NEWSLETTER - VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 1 - The Fender Mustang
The Fender Mustang
The Fender Mustang was introduced in August 1964 before the sale of Fender Electric Instruments to CBS. The idea was to create a mid-line model between the student grade DuoSonic, and the professional Telecaster. The Mustang was a very popular model, and was made until 1981. Originally designed with a 22.5" inch scale guitar, the Mustang is almost always found with a 24 inch scale. Early models had a slab alder body, but it was given the patented Fender contour body in early 1969.
The Mustang had two pickups and (usually) a 24" short scale length. Though the scale length is longer than the original Duosonics/Musicmasters (which had 22.5" scales), the Mustang is still considered a "student model". Hence their value is low compared to other models. Originally the Mustang was introduced to replace the entire DuoSonic/MusicMaster line, becoming the new Fender student model. But The introduction of the Mustang moved the DuoSonic/MusicMaster lines to a second generation, 24" scale length. Due to extreme backorders, all student-line Fenders stayed intact to 1969 when demand dropped and the DuoSonic was discontinued.
August 1964 Mustang specs
Slab body, red or white or blue finish.
Gold "transitional" peghead logo.
2 slant mounted pickups with plastic covers and no visible poles.
2 on/off switches.
Master volume and tone.
Tremolo.
The 1965-1966 Fender Mustang
A couple of things changed in late 1965 to early 1966. The biggest change was the enlargement of the headstock, in line with the BIG HEADSTOCK found on other Fender guitars of the time. The tuners also changed to the "F-keys" with sort of square-ish white plastic pegs. The neck plate changes to the "F-series." The pickup's base plate changes to gray color. An additional patent number appears on the Headstock.
The 1967-1968 Fender Mustang
Around 1967, a couple of little details change on the Mustang. First the "OFFSET Contour Body" decal on the headstock dissapears (this reappears somewhere down the road). Second, the "Dynamic Fender Vibrato" which used to say "PAT PEND" acquires a patent number. Third, the headstock patent numbers change again.
1968 Mustang specs
Black Fender decal.
"F" style tuning gears replaces Kluson gears.
Polyester thick finish replaces nitrocellulose lacquer.
The 1969 Fender Mustang / Competition Mustang
The biggest change to the Mustang occurred in 1969. The forearm contour and the back contour are added to the body. This marks the end of the slab bodied Mustangs. The "Made-In-Japan Fender '69 Mustangs" are reissue of this era of Mustangs. Also, this is the year the Competition Mustangs were introduced. Basically, the Competition Mustangs are Mustangs with different paint scheme. They came in Red Competition (w/cream stripes), Blue Competition (w/light blue stripes), and Orange Competition (w/dark orange stripes) colors with contrasting racing strips right around the forearm contour on the front side of the body. The stripes were "thin-thick-thin" stripes with the base body color showing between the stripes. The stripes were only applied on the front of the body and not on the back. The Competition models apparently came standard with matching headstocks. However, there are a significant number of these Competition Mustangs with non-matching headstocks, so it probably could have been both ways.
1969 "Competition" Mustang specs
Red, blue, burgundy or orange finish with a white racing stripe.
Contour body.
The early '70s Fender Mustang / Competition Mustang
Around 1970, the regular Mustangs were discontinued and replaced by the Competition Mustangs. None of the features on Mustangs really change until about 1973 and since a '67 Mustang isn't really worth more than a '72 Mustang, I don't think anybody really took great interest during this era unlike the more expensive Stratocasters and Telecasters. Besides, Fender stopped dating the neck in this time frame and started using codes that require deciphering, making it doubly difficult to tell the manufacture date (yes, you can still look at the pot dates).
The mid '70s Fender Mustang
Around 1976, the black pickguard (black-white-black) replaces the white pickguard, the volume and tone knobs are changed to black ones used on the Stratocaster, and the tremolo bar tip is changed from white to black. One piece maple neck is available as an option. Along with the rest of the Fender line-up, all Mustangs had Ash body around this time frame.
The late '70s to early '80s Fender Mustang
In the late '70s, Antigua is added as a new color to the Mustang. In 1977, the serial numbers move to the headstock (from the neckplate). These have the "S7xxxxx," "S8xxxxx," and "S9xxxxx" serial number sequences. The "S" stands for "Seventies" (and later "E" stands for "Eighties") and the second digit denoting the year of the decade (i.e. S7=77, S8=78, and S9=79). All Mustangs made in the '80s wear the the "S9xxxxx" serial number.
"Mustang 84"
Apparently in 1984, Fender made one last batch of U.S. made Mustangs for Yamano Music Store (a major Fender distributor in Japan) as the 20th Anniversay of the Mustang. These Mustangs apparently had funky features as listed below.
No serial numbers (usually, this era Fender had the "S9xxxxx.." serial number on the headstock)
Cremish white body color
Two string guides
Brownish "Red Tortoise Shell" pickguard
White pickup covers with rosewood fretboards or black pickup covers with one piece maple neck
Black pickup selector switches
Reissue '69 Mustangs -- Fender "Collectables"
Fender Japan started manufacturing the '69 Reissue Mustangs sometimes in the late '80s to the early '90s as part of their "collectibles" series. These Mustangs have the 24" Long Scale with "A" neck width. Two colors - Vintage White and Sonic Blue - were offered.. Tthese Mustangs are still made and are available in Japan. Reissue Competition Mustangs were also offered for the Japanese market only. These guitars have the "Made In Japan" or "Crafetd in Japan" decal on the back of the neck just above the body joint so it's easy to distinguish from the "real" ones.
Other Reissue Mustangs
Fender Japan made quite a few limited edition Mustangs exclusively for the Japanese Market. This includes the Custom Mustang, the '66 Mustang Reissue, and the '69 Competition Mustang Reissue. The '66 has been reissued in both the Blue and White around 1992 and the '69 has been reissued in Blue, Red, and Orange Competition models with matching headstocks around 1996 (although the Orange was more of a Capri Orange used as part of the International Color series in Fender in 1981). All of these reissues are based on the 24" long scale with "A" neck width. There is also the reissue Mustang Bass from Fender Japan.
Around 1999, the "Silver Mustang" was produced as a limited edition model for the Japanese Market. The body is silver as is the headstock as is the back of the neck. Everything is painted silver!! Also, in 1999, a music store chain in Japan called "KEY - Music Land" had a limited run on Competition Mustangs made in Orange and Blue Competition. These don't have matching headstock like the earlier "Fender Limited Edition" and has "Crafted in Japan" decal on the back of the neck instead of the more common "Made in Japan" decal.
Also, over at Ikebe Gakki, they have their Fender Japan Limited Edition Kurt Cobain Mustangs. It's basically a reissue Mustang with a humbucker pickup in the bridge position. It comes in the slab body style '66 model and the contoured body style '69 model. You can get this guitar with an optional Tune-O-Matic bridge!!
Reference
Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars by George Gruhn and Walter Carter
The Fender Book by Tony Bacon and Paul Day
The Fender Stratocaster by A.R. Duchossoir
The Fender 1 STRATOCASTER by Rittor Music
The Galaxy of Stratocaster by Yasuhiko Iwanade
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The Guitar Colonel
All prices negotiable - Call (+61) 03 95319143 or (+61) 0422 958 522 or Email anthony@guitarcolonel.com
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NEWSLETTER - VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 1 - The Fender Mustang
NEWSLETTER - VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 2 - The Fender Precision Bass
NEWSLETTER - VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 3 - The Gibson Les Paul Special P100 Pickups
NEWSLETTER - VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 4 - The Gibson Les Paul Classic - A brief history
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