Fender Mustang Build

[Wizard of Wailing]

Hello.  I've built 3 Strats through Warmoth and I want to build a Mustang next. I once owned a 66 Mustang, which I foolishly sold. Rather than buy another 66, I figured I'd build one with a better radius, better tuners, and a better bridge. However, I still want it to sound like my 66. I can't find measurements for a mustang neck at the nut and 12th fret. Does anyone know which Warmoth neck profile is closest to a 66 Mustang? Also, what pickups should I use? My 66 sounded great with distortion, which I have a hard time getting any other single coil guitar to do. There was also no 60 cycle hum. Any advice on these or any other Mustang topics would be appreciated.

 

[AutoBat]

Not sure about the contour portion, but you should contact Roadhouse Pickups. Describe exactly what you're after. He has an excellent reputation on this board (and I can't think of his user name off the top of my head)

Mastery makes a solid unit for a bridge, although not cheap it's probably the best for the Mustang/Jazzmaster style.

 

[alterbridgefan]

troubledtreble. :blob7:

 

[Cagey]

Not sure about the contour portion, but you should contact Roadhouse Pickups. Describe exactly what you're after. He has an excellent reputation on this board (and I can't think of his user name off the top of my head)

Mastery makes a solid unit for a bridge, although not cheap it's probably the best for the Mustang/Jazzmaster style.

+1 on both recommendations.

 

[bagman67]

+1 on Roadhouse.  Ken's username on this board is TroubledTreble. 

 

[alterbridgefan]

If you can find a similar sounding mustang on YouTube, it would probably make ken's job a lot easier.

 

[Wizard of Wailing]

I guess I'm also just wondering if anybody else has had good experiences with using distortion on a mustang. My 66 sounded so much better than any distorted strat or tele I've ever played. Did I just have a diamond in the rough, or has anyone else noticed this with Mustangs?

 

[Cagey]

I guess I'm also just wondering if anybody else has had good experiences with using distortion on a mustang. My 66 sounded so much better than any distorted strat or tele I've ever played. Did I just have a diamond in the rough, or has anyone else noticed this with Mustangs?

It may have been one of those magical issues Fender is known for. I wouldn't give you a plugged nickel for any Mustang I've ever played with, and don't know anyone who would. But, Fenders are funny. Every once in a while you get one that defies all conventional wisdom and is, for lack of a better word, "magical". Trying to reproduce such a thing is usually an exercise in futility, but I suppose you gotta try.

It's basically a "student" guitar, so I suspect a lot of them are built on romantic ideals rather than any objective performance qualities.