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mustang vs bronco playing frustration

#21
Just curious, what were all the differences you found?

I have never actually owned a MIM Mustang, but have always played them in GC when I got the chance. I would agree - my Bronco just feels better than any of the Mustangs I have played. Where I have noticed the biggest differences is that that Bronco is typically lighter in weight and the neck has a skinnier profile that the Mustang. Also, the Bronco has closer string spacing than the Mustang - do you think the difference in spacing is causing your right hand to work a bit more, which is causing you issues "up the line"? Also, as has already been mentioned, the Mustang has a slightly beefier headstock and heavier tuners out of the box. It could be that this is causing balance issues - meaning you are resting your right arm more to compensate, maybe without even thinking about it. These are all the musings of someone who has no medical knowledge, but feels bad about your issue. Doesn't sound fun at all.
 
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#22
Avigdor said:
I would take both basses to a physiotherapist, and demonstrate playing (holding) them both. I'm always very impressed how well and accurately they will diagnose things. With an accurate diagnosis you can then contemplate next steps, or even better, find out how to make the mustang play nicely with your physique.

Where I sit in the UK it's a £30 one off for a diagnostic consultation at my physio of choice, and I'd consider that a good investment. YMMV. Plus think of the bragging rights for that physio at the next hangout: "You'll never guess what, but last week I had a musician with not ONE, but TWO basses, yes, electric bass guitars, come in... yes, I'll have another, thank you very much." :)
Click to expand...

In a word, brilliant!
 
#23
When you play your Mustang or Bronco, do you put your thumb on the pickup and use the pickup as a thumb rest?
It is hard to tell from pictures but I think the upper part of the P-pickup on the Mustang is a little bit closer to the neck.
If you put your thumb on the E-string closer to the bridge and play the A D or G string, do you feel less or more pain?

Is the cut out for the leg on the Bronco deeper than on the Mustang?​
 
#24
pcake said:
i can't use a strap for any but the very lightest basses due to issues with the other shoulder *sigh *
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In case I missed it ; have you tried one of those freestanding instrument jigs? (you often see them used to hold an acoustic guitar, that an electric player might use only for the intro of a song, for example)

Maybe one of those, and perhaps set with the body of the instrument quite low (as if you had a long strap, with the bass worn below the belt), to reduce the angle your right shoulder would have to reach, to put your right hand in playing position.
 
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#25
Before modding I would try one more thing.
I would take a piece of wood that can act as a thumbrest and place that with double sided tape on different locations on the bass / pickguard to see where it would hurt and where not.
Locations:
  • Between pickup and neck (close to E-string and a little further away)
  • Between pickup and bridge (close to E-string and a little further away)
  • Above pickup
  • etc...
It will cost you nothing and it might give so more insight on what the cause of your pain is.
 
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#26
I would just make sure that you're not getting worn out on the bronco playing it for a while, and then playing the mustang when you're already sore and attributing it to the body shape. It doesn't sound like this is the issue since you haven't been using the mustang much, but just make sure. If you played for a while on the bronco and then the next day felt pain playing the mustang, I wouldn't just assume it's the mustang.

I played a week of rehearsals and shows for a musical shortly after getting my mustang due to wrist issues, and I noticed a right shoulder thing too since I was trying to Jeep my wrist straight while playing a bass without a forearm cut. I did find that putting a rubber mat on my leg to rest the bass on made a HUGE difference since I didn't need to worry about it falling. I could hold it in different positions and it would stay still. Check out those rubber mats they sell to line cabinets. They might be called drying mats. It's an easy fix.

If you do decide you want to go with the mustang pickups, I have the PJ set from mine I'd consider selling. I was going to keep them but I don't have any plans for them.

good luck!
 
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#28
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#29
pcake said:
as some of you may know, i bought a spiffy surf green MiM mustang a while ago. it sounds truly wonderful to me, but it hurts my previously damaged right shoulder to play it for more than a minute or two....

...i thought "maybe i could put the mustang pickups in a mikro or something similar", but i could buy fender PJ pickups for less than what i'd get for selling my mustang. nothing else in my collection sounds as good to me as my mustang.

what would you do in my situation?
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pcake, you may already have gotten all the responses you need, but just in case, I'll pipe up. If the Bronco feels good to you, stick with that. As for putting Mustang or PJ pickups in the Mikro, I understand from other threads (specifically the Official Mikro Club thread) that standard pickups won't fit the Mikro, at least not the bridge pickup. There's a shorter version of the J pickup that somebody, I think EMG, makes. If you have the skills, and you can find the pickup, sounds like a good project. Me, personally, I'd just stick with the Bronco as is, if you're okay with the sound of it. If not, the pedal idea that somebody mentioned might be an easier way for you to get a better sound out of it.

