The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Fender Basses => Topic started by: ilan on August 11, 2008, 12:09:28 PM
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Had some time to kill today so I tested a few basses in a store: CIJ Mustang, MIM Duff McKagan sig., MIA Jazz, MI? Gretsch Broadkaster, MIA 5-string P. All into an SWR Workingman 115 combo, flat.
The Duff was OK with the P pickup solo'ed; the J was nice - warm sounding and lightweight; didn't like the Gretsch (no character and nothing like my '64) and P5 (too harsh) -- but the Mustang... sounded PERFECT. All I like in a Fender bass. Pick, fingers, palm mute, it was all there.
The bass needed some setup (the neck had a slight curve, the nut was cut too high and the bridge saddles were way too high) but it sounded so good... and in that salmon pink-ish "faded" Fiesta, it also looked great.
Downside: I wish they made them with a tummy cut like 70's Mustangs.
The worst part... $1K price tag. MIJ stuff is so expensive here. Even if I get one off eBay... let's say $580, + about $200-300 shipping (ouch...), add 15.5% VAT on top of that and it's $900-1,000, and no warranty.
EDIT: Post #100... I'm a Full Member now!
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Hi there, congrats being a full member:)
I like those basses too. I think the Fiesta is the same as on the MIM 50s P? I like the white one with tort guard better though. In Holland they cost the same as a 50s P so like 700 euros.
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I played one of the Mustangs last year, at first impression it sounded very good through a GK head and Ampeg cab. IIRC it was about $600.
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I had one 5 or 6 years ago when I was still in San Antonio, it's fast, fun, comfortable and sounds pretty good. I'd take another one given a chance.
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Found one on Craigslist yesterday, except for one dingy on the bottom it was mint. Would have preferred vintage white but it's the Fiesta red. 3 bills. Guy's son's first bass, and he's moved up to a big boy's bass now (Jazz) so he didn't play the Mustang anymore. I bought it, tweaked it and the fun begins anew!!
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Now that's a deal. They're $580 new. Hell of a depreciation for one dent.
Now you can put about 20 more dents in, whack it with a chain, hit it with a blowtorch, drag it behind a truck and advertise it as a relic at twice the new price. :)
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Hey Ray, if you get tired of it one day and I can dig up the scratch, I'd like to buy it off you for when one of my boys gets the itch. I played one at the banjo center the other day and thought it might make a great 'first' bass. They're 3 and 1 right now, so no hurry... :mrgreen:
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You'll be the first to know GC. ;)
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They have a white one a the local GC for 450, it's been hanging around for a while, I'm very tempted !
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Yeah, I like those white ones. The fiesta red is kinda nice too.
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I got some SS D'Addarios for mine, but with having to string through body the E string's winding sat right in the nut, causing a buzz. Shit. So, I just strung some long scale Slinkys through there and they work fine so there ya go. No need to buy actual short scale strings if you don't need to.
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If I'm correct Fender also makes black and sunburst Mustangs now, besides the fiesta and white ones.
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They've always produced a bunch of colors, including ones with racing stripes and natural with maple fingerboard - the question is, which ones are available outside of Japan.
Ishibashi website, for example (http://www.ishibashi-webshop.jp/shop/c/c320M816/)
I bought my wife the vintage white one - it sounded great! I even dug up a soundclip (rounds, played with a pick, through Alembic F-2B preamp, maybe Electro-Harmonix Black Finger compressor):
next to last fragment (http://hieronymous.us/music/next_to_last_fragment.mp3)
We sold it when we moved back to the States from Japan - kind of regret it - I wouldn't mind having another one! I like the "yellowed white" at the bottom of the Ishibashi page...
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In Europe the two 'new' Jag colours are available at last and the same is the case woth those two Mustang colours. If I'm correct.
I would love to have a competition striped green or red one, though.
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I would love to have a competition striped green or red one, though.
Original Competition Mustangs were only LPB, CAR and orange (w/red stripes).
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I know, but I was referring to the link with al the Japanese colours:)
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There's always greened-out LPB. :)
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Love that too!!
I always want a Mustang if I see one online or in a brochure. But this week I saw one in real life again and I thought again: Man that's a tiny bass! A bit too tiny for me I'm afraid...:(
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There's always greened-out LPB. :)
Those are the best. Turquoise with yellowed stripes. They are pricey when you find a nice example.