New PJ Mustang at Summer NAMM

[natrontheape]

Yeah, I had thought about a pickup swap but if that doesn't do it, Im not able to return it. Im guessing a pickup swap would solve it though. Might do that.

The stock strings on this bass are definitely just long scale strings cut to fit. I feel like that's part of why they sound so crappy. The E and A in particular had no taper. The thickest part of the string had been wrapped on the tuner several times.

Try these. They are so cheap and they are made for SS. They sound SOOO much better than the stock strings. It's ridiculous:

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[west al]

The stock strings on this bass are definitely just long scale strings cut to fit. I feel like that's part of why they sound so crappy. The E and A in particular had no taper. The thickest part of the string had been wrapped on the tuner several times.

Try these. They are so cheap and they are made for SS. They sound SOOO much better than the stock strings. It's ridiculous:

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I agree with D'Addario Strings, mine are the ETB92S Nylons.

 

[mbell75]

The stock strings on this bass are definitely just long scale strings cut to fit. I feel like that's part of why they sound so crappy. The E and A in particular had no taper. The thickest part of the string had been wrapped on the tuner several times.

Try these. They are so cheap and they are made for SS. They sound SOOO much better than the stock strings. It's ridiculous:

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That's what I said because Fender doesn't make a 45-105 short scale set but others in here swear these are short scale strings. Going to put some D'Addarios on it.

 

[Stefmeister]

Ive complained about this bass a few times in this thread as I was disappointed with the two I tried in local stores. So I figured out why I didn't like the new Mustang at all either time I played it...the stock strings! My main complaint was the P pickup sounding tinny and weak compared to other Fender P basses I had owned and now it makes sense. These come with extra light 40-95 strings Im used to a 104-105 E string. Long story short, I played a friends earlier today and he has his strung with the same LaBella Deep Talkin flats I have on my P bass. The difference in sound and feel was completely night and day. Came home and ordered one and a new set of LaBellas! Will be here on Monday

I wouldn't dare put flats on this thing. The E is far too boomy as it stands with bright rounds on it. Unless you aren't going to use the P pickup at all or you're playing Motown. Im probably returning mine anyways, the cons outweigh the pros for my needs.

So is it boomy or tinny? What happened to the flats that for some reason you wouldn't dare put on it now? As has been suggested before mess with the pickup hight and try some new strings before you put in new pickups. Alternatively return it seeing as it seems you're only holding onto it so that you can complain about it.

 

[lowplaces]

That's what I said because Fender doesn't make a 45-105 short scale set but others in here swear these are short scale strings. Going to put some D'Addarios on it.

If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly ! Put a set of TI Jazz Flats on it

 

[felis]

I can't imagine trying that hard to make myself like a bass. Too much work.
Not everyone has to like every bass.
I picked up the Mustang and it felt and sounded good to me, so I bought it.

Only thing I've done is to change strings on one of them.
.

 

[grenadilla]

I may go down from .105 to the .100 gauge E string I use on my Precision, except it is bound to be looser. It would be less boomy probably. I am glad the neck is sturdy enough to support the .105 on it now.

 

[Antisyzygy]

I can't imagine trying that hard to make myself like a bass. Too much work.
Not everyone has to like every bass.
I picked up the Mustang and it felt and sounded good to me, so I bought it.

Only thing I've done is to change strings on one of them.
.

It's tough to really know a bass' potential until it has a good setup. I'd say adjusting pickup heights and getting the right set of strings is part of it.

If you mean swapping pickups, yeah that's a bit more extreme. I've swapped pickups quite a lot in the past and most of the time it didn't work out. The few times it did were worth it however a lot of money got spent on the times it didn't.

Sometimes it's better to buy a bass that works for you as-is (after a setup). Unless you really know what pickups you like already you can chase tone for too long and spend a bunch of money on a bass you never end up liking.

I feel like 25% of your tone comes from the pickup, if it's not a cheaply made microphonic one that is. The rest is pickup position, strings and setup. Of course that is the tone just from the bass. Your amp has a huge effect too.

From my perspective, the Mustang has average pickups, however average today means something different from average 10 years ago. They're actually quite good for being Fender pickups compared to others throughout history. So I feel that strings and setup are where one should focus attention. If it still doesn't work out then get a different bass, or consider some set of pickups you already know you like.

 

[Micha68]

NICE Aguilar pickups!!!! I just put the EMG GZR P/J pickup set in my sonic blue Mustang P/J. I ended up taking out the 3-way toggle switch and putting a master tone there. So I now have V/V/T setup. I had to ask for a second long quick-connect cable from EMG to make it work with the long reach, but it was a super easy install. The pickups fit perfectly.

This bass is a damn keeper with a pickup upgrade. I really liked it before, but now it just slays for a little short scale. I am not playing my other basses too much lately b/c of this one.

