Fender Mustang I & II [Archive] - Telecaster Guitar Forum

tom2caster

December 3rd, 2010, 11:54 AM

I just got one and am very impressed. Like others have said it's just a lot of fun.

It's worth working with the software to get additional amp models and effects.

At first every channel being processed was a pain, but after discovering you could turn the effects off with the mod and delay knobs it became real easy. Then I could build the signal chain after setting the dry amp tone.

I own tweed, BF and SF Fenders, but this is a real cool amp. My first modling amp. The sounds at room volumes are very convincing.

I got the 12 inch version and am happy with the volume. I think to play loud you might have to tone the bass and processing down, but you could set a bank for playing loud with it already tweaked. That's the magic, making it your own. Being an old fart I got rid of most of the metal presets, but am keeping some of those '80s British tones.

Tele 2K

December 3rd, 2010, 02:39 PM

According to another site, there will be Mustang III, IV, and V models. The III is 100W, 1x12, the IV is a 100W Head, and the V is a 150W (2x75) 2x12...

Sounds Interesting...

VW

hooch1

December 5th, 2010, 09:34 AM

Stang II owner here. Lots of great tones in this amp. I've tried most every budget tube amp out there from the VHT to Tweaker to Bugera V22 to Classic 30 to SCXD and finally found the great bedroom tones in this amp with no tubes.

mako224

December 5th, 2010, 02:33 PM

What's got me sold on this amp is the software that comes with it and the Fender Fuse website where you can download tones that are already set up and backing tracks. I am a complete noob to the electric guitar thing and for me this seems to be a perfect fit for me to find the tones I'm after without breaking the bank. Waiting impatiently for its arrival.

Swee_tone

December 5th, 2010, 10:31 PM

Completely sold on these, Fender has done something wonderful here.

With a 5 year warranty on top of everything else these amps offer, i'm happy.
In fact, I'm thinking of buying another one and running in stereo, they sound beautiful.

pearlygates

December 5th, 2010, 11:03 PM

Absolutely love my Mustang 1 So does my Tele!

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff68/X7drums/Fender%20Squier%20Vintage%20Custom%20II/Telecasterblonde001.jpg

mako224

December 13th, 2010, 10:26 PM

Mine arrived today. Love the Fuse software but I have no idea how to use the other two software packages that came with it....Live 8 and Fender AmpliTude. What do they do?

andrewpmast

December 16th, 2010, 08:33 PM

Mine arrived today. Love the Fuse software but I have no idea how to use the other two software packages that came with it....Live 8 and Fender AmpliTude. What do they do?

Congrats. The amp has a USB interface and allows you to record modeled sounds directly into your computer. The Live 8 program is for recording tracks. The Amplitube program at least from what I recall is a plug-in for a variety of effects.

andrewpmast

December 17th, 2010, 09:34 AM

Question: Will any footswitch work to toggle between the channels?
A standard two channel footswitch allows you to choose two of any presets to bounce between.

This may seem seem disappointing compared to (say) the VOX VT line which comes with 8 presets. Having owned the VT with a footswitch, I found that I didn't use but two channels and there were issues with it anyway, such as a volume spike (ouch) and delay between model shifts. I'm not sure if the Mustang does that too, since I haven't tried yet.

For me, having a clean and overdrive channel to switch between is plenty enough for jamming songs.

pondcaster

December 17th, 2010, 12:45 PM

To be honest, I looked over one of the Mustangs (II, I think?) at GC a month or so ago and thought "Why did Fender put that out?". It looked so cheap and low-end, I was embarrassed for them and the kid playing through it. Didn't sound very good either.

But that uTube clip that guy posted early in this thread kinda got me thinking I'd gotten a wrong impression? Sounded pretty decent.

Not that I would buy that amp (no need) but have to say I was wrong about the output, at least. The style and look still appear cheap to me, but that's just my 2 cents... not worth 1/3 of that.

andrewpmast

December 17th, 2010, 03:10 PM

Here's my first impressions... I got a Mustang II last night and I'm still tinkering with it.

For me, I wanted a SS amp that I could run down in the basement and play without firing up the tube amp. I wanted various sounds and features to tinker with, big speaker and a competitive price. (hard to get all three of those). I wanted an amp I could just grab with a guitar and cable, throw the amp in the backseat of my car... no pedals needed. Also, I have GAS and wanted the 'latest thing'. :rolleyes:

The Mustang II is the only SS amp I own at this point. I've gone through a bunch hybrids. I've had the VT15, VT30 Spider III 75, Spider IV 75, Orange 35LDX, and MicroCube. Tube amps, I've had the ValveKing 112, AC15CC1, Blues Junior III, AC4TV, and Jet City 20 watt combo.

The Mustang II looks as though it would be heavy but it's not (25 pounds). I'm guessing the speaker magnet is not big and the wood is not thick ply. No tube transformer, metal chassis (or any chassis so I've heard), etc...

I think it was the only way Fender could sell them at $200. If they added better cabinetry and what-no, the price would go up and most buyers in that price range wouldn't appreciate it. Not defending it, but there is a lot of R&D and technology in that amp. That's probably where most of the money goes. But, we're talking about a $200. I can spend $200 at the gas station refueling my SUV, feeding my family, grabbing the latest Playboy and a few cartons of cigarettes. :grin:

Having owned a handful of hybrids, I knew I wasn't going to have some religious experience and go selling my tube amp. I will say that I was able to use the telecaster's volume knob to go from clean to high gain.

Bonus rambling :arrow:
MY PHILOSOPHY ON GETTING THE BEST SOUND FROM A HYBRID:
What I have learned from all the hybrid amps I've owned or played, is that the master volume you set that amp at while you're dialing in tones, plays a HUGE role in getting the most satisfaction. You just can't dial in a great sound at bedroom level and then crank up the master and think it will sound the same. The volume level of the speaker brings out different sonic characteristics, notably the EQs and effects but also the nuances of the cabinet and amp models.

For example, when you are at bedroom volume and set your reverb until it's satisfying, if you crank up the master volume, you'll notice the reverb will sound more excessive even though you didn't change anything. The same with the EQ's, you can get a sweet sound at quiet volume, turn it up and now you have ear-splitting highs and mids.

Add even more complication, hybrids typically model tube amps and their sonic characteristics. With the Mustang II, if you crank the Bassman's gain, the speaker sounds farty/tired, but it's not the physical speaker on the Mustang II which can handle everything I've given it with everything cranked. The farty/tired sound you hear seems to be the characteristic of a completely cranked bassman amp. It's neat to see the effort they take to take on the characteristics of the amps they're modeling.

So, my advice to anybody new to hybrid amps, create and save two separate settings for each sounds you've dialed in... one for loud volume and the other for quiter volume.

And, as I always say with any amp, the player's technique, their guitar, pickup selections, can make even the the most expensive amp sound good or bad.

StraightNeck

December 17th, 2010, 03:28 PM

andrewpmast

December 17th, 2010, 03:36 PM

Is it your 2 cents that is worth 1/3?The amp is cheap and low-end but i can tell you chipboard and chinese made it is a one heck of an amp.Dont trust the YT clips,and whatever you do dont judge a new amp in a GC store,speakers have to be broken in,then you can really hear the amp.I love the carbon tweed look,but the sound is what matters,right?The cleans i am getting from this amp are lovely.

Yea, I agree. The cleans alone are worth it. I also thought the heavy "2000's" metal sound was impressive, not tinny or raspy. It's got a beefy low end and when I played Master of Puppets", even with my Tele, it sounded pretty rad. :twisted:

The Fuse software is a nicer than the Spider IV software IMO. Using Silverlight was a great choice because it allows you to maximize the application as big as your monitor can handle and it will fill the entire screen. Even my Pod Farm and Riffworks won't resize.

pondcaster

December 17th, 2010, 03:38 PM

pondcaster,is it your 2 cents that is worth 1/3?The amp is cheap and low-end but i can tell you chipboard and chinese made it is a one heck of an amp.Dont trust the YT clips,and whatever you do dont judge a new amp in a GC store,speakers have to be broken in,then you can really hear the amp.I love the carbon tweed look,but the sound is what matters,right?The cleans i am getting from this amp are lovely.

I thought the uTube clip was pretty decent & real sounding? I've heard about "speaker break in" period but in my experience, it doesn't end up with a bad speaker sounding much better but with a decent speaker "opening up" and sounding even better.

Point was, I think the sound is better than I would ever have expected from that model. As my luthier and amp tech always say, "tone is different for everyone". Except at the extremes, 99% preference.

Sorry for the confusion, glad to clear it up.

StraightNeck

December 17th, 2010, 03:38 PM

Very good input there,andrew.Takes some tweaking and understanding how this amp works.I have found out that setting the presets with master at close to 4 gives you good sounds at both bedroom and higher volumes.

pondcaster

December 17th, 2010, 03:40 PM

Takes some tweaking and understanding how this amp works.

Tell me about it. - proud member of the Cyber Deluxe owner's club

StraightNeck

December 17th, 2010, 04:13 PM

Tell me about it. - proud member of the Cyber Deluxe owner's club

There ya go,as they say.

StraightNeck

December 17th, 2010, 04:27 PM

Yea, I agree. The cleans alone are worth it. I also thought the heavy "2000's" metal sound was impressive, not tinny or raspy. It's got a beefy low end and when I played Master of Puppets", even with my Tele, it sounded pretty rad. :twisted:

Metallicas riff in the beginning of Human is one of the heaviest ive ever heard.
I like the American 90s,with some tweaking,of course,great ZZ Top grit.

GraspnAtStrings

December 17th, 2010, 05:50 PM

I've had my Mustang I and II for a couple of weeks now and I keep finding new sounds. I agree that the cleans and heavy distortions are great, but I also think the in-between tones are impressive.

I might get flamed for this, but I think it's better than the much beloved Vox Pathfinder.

lareplus

December 17th, 2010, 10:26 PM

Does the Mustang 2 do a good Blackface clean sound? I would love to get that sound in a small amp. .

mako224

December 17th, 2010, 11:50 PM

The twin reverb tone is fantstic!!!!!! I've been having a ball with this thing. Some of the overdrive tones get a little bit muddy but who cares its a $99 amp that does more than any other amp under $300. You have no idea how good this amp is until you plug it into your computer and use the Fuse software. The fuse software does a great job of creating tones that someone like me would never have the time or the budget to set up if I had to buy the pedals and all the other devises needed. I would say don't base your judgement off of the basic tones built into the amp.......particularly if you haven't read the directions.

My only complaint is with the additional software that came with it. Neither the Live 8 or the Amplitude seem to work on my laptop. (Vista Ultimate 64bit) Been fighting with the Live 8 for hours and hours and can't get it to play back thru my speakers.

StraightNeck

December 18th, 2010, 03:04 AM

I might get flamed for this, but I think it's better than the much beloved Vox Pathfinder.

