating bridge that was a little problematic as it would move a little during hard playing and throw the intonation off.  Otherwise though, a great guitar.

    “Theory is something that is written down after the music has been made so we can explain it to others”– Levi Clay


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • AlbertCAlbertC Frets: 911
    gringopig said:
    AlbertC said:
    gringopig said:
    AlbertC said:
    Koa said:
    Don’t forget early Musicmasters too, I played a lovely ‘71 recently, nice original pearl guard. Never tried a Bronco so can’t comment but another flavour of short scale Mustang ish vibe I should think 
    I actually already have a 1963 Musicmaster but my thought process was sell that and get a twin pickup to give me a bit more versatility tonally. 
    Interesting. Would you sell on here if so minded and at what price?
    Yes, I am definitely considering selling it on here. I have two electrics to sell and that will be one.
    I haven't decided on my selling price at the moment - I need to do a little homework but it will be a realistic.
    You can have a preview here - https://imgur.com/a/ms0h1Mt
    Hi. yes, very nice. It is an earlier model though with a slab board fingerboard. If you look at the end of the neck at the heel, you will see that the fingerboard joins the maple neck in a straight line rather than a curved veneer. I believe it will be a 1961 early 1962 model and these go for a premium over veneer fingerboard models.

    EDIT:

    Guitar Info

    Your guitar was made at the 
    Fullerton Plant (Fender - Pre CBS Era), USA
    in 1962
    Production Number: 72361 

    My 1964 Duo Sonic:


    Note the flat fingerboard line after the nut. My one is a veneer curved fretboard.

    Your one:


    The heel will look like this:

    Thanks. Actually this has jogged my memory - I think  I was getting my years mixed or mis-remembering and it’s actually ‘61 not  ‘63, which would presumably make sense with what your saying. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • rexterrexter Frets: 369
    tFB Trader
    FWIW I am a lover of these guitars having started off my guitar obsession back in the mists of time (90s haha) with a Duosonic reissue. Have owned multiple vintage Mustangs since then and variations on the Musicmaster/Duo.

    To me they always feel like they play (and sound) better than the more expensive Jaguar, but, perhaps that's just personal as I can never bond with Jags... no matter how much i want to.

    Mustangs sound lovely clean, specially the neck+middle position. If you can pick up a late 60s one that needs a bit of tlc for a good price I reckon it's a good way to go. I had a 77 which was great, but the 60s bodies will be lighter normally as they are poplar rather than ash. Those vintage pickups sound lovely of course, but modern handwound offerings from the usual suspects are all pretty great too.
    Custom colours, vintage restorations, high end guitar finishing
    www.rexterguitars.co.uk
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • StuckfastStuckfast Frets: 2393
    Has anyone ever got a Mustang vibrato to work well? Mine will stay in tune for years at a time if you remove the arm and screw the trem system right down so that it jams on top of the strings, but if you actually try to use it as a vibrato it never returns to pitch properly.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • JD50JD50 Frets: 651
    Stuckfast said:
    Has anyone ever got a Mustang vibrato to work well? Mine will stay in tune for years at a time if you remove the arm and screw the trem system right down so that it jams on top of the strings, but if you actually try to use it as a vibrato it never returns to pitch properly.
    Yep I have an old USA Mustang stays in tune fine. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Stuckfast said:
    Has anyone ever got a Mustang vibrato to work well? Mine will stay in tune for years at a time if you remove the arm and screw the trem system right down so that it jams on top of the strings, but if you actually try to use it as a vibrato it never returns to pitch properly.
    Yes, I have. You need to use reasonably heavy strings (probably at least 11s), set the bar as low as possible but with enough of a gap under the strings to allow it to move freely, and do the usual things with the nut and machineheads.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    Stuckfast said:
    Has anyone ever got a Mustang vibrato to work well? Mine will stay in tune for years at a time if you remove the arm and screw the trem system right down so that it jams on top of the strings, but if you actually try to use it as a vibrato it never returns to pitch properly.
    I did a variation on this on a Squier VM Mustang. Its vibrato is a dirt cheap copy of the original. Since the arm was not going to be used, I rotated the tension bar so that the strings could be anchored through it instead of wrapping around and underneath.
    Be seeing you.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • rexterrexter Frets: 369
    tFB Trader
    Another one jumping in to say the Mustang vibrato is incredible when set up. Nothing shook the tuning on mine. A lot of unnecessary criticism for all the offset fender vibratos, the JM/Jag is also one of the best trem units in tersm of tuning stability and feel when set up right too.
    Custom colours, vintage restorations, high end guitar finishing
    www.rexterguitars.co.uk
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • rexter said:
    Another one jumping in to say the Mustang vibrato is incredible when set up. Nothing shook the tuning on mine. A lot of unnecessary criticism for all the offset fender vibratos, the JM/Jag is also one of the best trem units in tersm of tuning stability and feel when set up right too.
    I bought  a Mustang VM last year and find  it  to be more stable.  I use 11's on all my solid bodies but I have one question about the trem bar.  I don't use it much, to the point that I hardly ever have it on the guitar but when it's on it rides a little higher away from the strings than I would like.  I've not spent the time researching, or worrying about it but is there an adjustment I can make in regards to this?  Otherwise I'm very impressed with this guitar.

    “Theory is something that is written down after the music has been made so we can explain it to others”– Levi Clay


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.