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Fender Mustang Club
- Thread starter FlyingPigSound
- Start date
Just installed a Nordstrand NM4 in my Vintera II, and that didn't help at all with the "muddy" attack. So I suspect it's the very expensive Dunlop flats that everyone seems to adore. 
Regarding the pickup, I actually think I like the original better. It was fatter in some way that is now lost. The NM4 is more "hifi" but still not as clear as any old P pickup. Bummer.
Regarding the pickup, I actually think I like the original better. It was fatter in some way that is now lost. The NM4 is more "hifi" but still not as clear as any old P pickup. Bummer.
For Mustangs, the flats I only really ever see strongly recommended are the LaBellas.Just installed a Nordstrand NM4 in my Vintera II, and that didn't help at all with the "muddy" attack. So I suspect it's the very expensive Dunlop flats that everyone seems to adore.
Regarding the pickup, I actually think I like the original better. It was fatter in some way that is now lost. The NM4 is more "hifi" but still not as clear as any old P pickup. Bummer.
But if you want a clearer sound, the D'Addario EXL170M rounds are great on Mustangs. Probably my favorites, but I've also really liked GHS Boomers.
I know it would be an annoying pain, but you might try a set of rounds and then compare the pickups again. The difference would likely stand out more.
I don't really want a "clearer" sound. It's just that I have DTF's on my Musicmaster, and I thought I'd try something different, because I don't want the Mustang to be too similar.
OTOH, I bought the Mustang to be able to experiment a bit more since I don't want to alter the '73 Musicmaster. It's nice as it is, partly because of the sort of primitive sound and playing experience. However, it's really striking how much punchier the attack is when playing the Musicmaster, despite the stock guitar pickup and the most dull flats there is.
After playing the Mustang a bit more (next day here in northern Europe), I dislike the results a bit less. And I'm pretty confident it's the strings. They do give some bad sounding overtones on E and A as well, so that's a good reason to try DTF's again if nothing else. Too bad they were so expensive, and I love the "bark" and woodiness they give. But I suppose you can't have it all...
Edit: One more thing... I think the Dunlop strings actually sound worse every time I've had the tension off for a while and tune them up again. It's like they are not broken in, again. Might also explain why they now sound a bit less wonky, the day after. Strange.
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Update: I tried raising the Nordstrand pickup a lot, and that helped! 
It's so close to the strings that I would never have believed it was gonna be reasonable, but it works. The drawback is that if I dig in, it overwhelmes the pickup. But with a light touch, it now sounds more like I was expecting initially.
I still think these Dunlop flats are the main reason for the strange behaviour, so we'll see how they age.
An other strange thing is the stock pickup. The pole spacing is just astronomical. Why on earth would you design a pickup like this and put in a bass with 17 mm string spacing?
BTW, as you can see I did a template for the pickguard. I have some ideas, just need to source material.
It's so close to the strings that I would never have believed it was gonna be reasonable, but it works. The drawback is that if I dig in, it overwhelmes the pickup. But with a light touch, it now sounds more like I was expecting initially.
I still think these Dunlop flats are the main reason for the strange behaviour, so we'll see how they age.
An other strange thing is the stock pickup. The pole spacing is just astronomical. Why on earth would you design a pickup like this and put in a bass with 17 mm string spacing?
BTW, as you can see I did a template for the pickguard. I have some ideas, just need to source material.
Are the strings centered in the gap between those polepieces? (I think so.) Then the string will approach the polepiece and then move away, while a string centered over the polepiece will cross over. The latter will see magnetic maxima and minima twice as frequently. It might sound different, and maybe someone intended that. (Then I should try to hear that, as I have one of these.)
Of course the real explanation could be something completely different.
If a strong pluck *does* cause the string to cross over the polepiece,
and if those two cases above *do* sound different,
then you'd have a dynamic effect with a strong pluck that would decay quickly: that pass over the polepiece would happen *at one end* of the string's travel, not at the center as with most basses, and it might sound like distortion (maybe in a good way).
I haven't heard my Mustang in a long time, though I do like it a lot. Thank you for the club thread.
and if those two cases above *do* sound different,
then you'd have a dynamic effect with a strong pluck that would decay quickly: that pass over the polepiece would happen *at one end* of the string's travel, not at the center as with most basses, and it might sound like distortion (maybe in a good way).
I haven't heard my Mustang in a long time, though I do like it a lot. Thank you for the club thread.
Judging by the pickup covers, the strings seem kind of centered between the poles, yes. I wonder if they tried to make the field as broad and tall as possible or someting. The long, protruding rear ends of the poles should contribute to that as well, I guess.
