Can't afford/not willing to pay for a vintage one - but any thoughts on what is the best of the modern crop: Squier VM? The new trem less Fenders? a second hand one from the last 10 years?
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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »
I feel like getting a Mustang - recommendations?
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Joined: Apr 08, 2016 Posts: 35 London 
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Posted on Aug 15 2017 04:37 AM
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Joined: May 04, 2014 Posts: 734 
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Posted on Aug 15 2017 05:18 AM
My son has a new Fender Mustang/Duo Sonic. While it's a great guitar, it's not exactly a surfy sounding guitar. Partly because of the hardtail. I found it more suitable for garage rock. I have played a few VM Squiers but I found them a bit anemic. That might have been due to bad setup and tired strings though. But don't take my word for it, just find a store that stocks a few to see for yourself. |
Joined: Jul 26, 2015 Posts: 261 San Diego, Ca
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Posted on Aug 15 2017 09:18 PM
My sister has owned a couple of the Japanese made Mustang reissues. They're pretty nice. The quality is there, minus the vintage price tag. Are there many of those on the market there in the UK? (Or Europe, for that matter.) If that option is available to you, I'd say they are at least worth a look. —-Cheers, Clark- -Less Paul, more Reverb- |
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Joined: Jul 30, 2016 Posts: 896
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Posted on Aug 16 2017 09:25 AM
Be aware that if you like to pick right at the bridge you will be frustrated by the form of a Mustang vibrato. The big cigar tube forces your hand higher up the strings and you end up picking between the pickups. |
Joined: Oct 17, 2009 Posts: 530 Walkersville, MD 
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Posted on Aug 16 2017 11:49 PM
I love Mustangs so I fully support your Mustang GAS. I have a '65 Fender Mustang, a Squier VM Mustang, and one of the new Duo Sonics in Capri Orange. Fender Cyclone IIs are also great short scale guitars with Jaguar pickups that do surf very well and a good used one can be found around $600-650. I stumbled upon the '65 Mustang in a used guitar shop and bought for just a little over $600 - it was pretty abused but I got her cleaned up and restored her where needed ('60s tuners, pearloid pickguard). She sounds wonderful. The only downside for me is the really slim neck, but it's a minor negative for me. You never know, you might be able to come across a true vintage for a decent price.
My favorite neck of the three Mustangs is the chunky Squier VM Mustang. I replaced the stock Seymour Designed pickups with Seymour Duncan Antiquity II - The '60s "Myth for Mustang" pickups. Other modifications include a StayTrem bridge (the VM Mustang has a neck radius of 9.50"), wrapped the bridge posts with duct tape to stabilize them, replaced the stock pickguard with a Spitfire tort, and the most recent mod is having the headstock finished to match the body (not perfect but close to the vintage white). Plays and sounds great - very surf worthy.
The Duo Sonic is a lot of fun, too. I primarily use her for punk/garage rock stuff but she handles surf well enough. Here's a shot of all three guitars:
The doofus formerly known as Snorre |
Joined: Jul 27, 2006 Posts: 1284 Berlinesia, Germanifornia
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Posted on Aug 17 2017 01:18 AM
I don´t like the regular newer Mustangs at last... Optic is great, but playing... I would recommend the 72 reissue CIJ. Best in playing AND sound!!! Mustangs always sound thinner than Jags or Jazzys. But if you find a good one, the tone is very nice! —Twang cheers! Ralf Kilauea https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien Last edited: Aug 17, 2017 01:19:14 |
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Joined: Apr 08, 2016 Posts: 35 London
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Posted on Aug 19 2017 03:39 PM
Thanks for the replies. All helpful!! Snorre - that Olympic White Squier Mustang looks great. Very tempting. |
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Joined: Oct 17, 2009 Posts: 530 Walkersville, MD
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Posted on Aug 20 2017 11:47 AM
ecv wrote:
It's a little different from Olympic White - Squier calls it Vintage White, a more aged yellow look. I love it! The guy I commissioned to match the headstock was close but it's more of an Olympic White - I'm hoping that by aging naturally it might catch up to be a closer match to the body. —The doofus formerly known as Snorre Last edited: Aug 20, 2017 23:05:54 |
Joined: Aug 18, 2008 Posts: 373 Orange, CA
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Posted on Aug 22 2017 01:52 PM
How the heck do you get the vibrato on these to stay in tune?? I have one and no matter how I play it goes out of tune with a little vibrato use. It makes me never want to play the thing. |
