Mustang basses... any fans?

[Dave W]

@ Alanko: Hard to say about the one listed at Thomann. Considering the lower price, my guess is that they are just using the old description, and that when the product arrives, it will be the new MIM P/J Mustang.

@Harry: It doesn't surprise that there are still Japanese-made Fenders being produced, whether or not that includes any Mustangs. Will any of them be exported? I doubt it. You never know, though.

[Alanko]

The plot thickens. I would much rather take an accurate MIJ reissue over a MIM bitsa PJ-stang creation. I have no need for a bridge pickup, and I think the 3-way switch looks a wee bit clumsy. If these European retailers are just recycling ad copy, and they in fact are alluding to the new PJ bass, then I might try tracking down a MIJ Mustang bass 2nd hand. It does seem odd to reintroduce the MIJ basses for £200 less.

So far I've missed out two 2nd hand MIJ Mustang.; The cheaper of which had Quarter Pounders installed  . I would have sunk a bit more money returning it to stock.

[Chris P.]

Yes Thomann uses the old pic.

I'm quite disappointed. PJ's look too big and the PJ bridge is wrong too....

[Aussie Mark]

The plot thickens. I would much rather take an accurate MIJ reissue over a MIM bitsa PJ-stang creation. I have no need for a bridge pickup, and I think the 3-way switch looks a wee bit clumsy. If these European retailers are just recycling ad copy, and they in fact are alluding to the new PJ bass, then I might try tracking down a MIJ Mustang bass 2nd hand. It does seem odd to reintroduce the MIJ basses for £200 less.

So far I've missed out two 2nd hand MIJ Mustang.; The cheaper of which had Quarter Pounders installed  . I would have sunk a bit more money returning it to stock.

Here's one in oly white .....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-Japan-Mustang-Bass-MB-SD-VWH-Crafted-in-Japan-Electric-Bass-Guitar-CIJ-/122027590108?hash=item1c696941dc:g:sKUAAOSw3R1XTwYc

[Chris P.]

Somebody told me the 'normal' Mustang comes back too, but I don't know if that's a fact or just based on the Thomann pic, which could be just the wrong pic.

[Alanko]

I'm quite disappointed. PJ's look too big and the PJ bridge is wrong too....

I'm in the same boat. In one sense it does mean you could drop a wider range of aftermarket pickups into it, and bridges to boot. For example I would potentially stick a Gotoh 201 and Dimarzio Model P/J set in the bass. My overall feeling is that these generic parts just rob the bass of intrinsic value somehow. It seems like they made a couple of boring decisions. Perhaps they were inspired by that new Ibanez shortscale Talman release? It is a 30'' PJ bass, and comes in vintage white as well...

Thomann and co are recycling the image they used before. I remember it, because the image is so weird; overcooked and with some sort of sharpness filter going on. Not a true representative of the colour of those basses at all.

Aussie Mark, I'm watching Ebay for one if it crops up in the EU. I'm worried about getting stung by shipping if I buy from Japan or the US.

[Aussie Mark]

Aussie Mark, I'm watching Ebay for one if it crops up in the EU. I'm worried about getting stung by shipping if I buy from Japan or the US.

My experience after buying about 15 basses from eBay Japan is that Japanese sellers will stick by the shipping price they specify in their listing.

[Jeff Scott]

I had a mid '90s MIJ Mustang Bass, I thought it was really great sounding with the TI Jazz Flats I put on it (JF344).  In the end though, I am just not a fan of 1 1/2" nut width basses, if it wasn't for that I'd still have the bass.

[Alanko]

Is that roughly equivalent to a Jazz bass nut?

[Dave W]

Is that roughly equivalent to a Jazz bass nut?

Yes. Some vintage Js were as narrow as 1 7/16" but modern ones are 1 1/2".

[Alanko]

I'm actually on the hunt for a Jazz neck to stick on my Precision.  I do find I get on a little bit better with a Jazz neck. Bad form I know, but I tend to hook my left thumb over the top of the neck for certain passages and intervals, and with a P neck it starts to dig into the tendons at the base of my thumb slightly. I had a Jazz bass for a while and I seem to remember having some sort of other issue with it, but I don't now remember what that was. 

I have a spare Jazz bass neck, but it is left handed. I modified it to be a right handed neck, but I've found it hard to find long enough E strings.

If the Mustangs that ship later this year turn out to be the P/J variants in that video then there is always the Rascal bass!

[Dave W]

I had a Rascal from when they first came out until this past winter. It was easy and fun to play. In the end, though, I always go back to long scale basses.

[Alanko]

How did you get on with the Rascal, other than the scale length? It seems as though it would be capable of a much wider range of tones than the Mustang, which would be useful. The Hagstrom/Guild bridge is an odd choice. I had one on a Dearmond Starfire and found that the E could tip over if I played too aggressively.

I've watched a few videos online (there are only about four), and it seems that the Rascal sounded a bit 'quacky' on the high frets. Is this a setup issue or quirk of the design?

[Dave W]

How did you get on with the Rascal, other than the scale length? It seems as though it would be capable of a much wider range of tones than the Mustang, which would be useful. The Hagstrom/Guild bridge is an odd choice. I had one on a Dearmond Starfire and found that the E could tip over if I played too aggressively.

I've watched a few videos online (there are only about four), and it seems that the Rascal sounded a bit 'quacky' on the high frets. Is this a setup issue or quirk of the design?

It does have a wider tonal range than a Mustang. In addition to the five way switch, with the volume knob pulled up you get two more options in the two forward switch positions: all three pickups and bridge/neck only. I usually played it with the neck alone or middle alone. I never noticed any quacky tone. The SD lipstick pickups are Strat pickguard mount, so you could always replace with any other Strat pickup.

My guess is that Fender used the Guild bridge on the Rascal only because they had leftover inventory. I had no issues with it.

[Chris P.]

The Rascal has quite a big body, and a wider neck so it feels completely different than a Mustang or Music Master. You would hardly believe it's a short scale.

The Rascal started as a one off Custom Shop model, which appeared one or two years before the production model. Or maybe they made a couple. One was for sale at Thomann's for around 7000 euros. There's an interview with the builder somewhere and I don't think he would have thought they would make a cheaper version, so I don't think they used this bridge because they had to many left.