Anybody got an old Fender Mustang? What's it like compared to the newer ones?

[police squad]

I'm really interested. Are they much better than the modern ones, in the way that old Fenders can be.

My mrs had a made/crafted in Japan one. She used it on one gig and didn't like it, so sold it. I never got to try it live but I thought it sounded great on the gig.

Your thoughts BC collective

[ezbass]

I played a couple when I was trying out new ones last year. Both vintage ones were like boat anchors (which might help with on the knee balance) and didn't feel like vintage instruments particularly (I've owned a '63 P in the past and that had a certain something), they weren't anything special. Of course this was just 2 that might've been poor examples. 

[grenadillabama]

I had a 70's red Mustang with racing stripe for a while back then. I remember it had less low bass than my Mustang PJ does now. The Mustang PJ has some Jazz-like crispness on top . BUT, on Get Your Ya Yas Out (Stones live 1969) Bill sounds fine on his 'Stang.

[MichaelDean]

I've not played a newer Mustang, but I've been very pleased with my 76 Mustang and had loads of compliments on my tone. It's got an almost 40mm nut width and a chunky neck. Not too heavy at 3.9kg with a three piece ash body. I got it re-fretted last year and it sounds better than ever! I'm also about to upgrade the tuners to some Hipshot ultralights. The original ones don't work that well anymore and based on the condition it was in when I bought it, it hadn't had an easy life! Just about any bass can be a crapshoot as to whether it works for you though. As always, if you can play it first, but if you can't you can probably make your money back on a vintage or second hand instrument if you decide it isn't for you.

[ezbass]

  On 07/02/2021 at 10:25, MichaelDean said:

Just about any bass can be a crapshoot as to whether it works for you though. As always, if you can play it first, but if you can't you can probably make your money back on a vintage or second hand instrument if you decide it isn't for you.

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Truth, especially basses of particular vintages.

[police squad]

  On 07/02/2021 at 10:25, MichaelDean said:

I've not played a newer Mustang, but I've been very pleased with my 76 Mustang and had loads of compliments on my tone. It's got an almost 40mm nut width and a chunky neck. Not too heavy at 3.9kg with a three piece ash body. I got it re-fretted last year and it sounds better than ever! I'm also about to upgrade the tuners to some Hipshot ultralights. The original ones don't work that well anymore and based on the condition it was in when I bought it, it hadn't had an easy life! Just about any bass can be a crapshoot as to whether it works for you though. As always, if you can play it first, but if you can't you can probably make your money back on a vintage or second hand instrument if you decide it isn't for you.

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yeah agreed, I woudn't buy an old guitar blind.  I did do a blind trade on here last march, my XL-2 for a 1980 P Bass special but that turned great. I like the idea of an older one because they were contoured. I used to have a Musicmaster bass when I was about 16 and I remember it being quite good. I played another musicmaster a couple of years ago and it was very good. Great neck

[ezbass]

  On 07/02/2021 at 12:11, police squad said:

yeah agreed, I woudn't buy an old guitar blind.  I did do a blind trade on here last march, my XL-2 for a 1980 P Bass special but that turned great. I like the idea of an older one because they were contoured. I used to have a Musicmaster bass when I was about 16 and I remember it being quite good. I played another musicmaster a couple of years ago and it was very good. Great neck

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When I first starting looking at short scales at GG in Epsom, the guy I was dealing with said he had an old Musicmaster that he used for recording and that it was great. 

[police squad]

  On 07/02/2021 at 13:50, ezbass said:

When I first starting looking at short scales at GG in Epsom, the guy I was dealing with said he had an old Musicmaster that he used for recording and that it was great. 

