I label the Fender Mustang Bass as retro because everything about it is almost exactly the same as when it was introduced to the market originally in 1966.
When Fender does an exact-spec reissue of a particular instrument, they appropriately call it a reissue. Not so with the Mustang. The reason it’s not called a reissue is because almost nothing about it has changed. You will not find any new Mustang “Deluxe” or “Special” or any other type of model. Just plain ol’ Mustang.
Fender does not promote this model of bass guitar whatsoever, and while I’m sure a few of you out there have heard of it, I doubt you knew it was still being made.
What makes the Mustang Bass different?
The Mustang Bass is a short scale bass guitar. It’s just 30 inches (or 76.2 centimeters for you metric types). In comparison, both the Precision and Jazz Bass models have a 34in/86.36cm scale, meaning the Mustang’s scale is significantly shorter.
The fretboard radius is vintage-spec at 7.25in/18.415cm, which is significantly rounder than the modern 9.5in/24.13cm radius.
The Mustang bass has nickel/silver frets on it. And while the Fender web site does not state the size of the frets, I’m certain they’re not medium jumbo.
The neck has 19 frets instead of the modern 20.
What this means to players is this:
For large individuals, the Mustang will feel toy-like in every way. If you’re used to the P or J, your fret hand will scrunch up like crazy due to the smaller spacing between the frets, and it will take you a while before you get used to it. However, if you’re the type that likes to solo, the short scale may be very much to your liking as you can whiz around the neck like nobody’s business.
For smaller individuals, the Mustang may be your dream bass guitar. Put simply, if when sitting with a standard P-Bass or J-Bass you literally can’t reach the G string tuning machine, you will be able to with the Mustang because it’s a full four inches shorter, and that puts everything in easy reach.
What does the Mustang Bass sound like?
It’s a tough call to say what the Mustang’s tone character is. It has an alder body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and a split single-coil like what you could get on a P. However the neck is shorter and that does affect the sound.
The best way I can describe the Mustang is that it “mostly sounds like a P”. Or to put in even more simpler terms, it “sounds like a Fender”. You wouldn’t mistake it for sounding like any other bass guitar brand.
Below is an example of the Mustang Bass sound where Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads is playing one in 1978. Hers was unique in the respect that it had a competition stripe, and both a straight and a split-coil pickup. Fortunately during the recording the bass was recorded nice and LOUD and completely dry, so you can really hear what it sounds like.
The Fender-branded Mustang Bass is made in Japan, and there is also a Squier model called the “Vintage Modified Mustang Bass”, which I believe is made in Indonesia.
Unfortunately, the Fender version only comes in one finish option (shown at the top of this article), that being Vintage White with 4-ply tortoise shell pick guard. That’s it.
The Squier version has a maple fretboard and has the two finish options of black or 3-tone sunburst. It also for some strange reason has Stratocaster-like black Fender “tophat” control knobs on it.
Personally, it would be really cool if the Fender version had the additional classic Fender finish options of Dakota Red, Daphne (or Sonic) Blue, and 3-Tone Sunburst (of course), but Vintage White is all you’ll get in the Fender-branded department.
On a final note, if you absolutely must have that total vintage look, there’s an easy way to do that with the Mustang Bass. Swap out the pick guard for a red version of the same texture type.
This is what it looks like:
Why did Fender decide to go with the brown and not the red? I have no idea because the combination of an aged white finish with the red guard is one of the classic Fender looks.
If you want the red guard, you may have to have it custom ordered – so be aware of that.
The Mustang Bass is one of those instruments that has Fender bass tone in a smaller package, and is built to retro spec front to back, top to bottom.
What’s the main negative side of the Mustang Bass? Other than the potential cons I mentioned above, actually finding one to try out before buying isn’t exactly easy. If you want to put the Mustang short scale in your collection of instruments but can’t find one to try out in person, seek out the Squier version to get a general feel for it first.
I own the Fender one, great bass built by Tokai apparently, so you’ll get a “just perfect” finish only Japanese do. The instrument stay in tune greatly and sound like you say somewhere around the p bass. A great modern recording featuring a Mustang Bass is the album called Rome of Daniel lupi and danger mouse (many believe it is a bass VI but danger mouse play a Mustang bass). Just the bass and a compressor and here is the sound that drive this album.
I have to correct you however about coming from regular 34 inch scale bass. I came from a cabronita precision bass and I instantanetly feel at home with the mustang, after one hour of playing I just decide to sell my cabronita because I do not recognise her anymore and do not know how to play on it (the bass suddenly feel so boring and unesserly hard to play). So I keep the cabronita for a while alongside the mustang just to get sure it is not a temporary feeling (because of that honeymoon you have with a new instrument) but in the end I just keep the mustang and that’s it, only play this one.
Great bass and sound great too if you plan mute your strings and pluck with a pick (but sound great with fingers too obviously).
Cheerz