Fender Mustang vs. Pawn Shop Mustang vs. Squier VM Jaguar (Short Scale)

Depending on your level of comfort buying used, and your local craigslist, you could find a standard mustang in fiesta red (color they used to carry), for around 500 dollars. Bonus, you could throw a tort guard on it and make everyone drool.

 

The humbucker on the Pawn shop is a mudbucker...mud and more mud. I've tried both the Fender Mustang and own the Squier VM Mustang. Not much difference in tone IMO, although the Fender is better quality in terms of neck, frets etc. Having said that the satin neck on the Squier feels really nice. If your wife likes the P sound then the split coil mustang PU really gets you close. Personally i'd choose that rather than the mudbucker which is less versatile in tone IMO. I compared the Mustang to the Modern player jazz shortscale and preferred the Mustang. The split coil on the Mustang sounds more like a P to my ears than a lot of PJ basses i've tried. Also strung through which i like. Only downside might be the Squier logo if that bugs you but thats easy to change if that takes your fancy. You can get it looking just like a 70's Fender mustang if you want. Squier VM Mustang:
70's Mustangs:

 

You can get an MIJ, Sunburst Mustang Bass (with the split single coil) by dealing directly with Fender Japan, but you will have to shell out more ducats. Unfortunately, they are not imported to the USA by retail outlets. I have the standard white MIJ and really like it a lot, though I also would've preferred other color options. All depends on how bad you want "non-white", I reckon. There are several Ebay sellers who sell the unique Fender Japan products generally not otherwise available here. And here is a link to Fender Japan:

http://www.fenderjapan.co.jp/mb-sd.html

Fender Japan also makes the "Smart-Size" (short-scale) '62 Jazz Bass, another short scale option to consider if you're gonna spend the extra:

http://www.fenderjapan.co.jp/jb62ss.html

 

Here is a link to a PIC showing how the JB62SS compares size-wise to a standard-sized Jazz Bass:

http://www.shimamura.co.jp/cms/media/128/20120926-s-DSC00053.jpg

 

And here is my Mustang next to a couple short-scale SXs. The CAR "Jazz" one is likely about the same size as the Fender Japan JB62SS (so this PIC will give you a rough idea of how the JB62SS stacks up against the Mustang, size-wise):

 

Just grab a Squier Jag. Seriously... how can you go wrong for the price? It's a great bass and she'll probably love it, and at the very least it will allow her to try a shortie. If the Jag turns out to not be her thing you can sell it used and be out only 50 bucks tops. You can't lose.
The Jag definitely can get the P-bass sound. It's also lighter than any of the Mustangs. The neck is literally like lightning.
Not knocking the Mustangs - they're great basses - but the SS Jaguar is one of the best deals in the bass world. Lots of bang for the buck.

 

Man purerubbish, I can really relate to this. I just went through that same decision process.
Not for someone else, but for myself.

I got a Jaguar SS as my first bass a couple years ago, and decided early on, after trying many out,
that short scale is right for me.
I knew I eventually wanted to get a Mustang, but agonized a bit over which one,
and by the time I started looking for something, it seems like the Squier VM Mustang isn't an option anymore.
I couldn't find them for sale new anywhere. And I had the nagging feeling that if I got the Squier Mustang, I'd still want the Fender Mustang.

Long story short, I ended up getting the Vintage Mustang Bass.
http://www.fender.com/mustang-bass/vintage/
Just last week, so there might be a tiny touch of 'honeymoon' still going on.

The Jaguar SS is excellent value for the price. It has a wider range of sounds than the Mustangs,
but a lot of people don't like the J pickup. Fit and finish is surprisingly good considering its cost,
but for some reason, it just looks a little cheap to me. I've got the CAR finish.

I know you said you don't care for the white, but to me, it just exudes 100% pure class, in both looks and feel.

Sound is subjective, but they both sound very good to me. I put some flats on both of them.
The Vintage Mustang is just really pleasing to my ears. I like the neck and general feel better
than any of the other six basses I've had in the couple years since I started playing.

I bought a new one, and it's a bit above your price range.
But there are currently some used ones that look in good shape
that are priced close to what you want.
If you can swing it, my vote goes to the vintage Mustang.
It costs a bit, for a short scale, considering that it costs more than a standard P or J bass.
But for me, it's worth every cent.

About the humbuckers - I've had a couple and to me they're a bit fuzzier or woolier sounding.
Just depends on what type of sound you're looking for.
Long winded post, but I'm still a bit buzzed about liking the Mustang so much.

Is this going to be a surprise gift or something, where she can't try them out for herself?
You're a musician, so maybe casually bring up the subject and find out what her thoughts are on it.

 

Mine is also strung with flats (d'Addario ECB81M [medium scale] chrome flats 45-65-80-100) but then, I string everything with flats. If you get the Mustang and want to buy new strings for it, they should be medium-scale rather than short. The extra length is needed for the string-through bridge.

 

You can also look at the Squire "Mikey Way" signature model. It has a humbucker that is more P-bass-ish in tones with hotter output. It sells for $299

 

Don't overlook the Squier Bronco very 50's p sounding love mine

 

Not a Fender, but how about one of these?
http://www.gretschguitars.com/products/index.php?partno=2514620552
If they would make a left hand model, I would have one of them!

 

Just a thought - why not narrow it down to a few models, and take her shopping to demo them? I know I would rather pick the bass myself.

 

Another thought, if this is her vibe - Epiphone Viola (Hofner copy).

 

I have both the VM Mustang (CLOSE to the Fender Mustang) and just bought a VM Jag SS. IMHO - the Jag is by far the better instrument, and it is so cheap!! There is a 3-part thread here with all the owners expressing their love for the Jag SS.

The neck is smalerl and thinner (and even easier to play) than the Mustang, and the sound us simply HUGE - I am liking it better than any other of my P-type basses. YES, the j pickup is a little weak, but it doesn't matter - you are obviously looking for a P-Type sound, and the Jag SS has it by the bucket. It is awesomely amazing.

I don't have the Pawn Shop Mustang, but I do have the Tele Bass Special with the same humbucker at the neck and a J pickuip. I will tell you that the sound of the humbucker is not like anything else you will try - it is room-shaking, teeth rattling speaker-blowing low end. I use it with my hard Blues band. Although in the P position in the Pawn Shop Mustang, it is still probably very thick and bottom heavy - NOT AT ALL like a P sound.

IMO - The Jag SS is the way to go and you can buy that and a good amp for the price of the Mustang.

 

You could check out the Modern Player short scale jazz bass. Has a precision pickup and a jazz pickup , short scale and a Fender logo. And it's basically a smaller Jazz with a different pickup configuration. Gives your wife some tonal differences because of the jazz pickup at the bridge as well as the precision pickup which she apparently likes otherwise she wouldn't have stuck with it so long.

 

I love my SS Jag. A friend plays one (in his cover band) with Duncan Quarter Pounders through a PF500 and an Orange 410. I'm 57 and heard a LOT of bass rigs; I was really impressed by the sound of that Jag. It helps that he's a better than average player who knows how to dial in a rig.

 

The standard split-coil pickups (either the Squier Duncan Designed or Fender) sound much more like stock P-bass pickups than any other I've heard. The humbuckers sound more like, well, humbuckers (think Gibson EB0 and such).