accidental NBD - Vintera Mustang

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Its okay, you don't need to report me to the elders of the 2023 bass aquisiton abstinence thread  I actually bought this mid-November last year, and it has been sitting in its case unloved and forgotten as I bought it with the intention to sell it.

 

 

The story is that I got a lowball offer accepted on package which was listed for local pickup only consisting of a Fender Vintera Mustang bass, A Fender mustang Hard Case, and a Fender Rumble 40 amp. I worked out that I should be able to sell the bass and the amp for more than the price I paid and essentially get to keep the case for free as I was after a case for my black JMJ (which cost exactly double what I paid for the vintera, case & amp.)

 

I had forgotten about it until last week when I got it out to set it up before putting it up for sale. I made a big mistake plugging it into an amp, it sounds great and I decided to keep it even though it brings my tally of mustangs up to four (or six if you count the Fender & Squier mustang guitars)

 

I've now made a few minor mods: The previous owner had a tug bar installed. I've got used to the thumbrest on my JMJs so I had to move that to to the other side. I like the 70s look of a black pickguard on a sunburst mustang. so I ordered a pickguard from Brian Pillans on ebay (top bloke - fantastic pickguards) I also swapped out the LaBellas which were on it for Chromes which are currently my strings of choice for mustangs, darkened the Pau Ferro fretboard with Dunlop 65 and rolled the fingerboard edges with a Bosch extra fine foam sanding block.

 

I think the vintera has been somewhat overshadowed by the JMJ due to the JMJ being such a phenomenal bass, but the vintera is pretty good in its own right at a lower cost. The pickup is voiced differently to the JMJ's Seymour Duncan. It seems to be a more modern tone with a crisper top end. The neck profile is its more of a U than the C of the JMJ but I think it is slightly slimmer at the nut. The fretboard radius is different according to the specs, but I don't really notice a difference.

 

 

Edited March 24, 2023 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[Lozz196]

As a recent Mustang convert I approve.

[Lw.]

Nice - the Vintera's are great basses, they took over from the "classic xx's" range which were essentially unrelliced roadworns. 

I just couldn't get on with constantly flicking between short & long scale so my Mustang didn't stick with me - my mind was just unable to adapt, so back to long scale I went! 

[ezbass]

2 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

it brings my tally of mustangs up to four (or six if you count the Fender & Squier mustang guitars)

Yes, we do count them. Six it is. Loving the black on 'burst.