Mustangs’ new verses old??

flyingv

I’ve been toying with the idea for some time now’ of getting an old’ vintage mustang? Preferably 60’s or even a 70’s era??
the only thing that keeps stopping me taking the plunge, is that I’ve actually never played one? It’s more a physicality thing tbh? with them being a ‘smaller’ guitar? So my question being - how do they compare playability / feel wise’ to say the cheaper Squires etc? 
Wondering whether it’s worth my while picking one of these up first’ just to see how I get on with them?? 
Cheers.

ICBM

They feel completely different from a cheap Strat or Tele, both in physical size and the response/feedback (through your hands) you get from the strings when you play. Much less sustain and a looser feel, even with heavier strings - there is good a reason you never see blues and classic rock players using them... they don't do a smooth overdriven sound at all well - but they sound good clean for funky chording and dirty for punkier fuzzy sounds. The pickup switching is a bit odd and fiddly - there's an on/off/out-of-phase switch for each pickup so it's difficult to quickly switch between sounds as it often means moving two switches. The modern 'Mustangs' with a hardtail bridge and humbuckers aren't really that similar other than in shape and scale length.

If you can afford it, buying an old one - assuming you don’t pay too much - is unlikely to be a mistake since values are only going to go up, in the foreseeable future... they’re far less expensive than Strats or even Jaguars and Jazzmasters. But be careful with 60s ones - there are two versions, with 24" and 22.5" scales. The 22.5"s are tiny, and best avoided - they're relatively rare because they were only made for the first couple of years, and sometimes sold without clear disclosure that's what they are... but easy to spot in photos because there is a fingerboard dot at the last fret - the 24" scale version has it at the second last (22 frets rather than 21). Many earlier ones, even 24" scale, also have the 'A' width neck which is very skinny - B is the normal width. If you see a 60s Mustang going cheaper than you would expect, check if it's one of these.

Does that help?

Fuengi

I went and tried an American one in PMT before looking for a used one, really liked the size and feel. 

Ended up picking up a used Fender Modern Player Mustang from 2013 made in China. It's got all the vintage appointments but has P90s in it. It's a cracking little guitar, super fun to play and sounds great. 

joetele

Maybe worth taking a punt on this? https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/px190818347510001--squier-classic-vibe-60s-mustang-vintage-white-rw-2016-pre-own

flyingv

Thanks guys, wow! @ICBM you have answered my every possible question in one post! a great wealth of information sir very much appreciated! As you say’ they are a lot less than other vintage Fenders which is why I fancied dipping my toe into the vintage market with a Mustang. Looked at others, musicmasters, duo Sonics, Broncos? The Mustang just seemed to offer a bit more? In looks and options?? However my musical tastes / playing’ is geared more to blues / rock, so all of the above probably wouldn’t fit the bill??
Which takes me to the Gibson Melody Maker - these to have been high on my want list for some time now, and I have been following the comments on @bloomer post regarding olympics etc..... Again great guitars at a low ‘ vintage’ price tag compared to its big brothers? 

Philly_Q

ICBM said:

They feel completely different from a cheap Strat or Tele, both in physical size and the response/feedback (through your hands) you get from the strings when you play. Much less sustain and a looser feel, even with heavier strings - there is good a reason you never see blues and classic rock players using them... they don't do a smooth overdriven sound at all well - but they sound good clean for funky chording and dirty for punkier fuzzy sounds. The pickup switching is a bit odd and fiddly - there's an on/off/out-of-phase switch for each pickup so it's difficult to quickly switch between sounds as it often means moving two switches. The modern 'Mustangs' with a hardtail bridge and humbuckers aren't really that similar other than in shape and scale length.

Presumably the lack of sustain and loose feel is largely due to the bridge/tailpiece, or do you think the scale length and/or thinner body contribute too?

The small size of the Mustang appeals to me but (for myself) I would definitely be looking at a non-vintage hardtail version with simpler wiring.

ICBM

flyingv said:

Thanks guys, wow! @ICBM you have answered my every possible question in one post! a great wealth of information sir very much appreciated! As you say’ they are a lot less than other vintage Fenders which is why I fancied dipping my toe into the vintage market with a Mustang. Looked at others, musicmasters, duo Sonics, Broncos? The Mustang just seemed to offer a bit more? In looks and options?? However my musical tastes / playing’ is geared more to blues / rock, so all of the above probably wouldn’t fit the bill??
Which takes me to the Gibson Melody Maker - these to have been high on my want list for some time now, and I have been following the comments on @bloomer post regarding olympics etc..... Again great guitars at a low ‘ vintage’ price tag compared to its big brothers? 

