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Fender Mustang Club

#5,810
bass pic.jpg


Hey just thought I'd introduce myself here. I bought this 50s Classic P-Bass for $300 in 2007. Played tons of gigs on it in rock, punk, and metal bands. These were typically 30-45 minutes sets. Eventually I started playing bass in the roots / country / rockabilly world, and my shoulder started getting sore after those 3-4 hour gigs. So in late 2022, I bought a Bronco Bass for $60. It was pretty cool, especially after adding a Lindy Fralin 51 split coil pickup. I also experimented with all 3 gauges of La Bella short scale flatwounds - settled on the thickest ones.

Cool as the Bronco was, I still kept looking at other basses. I kind of went nuts for a little while, buying and selling each of the following: Univox Hi Flyer, Les Paul Junior DC, Ibanez Hollow Body, and a Medium Scale Squier MIJ P-Bass. I could tell that the short scale thing fundamentally worked for me, but I hadn't found the right one yet.

Eventually I tried some Mustangs at a shop in San Antonio, and this used Vintera was the clear winner. The neck feels a lot like my P-bass. Both have the 7.25" radius and small frets. And with the right strings, the sound and overall feel are pretty close too. I wasn't crazy about the pearl pickguard -- it reminded me of an egg -- so I got this fancy black one. Finally getting to do some gigs with it now, and I think everything is good to go. I have a couple of questions though:
  • My string experiments with the Bronco showed me that light gauge La Bellas, which I love on the P bass, just don't work for me on a short scale. So instead of the special Mustang La Bellas, I put on the medium scale set because they are thicker. I know that La Bella advises against this, but they feel so dang good and just have the right tension for my playing technique. Does anyone else use these strings? I worry about them breaking, but they've been holding fine for 6 months now.
  • The volume knob sometimes gets in the way when I'm playing. I took the knobs off, which works well enough. But I'm curious what other people have done about it. Anyone use a concentric volume/tone, or something else to move the volume further away?
  • Anyone got a bridge mute they want to sell? I always play muted, and I'm doing OK with foam in there now. But those original mutes are so cool and I'd love to have those individual tension adjustments.
  • Finally -- the big question -- anyone got an original 70's Mustang with maple fretboard that they are thinking about selling? PM me! My dad had a 70s all natural colored P-Bass (unfortunately stolen around 2000) and I'd love to have a matching Mustang from that time period (or at least one with a maple fretboard). One more reason, as if I need one -- my picks feel scratchy against the pau ferro, while they just glide across maple fretboards. Let me know!
 
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#5,811
Mojmir said:
2023 JMJ…love on the first sight❤️I promised myself not to buy any new guitar anymore, since we live in a small apt and there is no space..one afternoon I visited local music shop and after 5 minutes went away with this amazing cool looking inspirational bass
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I need to give a JMJ a try. I bought an American Performer PJ Mustang a while ago, but I recently sold it because the neck P pickup ultimately was too weak. I so wanted this to be my short scale P bass to keep for years, but it was disappointing output compared to any real P bass (or even a competitor like the Schecter Banshee).

Unfortunately, none of the stores around me ever have a JMJ in stock to play. Every review video for the JMJ sounds great, but that often ends up being true of most bass review videos.
 
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#5,812
T McClure said:
I need to give a JMJ a try. I bought an American Performer PJ Mustang a while ago, but I recently sold it because the neck P pickup ultimately was too weak. I so wanted this to be my short scale P bass to keep for years, but it was disappointing output compared to any real P bass (or even a competitor like the Schecter Banshee).

Unfortunately, none of the stores around me ever have a JMJ in stock to play. Every review video for the JMJ sounds great, but that often ends up being true of most bass review videos.
Click to expand...


I'll say for my 2c that my JMJ's pickup is very hot. It has way more output than any other passive bass I've played.

YMMV.
 
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#5,814
T McClure said:
I need to give a JMJ a try. I bought an American Performer PJ Mustang a while ago, but I recently sold it because the neck P pickup ultimately was too weak. I so wanted this to be my short scale P bass to keep for years, but it was disappointing output compared to any real P bass (or even a competitor like the Schecter Banshee).

Unfortunately, none of the stores around me ever have a JMJ in stock to play. Every review video for the JMJ sounds great, but that often ends up being true of most bass review videos.
Click to expand...
I ended up replacing my American mustang pickups with nordstrands. I would have gone JMJ but I like having a bridge pickup available.

There are very few real reviewers out there. With the right equipment and post you can make anything sound decent.
 
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#5,816
Sweetwater just delivered my orange Mustang Bass with its cool racing stripe! I put Thomastik flat-wounds on it and it sounds and plays beautifully and looks crazy cool. I have 10 P-basses and a few other basses, and I thought I was complete:) But, I realized that I had started on a Mustang bass way back in the 1970s… I learned how to play bass on a Mustang. So, I course I needed one! I have absolutely no idea what happened to my original Mustang bass, I’m pretty sure it was a 1971 or 1972. It was sunburst and I had a used Ampeg B-15.
I can’t wait to play it on a gig.
IMG_6149.jpeg
 
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#5,817
Hey! I need help with a Vintera II 60s Mustang I just aquired. There's an incredible buzz from the bass. I already tried shielding the cavity with copper tape and connecting it to ground but the buzz remains. The wiring according to the factory specs looks different from how the bass is wired. The points where the pickups are soldered to the wires differ from the digram. Are they wired incorrectly? Should I change the connection to the pickups? I've attached a couple photos. If anyone can help would be appreciated.

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#5,818
And I said:
So I just ordered a Nordstrand NM4 for my Vintera Mustang. I measured, and selected the "standard" one with covers as opposed to the "vintage" one without covers. From what I can tell the measurements seem to match up.

Anyone slapped an NM4 into a Vintera Mustang? Did I get the wrong size?
Click to expand...

I just received my NM4 PUs , and damn !! Too big for my 2023 Vintera 70s bass .
 
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