Fender Mustang Comparison

[greghagger]

Short-scale basses are becoming very popular lately, and there are many reasons why, not least because they are so much lighter than full-scale basses.

 

Personally I'd never really considered short-scale basses before I had to play one when covering for another bassist on a gig. This particular short-scale bass was a Fender Mustang, and I've got to say that I was pretty impressed! The Mustang was instantly easy to play, and through a decent amp, it sounded much fatter than I imaged it would. So, of course I've gone out a brought one!

 

In my latest YouTube video, you can check out what I think of my new Mustang bass, and hear how it stacks up against a full-scale P-Bass. 

 

This is a useful video if you’re considering buying a short-scale bass, and you want to hear how a Mustang bass sounds. 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

[ezbass]

2 hours ago, greghagger said:

not least because they are so much lighter than full-scale basses.

My JMJ is actually heavier than all my longer scale basses. However, they are particularly light, 3 of them being chambered. But the Mustang is still a tad heavier than my Squier P bass. With all that said, the perceived weight of the Mustang feels less, due to the balance.

[greghagger]

50 minutes ago, ezbass said:

My JMJ is actually heavier than all my longer scale basses. However, they are particularly light, 3 of them being chambered. But the Mustang is still a tad heavier than my Squier P bass. With all that said, the perceived weight of the Mustang feels less, due to the balance.

Interesting. The Squier P-Basses must be light. My Mustang is considerably lighter than any other 4-strings that I’ve picked up before. But I know they are making basses a lot lighter nowadays. 

[Owno]

1 hour ago, ezbass said:

My JMJ is actually heavier than all my longer scale basses. However, they are particularly light, 3 of them being chambered. But the Mustang is still a tad heavier than my Squier P bass. With all that said, the perceived weight of the Mustang feels less, due to the balance.

 
The JMJ I had some couple of years ago was also on the heavier side and considerably heavier than my p-bass. My current Mustang, made in 78’ with a beautiful single piece ash body and chunky neck, weighs 4,4kg despite having contours. Shortscales - and perhaps Mustangs in particular - does not necessarily have to be lighter than 34” basses. ☺️

 

I can highly recommend trying a 70’s Mustang in alder. They weigh around 3 to 3,5kg and the pickups are second to none if you’re looking for a p-bass vibe.

Edited December 21, 2024 by Owno

[Lozz196]

My heaviest Mustang (a JMJ) is 3.8kg, lightest (a CIJ) is 3.5kg.
 

But as @ezbass said the balance is better, probably due to the weight distribution so I just find short scale basses better on the back/shoulder over long rehearsals. 

 

I liked your video @greghagger, showed that sound wise not that much difference to a Precision (so not that much difference to a Jazz neck pick up either). 

[Owno]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

 

But as @ezbass said the balance is better, probably due to the weight distribution so I just find short scale basses better on the back/shoulder over long rehearsals. 

I agree! 

 

Great comparison @greghagger!

[Clarky]

Thinking about the video comparison, the basses sound similar (albeit not identical) when recorded clearly and without the accompanying cacophony of other instruments in a band. If you then crank this up to a live band situation, I think there are very few people who would be able to tell any difference at all

 

 

Edited December 22, 2024 by Clarky

[greghagger]

18 minutes ago, Clarky said:

Thinking about the video comparison, the basses sound similar (albeit not identical) when recorded clearly and without the accompanying cacophony of other instruments in a band. If you then crank this up to a live band situation, I think there are very few people who would be able to tell any difference at all

 

 

Yeah I agree. I was pretty surprised at just how similar they sounded. Within a mix, I don’t think many people would be able to tell the difference. 

[Lozz196]

Yes it’s things like this that show me no matter how much I still want to play my Precisions in my bands, playing my Mustangs is the sensible move.  

[ezbass]

5 hours ago, greghagger said:

Yeah I agree. I was pretty surprised at just how similar they sounded. Within a mix, I don’t think many people would be able to tell the difference. 

The only real difference for me, in the video and from my own personal experience, is that 34”s have more harmonic content below the 5th fret on the E string, whereas shorties are all about the fundamental in that area. The pay off is further up the neck where the long scales can be a bit plinky, the shorties still maintain that fundamental, making them more even sounding across the whole neck. This aspect also makes them react really nicely with FX, especially analogue octave boxes.