No one is going to flame you,they have to agree with you.:grin:
And i do agree,it is better when it comes to overdrive,i dont need pedals with this amp,i hate them anyway.Cleans are in the same league,maybe the highs are a tad sparklier.

GraspnAtStrings

December 18th, 2010, 08:24 AM

My only complaint is with the additional software that came with it. Neither the Live 8 or the Amplitude seem to work on my laptop. (Vista Ultimate 64bit) Been fighting with the Live 8 for hours and hours and can't get it to play back thru my speakers.

mako224
It might be the Vista 64 bit that's the problem. See FAQ #2 here:
http://www.ableton.com/pages/faq/vista

Are you not able to get Ableton to open at all or just not getting any sound?
If it's the latter, did you:

1. Install the Fender Universal ASIO
http://www.fender.com/support/article.php?kb_id=70

2. Select it as your preferred sound device?
http://abletonlife.com/setting-up-audio-preferences-in-ableton-live

I've never used Ableton since I own Reaper, but I couldn't get any audio from the Mustang on my laptop (Vista 32 bit) until I downloaded the Fender ASIO (for some reason the ASIO4ALL didn't work with the Mustang), selected it as my sound device, and then on the track selected Mustang for the input. Then voila!

I find Ableton less intuitive than some other programs. I prefer Reaper, which works on Vista 64 bit, for basic home recording (if you plan to use the amp and laptop on stage then Ableton is a better option). You can try the full program for free and if you decide to keep it (very inexpensive) you just buy a license. I was able to get Amplitube and the Mustang up and running on Reaper in minutes.

GraspnAtStrings

December 18th, 2010, 08:30 AM

No one is going to flame you,they have to agree with you.:grin:
And i do agree,it is better when it comes to overdrive,i dont need pedals with this amp,i hate them anyway.Cleans are in the same league,maybe the highs are a tad sparklier.

I think you described the differences perfectly. I also prefer the headphone out on the Mustang.

I think this amp, with the Fuse software and a good recording program, is a great option for people who want to have the versatility and tweakability of software amps but don't want to be tied down to a computer all of the time.

mako224

December 18th, 2010, 09:16 AM

mako224
It might be the Vista 64 bit that's the problem. See FAQ #2 here:
http://www.ableton.com/pages/faq/vista

Are you not able to get Ableton to open at all or just not getting any sound?
If it's the latter, did you:

1. Install the Fender Universal ASIO
http://www.fender.com/support/article.php?kb_id=70

2. Select it as your preferred sound device?
http://abletonlife.com/setting-up-audio-preferences-in-ableton-live

I've never used Ableton since I own Reaper, but I couldn't get any audio from the Mustang on my laptop (Vista 32 bit) until I downloaded the Fender ASIO (for some reason the ASIO4ALL didn't work with the Mustang), selected it as my sound device, and then on the track selected Mustang for the input. Then voila!

I find Ableton less intuitive than some other programs. I prefer Reaper, which works on Vista 64 bit, for basic home recording (if you plan to use the amp and laptop on stage then Ableton is a better option). You can try the full program for free and if you decide to keep it (very inexpensive) you just buy a license. I was able to get Amplitube and the Mustang up and running on Reaper in minutes.

I have done everything in those posts and have the ASIO driver. Guessing its the 64bit. Pretty disappointed with that aspect as the software bundle and recording abilities are one of the big reasons I made the purchase.

Clump

December 20th, 2010, 08:21 AM

Got a Mustang I a couple of days ago and having a ball with it. The Ableton software won't install, it appears that the install file is corrupt. I emailed Fender and we'll see what happens.

For the Amplitube LE - Can the amp act as an interface, or do you need to use a different connection?

andrewpmast

December 20th, 2010, 08:43 AM

For the Amplitube LE - Can the amp act as an interface, or do you need to use a different connection?

Regarding AmpliTube LE, you'd use the line out on the Mustang or mic your amp whyen using AmpliTube. Albeton (or any other decent recording software) knows where the AmpliTube plug-in is located and loads the plug-in interface which resembles but is not related to Fuse.

I'm not a fan of plugins for guitar effects although they are nice in the fact that you can record a dry signal and then use the plug-in to browse through models and effects. Either way, I prefer mic'ing when I record.

mako224

December 20th, 2010, 08:34 PM

God I love the 65 Twin Reverb tone that comes out of this thing. I've been messing around with some old Ventures tunes and other surf music and this thing sounds awesome. I'm also getting some really good country tones out of it using the effects in the fuse software.

andrewpmast

December 20th, 2010, 08:50 PM

ve been messing around with some old Ventures tunes and other surf music and this thing sounds awesome.
I agree, great verb and clean chime. I like it.

Clump

December 21st, 2010, 06:53 AM

Regarding AmpliTube LE, you'd use the line out on the Mustang or mic your amp whyen using AmpliTube. Albeton (or any other decent recording software) knows where the AmpliTube plug-in is located and loads the plug-in interface which resembles but is not related to Fuse.

I'm not a fan of plugins for guitar effects although they are nice in the fact that you can record a dry signal and then use the plug-in to browse through models and effects. Either way, I prefer mic'ing when I record.

Thanks!

mako224

December 21st, 2010, 09:32 PM

blonde52

December 21st, 2010, 10:02 PM

Got my Mustang l today from Sweetwater.
I am absolutely floored by what a hundred bucks can buy you these days. This amp is a lot of fun and the sounds are really quite good. I was afraid the 8" speaker might make it a bit thin sounding, but the low end is very solid.
Hey, its no Deluxe Reverb and it doesn't look like it would survive a tumble down a flight of stairs, but for a hundred dollars I'm very happy.

andrewpmast

December 22nd, 2010, 08:46 AM

Can someone please tell me what the Fender Amplitube software is suppoed to do????? I have not been able to get it to work and am wondering if I'm wasting my time.

When the software is working does the sound come out of the amp or does it come out of my computer speakers???? Sorry if I sound like an idiot but I'm at a loss.

Hey there. If you're recording on your computer using programs like Ableton live, Adobe Audition, Garage Band, Audacity, etc) you may use AmpliTube to change the sound of your signal through amp models & effects. It's like Fuse but doesn't require a Fender Amp, or any amp for that matter. It can be used with anything, even microphone inputs. It literally is a program that will pop up in your recording software. IT CANNOT just be loaded on it's own with nothing else. It gets run THROUGH some other recording software, hence the word "plug-in".

Regarding using this with the Fender Mustang for using AmpliTube, all that the USB connection on your amp does is provide you with a low(er) latency interface for recording. It transfers the guitar's output through the USB and into your computer. You will hear the guitar through the amp (unless you plug something in the headphone jack) as you record. You probably will hear it through the computer too and if you're sound card is not that great, there will be a lag between these two, very annoying... it take some playing around to get all this working. The USB can also be used with FUSE, but FUSE has nothing to do with AmpliTube. FUSE allows you to mess around with the models and effects on your Mustang amp. If you want the effects of your Mustang amp to be recorded, you have to use the USB without a plugin or direct (through headphone out), or finally mic'ing your amp.

So, do you NEED AmpliTube to record with the USB? Hell No. I HATE it actually, but that's my personal opinion. I find AmpliTube to be CPU intensive (Pod Farm is better) and the Lite Version we get with our Mustang has two amp models and very limited access to effects without paying for the full version.

Why would one use it? Well, if they don't have any guitar amp but they have a nice ASIO sound card and want to record guitar as if they are mic'ing their amp, they can plug their guitar into the computer, record tracks by making their dry signal route through the AmpliTube's models and effects.

If you don't have AmpliTube plugins or ones like it (like Pod Farm), you're limited to outside sources effects (like amps, pedals, etc) and you're committing to the sound when you record it. There's no going back without a mixer and effects loops of yesteryears old school recording techniques.

I don't like plug-ins like these aside from Reason which is all plugins. They take up a lot of CPU time and I'm not that serious about my recordings. I'm not a profressional and if I was, I would probably use plug-ins but MUCH nicer ones anyway. If I don't like the effect on one of my recorded tracks, I just alter the effect and re-record the track, it builds more character to play it or sing it over and over. :)

If you decide you want to use plugins, be prepared for a little pain in setup. GO TO the AmpliTube Forum (or the Fender Community) for specific questions. This is not really the most effective place to get support for any or this.

In a nutshell, to use amplitube, you need to:

Ideally have an ASIO driver/interface
Install the AmpliTube program
Register it on the fender fuse community page (must create a username, etc)
Have access to a recording interface and software (Garage Band, Ableton (which I personally HATE), or Audacity(which is free))
Set the input in your recording program to use the ASIO driver/interface you installed
In your recording program, you should see something about plug-ins or effects. (every recording software is different). Choose the AmpliTube Plug-in from that plug-in/effect selection for the track your recording on. Now you can hear your input (guitar or microphone) being altered by the plugin and you can play around with AmpliTube's amp models and effects after you've laid down a track.

Don't get too upset about not using the Plug-in. There are other free ones out there and you don't NEED it if you just mic your Mustang or record directly from the amp to the computer from the headphone out. I ALWAYS mic my guitars when I record, unless I'm just playing around and then I use a plug-in or just the line-out on the amp.

andrewpmast

December 22nd, 2010, 09:08 AM

I find Ableton less intuitive than some other programs
I couldn't agree more! It also looks like a 5 year old designed user interface. What kind of marketing research did they do that got them to choose a 2 color ga ga goo goo looking skin? Ableton seriously doesn't compare to Reaper, Audacity, Audition, Pro Tools, etc. And, it costs money and it's not even the cheapest. I think their target market is for DJ's and mixing. Ok, I'm done flaming Ableton. :)

GraspnAtStrings

December 22nd, 2010, 10:19 AM

+++1 what andrewpmast said.

Great explanation. I agree that rather then hassling with the free but very limited software that was bundled with the Mustang, you're better off using other programs.

Audacity, as was already mentioned, and MU.LAB are free and good programs. There are also trial versions of several paid ones and some of them are pretty cheap (Reaper and Mixcraft, e.g.). Download some of these, try them out and see which one works for you. There's a learning curve even with the simplest programs, but once you get over the initial hump, software recording is a lot of fun and cheaper and more flexible than traditional recording (if you stick to the basics). No hassles with mics, isolation boxes, room acoustics, etc. Little by little you can start investing in vst/vsti's or plugins, from virtual drummers and bassists to accompany you, to reverbs that mimic famous concert halls, to crazy sound effects that you can't get from traditional hardware.

Commercial plugins can be very pricey, but there are also a ton of free plugins and many are excellent. Here are a few of the best free plugins and they cover all the basics:

http://www.acoustica.com/plugins/vst-directx.htm

andrewpmast

December 22nd, 2010, 10:22 AM

Thanks for those links!

