Fender MIJ Competition Mustangs

[Dave W]

I loved the Rascal. Short-scale basses with P-like overall length, i.e. basses where the bridge is moved about 4" up the body like the Fender Bass VI or the Teisco RB200, are to me the most comfortable basses to play. I like the short-scale sound, and the 1st fret is still where my left arm remembers it.

It was very comfortable to play, no doubt about it, and it was a great looking bass. I sold mine b/c I finally decided that I couldn't get the tone I wanted from it.

[Alanko]

Very nice, Chris!

I had a MIJ Mustang briefly, but didn't get on with it perfectly. I looked at the Nordstrand pickup, but I was a bit confused by it all. It seems like an almost essential upgrade to the MIJ Mustangs, yet the pickup turns your Mustang into a baby Precision.

I think part of the charm of the Mustang is that it has a deeper, less defined rumble to it than a P bass. It also has a wiry 'twang' on top as well. I've found that you can spank a P bass pretty hard and it still churns out a decent tone. With the Mustang it was almost like you were putting the bass 'out of focus' if you played it harder than a certain velocity. The twang and the rumble ended up out of alignment, if that makes sense. Even the smallest changes in right hand velocity would give you different results, whereas a P bass sort of equalises a lot of playing inconsistency.

My compromise was to get a white PJ bass and mod the snot out of it!



(Starfire for scale).

I wanted a white Mustang bass because Holger Czukay and Wally Waller played one. However the MIJ Mustang didn't work for me. The PJ might be a bit generic, but it still has its own vibe; it isn't simply a wee P bass. I've stuck Dimarzio Model P and J pickups in mine, to give it a fighting chance! It is more bassy than a P bass and only seems to really work with flats. 

[Chris P.]

Although it is my job - in Dutch - to describe a bass sound, it is still hard. And I understand you.

I think a Mustang is always a bit of a Baby P and agree with not playing too hard - seems a bit like a short scale thing - and the twang - depending on the strings. It's not a P but if you compare it with a Musicmaster it's more towards P.

Now the Nordstrand thing: it still is a Baby P, but a better Baby P. Like you play, plug in a batter amp and play again. Still the characteristics but better.

[Dave W]

Good point about short scales, not playing too hard, and twang. Not true of all short scales. but IMHO getting things just right usually takes a little more effort with a short scale.

I played a P/J Mustang in a store when they first came out. Sounded good. Didn't like that the string spacing at the bridge was as wide as a long scale. Full sized P and J on that body doesn't look right to me.

[Pilgrim]

They don't look right to me either, and I'm not sure why they decided to do a P/J on the new series. One pickup works very well, as demonstrated by past history of the Precision, Mustang, Musicmaster, and numerous Gretsch, Gibson and other basses.

On a body that small, the P/J setup looks pretty "busy" to me.

[Chris P.]

The Mexicans have the PJ's. They sound okay, but the pickups are too big for the body and the bridge too small.

Those new Americans are not P/J but Mustang/J and that's even more off. The rounded Mustang splits with the rectangular J. And again the bridge...

Why. The colours are great and with just a Mustang Split they would be killer.

[Dave W]

The Mexicans have the PJ's. They sound okay, but the pickups are too big for the body and the bridge too small.

Those new Americans are not P/J but Mustang/J and that's even more off. The rounded Mustang splits with the rectangular J. And again the bridge...

Why. The colours are great and with just a Mustang Split they would be killer.

You must be talking about the American Performer series. I just looked at a photo of one, that really looks out of whack. And I agree with what Al says, the J is unnecessary anyway.

There's a good reason Joe Osborn only used the neck pickup on his J.

[copacetic]

OK..I'll tell all. I had a '67-'68 Mustang Competition Stripe in Candy Apple Red. I had bought it for my daughter and she liked it through elementary and high school. She took up the double bass in that period and had gone on and was not interested in it and told me to do what I wanted with it. It stayed in its case for years. For me I did not care for red basses and it weighed 10.5 lbs. I ended up selling it locally. Last year I was in a music store and saw a Daphne Blue Mustang on the wall. Took it down and found quite a connection with it surprisingly. Now just before I dodge the flying garbage and beer cans I'll say I did purchase it and like it quite a lot. It is a Mustang JMJ, nice balance and weight 7.5 lbs) not to mention sounds good of course. Only change I made is some tape wounds. Yes, it's road worn, but did not phase me in the least.

[Pilgrim]

10 pounds?

I had a Squier Mikey Way bass for a while.  It was surprisingly heavy, very different from my Bronco. I really liked the metalflake and the stripe, but even with the humbucker pickup, it wasn't a bass that stood out of my collection.  I sold it after a few months.

[Chris P.]

The JMJs are great! I saw three and all had a different relic job. So not like the early Road Worn Strats, when you saw three in a shop, all three with the same wear marks.

[clankenstein]

Apropos of not much, I prefered Holger Czukays sound on the mustang to the Jazz bass.

[copacetic]

As a fan of CAN & Holger Czukay I always saw pictures of him w/the Mustang and a Jazz. I should go back and listen to the tonal differences. Maybe the earlier incarnations if CAN he was using the Mustang...? In any case I saw him live a couple of times where it was just him playing keyboards, Stratocaster, radios and a telephone solo.

[Alanko]

As a fan of CAN & Holger Czukay I always saw pictures of him w/the Mustang and a Jazz. I should go back and listen to the tonal differences. Maybe the earlier incarnations if CAN he was using the Mustang...? In any case I saw him live a couple of times where it was just him playing keyboards, Stratocaster, radios and a telephone solo.

From memory he only picked up the Jazz because the Mustang was stolen. It was no ordinary Mustang though!



It looks like a long channel was routed into the body, on the bass side, running from the end of the neck to the bridge. An extra section of metal tubing was added to the body to move the strap button back, further away from the rear of the bass. The front strap button was screwed into the face of the bass (a move also employed by Uli Trepte of Guru Guru), so it must be a German thing, along with wearing your bass strap over your right shoulder, ala Freddy King and Albert Collins.



Holger added a reflective pickguard at some point, having routed through the original. I've also seen some clips and photos of his Mustang with a heavy clamp or capo around the nut area, perhaps adding more break angle over the nut.




The white Jazz took over, but it is almost like his path to dumping the bass altogether was pretty set. The white Jazz had a channel routed into it, the pickguard swapped out for a green replacement, and the strap button was also moved to the front of the body though this wasn't permanent.

You can see the channel of bare wood in this photo.




If anything Holger's playing got lighter and less committed when he picked up the Jazz.

[clankenstein]

I suppose the rout was for his thumb?Must be an essential item for providing alien pulsing counterpoint with added harmonic tension! Good photo - who is the singer ,Tim Hardin .Michael Cousins?

[Alanko]

At a guess it is a totally ripped and ready Damo Suzuki! 

I don't know the origins of the photo.