Edited December 22, 2024 by ezbass

[greghagger]

On 22/12/2024 at 16:00, ezbass said:

The only real difference for me, in the video and from my own personal experience, is that 34”s have more harmonic content below the 5th fret on the E string, whereas shorties are all about the fundamental in that area. The pay off is further up the neck where the long scales can be a bit plinky, the shorties still maintain that fundamental, making them more even sounding across the whole neck. This aspect also makes them react really nicely with FX, especially analogue octave boxes.

Really interesting. Great info. I’ll be trying my Mustang with some effects to see! Thanks 

[Owno]

2 hours ago, greghagger said:

Really interesting. Great info. I’ll be trying my Mustang with some effects to see! Thanks 

…and they sound even more even across the fretboard strung with flatwound strings! Try it if you haven’t already.

[greghagger]

21 minutes ago, Owno said:

…and they sound even more even across the fretboard strung with flatwound strings! Try it if you haven’t already.

That’s my next move. Also interested in trying some Creamery pickups. 

[Owno]

4 minutes ago, greghagger said:

That’s my next move. Also interested in trying some Creamery pickups. 

Great move, indeed. I can highly recommend the LaBella Mustang flats (for a vintage vibe) or Dunlop steel flats (for a tad more zing the first couple of months).

[meterman]

36 minutes ago, Owno said:

…and they sound even more even across the fretboard strung with flatwound strings! Try it if you haven’t already.

Mustangs with flatwounds on is the quintessential Mustang sound for me. I know it's always a personal preference, but I've owned maybe 6 or 7 Mustangs over the last 23 years  (vintage, reissue, also Squier) and it's always been flatwounds that have brought the best out of them.

 

Favourites: La Bella's special Mustang flats. Pricy but totally worth it 👍

[Owno]

24 minutes ago, meterman said:

Mustangs with flatwounds on is the quintessential Mustang sound for me. I know it's always a personal preference, but I've owned maybe 6 or 7 Mustangs over the last 23 years  (vintage, reissue, also Squier) and it's always been flatwounds that have brought the best out of them.

 

Favourites: La Bella's special Mustang flats. Pricy but totally worth it 👍

 

I fully agree! The LaBella’s are my favourite as well. I just had my 78’ setup with a fresh set of said strings last week after trying rounds for a while. It felt at home immediately and it plays and sound so much better.

Edited December 23, 2024 by Owno

[ezbass]

I’ve been a big fan of EB Cobalt Flays for ages and can confirm that they work wonderfully on my Mustang.

[RichT]

29 minutes ago, ezbass said:

I’ve been a big fan of EB Cobalt Flays for ages and can confirm that they work wonderfully on my Mustang.

 

EB Cobalt flats are my default goto on my short scales now. Traditional flats have never really done it for me soundwise, but as alluded to above there can be something a little odd about the harmonics on the first few frets on a 30" E string when using rounds (probably my brain has just been indoctrinated for years by the sound of 34" harmonics so anything different sounds odd). The Cobalt flats have plenty of bite and life to them but I find they also negate those weird E string harmonics. Fantastic strings, little bit pricey but so worth it.

Edited December 23, 2024 by RichT

[Grahambythesea]

Having never had a mustang I am surprised that the tiny little pickup seems to perform as well as the Precision type with its exposed poles. 

[spongebob]

17 hours ago, ezbass said:

I’ve been a big fan of EB Cobalt Flays for ages and can confirm that they work wonderfully on my Mustang.

My go to string on everything! 🤟

[ezbass]

2 hours ago, spongebob said:

My go to string on everything! 🤟

Same here, except the Rob Allen and EUB.

[The fasting showman]

I've briefly owned a Mustang bass, and also a Japanese Bullet bass with the same pickup.

Much as I love the design of the Mustang as an object, it wasn't a bass that sounded good in my hands in the same way that often P basses don't work for me. The Fallout suited me a lot better.

One thought I always had ( a gig audience wouldn't notice this detail for sure!); has anybody tried mounting the pickup direct to the body rather than the pick guard? I wonder how different that pickup would sound. I remember on a G&L bass I owned, the pickup mounting springs added almost a reverb-y quality, a foam mount cured this, hence it's something I've always wondered about, does the resonance of a bass change based on how a pickup is mounted?

 

Obviously not something you would try on a valuable bass. Just one of those silly curiosities you have when you are of the '80s bass butchering generation, a tendency I've left in the past thankfully 

Edited December 29, 2024 by The fasting showman
Explanation

[ped]

I prefer rounds on mine (Elixir 45-105 steel). They last about a year with light gigging (we probably do about 12 gigs a year). I put some new ones on this morning and for the first time ever, my tuners are all lined up. It’ll probably change as they settle in but I thought it was pic worthy 🤘