Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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tammyw
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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by tammyw » Sat Dec 08, 2018 1:24 pm

They haven’t really made any changes to the neck, so if you’ve played an American Special then you know what it’ll feel like. The profile and finish aren’t my favorite, and the rosewood they’re using can be a bit dodgy (must be the scraps that are too poor to use on higher range guitars), but I still think it’s unfair to say they’re on the same level as Squiers. On the other hand, I can understand the sentiment - when I got my hands on a Performer JM which also had the satin body finish, my first thought was it totally feels like a toy guitar. But it’s a nice solid platform, and even the ones I saw with crap looking rosewood didn’t have any problem other than the way it looked. I want to say it’s nice for an entry level American made guitar, but then the price tag makes me hesitate.

The vibrato works well, very smooth, probably better than any of the MIJ’s I’ve ever used. I like the plastic bushing in the arm hole, too, so you can set the tension but it it’ll rotate out of the way smoothly without scraping the chrome off the arm. I’m not sure what that pin is for, it slides right in and falls right out, I’m probably not using it right but it didn’t come with instructions.

They didn’t do much with the bridge and I don’t know why they insist on putting it on backwards. It has 2-3/32” spacing, otherwise you could mistake it for an MIJ. The saddles look nice, like they’re chromed really good.

The pickups strike me as being rather generic overwound single coils. I’m sure they’ll work out fine for a lot of people, but it doesn’t have the same charm as low output mustang pickups. They’re just machine wound on plastic bobbins, about 8.3/8.9KΩ.

The tuners are made to fit modern Fender two pin standard pattern. The base plate is probably die cast, but it looks like the rest of the back is still stamped/bent. They have an 18:1 ratio. Seem to work fine, although one was a little tighter than the rest. I like having the split shaft, otherwise they’re not any better.

The penny color is a great choice. It’s just a basic metallic, so it doesn’t glow like mystic seafoam and it doesn’t reflect like a chrome, but it’s still good quality and hue changes very slightly depending on the light source.

Overall I like it but I’m not sure if it would really become a main player for me, and it’s hard to recommend it at this price when there’s a lot of other good stuff out there if you’re not specifically looking for a mustang.
All pain and troubles melted away like lemon drops beyond the contrails across the sky.

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timtam
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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by timtam » Sat Dec 08, 2018 4:54 pm

tammyw wrote:
Sat Dec 08, 2018 1:24 pm
They didn’t do much with the bridge and I don’t know why they insist on putting it on backwards. It has 2-3/32” spacing, otherwise you could mistake it for an MIJ. The saddles look nice, like they’re chromed really good.
So that's the narrower ~53mm E-E spacing. About the same as the ~52-53mm that is being reported for the LPB (and other 2018 ?) Marr jags, and the 7712971000 aftermarket Marr bridge ..
https://darrenriley.com/store/fender-am ... 712971000/

I assume there are no anti-sink nylon bushings on the bottom of the Performer's bridge height posts though (like the Marr) ?

In any case, it may be a sign that Fender is now routinely making more Mustang bridges with the better narrow spacing (similar to Staytrem).
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by cjs » Wed Dec 12, 2018 6:02 pm

the frets are waaaayyyy too big.


the neck and headstock looks corny in my opinion.


otherwise it's beautiful. i played a penny one, and what a beautiful finish that is.


if they would've went with a neck like the american original 60's jag, we'd be in heaven. :bored:

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trustee
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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by trustee » Thu Dec 13, 2018 10:38 am

Killer guitar!

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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by mylona » Mon Dec 17, 2018 12:59 am

Just got a Performer mustang 2 tone finish. Regards the pin for the vibrato cigar tube, I too can't find any instructions for what to do with it but I think I have worked it out. When you reststring, with no strings fitted the vibrato springs tilt the tube back so that when threading new strings through they hit the plate and are difficult to pull through and seat in the pockets. I find this irritating on my 65 reissue. But if you tilt the arm the hole lines up with a hole in the plate, you can insert the pin and the string holes seem horizontal thus threading new strings is much simple. Well that's my theory.

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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by Futuron » Mon Dec 17, 2018 3:39 am

tammyw wrote:
Fri Dec 07, 2018 1:53 pm
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Forgot to say many thanks for this post.

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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by scottydanger » Mon Dec 17, 2018 2:47 pm

For anyone who has one already: how much work would it take to put the new tremolo on an old body?

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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by Danley » Mon Dec 17, 2018 3:13 pm

I don't have one but looks like you'd need to route. On that note - is there any chance the brass pin would function as a trem-lock (allowing the guitar to function as a hardtail?) Even if it is just for re-strings, that's useful.
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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by mylona » Tue Dec 18, 2018 4:21 am

You definitely would need a shallow route to accommodate the fulcrum plate on the performer vibrato. You could, sort of, use the pin to lock the vibrato but it's not that secure. You would also need to tune up with the pin in and not with the floating vibrato.

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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by mylona » Tue Dec 18, 2018 4:21 am

You definitely would need a shallow route to accommodate the fulcrum plate on the performer vibrato. You could, sort of, use the pin to lock the vibrato but it's not that secure. You would also need to tune up with the pin in and not with the floating vibrato.

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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by trustee » Wed Dec 19, 2018 10:09 pm

Pin was erroneously included in the wrench bag. It is the truss rod adjustment tool for the elite series. Paul L. from Fender CR confirmed/clarified this to me today. ::)

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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by Danley » Thu Dec 20, 2018 5:50 am

trustee wrote:
Wed Dec 19, 2018 10:09 pm
Pin was erroneously included in the wrench bag. It is the truss rod adjustment tool for the elite series. Paul L. from Fender CR confirmed/clarified this to me today. ::)
Huh - so is the middle hole in the cigar/vibrato a mystery? It's even drilled in the body, so I assume they meant for something to go in it.
King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by Embenny » Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:29 am

That's too bad that the necks feel like the American Specials. I have an American Special JM and the feel of the neck was the ultimate reason I parted ways with it. That, and the fact that I got a sweet trade offer on it.

I'll be interested to see if anyone manages to retrofit this new Mustang vibrato onto a Squier/MIJ and see what was involved, though.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.

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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by mylona » Fri Dec 21, 2018 2:45 am

Danley wrote:
Thu Dec 20, 2018 5:50 am
trustee wrote:
Wed Dec 19, 2018 10:09 pm
Pin was erroneously included in the wrench bag. It is the truss rod adjustment tool for the elite series. Paul L. from Fender CR confirmed/clarified this to me today. ::)
Huh - so is the middle hole in the cigar/vibrato a mystery? It's even drilled in the body, so I assume they meant for something to go in it.
Exactly, the hole in the tube can be aligned with a hole in the plate under which the body is drilled to accept the pin. I think the guy at Fender is wrong stating the inclusion of the pin is a mistake. I still think the pin locking the tube in place with the string holes parallel to the body is intended to make restringing easier.

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Re: Fender American Performer Mustang & Mustang Bass

Post by scottydanger » Fri Dec 21, 2018 6:59 am

mbene085 wrote:
Thu Dec 20, 2018 10:29 am
I'll be interested to see if anyone manages to retrofit this new Mustang vibrato onto a Squier/MIJ and see what was involved, though.
I'm planning on it, just need to find a way to order one. Then I'll consult with my father in law who is a luthier and we'll get it routed and mounted. Hopefully between now and March.

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