NGD (last week)2016 Mustang offset SS

[stirange]

I got a good deal one a barely used olive green mustang. This is the first mustang that I've owned, and I gotta say, I' addicted to playing it. I can't get anything done if it's in the room. It's not the greatest guitar in the world, but it has character and gels with me.

Right now it's in the shop, getting a JB jr installed int he bridge as well as some locking tuner that I've had laying around. Can't wait to get it back. Build quality is pretty good. It's not a PRS or something, but I have few complaints. The one thing I wish it had is body contours. The body is rounded enough, so it is questionable if they are truly needed, but still I don't see why fender didn't add them to this new model. Anyways, I totally dig it and if you have reasonable expectations, you will too.

[BoringPostcards]

I love these, but they're definitely an odd model.
A Mustang by decal alone.
These are Duo-Sonic IIs. Fender was just too lazy/cheap/unaware of their own history to do up the proper decals for these.
I still want one. I want the olive one like you have. So gorgeous.
I'd put a Duo-Sonic II decal on it though.

[stirange]

I hear what you're saying,but i'm not concerned with the semantics of it. Let fender's marketing guys worry about that.

Anyways, just got it back. I had a JB Jr. installed din the bridge. I also had some Sperzel locking tuners lying around. I'm quite happy with it. The JB sounds great. After all the mods were done, I ended up paying what a brand new one would cost.

[Diabolikal1]

Nice! I've been wanting 1 of those too.

[enkindler]

I know that it bothers lots of people when Fender releases guitars that change the historical designs but you got a great guitar.

I wanted a guitar to play with lots of drop tuning and heavy strings and picked up one of the Mustang 90's.

While it is absolute built t a price point it has some features that I wish that the more expensive MIM guitars had like a satin neck finish. I was looking for the color you got but wanted the MP-90 version, and the one that played the best happened to be red.

They were bit more than a little cheap on the shielding paint on this guitar, so I will be painting the selector and volume cavities and putting foil on the back of the pick guard but it sounds HUGE. The finishing work on the neck is a lot better than the P90 Jags that I wanted to like from the blacktop series, and so lets hope that this is the direction Fender is going.



As a side note for those that think that the only difference between a mustang and a duo sonic is the bridge. Go look at the pictures, the bottom body cut on a duo sonic is half way between the pickups. On a mustang the bottom cut is almost to the bridge, so if you are thin and tall you can play a mustang sitting back on the couch but you will not be able to play a duo sonic.

Here is an image from another thread, but note that the duo sonic and the mustang do not share a common body shape.



Enjoy your guitar!!!

[Pat V]

This shows pretty well the difference between the offset of the Mustang compared to the not so offset Duo-Sonic.

[enkindler]

This shows pretty well the difference between the offset of the Mustang compared to the not so offset Duo-Sonic.

Awesome picture,

Note that even the later Mustang based Musicmaster II and Duo-Sonic II didn't have a string through Strat hard tail bridge.

But it does seem that Fender intends to save the duo sonic name for the 50's era shapes, and they haven't done a mustang based re-issue that I know of.

Note that while subtle the attack on this hard tail Strat bridge is harder, the vintage curvy bridge plates from the original Duo Sonic and Duo Sonic were pretty soft (or at least the ones I have touched were). The original Mustang bridge is even springier in my mind so if that is the sound you like that may be an issue. That said I haven't played a more modern mustang with the original bridge so they may have made them much thicker like they did on the Tele range.

But as an example, the MAP on these guitars is ~$499 and note the small amount of sanded on just the highest frets and the fact that they bothered to roll the fret edge transition.



Here is a picture from my Jaguarillo which was at a $800 MAP in 2012. Note how they sanded a lot more from the frets and that the transition from the fret edge sanding was not smoothed.



I think the necks are still made in the US on CNC and shipped to Mexico. I think still still in a very rough condition and still need to be finished sanded and sprayed etc... It seems that the Mexico plant is stepping up in quality yet again.

[Johnny Alien]

I think its highly unlikely (especially on an instrument priced this low) that the necks are made in the USA. Mexican Fenders are just really good now IMO. The Classic Lacquer and Road Worn models are amazing.

[enkindler]

I think its highly unlikely (especially on an instrument priced this low) that the necks are made in the USA. Mexican Fenders are just really good now IMO. The Classic Lacquer and Road Worn models are amazing.

Yep, looks like I am either working with extremely out of date information or just spreading false rumors, sorry about that and thank you for calling my error out out. I found a video from 2014 showing a gang CNC machine making necks in the Mexico plant.

As all companies have to increase efficiency to keep prices low I am still very impressed. While I know that some of it is CNC these frets seem finished better than the "elite" price point guitars were from California just a decade or so ago. As fret work is still pretty manual they must have figured out some way to increase quality and efficiency to deliver at this price point.

When warming up or just working on chord placement I am just as likely to pick up this Mustang 90 as my custom shop guitar. I am in my 40s and when I was a teenager it was hard to find a playable lower cost guitar, it is nice to be in an era where playability is assumed and you can focus on tone, looks, features etc..

It is a good time to be a guitar player.

[jmurph]

I think its highly unlikely (especially on an instrument priced this low) that the necks are made in the USA. Mexican Fenders are just really good now IMO. The Classic Lacquer and Road Worn models are amazing.

I totally agree about the Road Worn series. The only serious flaw with my RW Jag was a dented fret which I'm surprised made it past QA. It's been my main guitar for over 2 years now.

I've played a few of the new Duo-sonics over the past week and they're great little guitars. Honestly, I'm surprised by the quality at the price point. I remember when you had to drop a lot more cash to get something of that level.

[honeyiscool]

Heh. I just realized Fender calls it their Offset Series yet the Duo-Sonic isn't even offset (it's about as offset as a Strat). Even more nitpicky things to upset the purists.