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mine was late 70s and black, r/w board. I would like another like that, if I could find one for reasonable money

[Storky]

My Japanese mustang was possibly the best sounding bass out of the fifty or so I have had over the years and I wish I still had it! I had a white stingray which I played in the first half of a gig and struggled to get it to cut through. I swapped to my mustang for the second half and it was brilliant, cut through and sounded great. I decided there and then that the stingray had to go. (I have brought another Special since though 😉)

[police squad]

  On 07/02/2021 at 15:27, Storky said:

My Japanese mustang was possibly the best sounding bass out of the fifty or so I have had over the years and I wish I still had it! I had a white stingray which I played in the first half of a gig and struggled to get it to cut through. I swapped to my mustang for the second half and it was brilliant, cut through and sounded great. I decided there and then that the stingray had to go. (I have brought another Special since though 😉)

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why did you sell it?

[ezbass]

  On 07/02/2021 at 16:57, police squad said:

why did you sell it?

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Ah, that oft asked question that opens the wounds caused by seller’s regret. At a guess, I’m going to go with a combination of GAS, ennui & the grass being greener, or a new band.

[Storky]

  On 07/02/2021 at 17:04, ezbass said:

Ah, that oft asked question that opens the wounds caused by seller’s regret. At a guess, I’m going to go with a combination of GAS, ennui & the grass being greener, or a new band.

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Yes, def the first two, same band. The other reason was it looked like a toy on my 6”6’ frame.

[shoulderpet]

  On 06/02/2021 at 17:24, police squad said:

I'm really interested. Are they much better than the modern ones, in the way that old Fenders can be.

My mrs had a made/crafted in Japan one. She used it on one gig and didn't like it, so sold it. I never got to try it live but I thought it sounded great on the gig.

Your thoughts BC collective

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The newer ones are likely to be better than the old ones as the old ones were released as Fenders inexpensive 'student' bass

[ezbass]

  On 07/02/2021 at 18:08, Storky said:

Yes, def the first two, same band. The other reason was it looked like a toy on my 6”6’ frame.

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This was also my concern about actually getting one, although I only just scrape 6’. However, have done some measuring and cloning using a photo processing app, I think I can just about get away with it. Having said that, it’d probably just be for home use.

[police squad]

  On 07/02/2021 at 19:29, ezbass said:

This was also my concern about actually getting one, although I only just scrape 6’. However, have done some measuring and cloning using a photo processing app, I think I can just about get away with it. Having said that, it’d probably just be for home use.

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I'm 5ft 11. My hofner violin bass looks fine.

maybe a short scale P bass?

One of the problem I have is shoulder pain. Just standing with my bass and playing it, open's both my shoulders and gives me pain. I've really noticed it since lockdown1, when I stopped playing at all, for  3 months

[grandad]

With the aches & pains of old age a violin bass is so easy to pickup. 👍

My Squier Mustang isn't to bad either.

Edited February 8, 2021 by grandad

[Paul S]

At one point I had a '79 Fender Musicmaster, a Squier Vista Series Musicmaster and a Squier VM Mustang that had the pickup changed to a Nordtsrand MN4, all at the same time.  The Fender was the worst by some measure - heavier and clunkier with a weak sound.  The Vista Series was the best, fabulous tone.  The Squier Mustang was the lightest and had a slimmer neck.  

I did have terrible GAS for a USA Mustang - I fancied a black one with a maple neck (like the VM Squier) which was a combo made during the late 70s I think.  I enquired about a half a dozen or so as and when they popped up and all of them were heavy.  Then one time on reverb USA I saw one that made a thing of being 7lbs, so light ones do exist.  My GAS had subsided by then.

[bassist_lewis]

I too have been lusting after an old Mustang. The Bass Gallery has had a couple of beautiful ones up in January and February, and there's some on Reverb. I imagine it's as much, if not more, of a crap shoot finding one you like as any instrument/amp/pedal. However, you'll probably make your money back as there is a thriving market for them, and the prices are steadily increasing.

I have a 2018 Fender JMJ Mustang and its a lovely instrument to play and it sounds great. If it's a measure of brand new instruments, then the standard is high! However, it's based off a 1966 Mustang, so it could be a measure of vintage Mustangs, in which case... vintage instruments are great. I haven't played any of the new Vintera ones, but the specs are nearly identical to the JMJ, and they're built in the same factory.

