i'm enamored of the Mustang P/J basses

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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Re: i'm enamored of the Mustang P/J basses

Post by mackerelmint » Sun Sep 27, 2020 12:23 am

Firemist gold is OK. The other colors are bad.

Solution: get one of the other ugly colors and refinish it in sparkly orange. :shifty:
This is an excellent rectangle

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Re: i'm enamored of the Mustang P/J basses

Post by burpgun » Sun Sep 27, 2020 6:39 am

marqueemoon wrote:
Sat Sep 26, 2020 6:14 pm
I can’t stand PJ configurations.
Completely agree. Even on my US Jaguar bass I wish it didn't have the J pickup. The P pickup is just fine.

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Re: i'm enamored of the Mustang P/J basses

Post by X-Ray Spex » Sun Sep 27, 2020 11:57 pm

burpgun wrote:
Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:37 am
I own a CME Sherwood Green Mustang and am a big fan. The stock pickguard was mint and to my eye added a bit of a sickly vibe, so I swapped it out for a white pearloid guard. The current combo is so amazing I just sit there and stare at the bass sometimes. Look up an Adam Clayton signature Jazz to get a sense of that scheme.

It's the cheapest Fender I've ever bought new, I think I got it for under $600 new. I love this bass and play it all the time. I put flats on mine, sounds great on the P pickup, no real opinion on the J pickup because I never use it. Like a lot of folks, the pickup selector switch failed nearly immediately. The bass feels solid, the pau ferro fretboard looks okay even if it has a simulated wood vibe to it, which is of course odd because it's real wood. Only real gripe is that depending on how the light hits it, you can clearly see joints in the body where they glued pieces together.
Where'd you get yours from? Mine's been ordered with Thomann since August with a shipping date of the end of September and I received an email the other day saying they won't be getting them till December :fp:
''It's not what you play, it's what you play'' - Troy Van Leeuwen

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Re: i'm enamored of the Mustang P/J basses

Post by burpgun » Mon Sep 28, 2020 4:45 am

X-Ray Spex wrote:
Sun Sep 27, 2020 11:57 pm
burpgun wrote:
Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:37 am
I own a CME Sherwood Green Mustang and am a big fan. The stock pickguard was mint and to my eye added a bit of a sickly vibe, so I swapped it out for a white pearloid guard. The current combo is so amazing I just sit there and stare at the bass sometimes. Look up an Adam Clayton signature Jazz to get a sense of that scheme.

It's the cheapest Fender I've ever bought new, I think I got it for under $600 new. I love this bass and play it all the time. I put flats on mine, sounds great on the P pickup, no real opinion on the J pickup because I never use it. Like a lot of folks, the pickup selector switch failed nearly immediately. The bass feels solid, the pau ferro fretboard looks okay even if it has a simulated wood vibe to it, which is of course odd because it's real wood. Only real gripe is that depending on how the light hits it, you can clearly see joints in the body where they glued pieces together.
Where'd you get yours from? Mine's been ordered with Thomann since August with a shipping date of the end of September and I received an email the other day saying they won't be getting them till December :fp:
Bought mine in the US in March, via Reverb. Mine was billed as a Chicago Musical Exchange special model.

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Re: i'm enamored of the Mustang P/J basses

Post by X-Ray Spex » Mon Sep 28, 2020 5:52 am

burpgun wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 4:45 am
X-Ray Spex wrote:
Sun Sep 27, 2020 11:57 pm
burpgun wrote:
Fri Sep 25, 2020 5:37 am
I own a CME Sherwood Green Mustang and am a big fan. The stock pickguard was mint and to my eye added a bit of a sickly vibe, so I swapped it out for a white pearloid guard. The current combo is so amazing I just sit there and stare at the bass sometimes. Look up an Adam Clayton signature Jazz to get a sense of that scheme.

It's the cheapest Fender I've ever bought new, I think I got it for under $600 new. I love this bass and play it all the time. I put flats on mine, sounds great on the P pickup, no real opinion on the J pickup because I never use it. Like a lot of folks, the pickup selector switch failed nearly immediately. The bass feels solid, the pau ferro fretboard looks okay even if it has a simulated wood vibe to it, which is of course odd because it's real wood. Only real gripe is that depending on how the light hits it, you can clearly see joints in the body where they glued pieces together.
Where'd you get yours from? Mine's been ordered with Thomann since August with a shipping date of the end of September and I received an email the other day saying they won't be getting them till December :fp:
Bought mine in the US in March, via Reverb. Mine was billed as a Chicago Musical Exchange special model.
Goddamit, they obviously didn't get to Europe before COVID properly hit the fan and now they're stuck in some weird limbo. I just wanted to play some Talking Heads basslines at some point this year :D Where'd you get the replacement guard from btw?
''It's not what you play, it's what you play'' - Troy Van Leeuwen

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Re: i'm enamored of the Mustang P/J basses

Post by Bradley-Jazz » Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:02 am

I see Andertons is quoting 22 October for the Sherwood Green version.

