Fender Mustang Guitars - what's good?

Fuengi

Eyeing up something offset, possibly a Jag or a Mustang. The Mustang seems incredibly cheap for a Fender, I've seen vintage mid 60's examples going for £1500.

What should I look for - new / used - and what would you spend on a decent Mustang guitar? 

meltedbuzzbox

You should look for anything that isn't a mustang.
They're horrible weedy sounding things, ring like rubber and have pointless out of phase switching. Oh and the vibrato system is a bit pants too

Buy a jag, they're much better

Fuengi

meltedbuzzbox said:

You should look for anything that isn't a mustang.
They're horrible weedy sounding things, ring like rubber and have pointless out of phase switching. Oh and the vibrato system is a bit pants too

Buy a jag, they're much better

Maybe I should rephrase.... which ones are the least shite? 

Stuckfast

Mustangs came in two scale lengths -- the cheap ones are usually the short scale ones.

A good Mustang is a thing of joy, though, as long as you don't use the tremolo.

Blaendulais

Picked up a Johnny Marr Jag after years of Les Pauls and Strats.  Awesome guitar best trem system ever

Funkfingers

Fuengi said:
Eyeing up something offset, possibly a Jag or a Mustang.

Is your priority the looks or the short scale length? 

Fuengi said:
which ones are the least shite? 

The Mustang 90 has the benefits of a fixed bridge, dual P90 pickups and a sensible three-way toggle pickup selector switch. This means that it does not really sound like a Fender Mustang or Duo-Sonic. Some might say that this is all the more reason to buy this rather than a traditional model.

meltedbuzzbox said:

Buy a jag, they're much better

Can't argue with that.

Some versions of the Cyclone may be worth a look. The Jaguarillo was interesting.

Blaendulais said:
Johnny Marr Jag ... best trem system ever

I concur that the Fender/Staytrem hybrid vibrato system is a highly musical thing. I already have one on an AVRI '62 Jaguar. I am about to perform the same upgrade on an AVRI '65 Jazzmaster.

Ah, now I've said it. Jazzmaster! 

gringopig

.

bbill335

Stuckfast said:

Mustangs came in two scale lengths -- the cheap ones are usually the short scale ones.

iirc, most of the 22 inch scale mustangs are from the first year of production ('64 - source) and thus are very much pre-CBS and collectible. 65-67 ones seem to be around 1k-1.8k depending on condition. The comp stripe ones (67-73?) in good condition seem to be commanding higher prices than the others (despite being fairly comparable in spec to MIJ reissues!) 

the vibrato system is a potential weak point but, as with the jag/JM vibrato, vintage units are better.

Mustangs are great, the vibrato can work just fine. They are definitely NOT a "poor man's Jag", they have so much of their own vibe going on. with sixties strat/tele/jag/jazzmasters well out of the reach of us mortals (or those of us who want to gig our guitars), mustangs are great pieces of old fender you can carry into battle with you.

Teyeplayer

I remember when the pound-dollar situation was such that I purchased a pre-cbs ‘64 neck mustang for £500. 

Teyeplayer

Teyeplayer said:

I remember when the pound-dollar situation was such that I purchased a pre-cbs ‘64 neck mustang for £500. 

Edit: and I loved that vibrato, it was the pickups that were shit.

Fuengi

A decent working vibrato, or one that can be upgraded is definitely a requirement. I'm thinking that might lead my search to the Jag. 

I saw Eric Haugen plays his Mustang without the bar and just uses the side of his palm for vibrato / tremolo. Sounds good to me. 

JerkMoans

Fuengi said:

A decent working vibrato, or one that can be upgraded is definitely a requirement. I'm thinking that might lead my search to the Jag. 

I saw Eric Haugen plays his Mustang without the bar and just uses the side of his palm for vibrato / tremolo. Sounds good to me. 

I was/am so taken with the bearded maestro and his homespun lessons that I bagged and imported this mocha ‘75 beauty from that Japan.

https://imgur.com/a/uPAYG4Y

Regrettably, it has failed instantly to make me play as well as Mr Haugen

Teyeplayer

JerkMoans said:

Fuengi said:

A decent working vibrato, or one that can be upgraded is definitely a requirement. I'm thinking that might lead my search to the Jag. 

I saw Eric Haugen plays his Mustang without the bar and just uses the side of his palm for vibrato / tremolo. Sounds good to me. 

I was/am so taken with the bearded maestro and his homespun lessons that I bagged and imported this mocha ‘75 beauty from that Japan.

https://imgur.com/a/uPAYG4Y

Regrettably, it has failed instantly to make me play as well as Mr Haugen

Ooh that is nice!

Fuengi

JerkMoans said:

Fuengi said:

A decent working vibrato, or one that can be upgraded is definitely a requirement. I'm thinking that might lead my search to the Jag. 

I saw Eric Haugen plays his Mustang without the bar and just uses the side of his palm for vibrato / tremolo. Sounds good to me. 

I was/am so taken with the bearded maestro and his homespun lessons that I bagged and imported this mocha ‘75 beauty from that Japan.

https://imgur.com/a/uPAYG4Y

Regrettably, it has failed instantly to make me play as well as Mr Haugen

Sweet! What's the spec? Is it Japanese made? 

JerkMoans

Nope: it’s a ‘real’ 75 US made geetar. All original, as far as I can tell. Except I think there’s a set of ?Schaller straplock buttons on it. 

I love the mocha finish. More ‘70s than Starsky & Hutch on ludes listening to Kool and the Gang.

bbill335

Fuengi said:

A decent working vibrato, or one that can be upgraded is definitely a requirement. I'm thinking that might lead my search to the Jag. 

I saw Eric Haugen plays his Mustang without the bar and just uses the side of his palm for vibrato / tremolo. Sounds good to me. 

Ty Segall (and I think Charles Moothart?) do the same on their mustangs

JD50

I have an early 70s Mustang can't remember if a 72 or 74 .... I also have 64 Jaguar....
The Mustang stays in tune perfectly and I batter the trem..., just as stable as the Jaguar

grungebob

A word of warning re cyclone. The bridge fitted by fender is spaced incorrectly and intonation is impossible. You need to buy a Wilkinson bridge with more adjustable saddles to get it right. Great guitars though. 

Gerz6558

I've had a 65 mustang and it was great, it didn't have any of the supposed drawbacks many mention. Stacked up to the Jaguars I've had very well.

That being said, just get a Japan reissue. They are very well thought of and almost render getting a decent vintage example a waste of money. Most sales I've seen are asking way too much for them these days IMO.

Fuengi

Gerz6558 said:

I've had a 65 mustang and it was great, it didn't have any of the supposed drawbacks many mention. Stacked up to the Jaguars I've had very well.

That being said, just get a Japan reissue. They are very well thought of and almost render getting a decent vintage example a waste of money. Most sales I've seen are asking way too much for them these days IMO.

I'll take a look at Jap RI, thanks. Any particular year or versions you'd recommend?

prowla

The Mustang was never a good guitar; there was one anti-hero bloke who played one for a while.