I dunno, but it looks to me like the PO used too much bleach in his bass cleaner fluid...
~But the Mustangs are great basses, no matter the color!
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Fender Mustang Club
- Thread starter FlyingPigSound
- Start date
~But the Mustangs are great basses, no matter the color!
Haha it is super light isn’t it? Serial number lookup on Fender website says “sonic blue”. Here’s a pic next to my white bass for reference. Could be lighting but either way doesn’t bother me. I was honestly on the hunt for any mustang around 500$ regardless of color.I dunno, but it looks to me like the PO used too much bleach in his bass cleaner fluid...
~But the Mustangs are great basses, no matter the color!
My first PJ Mustang was one of the early ones in Sonic Blue.
It looked really light and I would have sworn it was white until I put it next to my MIJ Mustang in Olympic White.
Then I could see a faint blue hue. I had a picture up here of the two of them, but can't find it now.
Yah, I can see a faint bit of 'blue' now...
~And you got a great buy, considering the new PJ Stangs are going for $850 now! -Enjoy!!
I have an early model sonic blue 'Stang and it's very light in color. I think they even refer to it as a pale sonic blue.
Anyone have a link where I can lookup the manufacturer's date by serial number? I would certainly appreciate it.
Anyone have a link where I can lookup the manufacturer's date by serial number? I would certainly appreciate it.
THANK YOU!
My pale sonic blue 'Stang is from November 2018. It has a very dark fretboard. I don't know if it is rosewood or a dark sample of pau ferro as I don't know anything about woods.
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I too had an early version of these and had the sonic blue, i sent it back because it was white, lol
Though my CV Squier Mustang in Surf Green (is this different from the old Sea Foam Green?) won't be here for a few days I already want to join this club!
Hey, how much would it cost them to put on those cool racing stripes from the 70s? Just wondering.
Hey, how much would it cost them to put on those cool racing stripes from the 70s? Just wondering.
Easy to do it yourself. ~This place got 'em for $8.00: Body
Plenty of other decal/sticker online places got them too, and they're easy to install...
Here's my Surf Green CV Mustang with a self-installed decal:
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You called it. Loosened the truss rod about 1/5th of a turn and it’s dramatically better. Short scales are a different beast.Nice score! But... pics or it didn't happen
As for the noise issue, does it happen when you fret notes down there? It might be worth checking your neck relief just in case it's a little too flat and the strings are hitting the frets.
Thanks everyone who chimed in to help.
Glad to hear it, bc small relief adjustments can fix big problems without changing the feel too much. Good deal!
I was really just kidding about the racing stripes, which I did think were cool when I was a kid in the 70s, though you've done some nice things to your instruments with the DIY decals. Most def gives me some ideas!
Thanks for the detailed reply. Loosened the truss rod 1/4 turn and problem solved. The action is still pretty low and the tone is better too. The neck on this ‘66 Mustang is way more stable than my reissue ‘63 P-bass, but apparently not completely impervious to the change of seasons.~
It might well be that the truss rod is a bit too tight, and that is better news than if it was not tight enough and could not be tightened further.
Since it is easier and safer to adjust the heights of the bridge saddles than to turn a truss rod, this may be what the last owner has done, or someone on their behalf.
Raising the saddles will mainly stop buzz on the higher frets, but can leave some on the lower ones.
What you noticed might even be the reason that the bass was for sale, who knows ?
Anyway, IF it had been adjusted as I just speculated, then loosening the truss rod ought to help your issue, and as you gradually do so, perhaps a quarter turn at a time, a day or so apart, you should notice that it does, but your action will also get higher overall.
THEN, you can begin to gradually lower the bridge saddles, and that will most likely make up for the higher action, but your buzz will hopefully be gone, and if you keep going sufficiently far, it might move to the higher frets.
You might be able to speed up the process a bit by pushing the headstock upward as you loosen it, and because you are loosening, the strings can remain at normal tension throughout the entire time.
ONE OTHER THING : STRINGS [and you might wish to examine them before turning the truss rod]
What make, type, and gauges are they ?
If they are a set with a 4th which is 90 or 95 thou, try a set where the 4th is 100 thou or more.
I like the LaBella 760FL DT Flats series [43-60-82-104], and use them on other short scale basses, so 760FL-S, but if your Mustang bass has strings which pass thru the body at the bridge, they make a special 'MUS' set for it, otherwise you would just need the short scale version of 760FL which I use.
Short scale basses frequently begin or end up with strings which ought not to be on them [too light gauge], because some string makers incorrectly and stupidly insist upon only offering such strings for short scale basses, and far too many players blindly trust them.
Going heavier, with any brand which offers them, might help pull the neck up enough without adjusting the truss rod, and then you can just lower your bridge saddles a bit if this succeeds.
Hopefully one or both of the above solutions will be of help.
~
I’ve got .045-.100 Fender 9050L flats on the bass. I’ve had LaBellas, Optimas, Chromes and TIs on various basses over the years but the Fenders are my favorite.
As for the history of the bass, its previous owner was an older woman partial to a Pedulla so this Mustang was well cared for but mostly unplayed and left in its case for the 15 years she owned it. Previous to that, who knows…
Though I am more careful with this bass than I tend to be with my other basses, it is kinda cool to be the person putting play wear into a 56 year old Fender that was essentially NOS condition when I got it. Not too worried about resale value because I got it for a great price and I’ll never sell it anyway.
This is true. Also, I don't just think it's true for short scale basses. All instruments benefit from slight tweaks. That's how you get them to play better.
Tonight I re-set the intonation on both of my basses. The Reverend only needed a minor adjustment. The Mustang, which I bought at the end of January, needed a lot more movement. Which makes sense. It not only came with rounds, I've been playing it for 3 months and things settle in.
Got my new black JMJ back from my luthier yesterday... new LaBella 760-F MUS strings (the Fender flats that came with it were oxidized and dead...road worn, lol?), frets dressed, neck side file and straightened, and fretboard cleaned and oiled (it was a dried out mess). What a difference...great little bass!
Not sure if it’s been covered, but any recommendations on roundwound strings for tuning down? My band plays a half step down. I currently have the strings from my bronco on there. I think they are fender .40-.95. I was eyeing up D’Addario XLs but can’t decide if the light (.45-100) or medium (.50-105) would be the best choice?
I'd go with medium. I'd also do a complete setup after the new strings are installed.
The medium-gauge GHS Brite Flats have proven to be absolutely excellent on my PJ kitted with EMG GZR & J pups. It's been in the bag for a bit recently while I've been shedding on a new-to-me Lakland Skyline for some funk stuff, but the 'stang is getting antsy, and also... everyone seems to remember that bass and wants to see it out & about. She's a babe!
