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Fender Mustang Bass?

#2
Sounds a bit like a little bit farty P bass. I love them. You might find an older Mustang at $700, but you are more likely to find a Musicmaster for that price (or better). Same neck and body, different pickup (single coil) and bridge. I actually prefer the Musicmaster because there is a wider variety of replacement pickups available for it (my fave is the Track 2 Strat replacement stacked humbucker).
 
#6
The Mustang reissue gets pretty close to the vintage P-bass sound. It's definitely got that "thump" and is surprisingly ballsy.

It's definitely a nice bass and feels great in your hands. The neck is fast and slim.

My only complaint is that you have to take the neck off to adjust the truss rod. That's why I sold mine.
 
#7
DeanT said:
The Mustang reissue gets pretty close to the vintage P-bass sound. It's definitely got that "thump" and is surprisingly ballsy.

It's definitely a nice bass and feels great in your hands. The neck is fast and slim.

My only complaint is that you have to take the neck off to adjust the truss rod. That's why I sold mine.
Click to expand...

Uh...I've never found that was really necessary. If you have the right screwdriver (large slot head, not phillips), slack the strings, and angle the tool just right, you can tighten or loosen it as needed with the neck on. Again, I am assuming the person doing this knows what they are doing and has the bass on a stable cloth-covered work surface. YMMV. :D
 
#8
MuleVariator said:
Listen to any of the early Talking Heads albums ('77, More Songs About Buildings And Food, Fear Of Music, Remain In Light) and that Mustang sound is there. I keep thinking I want one too... That video just re-lit the torch! :)
Click to expand...

I saw TH live at a party in Providence, RI in 1976. It forever changed my opinion of the Mustang. Dang decent Bass, IMHO.
 
#9
Jim Carr said:
Uh...I've never found that was really necessary. If you have the right screwdriver (large slot head, not phillips), slack the strings, and angle the tool just right, you can tighten or loosen it as needed with the neck on. Again, I am assuming the person doing this knows what they are doing and has the bass on a stable cloth-covered work surface. YMMV. :D
Click to expand...

I tried that, but the slot wasn't big enough to get the screwdriver in. Even a small screwdriver wouldn't fit. Maybe I got one with a bum truss rod slot. Still, it was a nice bass in spite of that.
 
#10
I actually had a little route done in the body by the neck pocket so I can easily access the trussrod without removing the neck. Simple mod that looks good. That being said, that mod was completely unneccesary. I've gone from light rounds to now having chromesteel flats on my Mustang, and the neck hasn't budged a bit. The shorter scale means that the neck has a lot more girth in proportion than a regular long scale bass. Very solid, stable neck thus far. Almost like a warwick neck stablitywise.

Like all japanese fenders IME, there is too much finish on the neck. A quick rub with fine grade sandpaper is all it took to fix that. The neck is actually pretty ehf'ing comfy. This is the only bass that I've felt comfortable with that has a tighter than 19mm string spacing. At least the only tighter spaced bass I've felt comfy with in the last 6 or 7 years since I've become accustomed to wide spaced basses. I didn't even realize that it was 18mm spaced till I got the bass home.

Tonally it is pretty close to a P-bass, but not quite the same. Seems to be a little growlier to my ear. Also sustains less due to the shorter scale/lower tension.

I bought mine to limp through a bout of tendonitis, but I'm on the fence about whether I am going to keep it long term. It does what it does very well, but I've never been much of a P-guy.

PS: I don't care for the musicmasters. At least not the couple I've tried.
 
#11
I played one at Guitar Center several times and it felt very comfortable. I'm used to 34" scale basses and I could see making the adjustment with not too much effort.

I may grab one of the reissues and have it repainted a cool Tony Levin Orange/Peach. I have the urge to be different sometimes and the CIJ should have no collector value in the future. I'll see how the PU is, if it needs to go I believe Aero makes/used to make a drop in replacement.
 
#13
PS: I don't care for the musicmasters. At least not the couple I've tried.
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The Musicmaster requires mods, the Mustang could go either way (largely because the Mustang pickup is OK, while the Musicmaster pu is not). They play with identical feel, because the necks and bodies are the same. IMHO, the Musicmaster with a decent replacement pickup and a beefier bridge is the more versatile bass of the two.
 
#14
DeanT said:
I tried that, but the slot wasn't big enough to get the screwdriver in. Even a small screwdriver wouldn't fit. Maybe I got one with a bum truss rod slot. Still, it was a nice bass in spite of that.
Click to expand...

+1

IME, what can happen with any Fender bass is that the pickguard might not have enough of a "scooped out area" in it to allow the tool into the slot. Careful digging there can be done by a Luthier to fix this. The scooped area is subtle and should be there, but sometimes it seems it is not deep enough. :cool:
 
#15
My local GC has two used mustangs, one orange and one white, tried them both out, really enjoyed them through a MarkBass LMII and an Ampeg 1x15 cab... The weird thing was when I picked up the orange one and tried it out, I discovered it was tuned A D G C, and I realized it sounded and played great as a 4 string baritone....... But I fixed the tuning back down to standard bass and it still sounded great. The white one was tuned correctly... Maybe someday i'll pick up a Mustang, they are just fun little basses with punchy sound....
 
#16
I think it is GREAT that Fender RI'd the Mustang Bass! :hyper:

I've checked out a few of the CIJ Mustang Basses at different GCs, and Willie's - keep lookin' until you find your keeper. I spent a LOT of time playing one in '69-'71 - and one is definitely in my future...again :p

Dave_-_Karisma_-_Mustang014.jpg


The band is Karisma - this shot is of my with my light blue Fender Mustang Bass... bass '65 - pic circa 1970
(with a tone-sucking coil cord!!! :spit:)

I played both a Jazz and the Mustang at the time. I am playing through my (new) Vox Super Beatle wearing my orange crushed velvet bells - great stage-wear for 1970! :cool:
 
#19
I played a Mustang bass reissue today and I'm hooked! They only had red, so I had to order white....the only other option. I don't like red.

I would LOVE black, with black pickguard and maple neck/fretboard and Ernie Ball Music Man humbucker. But, I'm more into the playability, so I'll get white....I can't wait for them to make a black one.

Too bad Warmoth doesn't make Mustang bass parts.
 

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