mustang vs bronco playing frustration

[Whale guy]

I thought this was a statement in Fords, then I remembered that the Bronco doesnt come out for a few months.

 

[Rocker949]

I have nothing against Mustangs. I came very close to buying one several weeks ago. But in this case it sounds like the Mustang is more trouble than it's worth. I would probably just go ahead and get rid of it.

 

[sonojono]

A huge portion of "tone" is really in your fingers.

I use to be a strong believer behind this comment but after realizing that it's not all in your "fingers" it's totally in the hands and players technique.

 

[pcake]

Can you please write down the differences in measurements from one bass to the other?

If understood correctly, you are touching the lower horn, and you believe this is based on the body dimensions, correct?

i'd have to find them or measure all over again. i can do that, but not feeling good today.

no, the way the top of the body holds up my arm and therefore my shoulder is the problem.

 

[BB Brian]

You always provide such useful information when I have a question and I'd like to return that favor, but I simply can't. Maybe a really skilled woodcrafter could reshape the Mustang to your liking and then you could refinish it in one of your preferred colors, like seafoam? That sounds like a big outlay for a modestly priced instrument, but if it would provide you with a "grail" bass, maybe you would find it worth the expense.

Finally, I commiserate with you on the shoulder issues. My right shoulder has had a complete reconstruction and more recently a rotator cuff repair. Whatever the case, I hope you do find a solution to get that sound you want in a comfortable bass.

 

[abarson]

Man, sorry about your Mustang dilemma. That is a head scratcher problem. I have a Bronco and it has rounded edges but no arm or tummy contour. Doesn't the Mustang have an arm contour? ?????? Is that the difference?

My son gave the Bronco to me as a gift. It has been my one and only short scale bass. I did switch out the pickup for a Dragonfire dual blade AlNiCo magnet Strat humbucker. At the time, eBay was selling them for $39. Now I think that they are $49.

The Dragonfire turned the Bronco into a very fantastic sounding bass guitar. Blindfold, a person would not know the difference compared to a full scale P Bass.

We certainly hope that you can resolve your Mustang problem! It sounds like an easy fix but certainly an unusual strange problem!View attachment 3870668 View attachment 3870669

Wish I'd gone with that one and saved myself the hassle of filing the pickguard. +1 for vastly better tone and less noise.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

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?

Just swap pots and pickups. You should get at least a similar tone.

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

You could get an MBrace!

 

[LastJaguar]

It's in my name—find a Jaguar. The arm and belly cuts should fix your position problem and it's a PJ.

 

[Shorty3]

It's in my name—find a Jaguar. The arm and belly cuts should fix your position problem and it's a PJ.

Good point about the Jag.
I owned a VM Short Scale Jaguar but it had a lot of neck dive so I sold it, however the neck was thin, smooth and easy to play.
I do not know if it might improve the situation playing sitted if somebody has shoulder pain, I mean the body is contoured so that would help, however the offset shape is a bit similar to the Jazz bass, so maybe larger than the Bronco.

Talking about the Bronco I read a review about recent batches having incorrectly string spacing due to faulty bridge, that was in 2019, hopefully Fender solved the issue but I wouldn't buy a new one sight unseen.

Another alternative could be the new Squier Jaguar, which is probably the only medium scale bass currently produced by Fender and Squier. Then, again, better try before buy.

 

[Darrell G]

My guess, has been mentioned in bits and pieces...

A combination of the amount and height of slab left on top of the body where your right arm rests in combination with the location of where your right thumb rests. Bad combo of those two things make some basses a no-go for me. Comfort is #1.

Love on the Bronco!

And if you buy and mod another one or your current one, I'd put the P pickup exactly where the original was just to keep the angles right.

Sorry about the shoulder )=

 

[Oddly]

I know you say nothing sounds as good as the Mustang, but that's a moot point if you can't play it.

Sell it, and maybe use the money to go to a decent modder and try to get the sound you want with the Bronco.

 

[mongo2]

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.

Sorry for your shoulder issues, I've been following this thread with much interest since, due to a mild stroke that messed with my right side, I have similar problems with my right shoulder being forced too high by the body shape. My hand works well enough to gig but pain is annoyingly constant in my right arm, shoulder and leg.

I originally thought of using a stand to hold the bass but standing to play for any more tha a few minutes is out of the question for me.

