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Fender Mustang Club
- Thread starter FlyingPigSound
- Start date
Every short scale bass I’ve ever played or owned had/has an identifiable sound that says short scale to me! That’s not to say that all short scales sound alike or that they sound bad. Just identifiable. Please don’t get me wrong, I love my Mustang, especially after I modified it to my liking. The only thing I don’t like about this bass is the dearth of choices when it comes to strings. I’d love some EB Cobalt rounds or Cobalt flats to fit it. The Labella Flats were simply not my cup of tea. I tried a set of Roto flats and couldn’t get them off quickly enough! Gave them away. I’m hoping some of the string manufacturers will acknowledge the rise in popularity of short scales and get with the program!
There's a nice gig by Can on Youtube, dating back to 1970. Lots of good shots of Holger Czukay's bass!
The mods to this bass are pretty bizarre. A deep channel was carved into the top of the bass from the bridge to the neck, which holger used as a thumb rest. He moved the strap button to the top of the bass. The other end of the strap attaches to the trombone slide-looking thing mounted to the back of the bass. The pickguard was wrapped in reflective material as well.
It looks like the felt mutes were left on the bass and there is also some sort of string under the saddles.
I gather that Can's drummer Jaki didn't really like bass. He wanted it low in the mix and not really standing out. Holger developed a softer and softer touch over time, with quite a thin tone to go with it. I wonder if some of these mods helped him get there.
The mods to this bass are pretty bizarre. A deep channel was carved into the top of the bass from the bridge to the neck, which holger used as a thumb rest. He moved the strap button to the top of the bass. The other end of the strap attaches to the trombone slide-looking thing mounted to the back of the bass. The pickguard was wrapped in reflective material as well.
It looks like the felt mutes were left on the bass and there is also some sort of string under the saddles.
I gather that Can's drummer Jaki didn't really like bass. He wanted it low in the mix and not really standing out. Holger developed a softer and softer touch over time, with quite a thin tone to go with it. I wonder if some of these mods helped him get there.
I feel the same way. La Bella’s weren’t right on this bass I moved them over to my birdsong which has hotter pickups. I like TI flats on mine best but I’ve tried the La Bella, fender flats, ghs boomer short scale (I liked this but preferred the TI) and have some Curt Mangan rounds for short scale I have yet to try as well. So far seems as if GHS has more than a few short scale options, but I know Mangan, Fender, La Bella all do. I have no idea about others bc I haven’t ventured into other brands much since finding the few I really like.
I tried the GHS Boomers because of this demo I thought they sounded great.
Interesting! I was referring to the new Squier Classic Vibe pickups. I forgot about the older Vintage Modified ones. I wonder if all SD Mustang pickups are larger size?
I love Boomers on a Mustang. I'd play them if I played mostly with my fingers, but I usually play with a pick, and roundwounds with a pick sounds and feels like such a mess to me compared to flats. I love the Boomer lower-mids. You can turn the tone off and play reggae with total definition but without a hint of treble.
Yes I did and there are a number of others who have changed Pickups as well. I have a 2017 Mustang PJ and I installed a Seymour Duncan 1/4 Pound set as soon as I got it home. The stock Precision pickup was iffy and the stock J pickup was almost non-existent. This was also due to the 3 way switch was basically tin foil and tooth picks. The quarter pound set SPB-3 and SJB-3 (I will verify those numbers) were a startling change. Hot, loud, with a distinct thump that hit you in the gut and chest like intended. 1/4 pound pickups have a distinct sound and it did take me a bit to get used to the sound. If you are looking for the traditional Fender sound and tone they may not be what you are looking for and you might want to check out the Dimarzio PJ set. I know on my Precision upgrades I prefer the sound of the Dimarzio Model P over the quarter pound. I love the Seymour Duncan set in my PJ and it is fun to see the looks I get when I thump it out especially from the P pickup. I use the J pickup alot solo with Blues and Jazz. I don't use the P and the J together much. It's pretty much either/or.
I hope that helps a bit. If possible you should try to find a PJ that has had this type of upgrade done already and try it out. I would recommend that for whatever brand you might be considering on whatever Mustang model you have. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask. I promise not to bite. Growl a little maybe.
Good luck.
Bob
I use xl halfrounds medium in my pawnshop and its a dream combo
The Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound PJ set contains a SPB-3 P pickup and a SJB-3 J pickup and mounting kit bundled together. Just fyi.
Bob
Just checked out some clips and I think that's the way I'm gonna go, is it a short scale set you use or are you trimming a regular set down? I only see the light gauges (45-100) available on their website for shortscale.
Yeah and this is the problem I have found with my AP as it is strung through the body so a short set would be too short. Does cutting long scale strings to size alter the tone much?. I never had this problem with guitars.
i've been using these medium scale's for a few years now on my mustangs, they are perfect length for string thru bodies and the taper at the tuners
D'Addario EXL160M XL Bass String Medium Gauge/Medium Scale 50-105
D'Addario EXL160M XL Bass String Medium Gauge/Medium Scale 50-105
D'Addario have them in medium scale wich fits perfect on the mustang, short scale strings are to short and i dont like to trim long scales down
I sold my PJ Mustang bass today. The most upsetting part was taking my bass outside to get some tasteful photos for the adverts! I'm going to miss this bass, maybe.
Why am I doing this?!?! Ah yeah, I blew money on a Vintera Mustang and need to recoup the expenditure. World keeps turning, etc. I prefer the neck on the Vintera!
Speaking of the Vintera, I'm bringing it closer to period specs. This means printing out a photo of a '60s Mustang bass and using the angles of the pickguard screws to work out where the tugbar should go:
Flip the pickguard over, copy all the angles backwards... party! Modern tugbars are a wee bit longer than the '60s originals by the looks of it. Still, its a hollow plastic geegaw that does nothing useful.
My frame of reference is this photo of a '60s Mustang bass:
The obvious thing I noticed was the pickguard bevel angle! I'm taking the angle from 45 degrees to 30 degrees on my pickguard to make it look more like this.
Why am I doing this?!?! Ah yeah, I blew money on a Vintera Mustang and need to recoup the expenditure. World keeps turning, etc. I prefer the neck on the Vintera!
Speaking of the Vintera, I'm bringing it closer to period specs. This means printing out a photo of a '60s Mustang bass and using the angles of the pickguard screws to work out where the tugbar should go:
Flip the pickguard over, copy all the angles backwards... party! Modern tugbars are a wee bit longer than the '60s originals by the looks of it. Still, its a hollow plastic geegaw that does nothing useful.
My frame of reference is this photo of a '60s Mustang bass:
The obvious thing I noticed was the pickguard bevel angle! I'm taking the angle from 45 degrees to 30 degrees on my pickguard to make it look more like this.