As for selling the Mustang, I'd suggest holding on to it, unless you literally don't have room for it in your home. You never know, maybe you'll find a solution at some point in the future, and then you'll wish you still had it. Good luck, both with your health and with the instruments.
 
#30
pcake said:
as some of you may know, i bought a spiffy surf green MiM mustang a while ago. it sounds truly wonderful to me, but it hurts my previously damaged right shoulder to play it for more than a minute or two.

and yet i can play my bronco all freaking night most days with no issues.

the bodies are SO similar that i thought that the bronco basically used the mustang as a body template, as they look the same. yet after i found i could play one but not the other, i measured various areas, and there are subtle differences. they're so subtle i can't figure out why there's such a major difference. btw, it's my right shoulder that experiences pain from the "reaching over" position caused by basses that raise my arm at the point of contact with the bass.

i've been considering selling my mustang as i haven't been able to play it, and about half an hour ago, i took it out, started to play it sitting in my normal position, and within seconds my right shoulder started to develop that all-too familiar deep ache that usually takes days to weeks to go away.

and yet i played my bronco last night in the same chair and same position for a couple hours. no pain at all.

i thought "maybe i could put the mustang pickups in a mikro or something similar", but i could buy fender PJ pickups for less than what i'd get for selling my mustang. nothing else in my collection sounds as good to me as my mustang.

what would you do in my situation?
Click to expand...

Hi Pcake, sorry to read about this issue.
I have two basses, a Mustang PJ and a Bronco (after thinning the herd, previously I had up to six basses, short and long scales). Actually the Mustang is lighter and none of them has any neck dive.
In your case I assume the difference, as others have said, are the tuners, the Bronco ones being smaller so probably lighter.
So maybe you could change the tuners in your Mustang for some lighter ones.

Could you detail where did you find the difference in body shape? Mine seem identical. The Bronco was created after the Mustang body shape and today with CNC machinery I would expect those body shapes, Mustang and Bronco, to be just the same.
 
#31
Have you tried playing with the bass on the other leg and elevate that one?

That would relieve the pressure on your right shoulder.

janek-1.jpg
 
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#33
thank you all, more than i can say, for caring and making suggestions.

my right shoulder hurts the minute i pick up the mustang (and many other basses) and throw my arm up over it. it's not a balance issue. it's not a weight issue - not the bass or the headstock. my doctor and physical therapist were involved in figuring out the issues and gave me exercises specifically for that one position and it's improved, but isn't expected to ever be 100%, and it's been over 10 years. i gave up playing acoustic guitar (which i played since 1968) because it hurt very badly (and caused further damage) to have the lower bout hold my right arm up and over.

i would get a bronco and stick the mustang pickups in it, but my husband tried that with another 1 pickup bass, and we were unable to make it work well, and even with fender schematics, it didn't get better. he's made guitars and basses from scratch and swapped pickups, but that one thing hasn't worked with the exact guts from this mustang, which spent time inside another bass.
 
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#37
I have also sold instruments that hurt to play. Some nice ones. But I was always able to find another instrument to take its place, either with or without modifications for refinement of feel and tone.

Considering your Bronco: change tuners so it is stable; change the pickup to a Seymour Duncan Cool Rails if you want even tone, Hot Rails if you want more mids. The bridge may be fine after you put some strings on it like GHS Balanced Pure Nickel rounds that have a great round tone.

Sorry to see the Mustang basses go, but I've been there, most recently to sell any bass that had a 34-inch scale, or where it didn't matter, have a new neck made in 33-inch scale for the same reasons concerning my hands. Now, when I go to a music store, I may see a bass that is interesting, take it down, and as you observe with your shoulder, about five minutes of playing and my hands start telling me about it in a bad way, where on my 33-inch scale Ibby BTB845V, I play the entire gig from sound check to encore and don't even notice it.
 
#38
Since I've found the pickups and electronics account for 95% of what you hear, might it be possible to get another Bronco and have it routed for a PJ configuration and then transfer your Mustang electronics over to it?
 
#39
Those basses are light. If you put the old clunky steel Fender tuners on one, it'll likely tug your shoulders in a way that's gonna hurt after a while. Even modest neck dive can mess you up. I'd suggest a set of Hipshot Ultralites - you almost certainly have a fixable bass, and it's a very good bet that balance is the issue - those 2 basses are so close otherwise that I'd bet on it.
 

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