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Fender Mustang Club

#6,181
My new Mustang family - 1972 on the left and 1969 on the right. I’m leaving for a few dates out of state and I’m bringing nothing but Mustang basses (for the first time). I’ve always played P-basses, but the these Mustangs sound incredible… kinda like the perfect P-bass. Also, the short scale is so much easier my body. I hurt my shoulder and I am actuating to need surgery. I have so many dates on my calendar I bought a Mustang to give my shoulder a break, and it worked great. Plus, I was very pleasantly surprised that they sound so good. My band mates and engineers are blown away by how even and forget sound up and down the neck.
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#6,185
Been meaning to post for awhile to show my Mustangs. I've played guitar off and on for a number of years but wanted to get into the bass.

My first bass is the Squier that I got last year and I put La Bella flat wounds on it. I recently got the PJ Mustang (round wounds). So 2 Mustangs for me plus a Squier Jazz too. It is amazing how different the 2 Mustangs sound and the feel of how they play. The PJ Mustang has a fantastic smooth and fast neck, and has a bright sound (I like sound of the middle position switch to best). The Squier Classic Vibe has a smooth jazzy old school sound.
 

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#6,187
I have both a Mustang Player II and a Jazz Bass (Squier). I prefer the Jazz nut of 1.5 and they both have that. The Mustang is NOT contoured but the edges of the body are smooth rounded and comfortable. For me the contoured body of the Jazz (belly contour and arm contour) makes a more comfortable playing while standing. The slab body of the Mustang is easier to play while sitting, since the body stays put. The body contour of the Jazz slides a bit in my lap (this is just my experience). I play the Mustang almost exclusively in my church's praise band and I always play standing. The Mustang is comfortable for me for the 2 hour service.

Besides the difference scale length 30 vs 34, going between the Mustang and Jazz is a fairly easy transition. My Player II neck is fantastic, fast and smooth. Whatever statin coating Fender has on it is awesome. My Jazz neck is bit wider and a bit slower since the finish is a bit "stickier", but it could be the model (it is a Guitar Center exclusive).

I have a side by picture below
I did some quick measurements
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At Nut: both are 1.5 inches
At Fret 12: Mustang 2 inch, Jazz 2 3/16 Inch
At Fret 19: Mustang 2 1/4 inch, Jazz 2 1/2 inch
 

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#6,189
shadven said:
My new Mustang family - 1972 on the left and 1969 on the right. I'm leaving for a few dates out of state and I'm bringing nothing but Mustang basses (for the first time). I've always played P-basses, but the these Mustangs sound incredible… kinda like the perfect P-bass. Also, the short scale is so much easier my body. I hurt my shoulder and I am actuating to need surgery. I have so many dates on my calendar I bought a Mustang to give my shoulder a break, and it worked great. Plus, I was very pleasantly surprised that they sound so good. My band mates and engineers are blown away by how even and forget sound up and down the neck.View attachment 7180789
Click to expand...
are those candy apple red?
 
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#6,192
I'd like to share some thoughts for anyone considering a mono case.

This version is for hollow body guitars. Unlike the electric version, the length is perfect for a Mustang.

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But..

the body tends to wiggle from side to side. I wanted a kind of spacer without increasing the total height.

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It doesn't move around in the case anymore. fits like a glove!

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#6,195
I saw a listing for a late 70s Mustang, and the shop says it weighs 9 pounds 7 ounces. Is this common for 70s Mustangs? That’s more than a pound heavier than my P bass and is quite a bit heavier than any other Mustang I’ve owned or played (but all have been made in the 2000s).
 
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#6,196
New CIJ joined the family. The Olympic white (alright, “vintage white”) finish was begging for a 3-ply parchment guard and a rosewood tug bar. Had my tech install them, and oil the very thirsty fingerboard which darkened nicely. All in all, came out *beautifully* to my eye. In time I might throw some Hipshot lollipop tuners on and swap to the Nordstrand pickup, but then it would be virtually identical to my black CIJ build. Hmm…

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#6,197
IMG_5667.jpeg

Okay, a full family photo after today's new addition. This has gotta be my dream Mustang stable (heh) and it has been a long time coming. From left to right:

•2014 CIJ with 3 ply parchment guard and rosewood tug bar. Going for a mid-60s early 'Stang vibe, which I guess the elimination of the tort guard is not helping with but… a little revisionist history never hurt anyone.

•~1973 in "walnut" (better known as mocha) finish, unmodified. Nicely aged nitro headstock (they were still painting the front of them with nitro for fear that the decals wouldn't adhere to the poly!) and visible grain through the semi-opaque finish.

•2010 CIJ black Japan domestic market model with 3 ply black guard and rosewood tug bar, Hipshot lollipop tuners, luthier sanded satin-finish neck. Wanted to emulate the vibe of the early 70s black-on-black colorway.

The 73 is very much its own thing with a vintage, wooly tone and wider 1-5/8" width at the nut. The two CIJs play pretty differently from one another as well with the sanded vs glossy neck, and I'm probably going to change the pickups in one of them to even further differentiate and justify having both.

Pretty easy to triangulate my aesthetic taste between these three instruments :laugh:
 
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#6,198
Once again I have been neglectful in joining clubs.
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I picked this up last fall. Player series PJ Mustang. The neck dive was annoying, so I added a Fender High mass bridge which cured the issue quite well. It really is a delight to play. It feels odd considering I’ve played a J most of my recent playing.

Since this photo I have made a couple of changes. Chrome flats, and added a B1K to the board.

Pictured with Nyx.
 
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#6,199
I'm always on the lookout for Mustangs to try at any local shop. I still have yet to get my hands on a 60s or 70s one, and I'm reluctant to pay those prices without holding it first.

There's an Antigua one I saw for sale online that is a rare thing to see listed for sale, but they say the thing weighs 9.7 pounds, which is crazy for a Mustang. I guess someone shielded it with a thick layer of lead.

Long story short, I was able to try out this modified Pawn Shop Mustang, and I love it. It is solid at 8.8 pounds. The modification is the original humbucker has been replaced by a Curtis Novak BS-DS. This is a pretty big sound. At low volumes, it sounds pretty similar to my JMJ, but as I crank it up, the differences stand out. It's a great addition to my Mustang family.

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