Arg! I forgot one of the most simplest recording tools for guitar and it very easily allows you to use VST plugins. Matter of fact the free version comes with AmpliTube support!! http://www.sonomawireworks.com/T4/

This is the tool I use to record all my riffs and amp demos.

dqami

December 22nd, 2010, 11:37 AM

GraspnAtStrings

December 22nd, 2010, 01:02 PM

Just got my Mustang 1 from a fellow TDPRI member last night having read the positive reviews from fellow members and the docloco YT clips. I am blown away by how this amp sounds! I used to own a Gdec, a modded Champ 600, and currently own the SCXD and this amp sounds better than all of them! Even the stock 8" speaker sounds good. I opened her up and it looks like a 10 inch will fit in the box but the front baffle is glued in and not screwed in. Just wondering if anyone has tried to mod it yet? If it's too hard to do, I'll probably just wait until a Mustang 2 pops up on CL for cheap as I'm sure they will sell a boatload of these amps.

I think the stock speaker sounds really good too. Someone on another forum replaced the speaker with a Reverend Alltone, which is supposed to be highly regarded, and said that it was an improvement, but not a huge one. So if you're just wanting a bigger speaker, the Mustang II might be a better option.

mako224

December 22nd, 2010, 02:28 PM

Thank's for the information!!!! Sounds like I was totally wasting my time with the Amplitube software now that I know what its all about......I'd never use it anyway.

By the way, I did finally get the Live 8 software to work last night. The fix was to uninstall the Fender ASIO driver and install a driver I found on the web called ASIO4all v2 which apparently supports 64bit operating systems while the Fender ASIO driver does not.

StraightNeck

December 22nd, 2010, 03:06 PM

Wonderful amp.Sold my Pathfinder 15R,Contender and my strat.With my "Tele" and the Mustang i can bring out any sound and play any style of music.To my ears the speaker
is more smoother now after a couple of weeks of playing.

Libraio

December 27th, 2010, 11:13 AM

There's a yellow cardboard box on the dining room table whispering my name but I can't give in to its calling 'cause it's my birthday present from my girlfriend. And my birthday isn't until the 31st... So I'm almost a member of the Mustang owners club.

GraspnAtStrings

December 27th, 2010, 07:08 PM

Wyzsard

December 28th, 2010, 12:03 PM

Where can the "bias" tweak be found ? I can't find it in Fuse.

I have the Mustang II

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z256/hwjennings1/boss/mustang%20II/mustandamp111006.jpg

StraightNeck

December 28th, 2010, 12:41 PM

Click on advanced amp.

Wyzsard

December 28th, 2010, 01:21 PM

Click on advanced amp.

I can't find it. Is it on the far right of the screen ? My pc doesn't have enough memory to start with and part of the far right is cut off (fuse screen)

StraightNeck

December 28th, 2010, 01:47 PM

Try full screen in the main menu.Or maybe a new pc.:razz:
67611

Wyzsard

December 28th, 2010, 01:51 PM

ok, that's the problem. I need to add memory I guess.

broncstomper

December 28th, 2010, 08:04 PM

Santa made me a member of the mustang club. I am very impressed with this little amp.Just wish I had more time to play with it.
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l87/broncstomper/nad.jpg

Oh yeah got the Bsb also and can't wait to mod it up.

andrewpmast

December 28th, 2010, 08:57 PM

SJust wish I had more time to play with it.
Congrats! I'm amazed at the beef the amp has. I personally think the Mustang's VOX model is spot-on. I have been taking the clean reverb model and cranking the gain for a semi-clean finger-lickin-chicken-pickin thing.

Libraio

December 29th, 2010, 11:45 AM

Well you're a more patient man than me. I think you'll be very happy with this little amp.

Not really, we live together and she will rip me a new one if I open the box. If however I was on my own here until the 31st I would have been playing with it for days allready.

dqami

December 29th, 2010, 12:09 PM

I have a small collection of 8 inch speakers I've gotten over the years; couple of different Celestions, a Jensen Mod, and an old alnico and found the stock speaker sounded better than all of them in my Mustang 1! I also played w/ how it sounded w/ the back off and thought it had more mid and clearer highs with it on so I lined the inside w/ some foam which helped smooth out the tone.

Libraio

December 31st, 2010, 11:51 AM

I've been playing all day. Nice noise, to bad my neighbour dicided to start playing as well... And he can actually play so I stopped and listened for a while. And now, after my first day of playing instead of fooling around for half an hour or so, my fingers hurt :). And I need to practice a lot more.

Happy new year everybody!

Yvar

Tamo101

January 1st, 2011, 02:43 AM

I bought one thinking it'd be a nice bedroom amp till we get out of the apartment and into a place where I can crank some tubes. Turns out I was quite surprised when I plugged in the first time. I almost went looking for the 12ax7's!

I love the 70's Deluxe for everything as twins have always been too bright for my taste. The factory effects presets are fairly decent as is as well. Not many modeling units have usable fx right out of the box.

GraspnAtStrings

January 3rd, 2011, 09:31 PM

Woody Duke

January 13th, 2011, 04:28 AM

My kids got me a Mustang II for Christmas. I'm having a blast playing my Epi Dot and Xaviere thinline through it. Cleans remind me of my old blonde Tremolux (stolen in 1971). The Vox/Marshall/Boogie presets are too aggro for me, so I'll be changing them. I'm baffled by the Ableton recording software so far. Why can't manuals be written in Human instead of Geek?

StraightNeck

January 13th, 2011, 07:26 AM

You have great kids,Woody.I love the clean sound i get from this amp.The British 60s
with a little bit of gain is pure sex.Very AC30ish.Strike me today,my GAS for amps is
gone.There is so much fun in this amp to keep me busy for a long time.

Tele-Champ

January 16th, 2011, 11:39 PM

I ordered a Mustang I from MF on Friday. They offer a free Fender footswitch for it (by mail-in rebate) if you order by 1/31.

Should be here later this week!

tacomamc

January 17th, 2011, 05:53 PM

Tele 2K

January 18th, 2011, 03:13 PM

I am thinking of getting a MIII - has anyone played one yet? My local Sam Ash expects them in any day now...

The reason I am interested is the LCD display, and more models. I don't really need the added power, but some are saying it sounds a lot better than the MII, even at low levels.

VW

Doth

January 20th, 2011, 02:42 AM

Sooo, is the Mustang I better than the Micro Cube for home use? The Micro Cube has lots of great sounds in there....

I ask, because i have the MC and am looking for a bigger speaker, but don't want to lose the versitility of the MC. I don't need the battery capability.

Hello tacomamc,

I have both the MicroCube and the Mustang I. I love the Microtube and I can get some cool sounds out of it. It is easy to dial in tones and it is very portable. For such a small amp, you can get some really cool rock tones:
fmLWdhnuQfM

However, the Mustang is a whole other beast. It has many more options and ways to control it. In that sense, it is not as easy to dial in the tones because their are simply more options. But the options are what make it a great amp. It is the same price as the Microcube and 10 times the amp with 10 times the options. The FUSE software makes it a snap to get what you want and save your favorites.

Don

andrewpmast

January 20th, 2011, 09:01 AM

@Doth - I'd say the same thing.

TCA117

January 20th, 2011, 05:55 PM

Does anyone have experience with the GDec practice amp? Are the amps and tones the same here with the Mustang line?

Tele-Champ

January 20th, 2011, 07:01 PM

The big brown truck just delivered mine this afternoon! I've been playing with it for a couple of hours now, and this Mustang I is fantastic! The tone of the various amp sims is amazing - I think the '57 Deluxe and '65 Twin Reverb are my favorites so far, but I really like all the amp models I've heard on it. Still learning how to do all the effects, but it doesn't take long to figure out the gist of it.

I haven't put the CD-ROM in yet to explore all the other computer options with this amp and use the FUSE software yet, but will get around to that later tonight.

So far I am loving this little guy! And best of all, it SOUNDS great!

http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww183/telechamp/MustangI_P1010241PB.jpg

http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww183/telechamp/MustangI_P1010240PB.jpg

http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww183/telechamp/MustangI_P1010239PB.jpg

http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww183/telechamp/MustangI_P1010254PB.jpg

Laservampire

January 20th, 2011, 08:11 PM

Damn I'm getting jealous just looking at these pics!

My girlfriend's little brother got a Mustang I for christmas (at my suggestion! They were originally going to buy a Peavey :roll: ) and I think I've spent more time playing it than he has!

My local Fender dealer is going to do me a great price on one, but it's been on order for 3 weeks now and I'm getting impatient :lol:

hotraman

January 20th, 2011, 11:00 PM

I have the 2 and its great for small rehearsals and jams.
The Fuse program is easy to use and unlocks some cool features ( sag and bias control)
I may move up to the III.

Doth

January 22nd, 2011, 12:12 PM

My favorite settings so far are:
"Bassman Drive" -'59 Bassman - Amber Light
"Touch of Reverb" - '65 Twin Reverb - Amber Light
"British Invasion" - British 60's - Amber Light (Crank the Gain and get "Helter Skelter" tone)

redstrand

January 22nd, 2011, 08:57 PM

Got mine yesterday. Best practice amp I could ask for. Simple and small. Damn decent sound for practicing. Ran my real book practice stuff through it and donned the headphones and couldn't be happier.

Definitely can't wait to use the Fuse software and get some funky sounds.

spayne99

January 23rd, 2011, 10:10 PM

I got the Mustang I today to use as a quiet amp around the house. Just got into messing with Fuse and I dialed in the sweetest Princeton tone with reverb and tremolo, and uploaded it to the amp. Couldn't stop playing my new "princeton" for some time. For $99 this is a home run!

yorkshiresarge

January 29th, 2011, 01:20 PM

I bought the Mustang I today and am mightily impressed. I have a BSB Squier Affinity and love the top three preset amps. Not yet ventured into the Fuse software but I downloaded an update to the amp's firmware through it. Loads to learn, plenty of fun to be had and all for 85 quid. A veritable bargain!

mako224

January 29th, 2011, 05:11 PM

Has anybody found a cover for the Mustang 1 ?????

Swee_tone

January 29th, 2011, 08:41 PM

Not sure on the cover, I made my own.

Anyways, here's mine, I changed the 3 black plastic generic knobs.
I like this amp!

http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/ss135/swee_tone/018.jpg

With my cv Tele:

http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/ss135/swee_tone/014.jpg

Colt W. Knight

January 29th, 2011, 09:01 PM

Wont replace a twin reverb, but they are super cool inexpensive amps. Way better than SS Vox, Line Six, and other Fenders in their price range in my opinion.

Hollmanp90

January 29th, 2011, 09:15 PM

Just got a Mustang I...................

Gonna use it in Worship Service in the morning......Probally gonna have to mic.

Its a no brainer for $99.

Colt W. Knight

January 29th, 2011, 09:16 PM

I may have to go get one monday. I don't think anyone around here is open on Sunday.

yorkshiresarge

January 30th, 2011, 02:08 PM

Colt W. Knight

January 30th, 2011, 03:05 PM

Anyone know if Fender have a list of all the factory presets and their various effects selections for the Mustang I? I know you can go into Fuse but my head won't remember all 24 setting and their corresponding presets!

Fenders website says you can use their presets already loaded onto fuse. And I think you can make your own.