I think early reissues (made in Japan?) hade more regular distance between the poles.
last week i swapped out LaBellas with Thomastik jazz flats on my mustang. they are my new favourite strings. the "short scale" Thomastiks won't fit a mustang with a top loading bridge though...
Just swapped out the a LaBella 'Stang, string through set with about 3 days of strung up time. They are now in the GFS with a healthy discount. I went back to light Chromes until my new TI set arrives.
I've been on a Mustang kick lately...within the last month or two, I've gone from 0 to 3...well, more like 2.5 at the moment. In addition to a JMJ and an American Professional Classic, I picked up a new JMJ neck and Vintera II Competition Burgundy loaded body from the STRATosphere, which is conveniently local to me -- I was able to drive to the warehouse after purchasing on eBay and pick up parts rather than have them shipped. I chose this combo because I think the "burgundy" body finish is cool and I like the neck properties on the JMJ with the 9.5" radius and nitro finish vs. 7.25" radius and gloss poly on the stock Vintera II.
Other than simply bolting on the neck and calling it done, I plan to copper shield the electronics cavities and file a channel in the body to enable easy truss rod adjustments. The neck has a beautiful (IMO) stripey grain in the rosewood even before being oiled, but has some fret sprout that needs to be addressed. In my experience, this can happen no matter the price point or brand of instrument...it's annoying, but not necessarily a marker of poor quality -- just the nature of organic material.
I also have some Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Mustang pickups on the way that I plan to install...I believe these will be longer than the vintage sized pickups that come with the Vintera II, so my hope is to use the stock aged pearl guard from my JMJ for the SDs. Still deciding whether to install LaBella 760F-MUS or TI JF344s.
Anyway, I thought I'd share with my fellow Mustang enthusiasts...need a good name for my bastard creation...JM-Jintera?
Other than simply bolting on the neck and calling it done, I plan to copper shield the electronics cavities and file a channel in the body to enable easy truss rod adjustments. The neck has a beautiful (IMO) stripey grain in the rosewood even before being oiled, but has some fret sprout that needs to be addressed. In my experience, this can happen no matter the price point or brand of instrument...it's annoying, but not necessarily a marker of poor quality -- just the nature of organic material.
I also have some Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Mustang pickups on the way that I plan to install...I believe these will be longer than the vintage sized pickups that come with the Vintera II, so my hope is to use the stock aged pearl guard from my JMJ for the SDs. Still deciding whether to install LaBella 760F-MUS or TI JF344s.
Anyway, I thought I'd share with my fellow Mustang enthusiasts...need a good name for my bastard creation...JM-Jintera?
Here's my old 60's era Mustang with a Jazz bridge cover and Precision pickup cover! Liked the way they looked at the time, but now the covers are all I've got and the bass is long gone.
Why, Fender? I don't mind the vintage truss rod adjustment, but what's with not routing the body to fit an adjustment tool without screwing with the neck? I've done this to about 6 basses now...
Better:
A little paint with oil-based Sharpie to seal, and now I can put the neck on and leave it there:
Better:
A little paint with oil-based Sharpie to seal, and now I can put the neck on and leave it there:
More progress…shielded and fretboard oiled:
Unfortunately, pickups don’t arrive until Monday…
Unfortunately, pickups don’t arrive until Monday…
That notch was cut very nicely.
But I hope no one minds if I share my experience with a truss rod with slots exposed just as shown in the first photo in that post.
Maybe I was just lucky, but I found that when I pushed down on the headstock just the right amount, while turning the truss rod, that it turned very easily with a very small straight bladed screwdriver in just one of those quarter-slots, just the one above the body wood of course.
Pushing down on the headstock temporarily unloads the truss rod.
I'm not an expert, but this idea has been mentioned by other credible posters in the past, in our many threads about this.
But I hope no one minds if I share my experience with a truss rod with slots exposed just as shown in the first photo in that post.
Maybe I was just lucky, but I found that when I pushed down on the headstock just the right amount, while turning the truss rod, that it turned very easily with a very small straight bladed screwdriver in just one of those quarter-slots, just the one above the body wood of course.
Pushing down on the headstock temporarily unloads the truss rod.
I'm not an expert, but this idea has been mentioned by other credible posters in the past, in our many threads about this.
Hi Mustang Club, I'll get right to the point.
I have a neck off of a MIM Musty (more like a short scale PJ). Will it attach to a Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang? I'm saying will the neck fit in the pocket, screw holes line up? Minor adjustments I'm not worried about. Just thought I'd ask the experts! Thanks for the help!
I have a neck off of a MIM Musty (more like a short scale PJ). Will it attach to a Squier Classic Vibe 60s Mustang? I'm saying will the neck fit in the pocket, screw holes line up? Minor adjustments I'm not worried about. Just thought I'd ask the experts! Thanks for the help!