The 60s Duo-Sonic II and Musicmaster II are actually better suited - as long as you get a 24"-scale, B-width one, which are rarer in those two models and command a bit of a premium as a result. They're still small and have slightly less sustain than a Tele, and the Duo still has the awkward Mustang switching, but they are usable.

I had a '64 24"/A Duo-Sonic and a '65 22.5"/A Musicmaster at one point - admittedly I have small hands, but I actually gigged them - the Musicmaster in particular, even with its tiny neck, was actually brilliant with 12s on... it sounded like a huge Strat neck pickup. I used it in a 50s-style rock'n'roll band.

The 50s/early 60s Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic are all 22.5"-scale, which is why they usually sell for what looks like a bargain price for a 50s Fender. The Bronco is 24"-scale but has an odd trem with a very 'wiry', slightly buzzy tone - and only a bridge pickup.

The Gibson Melody Maker is a better bet - they're full-scale and normal neck width even though they have a very skinny body, and the pickups are quite usable for conventional rock playing, even though quite different from a humbucker or a P90 - they sound a bit like a cross between a Strat and a Tele bridge pickup, so the result is something like a brighter Les Paul Junior.

bloomer

Have a look at Eric Haugen's youtube, his main guitar is a 66 mustang albeit I think with replacement pickups, I think it sounds great. Hendrix managed on a duosonic despite his gargantuan hands:

https://www.groundguitar.com/jimi-hendrix-gear/jimi-hendrixs-fender-duo-sonic-sunburst/

flyingv

@bloomer yeah have watched that a few times, he gets some nice tones for sure....

Gerz6558

I think with how blessed we are with modern amps and modelling you can just about make most guitars fit most styles.  I had a 65 Mustang and I think they are a great gateway into a reasonably priced vintage Fender, but even these are starting to creep up to a price I'm personally uncomfortable with.

The neck on my 65 was a B, and if I am comparing with the 64 Jag I had I would say the Mustang didn't feel all that much of a downgrade in sound or feel...just different.

Stick some heavy strings on it and swap the low output bridge pickup for a hotter variant if you wish, I'm sure it would serve you well.  But if you want to dip your toe in the Japanese 65 reissues are renowned for nearly being as good. 

benecol

I've played 60's Mustangs (they were both lovely), owned a 70's Mustang (and would advise you not to buy a 70's one, it was heavy and disappointing) and played CIJ ones. I'd advise a CIJ one - it was nearly as good as the 60s ones for much less money.

Funkfingers

ICBM said:

Much less sustain ... they don't do a smooth overdriven sound at all well - but they sound good clean for funky chording and dirty for punkier fuzzy sounds. 

Pretty much the sound of David Byrne on Talking Heads '77 and some of their second album. (Yes. I know that he was mostly playing a Duo-Sonic with an added humbucker.) Fender but not the usual Fender, if that makes sense.


Would anyone care to comment on the Fender Dynamic vibrato?

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=108813

Jaded

ICBM pretty much nailed it, they’re their own thing, not even all that comparable to a Jaguar tonally.

With one of the switches re-wired to be a pickup selector and some beefier pickups they work nicely for me. 

As for the vibrato. I hated it until I got myself a vintage unit, could only get it stable enough to lower the pitch but the old units for whatever reason work great.
They have a great range and by rocking the cigar tube with your palm while playing you can get a nice vibrato then grab the bar for some surfy action. If you’re into the shoegazy glide thing they can can do that with some practice too. 

Im sure the MIJ units can be set up to be just as stable, I just haven’t had much luck with them. 

gringopig

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Teyeplayer

I had a pre-cbs early ‘64 A neck mustang. It was...average...at best.
I’m also one of the rare few that love the vibrato; but that scale alongside the vibrato didn’t work; would have had more of a unique thing going on a standard fender scale. 

ICBM

gringopig said:

The Mustang can do smooth over driven blues style just like any other guitar. If I had one I would prove it too!

Well, you can use a Rickenbacker for widdly metal if you *really* want to... Possible, yes - suited to it, not really.

gringopig said:

I do have a 22.5" Duo-Sonic though and I could easily record something and no-one would ever know it wasn't a Strat.
Stratocasters are thin tinny sounding guitars but no-one seems to think they can't do hard rock diddly dee stuff.

I know, I used a 22.5" Musicmaster with 12s on and it sounded exactly like a really huge Strat . But the sustain and tone is actually closer to a Strat than a Mustang is.