Swee_tone

January 30th, 2011, 04:20 PM

Just got a Mustang I...
Gonna use it in Worship Service in the morning...

Please let us know how it went?

justatwanging

January 30th, 2011, 06:55 PM

Has anybody found a cover for the Mustang 1 ?????

I once used a Hefty Trash Bag with some success.

Hollmanp90

January 30th, 2011, 10:24 PM

Please let us know how it went?

Used it for both services,with my Strat.
Didn't mic it up as our drummer wasn't there.
Had Master on 7-8 and Volume about the same.
Projected just fine really.......My Strat,along with our Bass player and a 12 string guitar,another 6 string acoustic and a keyboard player.

We don't play extremely loud.........I pretty much just toggled around for whatever given tone. Some dirty and clean stuff.
Fun amp......easy to get decent tones from dirty to clean.

I do believe I'm going to give this one to my daughter and get the III for grab and go gigging.

Cool amp. For $99,its a no brainer.

yorkshiresarge

January 31st, 2011, 07:40 AM

Fenders website says you can use their presets already loaded onto fuse. And I think you can make your own.

Thanks Colt. I was looking for some kind of PDF from Fender for the factory presets dialed in. I have only been playing for 5 months and so not familiar with all the guitar effects out there. It would just be handy to have a list so I know what presets I am playing and what effects are used. I know I can change these myself in Fuse. That's probably why there is nothing out there as these presets are not hard wired into the amp and can be changed.

Still, it's great fun messing around and I love the amp.

yorkshiresarge

January 31st, 2011, 07:42 AM

...sorry, something messed up on my phone whilst trying to post..

Hollmanp90

January 31st, 2011, 11:33 AM

Just in case one would want to know the size of the Mustang I.....Here is a few pics. compared to my Ol' Strat.Just the size and the weight makes for a great grab and go package. Easy in and out with good tone is good thing.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i32/jsh1970/Mustandandstrat003.jpg
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i32/jsh1970/Mustandandstrat001.jpg

dqami

January 31st, 2011, 01:02 PM

Thanks Colt. I was looking for some kind of PDF from Fender for the factory presets dialed in. I have only been playing for 5 months and so not familiar with all the guitar effects out there. It would just be handy to have a list so I know what presets I am playing and what effects are used. I know I can change these myself in Fuse. That's probably why there is nothing out there as these presets are not hard wired into the amp and can be changed.

Still, it's great fun messing around and I love the amp.

When you go into Fuse you can see what the settings are. I didn't care much for any of the presets and changed them all and turned off all the effects as you can always add them to your own preset when playing and choose to save or not save it.

spayne99

January 31st, 2011, 01:11 PM

yorkshiresarge

January 31st, 2011, 03:04 PM

When you go into Fuse you can see what the settings are. I didn't care much for any of the presets and changed them all and turned off all the effects as you can always add them to your own preset when playing and choose to save or not save it.

That's a very good point dqami, thanks. That will be my weekend task I reckon.

Hollmanp90

January 31st, 2011, 04:10 PM

Having more fun with this Mustang 1 every day. I put it up against my Pro Junior and found I could get similar tones using the tweed models in the Mustang, but the Pro Jr still wins for loud playing and overall feel. The Mustang wins for playing less loud, with headphones, and for recording (not to mention versatility and variety!).

I went into Fuse and replaced all the heavy metal presets with variations on Champ, Deluxe Reverb, and Princeton. I'm in a good place with this amp!

Yep.....this is what I believe I will do.
Same place too.......it ain't my Reinhardt Storm 33 piggyback stack.
Not even close.......but for grab and go,easy in and out.
You can't do alot better......Good tone for cheap and FX are decent as any thing else out there......To be 15 again and to be able to have something like this and a Classic Vibe Squire with a good setup..........A kid can have a nice setup.

AllroyPA

January 31st, 2011, 04:17 PM

Has anybody found a cover for the Mustang 1 ?????
I think extra large comdoms fit it.
http://i1043.photobucket.com/albums/b436/leftybob/Gear/DSC05216.jpg

spayne99

January 31st, 2011, 05:05 PM

C'mon guys, tube and digital can coexist peacefully :-)

Colt W. Knight

January 31st, 2011, 05:22 PM

C'mon guys, tube and digital can coexist peacefully :-)

I bet that tele feels uncomfortable sitting between those two.

phillip lee

February 4th, 2011, 09:29 PM

AllroyPA

February 5th, 2011, 09:37 AM

Swee_tone

February 5th, 2011, 12:05 PM

Mine did that too when cranked. I snugged most the screws up and it still does it when full out.
I just remind myself this is a $100 practice amp made of particle board, and if it sounds excellent from 1- 95% volume that's fine with me. Other amps can take care of the ear bleeding volume job.

toejam

February 7th, 2011, 07:58 AM

How do these Mustang 1's compare to Roland Cube 20XL or Cube 30X?
I´m thinking about getting a new practice amp (have a Marshall MG15DFX since 2004)
and mostly play on LP's with humbuckers and sometimes a Squier Bullet Strat.

Wyzsard

February 9th, 2011, 12:54 PM

I went to GC today wanting to purchase one of these amps. I found a use 2 and plugged in, it was 125 bucks.
There was a deep cabinet buzz I couldn't figure out. I wanted the thing but when you turned up the bass this growl would not go away.
The exception, or have others experienced this?

My MII has an issue, and it seems to be for many. No matter how clean I set the amp, when I strum a chord and let it decay, it fades into distortion.
http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=49789&sid=875184211bbd2b578bf959e2f0c11623

Still usable for what I bought it for, but unless Fender releases a firmware update that fixes it, this will not only be my first new Fender amp purchase, but my last as well.

Swee_tone

February 9th, 2011, 08:59 PM

that's a pretty minor "issue". Barely noticable really.

It is a $100/ $200 amp with all kinds of bells & whistles , that wouldn't bother me in the least.
Now if I paid $1500 for it, there would be an issue...

edwardb

February 10th, 2011, 03:31 PM

I just joined the club with a Mustang II purchase.

When I played it in the store and at home I was very impressed. My guitar never sounded better. Love playing with the Fuse software. For direct recording it is gorgeous, just the sounds I want. I love the fact that it has a built in noise gate and tuner.

However, when I took it to my band rehearsal last night (a jazz band) it was not sounding as good as my old Peavey special. I just could not get it to sit in that same pocket in the sound yet. Of course I still have to get to know this amp so I just might have to dial it in a bit more. Funny thing is the Peavey does not sound good to me when I am playing it alone, very dry and dead; but somehow it works with the whole band playing. I guess I have alot to learn about what sounds good in the bedroom and what sounds good in a live situation.

Has anyone else had experience with a Mustang II at jazz levels of volume (acoustic trumpet is around 110dB at the top end, so not rock concert levels). Any advice on set ups? I never had the Mustang II above 7 in rehearsal, and I could easily get too loud at that setting so I know it loud enough. Probably just have to put in my time with my new amp.

Wyzsard

February 10th, 2011, 11:13 PM

Swee_tone

February 11th, 2011, 09:20 AM

Yammerman

February 11th, 2011, 04:27 PM

I'm in with a Mustang I which I'm using for recording into Cuebase. The USB feature didn't work well in my setup(multiple ASIO drivers not good) but its very good at low volumes with a mic. The ability to adjust the amp from the computer is brilliant so thumbs up to Fender for the Fuse software.

Very happy with it.

Wyzsard

February 13th, 2011, 07:46 PM

yea, that's true, never considered that.
I was reading the posts at fender and the posters figure that it could be a couple of things. My guess is that they may come out with an improved 1 an 2 where this is adressed, because the previous ones will not be updated to repair this.
Who knows,guess we'll see what happens.

There is a service center right down the road from me. I'll call tomorrow and ask if they have had any brought into the shop for the same issue. If so, at least I'll know how they are handling it.

I'll post what they say about it.

Walker

February 16th, 2011, 12:17 PM

Bought a Mustang I the other day and I really enjoy it, but that issue with the decay/distortion is going to make me return it unless a fix can be made before my GC return period.

How ironic that a Fender amp has a problem with a Fender amp simulation. It would be one thing if it were a Marshall sim. Ah, go figure.

crowden

February 16th, 2011, 12:38 PM

musicmatty

February 17th, 2011, 11:34 AM

The research that I have done, will have me checking out the Mustang IV model today. All the clips I've seen are superb..even with the factory settings to my ears. To me, it's like having the Zoom G2.1U effects pedal built right in to this amp...and the Zoom is a very impresive effects box that is made in Japan.

If It checks out with me..I will add it right along side of my Deville and Stage 112 SE amps. I like to keep a couple of amps on hand for other people who come over to play and to have a trusty backup when one goes down.

BigDaddyLH

February 17th, 2011, 11:42 AM

These Mustangs snuck up on me. I thought there were all practice amps! The IV is a 2x12 combo and the V is a head with a 4x12" cab. Yeehaw, I dig it when they go crazy and put a SS amp in a head!

musicmatty

February 17th, 2011, 02:34 PM

I checked out the Mustang 2 today..as the # 2 was all they had. It is what they say..the sound is superb..no question about it. However...for me, I will go with the # 4 model. In my opinion, you will need at least the # 3 model in a gig situation or just jamming with others that included a drummer. The drummer automatically forces the volume of the amps to come up..like it or not.

One thing that is required with these, is a bit of patience and reading the manual to get the desired settings...not hard to do at all..just take your time and experiment. These amps do away with needing pedals and other effects..as you can now dial them in right from the Amp itself..and the amp Masters the sound of the other amps that it models after..such as the 57, 63 and or 65 and so forth...yeah..believe it. :shock:

All things considered in my opinion..this is a very inexpensive way of having a Pro sound anywhere you go with out all the pedal boards and extra weight of the Tube amp itself. If you havent tried one yet..I would before considering anything else..and I would start with at least the Mustang 3 and if you want Stereo..than go with the IV/4 model as it is the Big Twin in this Series :wink:

edwardb

February 23rd, 2011, 12:45 PM

I have been using the Mustang II now for a couple of weeks. I really like this amp. I have found how to dial in the sounds I want in my band with a little patience. The tone controls are very responsive, and hooking up fuse to play with the middle tone was what I needed to do.

I have found that by putting overdrive _after_ the amp in fuse and using it as a clean boost, that this little amp becomes VERY loud with the fender clean models. I now rehearse with my band with drums and do not get the volume past 4. I was initially worried that I should have bought the III, but since I added the clean boost, I have all the headroom I need in this portable little amp.

The MII is not quite as loud as my bandit, but it should be more than loud enough for electric Jazz. And it is half the weight of my bandit, has a built in tuner, built in noise gate (great with a tele and fluorescent lighting), tremolo, ....

Wyzsard

February 28th, 2011, 08:29 PM

Got me a Mustang II several weeks ago and couldn't be more happy with it!

