NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
- JSett
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 9022
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:33 pm
- Location: Old Hampshire, Old England
NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
Some of you might have seen the story behind me getting this over from the US to the UK and dealing with CITES (viewtopic.php?f=41&t=119779). Well, a full calendar month and a load of fees later, this 1964 Mustang landed into my humble hands...
Came with a little note explaining the controls situation:
The box managed the full 3400 miles with barely a mark on it. FedEx. I'm impressed:
Good amount of extra packaging in the case:
It sounds great. Just like a mustang on steroids - absolutely delightful into a Rat. Despite the nut being rather small (A neck) the thickness is a nice depth and considerably fatter than my '73 Mustang B neck. It's perfectly worn in from decades of playing too. Looks like something I could imagine Sonic Youth fucking with.
Today is a good day.
Came with a little note explaining the controls situation:
The box managed the full 3400 miles with barely a mark on it. FedEx. I'm impressed:
Good amount of extra packaging in the case:
It sounds great. Just like a mustang on steroids - absolutely delightful into a Rat. Despite the nut being rather small (A neck) the thickness is a nice depth and considerably fatter than my '73 Mustang B neck. It's perfectly worn in from decades of playing too. Looks like something I could imagine Sonic Youth fucking with.
Today is a good day.
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?
- windmill
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 4438
- Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:31 am
- Location: South Eastern Australia
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
Been following this.
Glad to see it arrived safely.
Even better that you like the way it sounds
☺
Glad to see it arrived safely.
Even better that you like the way it sounds
☺
- Trout
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 1081
- Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2014 4:32 am
- Location: Sweden
- Contact:
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
#sitdownrock at https://staffanandersson.bandcamp.com/album/det-hemliga-namnet
- MechaBulletBill
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 2828
- Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2013 8:16 am
- Location: UK
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
how many A necks have you got now??? lucky bugger!
what case is that? is it a strat one? or have they updated the modern mustang cases? (given they sell a lot of new mustang-shaped things at the mo)
what case is that? is it a strat one? or have they updated the modern mustang cases? (given they sell a lot of new mustang-shaped things at the mo)
- JSett
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 9022
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:33 pm
- Location: Old Hampshire, Old England
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
I've got this one and the other 64 that I'm trying to refinish and ressurect, both are A necks. The '73 is a B neck.MechaBulletBill wrote: ↑Wed Jul 07, 2021 3:05 amhow many A necks have you got now??? lucky bugger!
what case is that? is it a strat one? or have they updated the modern mustang cases? (given they sell a lot of new mustang-shaped things at the mo)
This is the new updated Mustang case apparently. It's very nice quality for the money actually, comparable to the AVRI cases. Over here they're about £150 but with the exchange rate I paid more like £100 and it wasn't declared as extra value which was nice.
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?
- PorkyPrimeCut
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 24475
- Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:46 am
- Location: Leipzig
- Contact:
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
Hell yeah, looks like a keeper to me!
"Mustang into a RAT" brings back some sweet memories, even if mine did have stock pickups.
The slightly wonky neck pickup bothers me though. What's that all about?
"Mustang into a RAT" brings back some sweet memories, even if mine did have stock pickups.
The slightly wonky neck pickup bothers me though. What's that all about?
You think you can't, you wish you could, I know you can, I wish you would. Slip inside this house as you pass by.
- JSett
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 9022
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:33 pm
- Location: Old Hampshire, Old England
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
Hah, who knows. When I get around to taking it all apart and looking (which I'm not going to do until it gets a fresh set of strings) I'm sure more will become apparent. I kinda like it though, not sure why. Adds to the charmPorkyPrimeCut wrote: ↑Wed Jul 07, 2021 3:24 amThe slightly wonky neck pickup bothers me though. What's that all about?
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?
- Amon 7.L
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 743
- Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 5:45 am
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
Congratulations, Johnny!
Super cool Mustang you've got there
Super cool Mustang you've got there
- Bradley-Jazz
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 796
- Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 12:00 pm
- Location: Sheffield, UK
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
What a beauty! Double Mustang week or so! Even more reason, if it were needed, for the other one to be blue!
All the cheeses....
- debudavid
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 345
- Joined: Sat Apr 06, 2013 6:31 am
- Location: Japan
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
Very nice guitar.
- s_mcsleazy
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 18452
- Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:30 am
- Location: glasgow
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
i'm curious how it's wired up. but glad it arrived safe
offset guitars resident bass player.
'Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Robinson? Or do you just want me to solder a couple of resistors into your Muff?'
'Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Robinson? Or do you just want me to solder a couple of resistors into your Muff?'
- gishuk
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 1677
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:57 am
- Location: Devon, UK
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
This is sick, looks to be worth the delivery saga!
- Embenny
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 10363
- Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 5:07 am
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
Glad it arrived safely! Looking at the neck pickup, it appears there are holes you could use to set the neck pickup straight instead of askew. Any plans to try those out? The slightly angled neck pickup is the only thing I don't love on this whole guitar. It's perfect otherwise.
It's just a standard Mustang wiring with each pickup's slider going to a standard three-way. If you park the sliders on and in phase, the 3-way works like a JM. If you park the toggle in the middle, the sliders work like a Mustang. If you start mixing and matching, you get the expected dead spots.
He posted a photo describing it.
It's just a standard Mustang wiring with each pickup's slider going to a standard three-way. If you park the sliders on and in phase, the 3-way works like a JM. If you park the toggle in the middle, the sliders work like a Mustang. If you start mixing and matching, you get the expected dead spots.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.
- JSett
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 9022
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:33 pm
- Location: Old Hampshire, Old England
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
I did take a quick look at those. There appears to be top ones but not bottom ones so straightening it out isn't a simple 4-screw-adjust-done procedure. When I get inside it maybe there will be a reason it was done like this. We'll see. Like I said, I kinda like it a little wonky - even though it does appear to give people anxietymbene085 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 07, 2021 8:17 amGlad it arrived safely! Looking at the neck pickup, it appears there are holes you could use to set the neck pickup straight instead of askew. Any plans to try those out? The slightly angled neck pickup is the only thing I don't love on this whole guitar. It's perfect otherwise.
Silly Rabbit, don't you know scooped mids are for kids?
- Embenny
- PAT. # 2.972.923
- Posts: 10363
- Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 5:07 am
Re: NGD: The Firebird Mustang has landed...
Yep, I'm the kind of person who gets physically uncomfortable when a picture is hanging off squarejohnnysomersett wrote: ↑Wed Jul 07, 2021 8:27 amI did take a quick look at those. There appears to be top ones but not bottom ones so straightening it out isn't a simple 4-screw-adjust-done procedure. When I get inside it maybe there will be a reason it was done like this. We'll see. Like I said, I kinda like it a little wonky - even though it does appear to give people anxietymbene085 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 07, 2021 8:17 amGlad it arrived safely! Looking at the neck pickup, it appears there are holes you could use to set the neck pickup straight instead of askew. Any plans to try those out? The slightly angled neck pickup is the only thing I don't love on this whole guitar. It's perfect otherwise.
This is really such a great score though. I love vintage Mustangs, I love Firebird pickups, and ai love firebird pickups in shortscale Fenders (I've had two guitars with similar setups!).
I basically think all Fenders with humbuckers should come with Firebirds standard instead, or PAF-sized firebirds. They have all the advantages of humbuckers but with a more Fender-like string attack and top end. They're also just as cheap to produce as PAFs, since you just need bar magnets and not the much more expensive threaded magnetic poles like a WRHB. It would set Fender's humbucker guitars apart, too.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.