I whammy pretty frequently, since I play both in surfy and shoegaze styles, and I rarely need to tune mid-set. "I play a wide-ranging variety of music with it," he says, "but I love that the Duo-Sonic is ultra lightweight, weighing only 6 pounds, 12 ounces. "The feel is really smooth and comfortable," says Greg S. from Lafayette, Indiana, who bought his J Mascis back in 2012. Before that, its relatively low cost and marketing as a student guitar made it an obvious candidate for aftermarket upgrades, particularly pickup changes and also amateur finishes. These two guitars are remarkably similar, differing only in small changes to body and headstock shape and pickup placement so its going to be a hard call to say which we think is best here goes! The Mustang has two angled single-coil pickups, each with an adjacent on-off-on switch, and a master tone and volume control. The Mustang features two single-coil pickups, an unusual pickup switching configuration, and a unique vibrato system. These were the first three original competition finishes offered. While a range of colors is available in the other models, the Player is available in Firemist Gold, Sienna Sunburst, and Sonic Blue. Even still, the Squier J Mascis absolutely delivers for the budget-conscious player. For when you just want to rock out. For this alone, I tend to pick it up when I want something easy to play.". It was produced until 1982 and reissued in 1990. The Mustang features two single coil pickups with an unusual switching configuration, and a unique tremolo arm shared with only its derivative the Jag-Stang. Professionals and students alike can enjoy playing these guitars. Full stop. "I like to keep my strings untrimmed and sticking out all directions, and this style of winding mechanism makes it hard to put strings on. They are both good quality, well-made and affordable Fenders with great hardware. As observed on some vintage examples, this is due to heavier build up on the body and headstock edges of clear coat and the subsequent yellowing of this clear finish coat over many decades. By continuing to use Reverb, you agree to these updates, and to our cookie policy. With our cookies we would like to offer you the best shopping experience possible with everything that goes with it. Hey! That said, we found the more approachable, consistent quality, and affordable option to be the Fender Duo Sonic (Amazon / GuitarCenter). Below, we're taking a close look at three of our favorite affordable offsets, along with a slew of worthy contenders. The short scale neck makes this guitar perfect for people with small hands, and also enhances the ability to use the tremolo arm for upbends. A 24-inch scale is still relatively short, used in the Fender Jaguar but a full inch and a half shorter than the Stratocaster and three-quarters of an inch shorter than the Gibson Les Paul. "Ive never played a guitar that can be whammied as hard and frequently, and stay in tune as well as this. Cutaway makes it easier to hit the higher frets, String-through design for increased sustain, A shorter scale means less string tension required so you can use heavier gauge strings, Sometimes there can be issues with faulty switches, 24-inch scale makes for easy maneuvering, even for those with larger hands. Currency: Dave H. from Vista, California calls the G&L Fallout a "tonally purposeful" instrument that "doesnt suffer from excess." Arguably the most well-known commodity on this list, the 21-fret Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster is a delight. Despite its reasonable (for Fender) price tag, you can tell that its well made and it feels very reliable. The Mustang was in production from 1964 to 1982 and was then reintroduced in 1990, where it was widely used in alternative rock. Reaper vs Pro Tools: Which is Right for You? To be honest, its difficult to compare the sound of a Mustang with other guitars because it really does sound like a Mustang! It was originally available in two scale lengths, 24 and 22.5 inches. This paint scheme was heavily influenced by the Shelby Mustang cars of the late 1960s. In fact, older versions come with two options for the neck. It gives some really clean tones and just begs to be finger-picked, giving a great sound to arpeggios and chords, pop lines and rhythm. (LogOut/ "The instrument's overall scale length and use of jumbo frets make for an all-around player that can take anything I throw its way.". However, some guitarists also claim that the vibrato is too sensitive. "Its simply a functional guitar thats easy to bond with, especially when playing live. Balancing out the aesthetics is a sleeker interpretation of the 80s-era G&L headstock shape designed exclusively for the Fallout. ", "Fender expands its Artist Signature Series with new Ben Gibbard Mustang", "Ben Gibbard Mustang | Electric Guitars", "Shop Fender | Electric Guitars, Acoustics, Bass, Amps & More", "6 Iconic Fender Offset Players | Fender Guitars", "Hear Grunge Forebears The U-Men's Previously Unreleased "Trouble Under Water", "Theresa Wayman's Fender Mustang (Duplicate)", "Blixa Bargeld's Fender Mustang Electric Guitar", "Bilinda Butcher's Fender Mustang Electric Guitar", "Matty Healy's 1965 Fender Mustang Electric Guitar", "Todd Rundgren's Fender Mustang Electric Guitar", "Mac DeMarco's Fender Mustang Electric Guitar", "Thurston Moore's Fender Mustang Electric Guitar", "John Frusciante's Fender Mustang Electric Guitar", "Omar Rodrguez-Lpez's Fender Mustang Electric Guitar", https://www.avhub.com.au/features/australian-guitar/nick-allbrook-lovely-weather-were-having-468475, "Damon Albarn's Fender Mustang Electric Guitar | Equipboard", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fender_Mustang&oldid=1100463845, Articles needing additional references from July 2011, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Daphne Blue, Seafoam Green, Dakota Red, Olive Green, Olympic White, Competition Red, Competition Blue, Competition Orange, Sunburst, Walnut, This page was last edited on 26 July 2022, at 01:54. I just purchased one of these about two weeks ago. As such, he covers everything from blues and funk to rockabilly, surf, and psychedelia through a Vox AC30 and 59 Reissue Bassmanso a wide range of tones is usually required. There are four models of Mustang available from the 2016 range: the Vintera 60s Mustang, the American Performer Mustang, Player Mustang 90, and Player Mustang. Fretboard: Rosewood (Dalbergia Latifolia), Artist Series - Troy Van Leeuwen Signature Model, Artist Series - Kurt Cobain Signature Model, Artist series Troy Van Leeuwen signature model, Fretboard: Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia). Despite that undeserved beginner reputation, the Duo-Sonic delivers some awesomely strident bridge and neck tones, a sound thats almost a hybrid of Telecaster and Stratocaster. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. A guitar thats cut its teeth on stages across the world. A reverser wind/ reverse polarity circuit gives a great humbucking performance from these single-coils when both are selected. But, she pushed through all of those challenges and shes now here to teach other people too. Later Japanese reissues have been made available in a wide variety of color schemes, many with matching headstocks or in variations never seen in the US. The tailpiece was unique when introduced and remains the most unusual feature of the Mustang; Only the Jag-Stang and Fender Custom (Maverick) share this particular mechanism. The 2012 Fender Mustang (Kurt Cobain Artist Edition) comes in Fiesta Red, Sonic Blue and Dark Lake Placid Blue with competition stripes. This combination produces such a unique sound that it helped define the alternative rock genre. The Yamaha Pacifica 112V Review You Need to Read. Now, it sings like no other! The Competition Mustangs came in Competition Red, Competition Blue (known as Competition Burgundy in the Fender catalog) and Competition Orange. In 1966, Fender issued the Fender Mustang Bass. It will stay in tune for a whole show.". The second on position reverses the phase of the selected pickup, allowing the pickups to be either in or out of phase when in parallel. Bizarrely, this mash up actually works in its favor, allowing it to take the best of G&L and put them all on one guitar. He also says hes convinced several friends to fall for one. Competition Red (essentially Candy Apple Red) with white stripes, and; Competition Orange with red-orange stripes. To reflect our commitment, we updated our terms and conditions. In 2012, Fender announced a Kurt Cobain Signature Mustang. No previous Fender student guitar had a vibrato system at all, and the subsequent Fender Bronco used a completely different mechanism, without a floating bridge. May 2, 2016. When strumming a nice clean rhythm, you get a bell-like jangling tone. [10] Two colors were also introduced: Shell Pink for the Mustang and 2-Color Sunburst for the Mustang 90.[11]. Here are the main features of theFender Duo-Sonicand theMustang: The Fender Player Duo-Sonic HS is a modernized version of a student-turned-classic instrument originally released in 1956. EUR Many Mustangs have neither a pickup selector nor a circuit selector switch, instead just using the two pickup switches to allow the pickups to be used either singly or in parallel. You can learn more About Us here. Upgraded with performance-oriented features, this new alder-body Fender Player Mustang electric guitar sports classic style with modern electronics in an ultra-comfortable short-scale form that's easy to play all night long. The only drawback, Greg indicates, stems from his disdain for the vintage-style tuners. Competition Mustangs are the only original Fender guitars to be produced with these "racing stripes" which make them very collectible. Bottom Line Up Front Summary:Both of these guitars are excellent options. As far as concerns go, Bud had some wiring issues and warns that it can be overly bright, so he runs it with a Two Rock Studio 50/15 amp and an always-on clean boost, such as the Emerson EM-Drive to keep his tones full and rich. The Mustang comes with an Urban Short Scale Guitar Gig Bag, though it would be recommended to get a hard shell case for longer journeys or moving around. The 24-inch version was overwhelmingly more popular, and the 22.5-inch scale examples are rare. Again, like the Duo-Sonic, the Mustang comes with master Volume and Tone controls and a three-way pickup switch. Its like a tele and a strat made a baby which was adopted by a Jazzmaster. Bolt-on neck joint with a maple fingerboard. Some adjustments and set-ups needed before you can play it. Payment can be made safely and securely with PayPal, Amazon Pay, Credit Card or Bank Transfer. The main body color is similar to Lake Placid Blue, and it remains a mystery as to why Fender called this color Burgundy. Greg runs an Orange Tiny Terror into a 2x12 Fender cabinet and uses a large pedalboard, but still appreciates the J Mascis Jazzmasters tonal range. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. However this usually requires modification of the pickguard and routing of the body. The Player Series Stratocaster Pickups contain Alnico 5 magnetic pole pieces which provide rich and balanced bass response, punchy mid-range, and crystalline bell like highs with enhanced focus and dynamics. Fender replaced the Mustang line with the short-lived Fender Bullet line of guitars and basses before relegating production of their student guitars to their Squier division. So if you can get down playing a guitar thats an inch-and-a-half shorter in scale, you may be like Bud S. from Westport, Massachusetts, who opted for one of the HS configurations in mid-2017. Theres a nice selection of finishes. The Mustang introduced the Fender Dynamic Vibrato tailpiece, which together with a floating bridge forms the Mustang trem or stang trem system. Also, both are very popular with indie and alternative rock bands, due to their amazing sounds. Well be focusing on the model with the two single-coil pickups. Originally Fender wanted their guitarists to begin with a lower-priced Duo-Sonic or Mustang and then move on to higher spec Stratocaster or Telecaster playing, but over the years these guitars have been recognized as the treasures they are. Nice sound a mix of the classic Fender with more mids and bass. Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments. Guitarist gear weblog All about Guitars, Amps, FX, THE COMPLETE NOEL GALLAGHER (OASIS) GEAR GUIDE (Updated September 2008! that you agree to the use of cookies for preferences, statistics and marketing (, Available at short notice (usually 2-5 days). The Mustang has a short neck making it a smaller guitar. After the release of the Mustang, the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic were redesigned using the Mustang body. My Ibanez GRX70QA Review: Worth the Price? In 2012, Squier released a new Mustang in the Vintage Modified series, with similar specifications to those of the original version, but using more modern materials. The neck of each is also finished in satin urethane to create a silky smooth movement for your hands. A great, affordable, and very playable and reliable option. The G&L Tribute Falloutis an odd hybrid of different ideas and features. It was originally available in two scale lengths, but the reissue opted for teh most popular of them, the 22 fret 24-inch neck. Thats not to say that you cant use it for blues or punk though, because those crunchy tones can also be found. (LogOut/ Answer: Not at all. The Fender Mustang is a solid body electric guitar produced by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. "Its a fun, lightweight guitar with simple and useful controls that allow a plethora of tonal changes," he says. [4] There was also a double-humbucker version introduced as a Bullet model. Fender Duo-Sonic has a more balanced single-coil sound, whereas Mustang has more perky pickups. This short scale, combined with a unique and extremely direct tremolo arm would make the Mustang a cult guitar in the 1990s. Before that, its low cost and marketing as a student guitar made it an obvious candidate for aftermarket upgrades, particularly pickup changes and also amateur finishes. The fingerboard is maple or rosewood with 22 medium jumbo frets. "I love the neck and the jumbo fretsand it doesnt hurt that it looks cool as hell, either.". The budget guitar era has, for too long, been dominated by stripped-down versions of classic designs. TheHarmony Junois a recent, and not cheap, offering. Interview with John Doe, Exene Cervenka, Dave Alvin. Clear and articulate sounds from the bridge pickup. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The three-way toggle switch on the pickups means that you lose the ability to put them out of phase with one another. The two Duo-Sonic single-coil pickups are aligned in a straight configuration on the bridge and angled on the neck. Jodie fell in love with the guitar at a young age, but has hit a lot of bumps in the road with her journey. The guitar features several unique features including a chambered ash body, custom pickups, modified hardtail bridge, and simplified controls.[12][13]. A budget take on the Jazzmaster platform with genuine MFD pickups. This includes, for example, suitable offers and remembering preferences. Meanwhile, Squier, G&L, and Fender itself have all gotten into the affordable offset market to sate your funkier appetitesas have other companies like Danelectro and Eastwood. The string-thru-body Strat hardtail bridge has bent steel saddles which means that you dont need quite the same tension on the strings and can even opt for a heavier gauge string if you so desire. The 24-inch, with 22 frets, was more popular than the 22.5-inch, 21 frets, version, and is the only option in the newer models. These were the last of the offset student models to be made. We are a community of guitar players, and enthusiasts and we want to spread the love for music to anyone with the heart to play. Among grunge and punk rock guitarists, Fender's discontinued models (budget models such as the Duo-Sonic and high-end models such as the Jazzmaster and Jaguar) had become extremely popular. Dave recommends swapping out the nut and input jack. It also meant that, as both pickups were floating with respect to ground, it was possible to modify the wiring to put the pickups into series either in or out of phase without excessive noise. The shipping costs are calculated on the checkout page. Speculation continues that these paint colors may have very well been the same exact custom paint formulations offered on other eligible Fender guitars, but it is not known with 100% certainty, although it is certainly probable. This differential yellow over blue effect presents as a purple hue over these areas of the body and headstock. Our contributors use and test each instrument, accessory, or service in their real lives and we never recommend anything we wouldn't use. In 1990, Fender reissued the Mustang, largely as a result of the vintage movement prevalent at the time. The reissued Mustang is made in Japan and available in only the 24-inch scale. Some erroneously claim that guitars finished in this color scheme came with a purple burst around the guitar's outline. Learn More. "I love that it can give me those smooth, clean, and sparkly tones for the '60s Motown sounds I want at times, and then in a blinkwith some pedal helpit can do awesome shoegazey washes with great feedback.". This makes the guitar extremely comfortable because of its narrow stature. It featured two Fender MP-90 pickups, which are similar to the P-90. Its mahogany body is compact yet lightweight, and with the gold foil p-90 pickups, it offers a rich and harmonious sound. Plus, unlike the other two guitars on this list, the Fallout Tribute comes with several finish and fingerboard options to match your style. Built with a mahogany body, you can find Fallout Tributes in Alpine White or Mint Green with a Brazilian cherry fingerboard, or Sonic Blue and Gloss Black with Maple. Instead of having two single-coil pickups, it had a Seymour Duncan JB humbucker in the bridge and a normal Mustang single coil in the neck. Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Fender Player Duo-Sonic HS Pau Ferro Fingerboard Electric Guitar | Guitar Center, Fender Player Mustang Electric Guitar With Maple Fingerboard | Guitar Center, Fender Vintera '60s Stratocaster | Amazon, Fender Player Stratocaster Electric Guitar | Amazon, Squier Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster Electric Guitar | Guitar Center, Harmony Juno Electric Guitar | Guitar Center, G&L Tribute Fallout Electric Guitar | Guitar Center, 9.5-inch radius maple fingerboard, 22 medium jumbo frets, 9.5-inch radius Pau Ferro fingerboard, 22 medium jumbo frets. After his meltdown, Stan seeks out Kyle, and after a brief confrontation admits that he was wrong and that he only enjoyed being a video g, Gibson les paul said this on May 3, 2008 at 3:16 am | Reply. Just like the Duo-Sonic, the Mustang features a six-saddle string-through-body hardtail Strat bridge with bent steel saddles, allowing you to adjust strings separately and to hold the tuning well. This phasing option was also unusual for 1964/65 whenthey were originally made. Other finishing touches include the white dot inlays and 3 ply mint green pickguard on the Mustang and the black dot inlays and 1 ply gold anodized Aluminum pickguard on the Duo-Sonic. In 1982, Fender discontinued both the Mustang and the Musicmaster II. You could play the Squier Classic Vibe day in, day out, on stage or at home, and never tire of it. As stated, each were also fitted with a set of racing stripes across the arm contour. The modern Duo-Sonics have a waist that is slightly higher on the bass side, so while its in the offset range, its definitely closer to symmetrical than the Mustang. In 2011, Fender released a new Mustang model in the Pawn Shop series, called the Mustang Special. Actually, we cant pick between them. The Duo-Sonic was originally described as a sized Fender a smaller guitar for younger students and beginner musicians, though the quality of the guitar has surpassed these specs and it is happily used by many professionals. If this is okay for you, simply click on "Alrighty!" Tonal options abound: You can get twang, bite, and growlor combinations of all three at the flick of a switch. Check out these other affordable offsets. The Mustang has two angled single-coil pickups, each with an adjacent on-off-on switch, and a master tone and volume control. Originally, finish colors included Fiesta Red, Sonic Blue and Dark Lake Placid Blue with Competition Stripe,[2] however, by 2015, the Kurt Cobain Mustang was produced only in Sonic Blue. And all come with 22 medium jumbo frets and G&Ls proprietary Saddle Lock bridge. Another great feature is the stable tuning from the hardtail bridge. Youd need to try out this guitar, as the sound isnt for everybody, but if you love it, youll adore it and wont be able to put it down. What a great instrument. For starters, its just hard to ignorethanks in large part to the reflective nature of the gold anodized aluminum pickguard. As such, Daphne Blue, Olympic White, and Dakota or Fiesta Red were never officially offered as Mustang colors. Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Matthew Healey? Its short scale, combined with a relatively low cost and extremely direct vibrato arm, made the Mustang a cult guitar in the 1990s. The sound quality and tones are unique, and the guitar feels and looks amazing. Two. In the end, both of these guitars are great and we would recommend that you give them a try and find which one suits you the best. Today were reviewing the Player Mustang. In 1969, Fender released the "Competition" Mustang with a "racing stripe" paint job and painted headstocks. Change). We all know about bang-for-the-buck wonders like the Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster and the Epiphone Pro SGand those are highly regarded for good reasonbut if were being honest, traditional can be a little boring sometimes. Read more aboutchoosing a guitar case here. [6], In 2013, Fender introduced the American Special Mustang, the first production Mustang made in the United States since the original run was discontinued. Installing an alternative pickup selector switch on the Mustang, like seen on early Duo-Sonics, can thus free up the two, eight-terminal, pickup switches for other uses. This phasing option was also unusual for 1964. And thats precisely where the Fallout Tribute delivers, since it comes loaded with a coil-splitting humbucker in the bridge and a P90 in the neck. Its a close battle, and if you can find it at a comparable price, the Mustang (GuitarCenter) is a still a great pick, with perky pickups & an classic rhythm sound. Home Electric Guitars Fender Duo Sonic vs Mustang [2022]: Which is Best? Greg also notes that the Adjusto-Matic bridge and floating tremolo setup is top-notch, citing tuning stability as a major selling point. Its recently been reintroduced in an updated model, but still in the same vein as the version from the early Sixties. "The guitar before played well and I loved its initial tones. Fender Mustang in Vintage White with an aftermarket bridge pickup. The matching headstock models seem to be more desirable with collectors than the non matching models. And looks are one thing, but it's the J Mascis Jazzmasters playability that sets it apart. We only recommend products that we believe in and test. Compact yet capable of powerful sound, the Juno features a lightweight mahogany body and is perfectly balanced for a comfortable fit in the hands of any musician. Full stop. Kurt Cobain and one of his (customized) Fender Mustangs. With the basic stock pickups, you get a nice rounded and bright sound, with a sparkly single-coil sound which makes it perfect for country. Its size is perfect for individuals with large hands as well as small and the smooth finish allows the hands to glide easily between frets. The bodies are alder while the necks are maple, with maple or rosewood fretboards. It also had an angled Fender adjusto-matic bridge instead of the standard Mustang bridge. While the original Mustangs used mostly poplar wood for the body (with some rarely documented cases of mahogany), MG-72 Mustang reissues are made of the similar basswood, and the newer MG-65 reissues revert to the original poplar. 24 inches is a relatively short neck, the same as the Fender Jaguar but a full inch and a half shorter than the Stratocaster and three-quarters of an inch shorter than the Gibson Les Paul. It has a modern 9.5" neck radius, and was offered in Daphne Blue and Honeyburst. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The coil splitting on the pickups gives some very versatile sounds, meaning that you can happily play rock, metal, jazz, or blues on the guitar. This guitar is very affordable, yet with a sound quality that youd think came from a much more expensive guitar. A new bass body was designed with a offset body style similar to that of the Mustang guitar, and a short (30-inch) scale was used. All the retro you can handleand more visually tolerable than the Danelectro 67. In addition, because of the shorter scale, the string tension on a Duo-Sonic is a bit lower, though that does mean that you can go with a heavier gauge string which will get rid of that difference. In the 1990s, the Mustang attained cult status largely as a result of its use by a number of alternative rock bands, in particular grunge bands, most notably played by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. The second on position reverses the phase of the selected pickup, allowing the pickups to be either in or out of phase when in parallel. Despite its intention to be a student model, this is still a popular guitar for all levels of skill, including Kurt Cobain and Matthew Healey. The slab style body popular with the older Fender Mustang is now in use for all the newer versions. Germany, The Duo-Sonic looks clean and simple, producing a great Fender sound and playing really easily. The tailpiece was unique when introduced and remains the most unusual feature of the Mustang. Mid-to-late 1970s US Mustangs were produced in sunburst and natural finishes as well as blonde, walnut, and black (with a standard black pickguard, updated from the earlier white pearloid or tortoise shell) and the unique Antigua burst scheme. They are both great guitars and the small differences will be totally down to personal preference. The Mustang was the last of the Fender floating bridge models to be withdrawn, and the first to be reissued. It has a solid, and slim, alder body, with a bolt-on medium C-shaped maple neck with a 24-inch scale another concession to younger, beginner guitarists or those with smaller hands. Its wiring with the original pickups also led itself to custom modifications. [7] The American Special Mustang is significantly different from vintage models, and eliminated many unconventional features of the original Mustang. The Vintera 60s and American Player models also feature a tremolo system that gives it a different sound from other brands, allowing you to make small or wide variations in note pitch so you can opt for a flat or a sharp quality of sound.

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