On the subject of the trailing distortion problem on clean Fender tones, I offer this linky:

http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=49789&p=613589&sid=b95e75a693f56d68d883bccc8eb22c03#p613589

To those that see this problem a a deal breaker, hold off on returning the amp just yet...

Yep good to see Fender acknowledges the issue. I hope it's a firmware issue and not the chip or something. I really want to like the amp, but if it won't do clean, and stay clean, it's not gonna work for me.

It's a fun little bugger, I admit.

SuperChampXD

February 28th, 2011, 11:14 PM

Has anyone really made an effort to record tracks using the USB feature?

How well does this work? Any issues? Sound authentic (as if a mic was really used)?

crowden

March 2nd, 2011, 12:36 PM

Has anyone really made an effort to record tracks using the USB feature?

How well does this work? Any issues? Sound authentic (as if a mic was really used)?

My whole reason in getting the Mustang II was for recording since I have issues with mic'ing my tube amp to record it (the neighbors have an infant and I never know when I can make some noise).

The USB is great for accessing the FUSE software where I can get 4 more amp models (12 in all) than are preset on the I and II models. But recording via the USB is a bust because the interface is only one way audio - to the computer.

Because most (all?) ASIO drivers can only be used one at a time, that means it's impossible to monitor pre-recorded tracks while recording from the Mustang USB. It's useful for recording a single track but not much beyond that. I think it was just a bonus for adding to the FUSE interface.

However, I have been recording using the headphone out (which is "speaker emulated") into my mixing board and then to an interface for the computer - and getting good results. Not quite the same as an SM58 close mic'ing an amp, but not bad either.

In FUSE, I can choose between many cabinet models from 1x12 to 4x12 for any amp model and setting up effects before or after the amp gives a lot of flexibility in tone. At this point, I'm still experimenting but it's very promising.

MReynolds

March 9th, 2011, 12:28 AM

Has any one compared the Mustang I with the G-DEC 15 ?? I need a small something to play practice backing tracks on and I know the GDEC does it, but maybe the Mustang is better at it? Any help appreciated.

tacomamc

March 9th, 2011, 07:09 AM

howardlo

March 9th, 2011, 07:19 AM

You should be able to enable the Mustang ASIO as your input device through Windows control panel and your soundcard as the output device in control panel and be able to record the Mustang using USB and hear it through your sound card along with the other previously recorded tracks. I do it all the time. Works for me.

howardlo

March 9th, 2011, 07:27 AM

I sat down and tried all my stored presets yesterday at various volumes and never did hear any sign of that fade out distortion that I keep hearing about. I tried with varying pick attacks, different single notes and chords at different pitches and every one just fades out very normally. I have presets with some reverb, some have a little compression, delay, vibrato, etc.

I still never heard anything unusual with the fade outs. All seem to fade out smoothly and normally. My presets are are all fairly clean sounds and none has the gain turned up past 2. To me there is no issue, at least not one I can ever hear, or find.

crowden

March 9th, 2011, 03:51 PM

I have the Mustang I, and as far as I know, you cannot run backing tracks on the Mustang like you can on the G Dec (except through an ipod run intot the auxilary port) .... but it'd be awesome if you could. If I'm mistaken here, someone please let us know, because I could REALLY use that feature.

No, you can't store band tracks on the amp it's self. However, you can play them in FUSE and assign a backing track to a preset stored on the computer. See this post (http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=51985).

Backing tracks are stored in:

C:\...\USER-LOGON\Documents\Fender\FUSE\Audio\WaveMP3

As for the tailend distortion, Public Betas of the forth coming firmware updates (http://www.fender.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=52476) for Mustang I&II and Mustang III-V is now available. Read the official post for more info.

tacomamc

March 10th, 2011, 06:46 AM

Awesome! Thanks for the heads up on the Firmware. I just updated mine a few days ago from Fender's site, but the tail end distorting on clean notes remains. I don't mind it all that much, but if htis will fix it, that'd be great too. Thanks again.

Wyzsard

March 10th, 2011, 11:22 AM

Thanks for the heads up crowden

I just used that beta update and the fizz is gone. One person on the Fender forum said he still heard some and said it seems to have shifted to the mids, but I can't hear it. Everyone else there said the fix worked.

The amp is now actually usable mic'd. (MII)

Wyzsard

March 10th, 2011, 01:54 PM

LarryM

March 13th, 2011, 10:44 PM

Should I get a Mustang I w/ an upgraded speaker, or a Mustang II stock?
(Or a Mustang II upgraded? - Want to get it right the 1st time!))
Thanks for your time!

howardlo

March 13th, 2011, 10:58 PM

I have the Mustang I, but never did hear that fizz and I only play with clean sounds and only the Fender models and the Vox. I did update the firmware, but never had a problem. The update did seem to make nearly everything sound even better than it had before, which was very good. It also made switching faster, which I thought was pretty fast originally.

howardlo

March 13th, 2011, 11:03 PM

I think the new Mustang II would be best. I have the Mustang I and if I had it to do over, would have gone with the II, just for the extra watts, now that I have been jamming with friends, and for the larger speaker, that seems to be liked by the Mustang II owners. With the new one you have the 5 year warranty, which you wouldn't have with a modded one.

andrewpmast

March 14th, 2011, 08:29 AM

Gosh, I've heard this 'distortion' fade out but I'm suspecting it's the noise reduction. If there is noise reduction, as the signal gets very close to hitting the threshold, it's going to waver back and forth and sound 'decaying'. I'd recommend prior to a fix from Fender that people at least test my theory and turn off the noise reduction completely and see if the distortion sound goes away.

theGecko71

March 14th, 2011, 08:54 AM

Wyzsard

March 14th, 2011, 05:10 PM

crowden

March 14th, 2011, 08:01 PM

I stopped by the local GC yesterday and tried out the 100 watt Mustang. I might be doing some gigs this year and I no longer have a gig worthy amp (currently a Vox AC4tv). I thought the Mustang would be cheap but loud enough. Well, it's undoubtedly loud enough, but I wasn't impressed with the sound the amp.

The Fender amp sims were pretty good--they had the signature tones, but seemed overprocessed, like what I imagine those amps sound like after they've gone through some compression and sound engineering, not like how they sound right out of the amp. The other tones (the high gain ones especially) were... I don't know... useless... and although the "British" Vox sim had the vibe of a Vox, it didn't achieve the feel even of my little AC4.

Curiously, I think the amp sims on my Line6 toneport are more accurate than on the Mustang.

So, no Mustang for me.

You have to remember that the presets on the amps are only examples and every one of them can be tweaked and over written. Yes, the presets that the amp has to begin with have a lot of "processing" but as to whether they are good or bad sounding is all subjective. Fender just couldn't leave them all blank...

You really have to sit down and learn the amp and how to control it to get the kind of sounds out of it that you want. You can't rely someone else (such as who ever at Fender wrote the initial presets) to give you your sound. Nor can the amp be judged by the sound of the initial presets - since they are simply examples of what can be done.

For the Mustang I/II amps, the FUSE software opens a tremendous amount of tweaking possibilities including effects before or after the amp (or none at all), noise reduction (or none), sag and bias settings, speaker choice from "Champ", and various 1x12, 2x12 and 4x12 boxes or even "None" (which seems to be the trick to getting an ultra clean tone).

On the III-V amps, all this can be accessed on the amp but it still is not as easy to do as it is in FUSE.

Demoing one of the amps in a music store for a half hour or so, you'll either like it or you won't but, you'll only be scratching the surface of what the amp can do. Most users seem to think the models are superior to other modelers - especially the Fender amp models.

I find the British '70s (Marshall Plexi) to be one of my favorites as I can get sounds very similar to my Traynor YBA-2b using it with a "Champ" speaker box.

Granted, they are fairly technical amps and that's not for everyone, especially those that just want to twiddle a few knobs and get a good sound. Fender makes amps like that too, but they don't provide as wide of a spectrum of possible sounds as the Mustangs.

There more like "one trick ponies". (oooh I can hear the groans)

yorkshiresarge

March 15th, 2011, 02:58 AM

I love my Mustang I. I am never going to have the cash to buy one of those Fender tube amp's so this opens up a world of possibilities for me.

I used to own a Line 6 Pocket Pod but found the user interface incredibly un user friendly - The Fender Fuse is simplicity itself.

Top marks to Fender as well for acting on forum posts and releasing an update in quick time. I guess they are backing this series of amp's heavily to be a major player in their product range.

tacomamc

March 15th, 2011, 07:22 AM

theGecko71

March 15th, 2011, 11:23 AM

At any rate, it's true enough that testing anything at Guitar Center is bound to make me feel negative about it. I increasingly dislike that place--and our local one is more and more run down and pathetic.

In fact, I stopped by there after driving by Willis Music, a Cincinnati based store that had a shop in South Dayton (where I happened to be running errands). Willis was a nice small shop that carried a good line of Fender products, and I figured I could try the Mustang there. I say "was" because the recession apparently killed them and the shop was closed down, so I had no choice but to drive over the GC, already feeling depressed about the state of this country.

Maybe I'll give the Mustang a second chance if it looks like I'll really need a gig-worthy amp.

tacomamc

March 15th, 2011, 12:00 PM

Your experience might be different than mine, but I am really glad I did dig deeper into it. I'm not much of a tweeker, and prefer to not hook my Mustang up to the computer too often... I much prefer to set a few good / clean amp models up and add gain as needed from the amp's gain knob. However, I did use the Fuse software to get to that point and got rid of nearly everything except for a compression pedal setting here and there, and maybe on OD. So now I have one entire bank of presets (all eight) with just a dry amp setting. I can add reverb and gain as needed and save that new preset in one of the other two banks (which for the Mustang I means 16 more presets). I would immagine the bigger Mustangs are more easily tweaked, but I don't know.

TELEkinetic

March 24th, 2011, 07:23 PM

I just picked up a Mustang I from GC a couple of days ago. For 99 bucks you can't go wrong. I love the FUSE application and tweaking amps on the fly.

I am primarily using this for practice - combining songs for our worship team from my computer through the Mustang and using headphones. I couldn't be more impressed.

Firmware upgrades are a breeze, and already owning a few gigging amps I can't see opting for the II or larger. I don't want to take up any unneeded space.

On the down side, when running the Amplitude Fender LE software, I experience intermittent distortion the sounds like "ring modulation".

Anybody else seeing this?

tacomamc

April 3rd, 2011, 08:02 PM

I am loving my Mustang I, and have a Digitech RP50 which sounds pretty great through headphones, but less so into my amp. The only thing I can't really get in my Mustang, that my Digitech provides, is a Roto Vibe type effect. If there is one in fuse, clue me in, because i haven't seen it. Two quesitons:

1. do you all run ANY pedals into your Mustang?

2. What is a decent, but inexpensive roto vibe type pedal?

Wyzsard

April 4th, 2011, 07:38 PM

andrewpmast

April 5th, 2011, 08:51 AM

StraightNeck

April 5th, 2011, 02:06 PM

I tried pedals with my Mustang II, cleanest channel I could get. It sounded horrible to me. The overdrives and distortions I had made my ears hurt...

What pedals do you have,Andrew?I bought a Boss OD-3 today after reading
some threads here on TDPRI.And it is terrific with this amp,on every preset.
Only if i have the drive maxed i get some fizziness.Great as a booster too.
Does not change the sound of my Tele,a big +.

andrewpmast

April 5th, 2011, 02:10 PM

What pedals do you have,Andrew?I bought a Boss OD-3 today after reading
some threads here on TDPRI.And it is terrific with this amp,on every preset.
Only if i have the drive maxed i get some fizziness.Great as a booster too.
Does not change the sound of my Tele,a big +.

Hey there... I tried:
Line 6 Uber Metal
BOSS SD-1
Jet City Afterburner

I know the line 6 sounded terrible with it. I was just looking for a quick change because I didn't have a footswitch for the amp. I'm sort of spoiled on tube amps so I may have judged it harshly. I think the BOSS SD1 was decent. The Jet City sounded too harsh with the amp.

nalod

April 6th, 2011, 07:27 PM

Just yesterday I was shopping for an amp. I was convinced I wanted a Fender Frontman 212R. Went to Alamo music in San Antonio. They gave me the universal price of $299.99. I said good, what will you give me form my Fender Super Champ XD. I was told I was already getting a discount and they couldn't take a trade in. I said, see ya.

Went to Guitar Center on San Pedro in San Antoino. Played thru a Fender Mustang III. Price was $299.99. The gave me $115.00 for my amp plus $30.00 for the upgrade in their store. Just sayin'.

Got into the Fuse software today. Changing presets and dumping them on the amp was quite easy. Quite pleased with it.

I see I posted this on the wrong forum. Sorry.

Rusty Rivers

April 13th, 2011, 04:34 AM

I tried pedals with my Mustang II, cleanest channel I could get. It sounded horrible to me. The overdrives and distortions I had made my ears hurt...I use my fuzzes (Analogman Sunface BC108, Peppermint Fuzz, London Fuzz, Soulbender, 80's Rat) into the '57 Deluxe model and they sound great.

RawjerLee

April 14th, 2011, 02:36 AM

I own a Mustang 1.
I was also wondering if anyone has tried patching their Mustang amp to a mixing board via. the speaker emulated headphone jack on the amp itself?

keeffan

April 14th, 2011, 08:20 PM

Picked up a I a couple of months ago. Liked it so much I got a III too.

StraightNeck

April 15th, 2011, 09:38 AM

Cut a slice off the back on my Mustang II.I like it,the bass
is more heavy and punchy.Sprayed the inside black.
80134

henry b

April 15th, 2011, 11:26 AM

Would that affect your guarantee ?

StraightNeck

April 16th, 2011, 06:02 AM

Yes,it does,henry.But i think the amp will hold out through guaranteetime.
If it doesnt,well,i am the stupid one then.

henry b

April 16th, 2011, 01:23 PM

And now you have a neat storage compartment .

StraightNeck

April 16th, 2011, 04:24 PM

Sure have.Amazing amp btw.The amp has some sweet clarity and a powerful low end.
I SAY IT AGAIN,THE BRITISH 60s WITH SOME HAIR IS KILLER WITH A TELE.
I had to shout that out.Even start to like the Metal 2000 aswell.Duh!

Doc Loco

April 30th, 2011, 11:05 AM

StraightNeck

April 30th, 2011, 01:02 PM

Very nice,Doc.Could you ask for more from a SS amp?
Perfect example of what you can do with a Mustang amp.
Nice playing aswell.

Swee_tone

April 30th, 2011, 08:14 PM

Doc, that sounds terrific!

I've been viewing your videos on youtube for a long time now, they're terrific, and thanks for showing us how good these things can sound.

Doc Loco

May 1st, 2011, 04:33 AM

Doc, that sounds terrific!

I've been viewing your videos on youtube for a long time now, they're terrific, and thanks for showing us how good these things can sound.

Thx a lot :smile:

The Tig

June 18th, 2011, 12:56 AM

Bought a barely used Mustang 1 from CL for $70 last night. I updated the firmware right after downloading the latest Fuse app. I played with this sweet little amp most of the day and had a blast. I really like the Fender models.

I downloaded a few user created patches from the Fuse community and loaded them via Fuse. I'll keep learning and tweek a little here and there, but most of the stock models sound pretty good.

I highly recommend everyone update their firmware.

mattio

June 18th, 2011, 04:26 AM

Got my Mustang 1 brand new (well, floormodel actually) a couple of days ago. Amazing little amp for the money. Been playing around with Fuse quite a bit and I really like the whole experience. I have got some great Princeton patches going and it actually sounds pretty good next to my ´72 Princeton Reverb. I also really like the ´57 Deluxe and Champ models. I also updated to the latest firmware yesterday, worked like a breeze, whats not to like about this little thing. :) It also sounds great with headphones and iTunes through aux in for late night practise.

ce24

June 21st, 2011, 04:45 PM

Question: Will any footswitch work to toggle between the channels?

momentary no latching yes

SxFxBryce

August 4th, 2011, 11:41 AM

Uhm... Yeah...

kidmo

August 4th, 2011, 11:44 AM

Sweet, I thought I was the only one that had one!

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii127/Kidmo108/1962_Ford_Mustang_1.jpg

SteveH

August 7th, 2011, 11:08 AM

It's been over 20 yrs since I sold my old Twin, and just getting back into guitar again I nearly had a heart attack seeing the cost of replacing it! ( rrp $3,099 here in Australia!) So I reluctantly started looking at ss amps, remembering what I always thought of them back in the day... - well I'm real glad I decided on a Mustang II.

For me it is fantastic, sounds great at any level I've had it at, and what a difference in portability.

It models the Twin so well it reminds me what I didn't like about mine. Love the Princetons, Deluxe and Vox-like models, and the '63 and '65 reverb units (more reverb!).

I updated the firmware first thing so have had none of the earlier problems, looks/sounds like Fender have sorted it.

I recommend a good tweak in Fuse though, where you'll find the missing Middle tone knob, and can adjust the tones and drive or thresh-hold settings etc. on the fx. or tweak the bias and sag of the amp and change speaker configurations.

I have replaced most of the high-gain models with clean-ish Fender sounds, - no it's not a valve amp but it does a great impression of one, and I am constantly pleasantly surprised at the sweet tones and dynamic responsiveness that can be dialed in.

For the technophobes, once you've set it up you can just treat it like any other amp and fx, without hooking it up to a 'puter every time you want to play.

I found sweeter tones, dirty and clean using low-ish output s/c p/ups, and added a pot to blend in just a little of the second coil on my bridge 'bucker which gives me an almost Jaguar-like growl.

I mainly play at home but also have the occasional jam including drums too, and this little 40 watter can cut it, especially if you add a clean boost in the output rack as mentioned in an earlier post. (thanks for that tip!)

If your a bedroom muso or weekend warrior this amp could do the trick and keep you smiling for a long time.

SteveH

August 9th, 2011, 05:20 AM

Today I got a new lead and used it for my practice session, I had to tweak everything again, and I didn't like the harshness of the top end at all.

I plugged my old Fender lead back in and all was sweet again after resetting.

So out of curiosity I tried a few different leads and sure enough it sounded best with the Fender lead.

dqami

September 7th, 2011, 10:49 AM

Cut a slice off the back on my Mustang II.I like it,the bass
is more heavy and punchy.Sprayed the inside black.
80134

I found my MII to lack some balls considering it has twice the power of my MI so I tried it after taking the back off and man, I couldn't believe it was the same amp. More volume, huge bass and more highs. I'm going to do the same mod to the back as yours to make it permanent. I was thinking of swapping out the speaker but may not now. Highly recommended mod.

rolling56

September 7th, 2011, 10:57 AM

I wanted an open back so that's why i spent the extra $ for the M III. I can almost get a neighbor to hear it now :lol: I really liked my M II though.

garyt

September 12th, 2011, 02:17 PM

Anybody open the back of their MI and see what they thought about the difference?

musicalmartin

September 12th, 2011, 02:28 PM

The Mustang I is certainly a pretty loud amp .It handles jam sessions fine .I also find that it retains a decent tone on low volumes .Late night noodling is fine ,in fact better than my tiny Marshall micro stack .I havnt used my amplug for months .There are some very good tones tucked away in that amp .

Bulldog87

September 18th, 2011, 04:32 PM

Mustang I here... I've posted this elsewhere, but I REALLY want to upgrade to the Mustang III! I love this thing.

God I love the 65 Twin Reverb tone that comes out of this thing.

I'm loving the sound! The 65 Twin Reverb settings are awesome!

GrantR

September 24th, 2011, 12:49 AM

Here's an audio sample I made this afternoon:
http://www.4shared.com/audio/zQgoKbMq/Fender_Mustang_1.html

Recorded with one mic (T.bone SC1100); there's four parts:
1/ Bassman with Squier CV Tele (5 strings "à la Keith")
2/ Deluxe reverb with Squier CV strat 50'
3/ AC30 with '69 Gibson SG jr
4/ Marshall '70 with Gibson LP '57 reissue

I just listened to your mp3 of the Mustang l. It sounds great.

I have just had the loan of a Mustang ll for the weekend, and I am really amazed at the sounds coming out of this little box. It sounds great.

Does anyone here (in the Mustang l & ll club) have any idea how the ll sounds in comparison with the Mustang lll ?

The lll appeals to me because of the screen and ease of tweaking things, and I think it has another amp model ??

Any advice would be appreciated. I am definitely keen to buy a Mustang.

cjburr

September 24th, 2011, 02:00 AM

I'll have to join up here too as I received my MustangII last week and have been having a blast downloading presets, making my own and just generally having fun with this amp.

I have a IV at home and I have to wonder if this is the first MustangII in Afghanistan?? Been getting the thumbs up from the soldiers on duty in the towers and the local kids think it's the shizzle :lol:

Gotta love playing "Rumble" sitting on a tank :shock:

dqami

September 26th, 2011, 10:23 PM

I just listened to your mp3 of the Mustang l. It sounds great.

I have just had the loan of a Mustang ll for the weekend, and I am really amazed at the sounds coming out of this little box. It sounds great.

Does anyone here (in the Mustang l & ll club) have any idea how the ll sounds in comparison with the Mustang lll ?

The lll appeals to me because of the screen and ease of tweaking things, and I think it has another amp model ??

Any advice would be appreciated. I am definitely keen to buy a Mustang.

There's a 3 for sale in the classifieds for $200. That should help you decide.

GrantR

September 27th, 2011, 01:15 AM

There's a 3 for sale in the classifieds for $200. That should help you decide.

Got a 3 today. Problem solved !!! :mrgreen:

Durtdog

September 27th, 2011, 08:27 AM

GrantR

September 27th, 2011, 07:28 PM

After reading the raves (and convincing myself that modeling has to be improving) I bought a Mustang I as a plaything. For $99 I don't expect the world, but I thought I could get a taste of Fender's modeling technology that everyone is raving about.

The jury's still out on this one for me. A/B'd it with my old cheap Peavey Envoy, and the Envoy's winning so far. I haven't bothered A/B-ing it with my SFTR, not even close, nor fair.

I don't know about comparing a 'modelling' amp against an Envoy, which isn't a modelling amp . . . but the Envoy I tried last weekend, is a very impressive little amp! I thought the tones coming out of that amp were particularly good.
Maybe the Mustang 2 would actually impress you more ? I know that when I tried out the 2 last weekend also, I was very impressed with the available amp tones from it.
The way I look at modelling amps is simply having a variety of hopefully mostly useable sounds - in the one amp. They probably aren't meant to replace individual character amps, but are a great asset to have, if you can't afford to own all the amps you would like, or have no means of storing or carrying them to gigs or where ever . . . I am enjoying the Mustang 3 I have just bought, but it won't satisfy all my tonal choices, so other amps are in my sights . . . :smile:

Woody Duke

September 28th, 2011, 03:04 PM

I'm really frustrated - the band I've played with for the last ten years has fizzled. The band originally formed back in 1967 in junior high; it lasted through HS and we got together again in '01 and played regularly for several years but they all seem to have gotten old on me and lost interest (and I'm the one in the wheelchair!) So, I haven't had the chance to play my Mustang II in combat, so to speak. I do play pretty badly due to my illness; maybe they just aren't telling me about their gigs any more.

Rusty Rivers

September 29th, 2011, 04:53 AM

awfulguitarnois

October 8th, 2011, 09:47 AM

Just got a mustang I for $50 on CL last night... I couldn't stop playing with it... a blast! It had never been updated, so I went to the latest firmware. The tweaking is amazing... I know what I'm doing this weekend!

z_artguy

October 20th, 2011, 12:49 AM

I bought a Mustang I a few weeks ago. I really love it It has all kinds of stuff for the sounds I want. I also liked the fuse software that came with it. I was playing Rumble with it and it has perfect distortion.

sfcgragg

October 24th, 2011, 07:24 PM

I got this Mustang II a few months ago, and I love it!

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n159/sfcgragg/sfcgraggs%20album/DSC01043.jpg

xagyg

October 27th, 2011, 08:45 AM

Durtdog

October 27th, 2011, 08:47 AM

I got my Mustang I today. I dislike the presets intensely - too much distortion/noise/processing. I have been spoiled with my Fender Frontman 25R. Oh well, time to try editing those sounds with FUSE to find some clean tones. If I have no joy there, I'll be ebaying it and purchasing a Fender Frontman 15R. I know the Frontman's are great.
I had the same experience, but not the patience to edit the software.

I returned the Mustang and bought a used Peavey Envoy for $60. Really much more to my liking.

z_artguy

October 30th, 2011, 03:35 PM

had to show a pic of my 'stang and guitars
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dana_schnabel/6295522836/

ce24

October 30th, 2011, 11:33 PM

I got my Mustang I today. I dislike the presets intensely - too much distortion/noise/processing. I have been spoiled with my Fender Frontman 25R. Oh well, time to try editing those sounds with FUSE to find some clean tones. If I have no joy there, I'll be ebaying it and purchasing a Fender Frontman 15R. I know the Frontman's are great.
start with the twin....delete all Fx turn sag full on bias full off......maybe the other way around i forgot....then add a little verb if you like or delay whatever is your cup o tea and you should find great clean joy very quickly! good luck...iLove my III.

der_Metzger70

November 9th, 2011, 09:20 AM

Crowden, I agree completely. My first attempt at the Mustang was in Guitar Center and the immediate sound with a bunch of effects that I didn't like totally turned me off in a second. I tried to turn off the effects, but didn't know how. I came back a month later after doing some research and I could only afford the Vypyr 15 or the Mustang I. For me, after I educated myself on how the Mustang worked, and how to get it to do some of what I wanted, I easily got it to sound very nice. But I understand that first sour reaction to the mustang, because it (to me) wasn't intuitive enough. Now, I really like it, and short of a Champ 600 or a Pro Jr, I will keep it.

I know this is an old reply, but I agree with you guys. I researched the Mustang on line and watched several YouTube videos on the amp before I bought it and once I brought it home to integrate with my other effects I hated the sound due to the distortion, but once I figured out how to program the amp and that the controls are all basically soft controls except the Master Volume knob then I realized that even though I had the gain turned down all the way... I had to make sure I programmed the amp in the FUZE software and saved it in that position, otherwise it kept it's soft setting no matter what the knob was set on. Anyhow, it is a great amp and I don't think too many people will like it from first glance until you really get to understand how to tweak it out.

colchar

November 11th, 2011, 01:32 AM

I am now a member of the club as I bought a Mustang I today.

I was looking for a small tube amp to use on various floors of the house so that I wouldn't have to move my H&K around and, after reading about these amps on various forums, I decided to take a flyer and try one as it can easily be returned if I don't like it. I haven't tried it out yet because I am still trying to get the software to load properly (I got it to load but keep getting errors when trying to download an updated version of Fuse) but am sick of sitting at my computer so I think I am going to try it now. Thankfully I have read the various comments about not being able to turn off effects without hooking it up to the computer so I will at least do that before I start playing.

David K. Adams

November 23rd, 2011, 01:19 AM

Got my Mustang I almost a year ago, they had just come out, so didn't exactly what to expect, fired it up and blew my hair back, whats left of it! I have 3 Squier Strats and they all sound great through it. I have a Gibson GA 17 RVT Scout that I baught new in 1965, I treasure it ,but my Mustang gets all the playing time anymore.
Went to my sons on vacation in Aug. he is a gibson guy [ don't know where I went wrong Ha ], I slipped over to GC wilst he was at work, got him a Mustang I, like mine, he was blown away over it! And Yes...Les Pauls do sound great through it. These Fender Mustangs have or are, setting the bar a little higher for the other amp co's, made in China ,or not , they are the best thing to come down the pike, in a long, long time. If yopu don't have one........get one now!!

.....................David

David K. Adams

November 23rd, 2011, 01:29 AM

1965 Gibson Scout, all tube amp have owned it since new, these are super amps, neede only some new caps after 45 years..wow!

One yr old Fender Mustang I, what can I say, that hasn't been said !

swoosta

November 25th, 2011, 01:13 PM

Should I get the Mustang 1 for playing at home, would the 2 be too much. I have a Vox AD30 (which is faulty) and that is pretty noisy at home

dqami

November 29th, 2011, 11:06 AM

Should I get the Mustang 1 for playing at home, would the 2 be too much. I have a Vox AD30 (which is faulty) and that is pretty noisy at home

I own both and prefer the 2 for the 12 inch speaker and having more power never hurts though the 1 is fine for home use. I made my 2 open back which really added to the volume and sounds better to me. One day I may do the same to the 1.

LGOberean

November 29th, 2011, 11:34 AM

Lately I too have been thinking about getting a Mustang, and I was leaning towards getting the II. Just want to see what the buzz is all about, and wanted something for Fender cleans. My hesitancy is I'm not a button pusher, just an old fool from the old school. :oops:

A couple of years ago I was A/B-ing low watt SS amps for home use. I played through a Frontman 25R, a comparable Orange, and something else that I no longer remember (I guess it didn't impress me much). Out of the three, I do remember being most impressed with the Frontman, nice Fender cleans.

So what about a Frontman (either the 25R or the 65R) versus a Mustang? Anyone have experience with both? In terms of cleans, are they pretty much equal, or is one a clear winner?

coldwar1977

November 29th, 2011, 11:38 AM

I'm interested!! does it react well with overdrive pedals in front of it?

mako224

November 29th, 2011, 07:55 PM

One thing I have noticed with my Mustang 1 is that when I play drop d tuning the base is very muddy.

LGOberean

December 6th, 2011, 04:46 PM

Okay, update to my query (see post #215 above). I went to my local GC yesterday, and I've kinda answered my own question.

They opened up a 25R for me and set it down right next to their display of Fender amps. So I plugged into the 25R, and yup, there was a nice emulation of Fender cleans in a small SS amp. I liked it okay, but right next to that FM 25R was the Mustang series, and beside that, an SCXD.

So I plugged into the Mustang I, then the II, and was pleasantly surprised. The cleans on those amps blew the 25R out of the water, and the Fender amp emulations ('57 Deluxe, '59 Bassman, '65 Twin Reverb) were good. Of course, some look down their nose at the Mustangs simply because they're solid state, but that's not an issue with me. The real issue for me is the controls.

I'm sure it's designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, but I'm not an intuitive kind of guy. I didn't find the "Hold this button down while you're twisting this knob" and "Watch for what color the indicator light is" nature of this amp to be all that user friendly.

But impressive tones/emulations of classic Fender amps.

benecol

December 16th, 2011, 06:31 AM

A couple of quick questions for you lot: I'm thinking of picking up a I or a II, and I wanted some advice on which way to jump... It'll be a little amp to play around the house and when the kids have gone to bed, so quiet volumes (say polite TV levels) and a decent headphone out are essential - does the II sound as good as the I at low volumes? I figure there's not much size or weight difference between them.

s.e.d

January 13th, 2012, 04:22 PM

I've had my MII for 3 weeks now. Bought it second hand for a good price imo. I'm fiddling round with it trying to figure out how to use it live with the least hassle.

I think it lacks some bass. Turning the bass up on the Deluxe Reverb model doesn't increase the perceived bass to my ears. I read that some of you converted it into open back. I tried this too. Fabricated a back piece out of plywood. Now there is almost to much bass for my taste! But better to have to much of it than not enough.

Playing with different cabs makes a huge difference imo. I tried to dial in the british 60's model to my liking but couldn't pull it off. I tried it out with different cabs and ended up with the twin cab! Takes the harshness out of it. The champ model on full gain with the Princeton cab was another sweet combo.

Fun little amp. You can have it last a year with a new amp model every month!

dqami

January 15th, 2012, 08:29 PM

I've found the Vox setting to be sensitive to different pickups and sometimes requires more volume to sound good.

PrimeA71

January 19th, 2012, 01:07 AM

I should be part of the club by tomorrow. Purchased a Mustang 2 for a flat $175.00online and expected delivery time is January 19th(tomorrrow). Hopefully it arrives as scheduled. I've been in need of a decent amp for quite awhile but my past experiences with online purchases always seem to take longer than average. I've done a boatload of research about the mustang amps and I'm already hip to many of the popular tweaks that folks have suggested. I'm very aware of it's limitations too but I was wondering if anyone here might have tried hooking up the 4 button footswitch to the 1 or 2's? Apparently the 4 button footswitch is only for the mustang 3,4 and 5 models but I'm wondering if it has ever been attempted. My main gripe with the smaller mustangs is that there isn't the option to switch any of the effects on and off on the fly. Other than that this will fulfill my needs fine.