By the way, can anyone explain why there is such a big price difference between the Players and the Vinteras? £579 for that SHW, and £749 for the Vinteras.

Both MIM, and as far as I can see made of the same woods. Only the radius, colours, pickups, and bridge seem different, and the Players have two pickups. Are Players noticeably less well finished...?
All the cheeses....

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Re: i'm enamored of the Mustang P/J basses

Post by burpgun » Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:08 am

X-Ray Spex wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 5:52 am
burpgun wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 4:45 am
X-Ray Spex wrote:
Sun Sep 27, 2020 11:57 pm


Where'd you get yours from? Mine's been ordered with Thomann since August with a shipping date of the end of September and I received an email the other day saying they won't be getting them till December :fp:
Bought mine in the US in March, via Reverb. Mine was billed as a Chicago Musical Exchange special model.
Goddamit, they obviously didn't get to Europe before COVID properly hit the fan and now they're stuck in some weird limbo. I just wanted to play some Talking Heads basslines at some point this year :D Where'd you get the replacement guard from btw?
Got the pickguard from these guys: https://www.wdmusic.com/wd-custom-pickguards.html

You can get nearly anything you want, no matter how vulgar. I've heard shipping out of the US got really expensive, but can't totally vouch for that.

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Re: i'm enamored of the Mustang P/J basses

Post by manwithtitties » Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:44 am

Bradley-Jazz wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:02 am
I see Andertons is quoting 22 October for the Sherwood Green version.

By the way, can anyone explain why there is such a big price difference between the Players and the Vinteras? £579 for that SHW, and £749 for the Vinteras.

Both MIM, and as far as I can see made of the same woods. Only the radius, colours, pickups, and bridge seem different, and the Players have two pickups. Are Players noticeably less well finished...?
From what ive heard the more expensive mexican guitars are getting finished really really well now, but i dont think thats the real reasoning. I think the marketing behind the vintera is supposed to convey its “the nicer, classier, more luxury” version of the product compared to the player, which is just supposed to be the entry level fender line. Its obviously all arbitrary, and has more to do with selling the ideas rather than the products themselves.

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Re: i'm enamored of the Mustang P/J basses

Post by Bradley-Jazz » Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:50 am

Yeah, I have a Vintera Mustang guitar, and it is very nice indeed, but cost me about the same as a Player Mustang Bass. There is less wood in it than a bass, but it's a more complex assembly. I suppose I was naively expecting the Vintera bass to cost about the same.

As you say, its perhaps not the build cost that determines this...
All the cheeses....

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Re: i'm enamored of the Mustang P/J basses

Post by X-Ray Spex » Mon Sep 28, 2020 9:39 am

Bradley-Jazz wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:02 am
I see Andertons is quoting 22 October for the Sherwood Green version.

By the way, can anyone explain why there is such a big price difference between the Players and the Vinteras? £579 for that SHW, and £749 for the Vinteras.

Both MIM, and as far as I can see made of the same woods. Only the radius, colours, pickups, and bridge seem different, and the Players have two pickups. Are Players noticeably less well finished...?
Goddamit, if I see that awful Chappers guy defiling a Sherwood Mustang bass before I get one I'm going to lose it.
''It's not what you play, it's what you play'' - Troy Van Leeuwen

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Re: i'm enamored of the Mustang P/J basses

Post by HarlowTheFish » Mon Sep 28, 2020 12:26 pm

Bradley-Jazz wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:02 am
By the way, can anyone explain why there is such a big price difference between the Players and the Vinteras? £579 for that SHW, and £749 for the Vinteras.

Both MIM, and as far as I can see made of the same woods. Only the radius, colours, pickups, and bridge seem different, and the Players have two pickups. Are Players noticeably less well finished...?
The finishing work and setup on these is on par or better than American Specials from a few years ago, the actual finish color is the nicest vintagey LPB I've seen (better than you can get on any non-CS MIA Fender), the pickups are so good they're going in another guitar build, it's the first good new-production Mustang bridge & trem (can't speak to other hardware) since the OG US ones; the list goes on.
The Players are really good, but Player vs. Vintera is kinda like American Standard/Professional vs. American Vintage -- a focus on nailing the vintage vibe, feel, and sound over offering new features, so you get a much more refined final product because there's no R&D money or cost for brand-new parts: it's just a matter of taking the old stuff, making it to a high level of quality, and putting it together well. The extra cost goes to better quality hardware in my experience, and to much more impressive finishing & setup -- I keep saying it, but the Players are a better buy than the AmPro, and IMO the Vinteras are the same for the AV, because for the former you're gonna swap parts and get a setup anyway, might as well save some cash; for the latter, the quality is remarkable. The MIM Fenders are getting scary good, there's very little objective reason* to buy a non-CS or Parallel Universe MIA Fender these days.

*Subjective reasons are all well and good, but you're maybe getting from 95% spot-on to 97% spot-on for 2-3X the price

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