I've found the Bronco, MIJ Mustang and Mustang PJ to be a better fit for the shoulder than a P, J, or Squier Jaguar SS but still not ideal. An Ibanez Mikro is also a decent solution but the rounded edge of the body causes my arm to slip around much more than the Bronco slab-ish edge and the offset body shape of the Mustang/Bronco style makes it much easier for me to play.

So far the best feeling solution for my shoulder issues is the wedge shaped body of a headless kit bass I bought on Amazon but it's too heavy to sit on my leg comfortably (weight sensitivity is another gift from the stroke) and it can slip and slide on my leg due to the shape. I installed some grip tape on the lower edge of the body that helps with the slipping but it really needs a more leg friendly shape there.

My shoulder prefers the wedge shape but my leg prefers the the Bronco offset shape so I've been thinking of taking the bandsaw to a spare Bronco body I have and removing the bass side bout in increments to see if that helps the shoulder issue. It'll probably look odd but if it works I couldn't care less how it looks.

I tried using the bass with the body sitting on my left leg instead of my right leg but found my arm needs the support of a slab body edge or some real pain ensues and any random movement of my arm causes playing issues.

As far as replacing the Bronco pickup goes, I've tried a few substitutions in my Bronco and finally settled on a dual blade Stratocaster guitar pickup I bought on Amazon for less that $15. It took a bit of finagling to install it in the Bronco's pickguard pickup slot but it once in there it works fine and I like the sound better than my MIJ Mustang.

Best of luck finding a solution and please let us know when you do.

 

[dmt]

Tough deal. I've had two guitars that just don't/didn't agree with me - loved both and played the crap out of them, and both eventually led to [separate] injuries that had me not playing for about two years afterwards, each

Got rid of one (a PRS McCarty), but the other, an AVRI Tele, I still hold onto even though I don't play it - just sounds so good and looks so great that I can't let it go. Both were dream guitars for me...

Fortunately, I have other instruments that don't cause such issues. Sucks, but some things just aren't meant to be.

Still, one reason I keep the Tele is that it has a bolt-on neck and so I could get a new, flatter radiused neck for it (which would solve the particular problem I have with that one). I still plan to do it, but haven't gotten around to tackling that particular project yet.

Similarly, if you reaaally dig that Mustang, you could make it work. Have someone strip the finish and cut/sand down the dimensions to match the Bronco, then have it re-surf greened. Or, get a new body custom made for it to the Bronco's specs, and have the guy put your Mustang's guts in the new body, too. Or put the Mustang neck on a Bronco body and have someone route the body and carry over the electronics for you. Etc.

When it comes down to it, Fenders are an aggregation of removable parts, and so you could accordingly keep the parts you like and replace the parts you don't like with other parts that suit you better (or even custom-made parts that suit you perfectly).

Or, like I did with my McCarty, you could move on despite digging it so much.
Tough choices, but at least you already have some instruments you know you can play.

Good luck!

 

[Tim de Martino]

I would be taking out the files and sandpaper and adjusting the Mustang body until it fits. No resale value but extra points for rock'n'roll!

 

[Astronaut]

Couldn't d help to notice lots of injured shoulders in here. I play drums and also have aging shoulder problems. My advice would be to strengthen your body. Maybe one day even the bronco will start making your shoulder hurt.
What we do is physical after all.

 

[lfmn16]

You're obviously doing something differently. Try videoing yourself with each bass and see if you can see the difference.

 

[Nashrakh]

Have you tried playing with the bass on the other leg and elevate that one?

That would relieve the pressure on your right shoulder.

View attachment 3871350

Exactly what I would propose as well. Would be interested to see if that makes it any better or if the other shoulder gets worse (because of its elevated position at the lower frets).

 

[lug]

I'm wondering if you've ever had a chance to play a steinburger or one of it's small body knockoffs. You literally just lay you wrist over the body and your right shoulder can sit back. Just a thought.

 

[pcake]

everyone, i'm working on an epic reply to your many posts, but it'll take me a while to finish it.

I'm wondering if you've ever had a chance to play a steinburger or one of it's small body knockoffs. You literally just lay you wrist over the body and your right shoulder can sit back. Just a thought.

many's the time i've considered it, although i hear the spirit can be over 9 pounds, but while it would be fun to play, and i could feel like i was living the '80s, i'm not sure if i'd put my mustang's guts in one unless it became my favorite to play. i haven't found a steinburger bass in any stores, although on our last visit to sam ash hollywood they had a guitar which i did try.