Which 'stang?!

callmesnake

Howdy folks!

I asked a similar question on the old forum before, but as things are a new, I need some advice offseters!

Quite fancy a Mustang - but which one? Fender or Squier? I've not had much experience with short-scale guitars before, and have seen the MIJ 'stangs, but with the introduction of the Squier made ones I had thought it could be a good introduction into the short-scale world. How do these Squier's rate with you guys? It worth a punt as a newbie, or should I bite the bullet and go for a Fender?.. (Daphne Blue.. mmm)

Gagaryn

Bite the bullet and get an original and I'll sell you one - 65 in Dakota Red?

callmesnake

Gagaryn said:

Bite the bullet and get an original and I'll sell you one - 65 in Dakota Red?

Ha! Can't quite justify that sum at the mo - but it's a beauty!

meltedbuzzbox

Get a Jaguar.

Same scale but a much better guitar all round

littlethoughts

I used to have a 76 Mustang which was a nice guitar, but I was never as happy with the neck radius as I am on a more modern C. I also tried the classic vibe mustang in PMT and I have to say it was excellent. Not as good as my old one, but a steal at the price. The main concessions I thought were that the vibrato wasn't quite as good at returning to pitch (could've just been a setup issue) and the switches were cheap.

callmesnake

meltedbuzzbox said:

Get a Jaguar.

Same scale but a much better guitar all round

I'll defo get a Jag at some point - one of those on "the list"... 

callmesnake

littlethoughts said:

I used to have a 76 Mustang which was a nice guitar, but I was never as happy with the neck radius as I am on a more modern C. I also tried the classic vibe mustang in PMT and I have to say it was excellent. Not as good as my old one, but a steal at the price. The main concessions I thought were that the vibrato wasn't quite as good at returning to pitch (could've just been a setup issue) and the switches were cheap.

I'd certainly treat the Squier one as ripe for mods - which is always fun! Was that an original '76 or re-issue??

Nunogilberto

I'd say a late '60s GT with the 5 litre small block V8. Or if you can stretch, a late Shelby GT500KR with the 7 litre high output V8.

Oh, you mean guitars?

In that case, go for a blue Fender Jap reissue with competition stripes...

guitargeek62

littlethoughts;265116" said:

the switches were cheap.

It might surprise you, but they're US-made Switchcraft toggles! I got one from the first batch a couple of years ago and it's a great guitar, I just wish I could have got one with contours & racing stripes.

littlethoughts

guitargeek62;265350" said:

[quote="littlethoughts;265116"]the switches were cheap.

It might surprise you, but they're US-made Switchcraft toggles! I got one from the first batch a couple of years ago and it's a great guitar, I just wish I could have got one with contours & racing stripes. [/quote]

Well they felt cheaper than the 35 year old ones in my 76 oh if it had racing stripes I would've been all over it.

callmesnake;265183" said:

littlethoughts said:

I used to have a 76 Mustang which was a nice guitar, but I was never as happy with the neck radius as I am on a more modern C. I also tried the classic vibe mustang in PMT and I have to say it was excellent. Not as good as my old one, but a steal at the price. The main concessions I thought were that the vibrato wasn't quite as good at returning to pitch (could've just been a setup issue) and the switches were cheap.





I'd certainly treat the Squier one as ripe for mods - which is always fun! Was that an original '76 or re-issue??

It was an original in walnut. Looked great, sounded great, just didn't love the neck as much as on my other fenders and I figured if my "best/most valuable" guitar wasn't the one I wanted to play the most then it probably wasn't the right one for me. There is a modded squier one doing the rounds on the classifieds, I think it has been sold a couple of times already!

rossi

I quite fancy a Squier Jagmaster .Twin humbuckers and a whammy plus short scale and a decent price .

kelvinburn

The pawnshop Mustang HB is a very versatile guitar.  I've really enjoyed the few I've tried.

ICBM

The switches were always poor on Mustangs, even the originals. It's a stupid arrangement too - nine switch position combinations but which only give four sounds (plus off), and tricky to switch between some of them on the fly since you need to move both switches. The way they tend to get hit - sideways across the switch - tends to force the casing apart slightly and cause contact issues, and because they're phase-reversing switches the signal has to go through *two* contacts not one, either of which will stop it working. The trem can be tricky to set up right as well, especially with lighter strings - it actually has a very large range which tends to inherently cause trouble - and the arm falls out. Although that's easy to modify if you don't want to remove it (you don't need to to get it into the case).

I know that sounds like a lot of issues! Other than that I'd say they're "different" from the Jaguar rather than worse - I used to have quite a collection of short-scale Fenders, and in one short-lived band I was in the Mustang was definitely better. But things to bear in mind when you're choosing one...

GavRichList

^ to this end, when I had mine I had my luthier set the switches in the position I liked(only one sounded good) then disconnect them!

suspiciousminds

Agree about the switches - i had to change both on my old 69 RI.
I loved mine but only got rid as the neck was the same as my jagatang.
Theyre comfortable with a nice weight and with a sound great.
Never liked the trem tho so i locked it down (same as my jagstang).
I'de have another no probs though.

guitargeek62

I'm going to sort out a new body for my VM mustang this summer; as much as I like the feel of the trem, I cannot stand the rocking bridge and I don't use it enough to warrant keeping it so my new one will be a hard-tail. I want to have contours too or else I'd just block off the stock bridge & trem completely. I'm hoping I don't lose too much of 'stang the tone in doing so though.

ICBM

guitargeek62 said:

I'm going to sort out a new body for my VM mustang this summer; as much as I like the feel of the trem, I cannot stand the rocking bridge and I don't use it enough to warrant keeping it so my new one will be a hard-tail. I want to have contours too or else I'd just block off the stock bridge & trem completely. I'm hoping I don't lose too much of 'stang the tone in doing so though.

You want a Musicmaster/Duo-Sonic bridge. The Duo-Sonic II is the same as a Mustang but with no trem.

guitargeek62

That's pretty much the plan

grungebob

I want to try the new american special mustang. I like mustangs a lot but I always get rid due to the severe lack of sustain they have.

meltedbuzzbox

grungebob said:

I want to try the new american special mustang. I like mustangs a lot but I always get rid due to the severe lack of sustain they have.

I imagine a staytrem bridge would sort that problem right out

It transforms Jags and JMs so I can only assume it would do the same to a stang

or you can buy a Jag :-)

GavRichList

Yeah, save a bit longer and buy a jag. As lovely as mustangs are, there's really no comparison.