![]() VERDICT Full of twinkly character, this is an easy and enjoyable introduction to the world of offset-waist guitars.FINISH Firemist Gold (as reviewed), Sienna Sunburst or Sonic Blue (both with maple fingerboard).STRING SPACING 35.5mm at nut, 51.5mm at bridge.NECK DEPTH 21.4mm at first fret, 23.2mm at 12th fret.NECK WIDTH 41.7mm at nut, 51.4mm at 12th fret.ELECTRONICS 2x Fender Mustang single-coil pickups, master volume and tone, three-way pickup switch.HARDWARE Through-body bridge with bent steel saddles, sealed tuners.BUILD Offset double-cutaway alder body, bolt-on maple neck with 9.5” radius pau ferro fingerboard, dot inlays, 22 medium jumbo frets and synthetic bone nut.DESCRIPTION 6-string solidbody electric guitar, made in Mexico.Key Features Fender Player Mustang – 8/10 Maybe that line isn’t so blurred after all. What’s clear in the end is that both guitars live up to the associations of their body types: the bluesy ‘straight’ guitar versus the impudent offset. While the Player Mustang has a you-know-you-want-me twinkle in its eye, the Duo-Sonic is most likely to appeal as a practical choice for those who like Strat-style tones but find full-scale guitars a stretch. It’s a less immediately seductive guitar, however. Served with a chunk of overdrive it can get pretty soulful, most notably on the neck pickup, and at high gain levels its top end is easier to control than that of the Mustang. Stratocaster fans might be more at home with this model, as it offers some of the airiness and cluck associated with Fender’s most famous double-cut. “this pair demonstrates how much Fender has been blurring the line between mainstream Strats and underdog offsets” There’s no shimmery treble or richly complex midrange here, just a pleasantly balanced single-coil sound. They’re a lot less perky than the ones in the Mustang – and that, combined with the short scale, is a formula for something ever so slightly timid. It can’t really be about the shape, so it must be down to the pickups. Nicely fretted and well set up out of the box, it sings out through a clean amp with a biting top end and a tangy midrange that’s definitely more Jaguar than Strat or Tele. There’s nothing in these low-output pickups that’s going to make up for the lack of body in its acoustic voice but if you’re primarily a rhythm guitarist looking for an easy player with bags of cheeky chime, this Mustang has to be a contender. The answer, we’re relieved to report, is that this guitar is very much worthy of the model name on its headstock. Could that be down to the aluminium guard?īut it’s the Mustang that wins the race to the amp, because we’re dying to find out if it really sounds like an offset or just a two-pickup Stratocaster in disguise. For the record, though, the contrast is quite dramatic: both these Fenders are lightweights sonically as well as physically, but the Duo-Sonic has much more midrange spank. Given the similar build of these guitars, any major differences in acoustic tone can probably be put down to the standard variance you’ll get between two slabs of the same wood. Just how different they are, we’ll find out soon enough. While the units themselves look identical – and all four give DC resistance readings in the low sixes – they’re not actually the same across both models. Give yourself a sticker if you spotted that the Duo-Sonic’s bridge pickup isn’t angled like the one on the Mustang, but there’s more to it than that. Well, the Mustang has a bigger headstock, just as it did when it arrived in 1964, but there’s something potentially more significant going on with the pickups. So, any other differences to be aware of before we get stuck in? “the Player Mustang has a you-know-you-want-me twinkle in its eye the Duo-Sonic will appeal to those who like Strat-style tones” ![]() It is basically a banoffee pie in guitar form, but that’s what the early ones all looked like. This luscious Firemist Gold is about as bold as it gets for the Mustang, while the Duo-Sonic’s green and blue options keep things cool and tasteful for those who find the sweetness of the Desert Sand finish – complete with gold aluminium pickguard – a little cloying. There are no psychedelic green or purple finishes on offer here, though.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |