Reviewed by:
skippy_moogoose, on march 27, 2008
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Price paid: 785.07
Purchased from: PMT
Features: A CIJ (Crafted in Japan) re-issue of the classic Mustang bass from the 60's, 1964 was the first year of production I believe. The Serial number dates it as a 2006/2007 model, so almost Brand New. It's a short-scale bass, with 19 Vintage style frets, an alder body, maple C shape neck and a rosewood fingerboard, on this particular bass, you can really see the grain on the fretboard, and this adds to the Vintage look in my opinion. Bolt on neck with 4 bolt neck plate, so standard Fender, offset body, one volume knob, one tone knob, passive circuit and 1 Special Design Split Single-Coil Mustang Bass Pickup, which according to one website was designed by Seymour Duncan, but I can find no evidence to support this. String-thru body, chrome hardware and Vintage style machine heads. The neck is quite glossy, which combined with the 30 inch scale and 1.5 inch width at nut make this bass incredibly fast and comfortable to play although you do have to get used to the scale. My particular Mustang is in Vintage White with Tortoise Shell pick-guard, I much prefer this to the other avaible colour, which is Fiesta Red (Think an ugly shade of Orange) and white pearloid pick-guard. However, in Japan, the non-export models are available in a myriad of different colours. There were no accessories, and in fact I had to special order a Fender Hardcase desinged specifically for the Mustang bass, and according to Fender mine is the last case in the country, and one of if not the last Bass. Though it lacks many features, it has no less than most Fenders, and this really is a glorious looking bass, really classy looking. However, it can do much more than just sit in the corner and look good. // 8
Sound: This bass really excels in creating Vintage tones, which is to be expected, seeing as it's design has basically remained unchanged since 1964. The tone ranges from a rich, warm tone suited to classic rock, through to a punchier sound, the best way to describe the sounds available would be to think of a P-Bass with with less low end thump and more prominent, throatier mids, which really help it cut through the mix in a band situation. I would describe the sound as rich and warm rather than bright, which fits with the Vintage design if the bass, it sounds classic, closer to the 60's than it is to '00s. There's no audible hum when playing, unless I get real close to my amp, where, like all guitars, it begins to feed back. The string-thru design really helps to combat the sustain problem that is the bane of many short-scale basses, and in fact the Mustang sustains well. The slap sound on this bass to me sounds like the inbetween sound of the Jazz and P Bass, it can sound a bit thin for slap, but slap is certainly possible on it, and does not sound bad, the scale also helps for those fast slap licks and riffs all you funky young hipsters are so fonds of playing. The warm tones are great for Jazzy style music, and anyone Who plays classic rock should seriously look into the Mustang, basically the whole bass in terms of look and sound screams classic '60s rock. I do play a few Sabbath and Maiden riffs from time to time, and it could perhaps work in a classic metal band, but it certianly is not a bass suited to metal. I currently play in what could loosely be termed a '90s style alternative rock band, and this bass has no problem cuttiing through the mix even with two guitars. Altough we are '90s in terms of music style, one guitarist playes an SG special, whilst the other plays a guitar from 1979, so the Mustang compliments the Vintage sound their instruments have. I currently play through a Laney R4 300watt bass amp, which has recently been replaced by the RB8, which is excatly the same with new decals. The Mustang sounds great through this amp and noticably a lot better than my Peavey Milestone, it really sounds like a quality bass, there's something about it, that isn't there with the Milestone for instance. Overall I think this bass is best suited to rocks and jazz, rather than punk, metal and funk, but it's tone is truly unique. Anyone intersted in hearing the sound of it for themselves should check out early Talking Heads and Rolling Stones from the '60s and early '70s and both bands bassist's then used a Mustang. // 8
Action, Fit & Finish: The action was higher than I am used to, but rather than adjust it I simply played with it, and in fact now prefer this higher action as I feel it helps the bass keep that "twangy" sound and improves it's slap potential. The pickup seemed well adjusted, and there are no noticable quiter or louder strings or dead spots on the neck. The bass is light, due to the alder body, and balances well, although there is a very slight neck dive, but it is almost unnoticable. The best thing about this bass is the neck, it's glossed to make your fretting hand just glide along it, and thin like a Jazz neck for added speed. The short-scale also really helps, meaning you can play stupidly fast licks, or make massive stretches with minimal effort, especially if you have small hands, and in fact this bass was originally aimed at guitarists looking to get into bass, although bassists shouldn't be put off by the scale. I originally picked up this bass becuase I was just browsing absent mindedly, and it looked good, after an hour playing it however, I knew I wanted it, and it's all down to the neck. The tuning pegs are the only dissapointement on this bass, they are a tad loose, and it can make tuning a slight chore, but it does stay in tune ok, however, I may replace these at a later date. I also noticed some gloss spilled on the top of the nut, it has no detrimental effect, but means it's stained, however, this is only noticable to me, as it's on the side of the neck. The controls seem solid, no crackling and not loose or stiff, no chips or scratches on the body, and the pickguard really gleams. Good quality frets, with no edges, something my milestone suffered from slightly, everything seems set up really really well, I've had this bass almost a month now and have encoutered no problems. The stock strings arn't the greatest however, amd I intend to replace them with some ncie rotosounds asap. // 9
Reliability & Durability: I've now played this bass Live, and it stood up well, it feels more solid and of better quality than my Milestone, and I feel happier to move about and generally be more active on stage with it. The hardware seems great and solid, apart from the previously mentioned tuning pegs, which from my research is a general flaw on all the re-issue Mustangs, so should be something to bare in mind for potential buyers. The strap buttons are great, I don't use strap locks but my strap stays resoloutly in place. I would and have used it without backup, and the finish is great and seems really tough, I did drop this bass once, because I can be a tad clumsy, and there wasn't a mark on it. // 9
Impression: I've been playing now 2 and a half years on and off, and this is my first proper quality bass, so I shopped around for a while before settling on it. If it were lost or stolen I'd replace it in a heartbeat, I've only ever seen one, and I bought it, and from what Fender have told me it's pretty rare here in the UK, which is a nice bonus. It outstrips my old Milsetone in every way, and just felt more comfortable the the other basses I tried, mainly Fender Jazz's as I like thin necks, although I also tried a Jaguar and some Yamaha's and Ibanez's. Ultimately it was the neck and looks of the Mustang that meant I had to have it, though the fact the case was special order and over £100 pounds was annoying, still, it was worth the price to keep the bass in top condition. Overall I think this a great, unique sounding bass, it's a CIJ Fender, so you're sure of high quality, and it's unusual, so you're sure to be noticed. Don't let the scale trick you into thinking this any less of a bass, as my friend who's also a bassist said "It shouldn't work, but somehow, it does, it sounds and plays amazing, how they did it I don't know!" // 8
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