NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

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JSett
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NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by JSett » Thu May 27, 2021 6:26 am

Went to pick up this little thing this morning and just spent a couple of hours giving it a once over and full inspection. I knew it had some issues so haggled down to what I thought was an acceptable price. I was initially looking for a Mustang in an interesting colour but something about the full 70's dirge of a faded (almost to tobacco burst) 3TS got me falling in love with this thing. It makes no sense, but doe's it ever?

Apparently 1973 was a minor transition year for the Mustangs where you could still get pearloid pickguards but with the new finishes. Here it is as I picked it up...

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One of the tuners is a replacement. It works fine but I'll replace it at some point...

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I guess they were still shooting nitro in '73 then judging by the checking...

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Neck pocket and stamp...

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All seems good in here...

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You can really see the fade under the plate...

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Here's where it gets a little messy, and why I haggled down. Switches have been replaced (I have the OG's too) but the bridge pickup has been changed at some point...

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No markings of any sort on it but it sounds fine, like a generic strat pickup. Again, if I can find a '73 to replace it I will

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And here it is cleaned up a little, fretboard oiled, set up and I found an old strat vibrato arm that fit for the time-being while I wait for a replacement to arrive

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Overall I'm happy with it. I like my guitars a little haggard as a rule anyway so I don't have to baby them. This, seeing as it's already had work, means I can happily mod this one, stick a sticker or two on, and generally enjoy it without being scared to damage it - like I used to before offsets became so damn expensive for an old one. This was cheap enough to not really care too much about.

Future plans: I've got some old 70's/80's punk and skateboard stickers I might throw a couple of on as an unruly teenager would likely have done back in the day, might try out something interesting in the bridge pickup area. Apart from that will just be to play it
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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by MechaBulletBill » Thu May 27, 2021 6:41 am

polyurethane can craze/check much like nitro does. i'd be very surprised if that was nitro you've got there. then again, i can't pretend to be any sort of expert so am ready to be corrected.

it's very cool guitar though! i am without a short scale at the minute and don't need one, but i've had a few mustangs and like them very much. comfortable shape, the coolest looking guitar fender put out and all the good sounds are in there. good stuff.

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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by JSett » Thu May 27, 2021 6:53 am

MechaBulletBill wrote:
Thu May 27, 2021 6:41 am
polyurethane can craze/check much like nitro does. i'd be very surprised if that was nitro you've got there. then again, i can't pretend to be any sort of expert so am ready to be corrected.

it's very cool guitar though! i am without a short scale at the minute and don't need one, but i've had a few mustangs and like them very much. comfortable shape, the coolest looking guitar fender put out and all the good sounds are in there. good stuff.
I thought I read somewhere that they still shot a nitro final coat on a few finishes in the 70s up til about '78. I, like you, am also not much of an expert but it's checked and worn a lot like nitro and there's a bit on the front where something has clearly 'melted' some of the finish by the bridge.
Last edited by JSett on Thu May 27, 2021 7:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by LVC » Thu May 27, 2021 7:00 am

That's a very nice looking Mustang! :?

So that's why you had that post in the WTB section for Mustang parts... ;)
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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Thu May 27, 2021 7:07 am

I love it!
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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by JSett » Thu May 27, 2021 7:08 am

LVC wrote:
Thu May 27, 2021 7:00 am
So that's why you had that post in the WTB section for Mustang parts... ;)
You got me! Hahaha
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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by JSett » Thu May 27, 2021 7:33 am

MechaBulletBill wrote:
Thu May 27, 2021 6:41 am
polyurethane can craze/check much like nitro does. i'd be very surprised if that was nitro you've got there. then again, i can't pretend to be any sort of expert so am ready to be corrected.

it's very cool guitar though! i am without a short scale at the minute and don't need one, but i've had a few mustangs and like them very much. comfortable shape, the coolest looking guitar fender put out and all the good sounds are in there. good stuff.
Can confirm it's definitely nitro (probably over a Fullerplast plastic sealer). tested a tiny patch of wear with some acetone and it melted clean off...

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Last edited by JSett on Thu May 27, 2021 12:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by Maggieo » Thu May 27, 2021 8:54 am

That Mustang is perfection! :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Thu May 27, 2021 7:39 pm

Congrats. Makes me miss my 75’. Have fun with it!

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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by Towomba » Thu May 27, 2021 11:53 pm

Thats a beauty, congrats and enjoy it! Love the burst.

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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by JamesSGBrown » Fri May 28, 2021 3:49 am

Gorgeous! Don't ruin it with stickers though...

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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by JSett » Fri May 28, 2021 3:52 am

JamesSGBrown wrote:
Fri May 28, 2021 3:49 am
Gorgeous! Don't ruin it with stickers though...
'ruin' is subjective though.

It'll only be a couple, if any.
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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by JamesSGBrown » Fri May 28, 2021 4:04 am

johnnysomersett wrote:
Fri May 28, 2021 3:52 am
JamesSGBrown wrote:
Fri May 28, 2021 3:49 am
Gorgeous! Don't ruin it with stickers though...
'ruin' is subjective though.

It'll only be a couple, if any.
True that, do what you wish!

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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by Pacafeliz » Fri May 28, 2021 7:27 am

Ooooh ywah man!!! :-*
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

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Re: NGD: 1973 beater Mustang

Post by SignoftheDragon » Fri May 28, 2021 7:41 am

This one has almost everything I dislike about older Fenders.

But I LOVE it. Looks like the perfect proto-skate-punk machine!

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