PrimeA71

January 19th, 2012, 11:51 PM

Well, I'm now ofiicially the proud owner of the Mustang 2. Came today and came early afternoon too! As mentioned plenty of times before, the clean Fender & vox tones are excellent. Also mentioned, most of the higher gain tones are a bit lacking but deeper editing should remedy that besides I don't think I'll have use for the Metal 2000 anyhow. So far, I'd say my top 3 favorite models so far are the Twin Reverb,Bassman & supersonic. Tomorrow I'm getting into the Fuse and adding some bottom end on the supersonic though. Also the Brit 80's isn't half as bad as some folks made it out to be. It has decent low end but if yer shooting for a Malcolm Young tone, the Bassman is probably a better bet. Tomorrow's project is to dial in at least one real nice clean tone,a crunch tone and a lead sound. Might touch on the modulation FX as well. Sounds like a good place to start

Greg M

January 21st, 2012, 10:14 PM

I bought a Mustang I a week ago and have been having a lot of fun with it. Very nice sounds and I still have barely scratched the surface on the downloads and all that. I own a Line 6 Spider IV 75 and while it has tons of sounds and is way louder (obviously) one thing the Mustang definitely beats it on is this: I can turn down my guitar's volume knob effectively just like a tube amp. That doesn't work at all with the Spider.

Highly recommended amp, this little Mustang.

jbrtwork

February 4th, 2012, 03:58 PM

GrantR

February 4th, 2012, 05:29 PM

Bought a used BSB Squier Affinity Tele a couple of weeks ago - my first electric in thirty years. Following the info on this thread, I picked up a Mustang I a couple of nights ago at GC. I've pretty much found that this is about the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Got a lot to learn about Fuse and creating my own presets, but this thing is a blast.

I'm maybe not convinced it is the MOST fun you can have with your clothes on . . . . :lol:, but the Mustangs are certainly great little amps !! I tried a II, and really loved that. Great sounds coming from a little amp!! However, I have ended up with the IV with twin 12" speakers, and I'm really loving the clean(ish) Fender sounds. I think Fender have done a great job with the Mustang series of amps.

I hope you have a real blast with the Mustang I. :smile:

PrimeA71

February 8th, 2012, 07:43 PM

[QUOTE=s.e.d;3849717]I think it lacks some bass. Turning the bass up on the Deluxe Reverb model doesn't increase the perceived bass to my ears. I read that some of you converted it into open back. I tried this too. Fabricated a back piece out of plywood. Now there is almost to much bass for my taste! But better to have to much of it than not enough.

Playing with different cabs makes a huge difference imo. I tried to dial in the british 60's model to my liking but couldn't pull it off. I tried it out with different cabs and ended up with the twin cab! Takes the harshness out of it. The champ model on full gain with the Princeton cab was another sweet combo.

QUOTE]

Definately fool around with cabinet choices!!! I'm really into the Supersonic model but even with the 2x12 ss cab it lacked a really good low end. After some experimentation, I found that the Supersonic w/ the 4x12V could get me a decent Gilmour in Gdansk (ballpark)tone.:mrgreen: I keep both gains at even levels but Have different patches with differant gain levels for rythem and lead work. Modulation wise the chorus and flanger are both surprisingly good though the phaser and vibratone are a bit weak.:sad: The more crazy effects I just delete but other than the chorus and flanger, I would trade everything else for a good univibe/rotary type effect. Anyone else here able to coax a good univibe/rotary simulation from the mustang???

Geo

February 18th, 2012, 11:56 PM

s.e.d

February 19th, 2012, 12:31 PM

Anyone know if a regular single foot switch with 1/4" plug will work on the
Mustang I ? Guess I could just try one but at the same time don't
want to risk damaging something in the amp if not.
The Fender FS looks pretty normal in their photo.

You should be good with any normal latched foot switch. I tried a Boss FS-5U that is unlatched. It did work but only momentary. A Boss FS-5L should work. You could build your own according to this: http://www.tdpri.com/forum/amp-central-station/237550-simple-amp-channel-footswitch-dpdt.html

I ended up doing this quick and dirty with old crap I had laying around. It works.

Daniel

Racer5

February 19th, 2012, 04:20 PM

Just picked up a Mustang I, I like my tube amps but my neighbors don't. This amp is great, sounds nice at very low volume, and since I am a big Guitar Rig user, editing the Fuse settings is a snap. Time to remove all the chuggy metal presets and replace them with lightly compressed AC and bassman tones :lol:

Geo

February 19th, 2012, 10:28 PM

Thanks S.E.D.!

I'm also taming down the metal presets Racer5.

glen smith

February 28th, 2012, 08:46 PM

I received my Mustang II today. Now I just have to learn to play guitar!:oops:

stevehyphen

March 4th, 2012, 05:22 PM

Just went out and bought a Mustang I today. Honeymooning pretty bad with it at the moment, but I believe that this is probably the best purchase I've made since starting to play guitar. Forget that it's a modeling amp and forget that it's made in China... this is a BEEPload of amp and fun for $100. Worth every penny imo. I'm somewhat new to guitar and I'm not great either, but I was playing for maybe 10 minutes and found some excellent and inspiring tones.
My only regret about this purchase is that I wouldn't put it past myself to sell my AC15C1 and pedals right now. I don't play as a professional, I don't even gig, and I don't record.. why do I have a tube amp anyway? Haha

frizzleblink

March 4th, 2012, 11:18 PM

Got my Mustang II, recently, NZ$400 new!

androo

March 6th, 2012, 04:36 PM

Joined the club. Actually....I bought it two months ago with the intention of using it onstage in a musical I was in.

Different setup for this musical...the actors were also the band, and playing the whole show.

I needed something small and light, with a good solid clean tone with a Telecaster. I did the 25 show run with the Mustang I and I thought it worked beautifully. The other guitar player and bass player were both impressed with how nice this little amp is.

I was going to get the II instead, but decided to give the little fella a go.

Very pleased with the Mustang I.

Allthesound

March 6th, 2012, 04:49 PM

I installed a speaker out jack on the back of my Mustang 1 that disables the internal speaker when you plug in , sounds great through a 1 x 12 cab. I would imagine it would drive a 4 x 12 as well.

IMettaMan

March 9th, 2012, 05:20 PM

I bought the Mustang II because I am an old guy and humping stuff around is out of the question. My experience with the Roland40XL was good. I just find that it gets lost in the sound at times when a full band is wailing.
Someone suggested that I give the Mustang series a look. I went out on the net and did my due diligence (imagine a world where we could not do this--I can, and it was well within my lifetime).

The Mustang looks like a very positive move by Fender. Hands down it is a better amp than any s/s state they have produced since the early 90s. Hands down. I hope they don't mess around with it for a long while.

I picked up a Mustang II several weeks ago and I have not found a down side yet given what it is. It's a great, lightweight, BIG sounding (loud when it needs to be), versatile, modelling amp. That 12" speaker really kicks ass!

ce24

March 10th, 2012, 05:05 PM

Zounds Perspex

March 14th, 2012, 04:30 AM

Just bought one of these guys...gonna be my "hotel room amp".

BLAM

March 14th, 2012, 06:20 PM

Hmm, 6 pages of mainly positive reviews. I must take a look see

CarlosN

March 14th, 2012, 08:20 PM

Yep,it's a good amp for the price. I have the Mustang II, and for the price (I paid $200 CAD) I am very happy with it. Bought it last June, and it has never had an issue, and there are lots of effects and modes to play with on the amp, and a ton of settings in the Fuze software to make the guitar sound like anything you want. The 12" speaker sounds great, and it can be very loud if needed, I rarely turn the master volume above 3 (apartment living and all). At medium amp settings it sounds very nice, and that's what I was looking for. I would like to play with a very nice simple tube amp, but in this price range there are not many contenders, and I just love the versatility that the mustang II provides.

Rusty Rivers

March 15th, 2012, 04:20 AM

Still like mine a lot, seems to be sounding better lately after some speaker break in time. With a Fender Cyclone and Marshall 80's/Fuse setting I came up with:

NnrlFPFPsU4

BLAM

March 15th, 2012, 06:37 PM

I joined the club! Got a deal on a Mustang II and been tripping through a few combinations this evening. Lot of fun thus far and some pretty good tones to boot.

forgivenick

March 20th, 2012, 09:38 AM

Just ordered a used one from GC. $60 for a used Mustang I. Can't wait for it to show up.

Allthesound

March 20th, 2012, 01:17 PM

Just ordered a used one from GC. $60 for a used Mustang I. Can't wait for it to show up.

Awesome deal! Your gonna love it. I think you will find its the best 60 you ever spent.

forgivenick

March 20th, 2012, 01:55 PM

Thanks! I sold some of my effects, but still have a few, add well as my blues junior.
How does the mustang fair with od pedals?

Allthesound

March 20th, 2012, 02:38 PM

Thanks! I sold some of my effects, but still have a few, add well as my blues junior.
How does the mustang fair with od pedals?

It handles pedals fine , the effects in the Mustang are good, but sometimes i like to run my pedal board into it. i have a Small stone phaser, a Arion Chorus, Akai Headrush , MXR classic distortion and a Boss Metal Core , no probs with any of them into the Mustang 1

forgivenick

March 20th, 2012, 03:06 PM

It handles pedals fine , the effects in the Mustang are good, but sometimes i like to run my pedal board into it. i have a Small stone phaser, a Arion Chorus, Akai Headrush , MXR classic distortion and a Boss Metal Core , no probs with any of them into the Mustang 1

Good news.
How do the headphone out and speaker compare? I am going to use the headphones lots with this amp.
I will likely do a full review and video demo of the amp once I have it for a few months, but its tough waiting to get it and find out for myself. Until then, I got to live vicariously.

Allthesound

March 20th, 2012, 03:55 PM

Good news.
How do the headphone out and speaker compare? I am going to use the headphones lots with this amp.
I will likely do a full review and video demo of the amp once I have it for a few months, but its tough waiting to get it and find out for myself. Until then, I got to live vicariously.

The headphone out was one of the main reasons i bought it (and it sounds great with my Sony MDR-V6 headphones i have had for 22 years.) I was all set to buy a Egnater Tweaker and went with cash in hand to buy it then ended up buying Ibanez TSA15H instead , neither of the heads had a headphone out. but the TSA was $100 less than the Tweaker and the Mustang was $99 new, (but the sales guys told me they had one used for $49 in the back they were getting ready to put on the floor, Bonus! ) so came away with two amps and could not have been happier.

The Mustang 1 is great also to just grab and go. First time i had a opportunity to do that was this past weekend my nephew was up from Texas and i wanted him to check out the Tele i hand built . So i grabbed the Mustang and we fired it up on my sisters back deck , i was really surprised by how good and full it sounded outside despite its small 8" speaker and cab size.

I did add a 1/4 closed circuit speaker jack on the back of mine so i can drive a larger cabinet with it. That too works very well and for the $3 for the jack it was a hell of an upgrade. When you plug a cable in it disables the internal speaker.