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Mustang: Old vs New Pawn Shop

V

videomaster

Mar 8, 2013
3
1
#1
What are the advantages of buying a new Mustang Pawn Shop over the older Mustang bass. The new one has a hum bucker, but how different does that sound? Did they change the neck or much else?

One can buy the older used Mustang for less than the new one, so is the new one worth it?

I played a new one in the store yesterday and it was really nice. It had a short scale neck. But what do I know? I am a guitar player and don't play bass well. So I would love to hear opinions from the experienced players here.
 
#3
I played the new Mustang short scale Pawn Shop in a music store. Very easy to play. Build quality was nice. Neck was easy to play.

I own a PRS 513 ($2500 guitar), so I know good build quality when I see it. The Mustang was not at PRS level, but there was nothing junky about it. It felt like a pro instrument.

You must have played a bad on at Guitar Center!
 
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#5
I can't comment on the original mustang basses, having played a Gibson SG for years but, having abandoned a recent flirt with a long scale Precision 5-string (I just prefer short scales), I've invested in a new "Pawn Shop" model and all I can say is that it is truly superb!

Set up, including neck relief, nut height and string height were all bob on; intonation was all that needed attention.
Build quality is nothing short of excellent, and tone variations from the single humbucker are really wide and varied.
It comes strung with Fender roundwounds, but I am sure that when I re-string with flats, it will surely become my "weapon of choice".
I still love my SG bass though :)
 
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#13
I have both MIJ mustang and the new pawn shop mustang. They pretty different instruments in many ways.

For the sound, they are pretty different. the new pawn shop has very high output deep low sound, while the old mustang is more like p-ish type of sound. If I have to compare the pawn shop on the sound, I probably compare it to Gibson semi hollow or such. The necks are different. The old mustang has thinner neck, while the pawn shop is chunkier. Pawn shop is heavier as well, not much, but noticeable.
 
#14
can_v said:
I have both MIJ mustang and the new pawn shop mustang. They pretty different instruments many ways.

For the sound, they are pretty different. the new pawn shop has very high output deep low sound, while the old mustang is more like p-ish type of sound. If I have to compare the pawn shop on the sound, I probably compare it to Gibson semi hollow or such. The necks are different. The old mustang has thinner neck, while the pawn shop is chunkier. Pawn shop is heavier as well, not much, but noticeable.
Click to expand...

Is your MIJ model the newest one out? The fender website says the pawn shop version has a 9.5 radius while the reissue has a 7.25 radius. So i would think the pawn shop bass was "thinner"? What model mij mustang do you have?

Thanks for your response as I'm wanting another mustang bass and not sure which way to go.
 
#15
J2Kbass said:
Is your MIJ model the newest one out? The fender website says the pawn shop version has a 9.5 radius while the reissue has a 7.25 radius. So i would think the pawn shop bass was "thinner"? What model mij mustang do you have?

Thanks for your response as I'm wanting another mustang bass and not sure which way to go.
Click to expand...


Well, I'm not sure about the radius, but my MIJ mustang's neck is definitely thinner.

If you're looking for something different in mustang, I think the pawn shop is a pretty good way to go. :bassist:


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#16
I just got a pawn shop mustang. I love it. Factory setup was pretty bad, though not unplayable. Just has high action and sloppy string winding. I'll be taking it in this week for a full setup.

Finish is superb, frets are nice and smooth. Fairly heavy for a bass of this size.

The pickup output seems really high. Lots of low end. Not super muddy, but a little lacking in the highs (though to be fair, my main right now is an active Ibanez, which has crazy amounts of highs, even with the EQ flat). I can't tell if the highs are missing, or just drowned out by the lows.

Seriously, with the tone knob wide open I have to turn the gain way down on my amp. Hottest pickup I've ever had. I read somewhere that you can lower the pickup quite a bit to get it a little more standard; tone changed a little bit, but still good. Haven't tried it myself.

My opinion so far is that it's a really nice bass, but the price point should be a bit lower, maybe around the Modern Player range? $550ish would seem a bit more reasonable.

I'm looking into getting a push/pull pot installed for coil splitting. Anybody modded theirs yet? I haven't taken it apart to look at the wiring. I only do that on old crappy basses. I let a pro do the work on my nicer ones.
 
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#17
I just got my Pawn Shop Mustang, its my very first short scale, all I can say is WOW! I really love this bass! The build is excellent quality, the factory set up was fairly decent, just some intonation adjustment. The neck is super fast. Mine did have a very slight buzz that bugged me enough to investigate the innards.

Once I was inside it I pulled all the electronics out and used sticky back copper foil and lined both the pickup cavity, and the control cavity. Then I soldered some wire between both cavities and grounded it all to the tone pot. Dead quiet now. The pots are actually not bad. They are full size, but I'm not sure what brand. They kinda looked like Alpha but had no name so I'm not real sure.

Anyway I am extremely happy with this bass. The output is loud, clean, and not at all muddy. It does have nice deep bass tone, which I love, but it has enough midrange to balance it out. I don't think I'll put flatwounds on it, I'd be afraid it would be too much low end. Maybe one day I'll try some flats just for fun. I'd buy another one of these basses in a heartbeat, and I'd recommend one to a friend.

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#18
I am considering these two basses for a new bass actually and this thread seemed pretty useful! But I've got one or two questions left... So the old one is brighter? The newer one chunkier... But can I get bright at all with the new one? I'm always a bit doubtfull about that because I owned an Epiphone EB-0 and dang that thing was muddy! I hated the fact that there was almost no brightness to it except when I had just installed new roundwound strings so I ended up selling. Considering the huge similarity between the pickups of both basses that makes me doubt... Anyone whos played them both can compare their tone and tell me? Any help would be great! :)
I've also considered the reverse jag bass and I see some of you have tried it... Any help please?
 
#19
I'm a fan of short scale basses. I have a Gibson SG Reissue bass, a new Japan Fender Mustang and a 1969 USA Mustang that I got from a fellow TB'r. I would think the sound of the humbuker in a Pawn Shop Mustang would completely change the sound and character of the original Mustang. At one time in a previous life in the 1970's I had a Mustang and I really missed it after I sold it. If you are a purist like I am and like the sound of the original instruments I would steer clear of the Pawn Shop Mustang. This is just my opinion.
 

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