Factory Original Long Scale 1972 Fender Mustang

[Highnumbers]

^Why would it be a neck that shouldn't exist? When it's most likely a Strat neck grabbed by accident. There would have been plenty of those around at the factory.

Here is a 1972 Stratocaster headstock:.



Anything different?

[Fiddy]

1971 and 1972 Strats...

[bulrich]

A real curious anomaly! I have to agree with Highnumbers, it's too specific not to be intentional. The big question that jumps out as suspect of the OP's blog post is if he had been in conversation with previous owner for years, wouldn't that be the 1st person to ask about the provenance of the guitar? Certainly they would have some more info on a bevy of plausible reasons for the anomaly.

[CCOffset]

The big question that jumps out as suspect of the OP's blog post is if he had been in conversation with previous owner for years, wouldn't that be the 1st person to ask about the provenance of the guitar?

I would have loved to have asked him. Unfortunately, he died a few weeks before I flew out to Denver to buy the collection from his widow. He never mentioned it in the two years we spent discussing the collection on and off.

[Highnumbers]

1971 and 1972 Strats...

Just for the record:

1971 Strat ≠ 1972 Strat

(Besides, 2/3 of your examples - and specifically the ones from 1972 - have the walnut plug/skunk stripe. It's not the same neck).

Even if there were technically necks like this at the factory in 1972 (which there were not), it takes a special kind of obstinance to look at that particular choice of neck AND a longer case, and still argue that it's an accident.

[BTL]

It would be interesting to learn if the neck swap was intentional and executed poorly or a paint/assembly error that was overlooked or covered up. I have been looking for an example of an unfinished Strat and an unfinished Mustang neck side-by-side. What's the length of a Mustang neck from nut to heel? If it's anything close to 18 3/8", it's easy to imagine how the mix up might have occurred.

I don't know enough about vintage cases to have an opinion on whether it's unusual in and of itself.

[bulrich]

I would have loved to have asked him. Unfortunately, he died a few weeks before I flew out to Denver to buy the collection from his widow. He never mentioned it in the two years we spent discussing the collection on and off.

The mystery deepens! Was there any discussion of where he acquired the guitars and when? They are all super clean - clearly someone carefully picked these out and kept them under wraps for decades. Of course they could've been the random trades or guitars coming into his shop, yet this one still has tags - so likely came directly into the shop he owned and was never sold. Also keep in mind, a Mustang was not really a collectible guitar until late 90s so I imagine the owner knew well this was an anomaly otherwise why hold onto it? Only other way to get any more concrete info would be if there was any paperwork from the shop still intact.

[andy_tchp]

"Large collection" would explain why it remained unplayed and the mistake undetected.

[andy_tchp]

The cases were made by a third party vendor (Victoria Luggage company), and something like this case would have to be special ordered, as the Mustang case was not offered for any other models (and a Mustang Bass would not fit in this case either).

...You have a case that shouldn't exist

I measured my normal '64 Mustang case and it was basically the same length by only a couple of millimetres. Doesn't seem particularly special or custom ordered...more like manufacturing tolerances.

Whoa - so you (also) have a super RARE, purpose built 'long case'.

I mean that is the only possible explanation with the abundance of evidence provided.

Amazing.

[JVG]

This thread is generating some emotion!

I’m not going to get into the debate, however this thread is making me want a 25.5” scale Mustang (with the bridge in the appropriate place, of course). Then again, I already have a JM fitted with Strat pickups (oh, the sacrilege!), so i guess that would sound approximately the same…

[CROSS_guitars]

This guitar must have been owned by Sonic Youth who didn't know it was out of tune

[Fiddy]

Since I'm poor...

For the neck, I'd get a custom Jazzmaster body with a Mustang Pickguard / Electronics, maybe a Jag control plate and match the paint as close to the body. [Don't steal my idea builders! ]

For the body, id search for a period correct neck.

But if i could afford it, id keep it as is, and display in the music room.

[Trout]

Am I missing something or what says the case came with the guitar in question?

[Fiddy]

I think the cleanest way to get it playable would be to get the fret calculator out and replace the fingerboard, then place frets in appropriate spot for whatever exact scale this neck might be.

[JSett]

Am I missing something or what says the case came with the guitar in question?

Nothing really, as is the case (lol) with a lot of vintage guitars if they've been through some hands. The original owner owned a guitar store so could have easily thrown it in any spare Mustang/Musicmaster/Duosonic/Bronco case laying around the shop.

It would be interesting to learn if the neck swap was intentional and executed poorly or a paint/assembly error that was overlooked or covered up. I have been looking for an example of an unfinished Strat and an unfinished Mustang neck side-by-side. What's the length of a Mustang neck from nut to heel? If it's anything close to 18 3/8", it's easy to imagine how the mix up might have occurred.

I just went and measured my 64 Mustang and a standard RI Jazzmaster, nut to heel:

Mustang: 450mm / 17.71" / 17 23/32"
Jazzmaster: 465mm / 18.30" / 18 5/16"

So that's only 15mm = 0.6" = 19/32" difference...super easy one to miss on a hectic production line/busy factory