• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Fender Mustang Club

#5,901
Has anyone here directly compared the JMJ versus the Vintera II 70's? I like the look of the Vintera II but am unsure how it stacks up to the JMJ beyond the specs. There aren't a lot of direct comparisons that I could find. Most are between the older Vintera and the JMJ.

Edit -- I may as well throw the American Performer into the ring as well. Not a lot of comparisons between it and the Vintera II either.
 
Last edited:
#5,902


PC is biased since a JMJ is his daily driver, but good sound comparison. Only real back to back I know about.

I have the American performer and I’m really happy with the playability, but the electronics are not great, had loose wires new, and ended up messing with it quite a bit to get it to where I wanted it. The main advantage of the am perf is it has the vintage style pickups and a bridge pickup, which I find useful even though I’m not impressed with the Yosemite fender stock sound.
The Vintera II looks good on paper, but I need a bridge pickup sometimes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: basslust
#5,904
basslust said:
Has anyone here directly compared the JMJ versus the Vintera II 70's? I like the look of the Vintera II but am unsure how it stacks up to the JMJ beyond the specs. There aren't a lot of direct comparisons that I could find. Most are between the older Vintera and the JMJ.

Edit -- I may as well throw the American Performer into the ring as well. Not a lot of comparisons between it and the Vintera II either.
Click to expand...
I like the neck of the JMJ better than the Vintera. But the Vintera is nice.

The American Performer is very close to the JMJ in terms of shape of the neck and body. The JMJ reliced neck is the main difference in feel. I ended up selling the American Performer to get a JMJ because the JMJ pickup delivers more of what I wanted. The American Performer PJ was a milder sound from the P pickup, and its J is just ok.
 
  • Like
Reactions: basslust
#5,905
klattman said:


PC is biased since a JMJ is his daily driver, but good sound comparison. Only real back to back I know about.

I have the American performer and I’m really happy with the playability, but the electronics are not great, had loose wires new, and ended up messing with it quite a bit to get it to where I wanted it. The main advantage of the am perf is it has the vintage style pickups and a bridge pickup, which I find useful even though I’m not impressed with the Yosemite fender stock sound.
The Vintera II looks good on paper, but I need a bridge pickup sometimes.
Click to expand...


With the sale price of Vintera I ($550), it’s worth considering. Should be close to a full point on his rating rubric with a pickup swap.
 
Last edited:
#5,906
klattman said:


PC is biased since a JMJ is his daily driver, but good sound comparison. Only real back to back I know about.

I have the American performer and I’m really happy with the playability, but the electronics are not great, had loose wires new, and ended up messing with it quite a bit to get it to where I wanted it. The main advantage of the am perf is it has the vintage style pickups and a bridge pickup, which I find useful even though I’m not impressed with the Yosemite fender stock sound.
The Vintera II looks good on paper, but I need a bridge pickup sometimes.
Click to expand...


Im the guy that won that giveaway which brought me into the Mustang world
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigAndyA, Djadja, T McClure and 3 others
#5,908
Badabababa said:
With the sale price of Vintera I ($550), it’s worth considering. Should be close to a full point on his rating rubric with a pickup swap.
Click to expand...
Yeah I think the pickups are all pretty different. He’s right about the stock pickups on the am being not great. I did a lot of work to mine and I would have given up except the neck is really superb and mechanically it’s really comfortable to play. I just can’t understand the electronics choices or lack of any shielding ( I know cost but considering the price they could have done better ).
 
#5,910
When I was notified that I won. I immediately started looking into mods but when I got it and put some DR Legend flats, I realized I didn’t need new pickups. It’s a great bass with a very particular sound. It doesn’t quite work with any of my current projects, so it is currently dismantled and my daughter in law is doing some fancy artwork to the body
 
#5,911
klattman said:


PC is biased since a JMJ is his daily driver, but good sound comparison. Only real back to back I know about.

I have the American performer and I’m really happy with the playability, but the electronics are not great, had loose wires new, and ended up messing with it quite a bit to get it to where I wanted it. The main advantage of the am perf is it has the vintage style pickups and a bridge pickup, which I find useful even though I’m not impressed with the Yosemite fender stock sound.
The Vintera II looks good on paper, but I need a bridge pickup sometimes.
Click to expand...


Thanks for posting that comparison video. Several years ago I was determined to get a Mustang bass. I tried every one I could find locally, vintage, PJ Squier, etc. It took me a while but I realized what I really wanted was a 30" scale P bass so I concentrated on trying PJs for several months but, while most were close, I simply could not find one that did it for me for some reason or another.

One day I was in the local GC walking toward the bass wall when I stumbled a bit over the leg of a guitar stand. I looked down and in the stand was something I had never seen before, a black on black Mustang PJ LE with a matching headstock. Intrigued by the matching headstock and when I read on the tag that it has an ebony fingerboard, I tried it and it turns out it was "the one" so it followed me home.

The video you posted reminded me of that search.
 
Last edited:
#5,912
Badabababa said:
What is a vintage correct capacitor value for 60s mustang? .05uf 50v?
Click to expand...

Here is a pic of the cap on my '66 Mustang Bass, if that helps.
thumbnail_image0.jpg
 
#5,913
Back to strings. I decided to try Pyramid M828 Stainless Steel 040/060/080/100 medium scale strings; that length should work well for my 1966 string-thru-body Mustang Bass. I wanted to try brighter stainless roundwounds, and that gauge made sense to me. The current 105 E feels a tad thick and cumbersome. I'd tried Rotosound 90s, but that E was a little too loose and a bit tubby, more so on the '66 that the Vintera. Unfortunately after an exhaustive search, I only found those exact strings in this scale from a European supplier
Saitenmarkt.com. I'm STILL WAITING, and it's killing me because I just just got my '66 setup. Luthier reports the neck is straight as an arrow, the frets all now leveled and barely worn, intonation set, both pots thankfully cleaned up perfectly, and the pickup tested strong (10k), which he lifted a tad. Man it is sweet. It absolutely plays fantastic. But it screams for new strings. :)

Meanwhile, I bought the La Bella MUS Mustang Flats for my son's Vintera 60s. And I must say, THEY.ARE.AWESOME. They really sound great and are super fun to play, smooth like a fretless. And while they don't get super bright, they do have a rich tone and sound great.

So the jury awaits, but unless I am blown away by the Pyramid's when they finally arrive, I just may have to get a set of La Bella flats for the '66, as well. Peace.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ryeguy63

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back