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by bassist_lewis

[police squad]

  On 08/02/2021 at 10:53, bassist_lewis said:

I too have been lusting after an old Mustang. The Bass Gallery has had a couple of beautiful ones up in January and February, and there's some on Reverb. I imagine it's as much, if not more, of a crap shoot finding one you like as any instrument/amp/pedal. However, you'll probably make your money back as there is a thriving market for them, and the prices are steadily increasing.

I have a 2018 Fender JMJ Mustang and its a lovely instrument to play and it sounds great. If it's a measure of brand new instruments, then the standard is high! However, it's based off a 1966 Mustang, so it could be a measure of vintage Mustangs, in which case... vintage instruments are great. I haven't played any of the new Vintera ones, but the specs are nearly identical to the JMJ, and they're built in the same factory.

 

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The JMJ, is it contoured?

[bassist_lewis]

  On 08/02/2021 at 10:59, police squad said:

The JMJ, is it contoured?

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It is not, it's a slab body. The contouring only came in in the early 70s, and all the new ones, including the Japanese ones from the 90s/early 2000s are based off of the 60s design. I would've thought Fender would be keen to reissue the 70s design as its more ergonomic, and looking at the increase in demand for Mustangs (judging by the prices), I expect they will do so in the next couple of years.

[police squad]

  On 08/02/2021 at 11:03, bassist_lewis said:

It is not, it's a slab body. The contouring only came in in the early 70s, and all the new ones, including the Japanese ones from the 90s/early 2000s are based off of the 60s design. I would've thought Fender would be keen to reissue the 70s design as its more ergonomic, and looking at the increase in demand for Mustangs (judging by the prices), I expect they will do so in the next couple of years.

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ah ok, I have seen contoured Mustangs and didn't know that was a 70s thing. I'm quite liking the look and what I've heard of the JMJ. It could be a possibility

[shoulderpet]

  On 08/02/2021 at 08:40, Paul S said:

At one point I had a '79 Fender Musicmaster, a Squier Vista Series Musicmaster and a Squier VM Mustang that had the pickup changed to a Nordtsrand MN4, all at the same time.  The Fender was the worst by some measure - heavier and clunkier with a weak sound.  The Vista Series was the best, fabulous tone.  The Squier Mustang was the lightest and had a slimmer neck.  

I did have terrible GAS for a USA Mustang - I fancied a black one with a maple neck (like the VM Squier) which was a combo made during the late 70s I think.  I enquired about a half a dozen or so as and when they popped up and all of them were heavy.  Then one time on reverb USA I saw one that made a thing of being 7lbs, so light ones do exist.  My GAS had subsided by then.

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I had a 79 musicmaster and it was dreadful, weighed a tonne, sounded awful with a tone control that was pretty much just there for decorative purposes and that dreadful bridge that these basses have, it makes me laugh when I see these going for £800-900 on Ebay

[bassist_lewis]

  On 08/02/2021 at 12:12, shoulderpet said:

I had a 79 musicmaster and it was dreadful, weighed a tonne, sounded awful with a tone control that was pretty much just there for decorative purposes and that dreadful bridge that these basses have, it makes me laugh when I see these going for £800-900 on Ebay

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Reading this helps my GAS for a vintage instrument somewhat 😂 there's one up on Reverb for £1600!

[shoulderpet]

  On 08/02/2021 at 12:59, bassist_lewis said:

Reading this helps my GAS for a vintage instrument somewhat 😂 there's one up on Reverb for £1600!

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you would have to be insane to pay that, they regularly go for £800-900 but really in terms of quality they are a £250 instrument at best

[bassist_lewis]

  On 08/02/2021 at 13:23, shoulderpet said:

you would have to be insane to pay that, they regularly go for £800-900 but really in terms of quality they are a £250 instrument at best

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It's been up for at least a couple of months 🤣