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Joined: Jul 30, 2016 Posts: 896
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Posted on Aug 22 2017 03:15 PM
Dannylectro, that's a damn good question. In an attempt to improve Leo's silly budget design, I fitted my bridge with some 80's Kahler roller saddles and fixed it rigidly in the body, thereby eliminating any bridge issues. But then I found that the stupid cigar tube assembly just doesn't return to pitch because it's just metal posts rocking on the edge of the vibrato plate holes. Simply too much friction. So now I have a Jazzmaster vibrato on order, from which I'm going to take everything but the mounting plate and refit it all to a Mustang shaped plate. |
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Joined: Aug 18, 2008 Posts: 373 Orange, CA
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Posted on Aug 22 2017 06:32 PM
Redfeather wrote:
That sounds like a great idea. Someone should make an upgraded vibrato with these features. Please post pics when your creation is complete. Thanks |
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Joined: Jul 30, 2016 Posts: 896
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Posted on Aug 22 2017 08:34 PM
My Jazzmaster vibrato assembly came in the mail today and I've disassembled the Mustang vibrato to find that the holes through which the two cigar posts run are all chewed up and out of round. Having .12 strings and the springs on the lowest notches apparently destroys a Squier Mustang vibrato in very short order. What a piece of crap. That said, an actual Fender Mustang vibrato may be way better, even if it's still a silly design. To tie this in to the original post, I guess I'll say that my recommendation is to either avoid a Squier Mustang or be prepared to modify it for proper vibrato functionality. I will make my modification process a new thread in the gear section. |
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Joined: Aug 18, 2008 Posts: 373 Orange, CA
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Posted on Aug 23 2017 02:18 PM
Redfeather wrote:
It may be better but it still does not stay in tune |
Joined: Aug 02, 2012 Posts: 162 Nashville, TN
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Posted on Sep 01 2017 08:18 PM
dannylectro wrote:
In my experience, chronic tuning problems with vibrato quitars is more often caused by nut slot issues than by the tailpiece. Have you tried the old "pencil lead in the nut slot" trick? If it helps, even for a short time, you should have the nut slots widened. |
Joined: Mar 06, 2006 Posts: 1906 Wear gloves - I'm in the Rockies
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Posted on Sep 01 2017 08:37 PM
When the Squier Vintage Modified series first came out, I decided to get a Mustang from the series, since I already had nice versions of jags and JM's. It was my first mustang. And the tremolo was horrible, no matter what I tried. and I tried everything. I'm no rookie when it comes to guitar set up, but that guitar would barely stay in tune, and if I thought about touching the trem, all hell broke loose..... After exhausting all other options, I finally decided it was definitely the trem. So I bought a vintage trem, and you know what? it still sucked. Slightly better, but still sub-par. I F'ed with it for a week or so, then decided that Mustangs are not the guitars for me. IMHO, YMMV, GLWYM (good luck with your mustang) P.S. I bought a vintage '65 Mustang a year later, and while it was a very cool guitar, it suffered the same problem. It would at least stay in tune for a while if you didn't touch the tremolo, and if you did go for a wobble, you could manipulate the trem back to tune, more or less. But, it was a struggle, and that is something I've never had to worry about with a well set up JM or Jag, or even a Strat. —"You can't tell where you're going if you don't know where you've been" |
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Joined: Aug 18, 2008 Posts: 373 Orange, CA
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Posted on Sep 20 2017 12:30 PM
mike_fried wrote:
It has nothing to do with the nut in this case. The nut is delrin so it's super slippery and it's been cut by a experienced professional luthier. The problem is the Mustang vibrato just plain sucks. Hopefully Mastery or Stay Trem will come out with a superior upgrade for these guitars. Love the pickups but HATE the vibrato design. Last edited: Sep 20, 2017 12:31:20 |
Joined: Dec 20, 2009 Posts: 611 Jax, FL
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Posted on Sep 22 2017 10:26 AM
I posted this before... I bought the new silver Mustang with the P90s for $499. I do wish it had the trem, but I like the tone. Several friends asked about the sound, so I wrote this simple Surf Lullaby tune playing both parts with the Mustang. I think it will sound great on rhythm parts. I'm playing with a memory man through a 69 Bandmaster Reverb. https://www.reverbnation.com/shootthepier/song/27052186-surf-lullaby —Shoot the Pier on Bandcamp My Country EP ... Florida Dirt Fire My French Love Songs ... I really needed a change... |
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