As far as strings go, I've tried a bunch. I'm currently using the D'Addario .50 gauge set of short scale rounds right now. They are really great sounding. I also tried the really light gauge La Bella Deep Talkin Bass Flats that are for 30" scale basses. The La Bellas are truly fantastic sounding flats on this bass. I really hated the stock strings and I tried out the short scale D'Addario Chrome flats too, but the E string sounded really weird with those strings. Maybe it was a bad string, because that issue is non-existent with the D'Addario rounds and the La Bellas. If you forced me to choose, I'd say those La Bella flats are the best sounding strings on this bass.

The Aguilar are great PU's. Not the cheapest once. In my opinion they Work perfect with the Mustang .
I put Chromes on it but I can't check it with my Amp yet.
Before the Chromes I tried a older long scale set TI's which I cut to fit on the SS. They sound really good but they're too weak for a 30" for me.

 

[felis]

Well, of course I gave it a proper setup before assessing it.

I just figured that would go without saying.

 

[daveobieone]

I've been following this thread now for months, and at long last, I'd like to join the Mustang P/J club. The GC in St. Louis (Crestwood) FINALLY got in a Sonic Blue, which I picked up instantly yesterday afternoon. Thirty minutes later, I was at a long practice session with my band...and the new Mustang. No set-up, stock strings, just grabbed it and ran, and the Mustang performed flawlessly. Factory set-up on mine is very good, and after playing for 50+ years, I'm really picky about set-up. Frets are super smooth at the edges. The neck is very comfortable.

I'm not a big fan of the stock strings, and they will be replaced as soon as my new set of La Bella flats arrive. My band is a 60's-70's horn band (plenty of Chicago and BS&T), and flats are pretty much the correct sound for this music.

No noise or drop-outs from the switch or the pots as some others have had issues with. This bass is very noise-free, with very little hum pick up.

It was very comfortable for me to play for several hours, even though I'm not really used to round-wounds anymore. The lighter-touch of the short-scale makes that less of a problem. It's gonna be very easy on my fingers with the flats. It's also quite a bit lighter than most of my other basses...I have at least 20...one can never have to many basses.

Right now, all I can see doing is the new strings, a tweak of the set-up afterwards, and maybe replacing the pickguard. I'm not a big fan of the mint. I really wanted to thank everyone here who have shared their experiences with these instruments. It's been VERY helpful. TalkBass is a wonderful resource!

Thank You!
Dave O.

 

[Nephilymbass]

I thought Fender posted they wouldn't use rosewood anymore?

 

[daveobieone]

I thought Fender posted they wouldn't use rosewood anymore?

From the Fender Mustang Bass webpage...

• Fingerboard Material: Rosewood

 

[west al]

From the Fender Mustang Bass webpage...

• Fingerboard Material: Rosewood

Fender will probably use Rosewood until they run out of it. They're getting extra bucks for still using Rosewood.

 

[Hongkongbass]

I received my new red tort scratplate today from WD uk and I'm very happy with it

 

[felis]

Is that the Sonic Blue, or the White?

Whichever it is, that pick guard looks good on it.

 

[Hongkongbass]

It's white

 

[felis]

It looks white in the first pic, but blue towards the bottom of the second pic.
Might just be my computer - or my eyes

 

[jeffbrown]

TL;DR - What are the advantages/disadvantages of this as opposed to the Aerodyne (which I've been gassing for for some time now, LOL)?

FWIW, these look like sweet basses!

 

[Antisyzygy]

TL;DR - What are the advantages/disadvantages of this as opposed to the Aerodyne (which I've been gassing for for some time now, LOL)?

FWIW, these look like sweet basses!

The Aerodyne is a long scale and has a Jazz profile body so it has a larger footprint. The Mustang is a short scale. That's both an advantage and a disadvantage, also dependent on who you are and what you like.

The Mustang fretboard radius is 9.5, the Aerodyne is a softer 7.25. The nut widths are the same. The necks feel pretty close but again the Mustang is a shorty so there are some differences in feel due to where the frets are put and whatnot.

The Mustang pickups are pretty standard AlNiCos. They sound good. The bridge pickup is a bit less tinny than the aerodyne's. That may be due to the short scale. Both have similar quality pickups I'd say.

The Mustang body is Alder, Aerodyne basswood. Some people don't like basswood but the Aerodyne kinda needs it for the shape it is. It has lots of contours.

The Mustang has a 3-way switch and you can't blend the pickups. Advantage is it's quick to switch tones and it actually works well on that bass. The Aerodyne advantage is you can blend.

The Aerodyne is also made in Japan. The Mustang is made in Mexico.

I'd say either one is a good choice but the Mustang is a better value. The Aerodyne is probably higher quality IMO but not a whole lot, likely the special hardware and shape on the aero is where some of the cost is.

The Mustang is excellent as a couch player and I use it in my small home studio since it's comfy in a tight space. Also I love the sounds, especially the bridge pickup.