Anyone played the new Squier VM Mustang yet?

jcb3030 · Post by **jcb3030** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 5:47 pm

othomas2, one last question....

Which do think is the better value, a new $300 Squier VM or a decent used $500 Fender Mustang RI?

markarkark · Post by **markarkark** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 6:40 pm

great review! i guess this makes the long list of guitars i want to pick up in the (probably distant) future. what are the tuners like?

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 7:55 pm

jcb3030 wrote:Thanks for that thorough review. Overall sounds sweet for $300.

Sorry about the noise. Think you just got a bad Apple?

The pickups are decent?

What mini bucker are you swapping in? The neck pup you are leaving stock?

How is the bridge? I don't use the trem.

Do you like the color or do wish you got a different one?

Judging by the crud in the neck pocket and the solder joint that came off... I think these are definitely made at speed but with good tolerances. I think the pickups are just fine, definitely useable for sure. Will be keeping the neck pickup as stock, sounds good. Have installed a JB jr in the bridge already under the original cover. Took A LOT of effort to install. I will say anyone planning to re-use the cover, then don't !! It's glued together with a hardened resin type material... even if you prize them apart a lot of that will still remain in the cover which is really hard to clean out. Everything else was a struggle too.... don't know if it was because I was tired but it was a faff through & through, and still excess noise as mentioned earlier. Something isn't right but gonna re-solder all joints when I get the chance... I think that may just fix it.

speedfish wrote: Did the neck arrive straight and flat? Did you have to adjust the truss rod?

Thanks for the review.

Err, it should never be dead straight, but it had the right curvature with the strings provided. When changing to the 11s I had to give it a tweak, but that's fairly normal. The truss rod seems very responsive which is a good sign. You can feel a nice amount of resistance and change with just a slight turn.

jcb3030 wrote:othomas2, one last question....

Which do think is the better value, a new $300 Squier VM or a decent used $500 Fender Mustang RI?

Personally, if you have patience and happy to spend $500 I would opt for the Japanese mustang... but then again... Fender Japanese guitars are probably my favourite guitars out there. But, if you want a guitar soon and strapped for cash then go for the VM Mustang... it's really good for the money. And the stock pickups will probably be better.

Mustangs aren't my favoured guitar, which is why I was so keen to get one of these.... it was at a price that I wanted to spend on one. Comparing it to my Japanese Jag, I think the Jag comes up trumps. Like I said earlier, the majority of Fenders have a depth that I just can't find in modern day Squiers. Hope this helps.
O

jcb3030 · Post by **jcb3030** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 10:10 pm

Thanks again, othomas2. Great info.

How would you compare the VM neck vs a recent '65 RI neck? I'm thinking I might splurge on the fender, but am worried the neck might be too old school style...thin and narrow.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Fri Jul 27, 2012 10:42 pm

If you prefer a beefier neck, then don't go for the Japanese Mustang. It is quite slim.

I haven't had the chance to play too may Japanese mustangs and especially the '65 because they're few and far between in the UK from my experience... but one thing I find from the VM Mustang, it has Chunkier neck than I was expecting !!

Sounds like it might be the better option for you. I can't think you can go wrong for the price, it's great ! If you can, try them out... what I like and you like could be worlds apart.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 4:52 pm

Figured out the noise issue with help from Offset and that's now sorted. The two cavities needed bridging together. Something was going astray with the switch casing (or something else metal) touching the the conductive paint inside the main cavity and not fully grounding itself, only via the bridge.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:36 pm

Looks good Owen, the tort is the only thing im not convinced with but good review!

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:41 pm

ILIKETHETORT !!!! no seriously, I think I'm the only one that does.

Not trying to diss this chappy, each to their own and all that. But I would much prefer the tort I have, than the avri tort that he's put on his ?

http://www.shortscale.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47856

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 7:59 pm

I see what you mean.

That noise issue is a weird thing with Mustangs, i had that problem on a particular MIJ and could not find the issue for the life of me. In the end i just blamed the pups.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Tue Jul 31, 2012 4:51 pm

Did a clip while messing around earlier.... totally unprepared.

I tried to use most of the pickup options available, but the audio (and sloppy playing) doesn't really reflect that too well haha... Jb Jr in the bridge, so not completely factory spec. In hindsight I don't know why I bothered with the loop station, should have just strummed a few chords and switched between the pickups, but it was just what I doing at the time. Anyways...

[youtube][/youtube]

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 6:53 pm

Great demo Owen, better than most of the shit pro channels put up. Really like the Loop Station idea going through different guitar settings, it gives a perception from a song structure point of view.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:20 pm

Cheers Fran, very ropey playing.... I'm not normally that bad. I always tend to record myself half pissed lol.

Problem is if I crank the amp further it'll distort the mic on my phone, so not the best all round.

On top of the JB jr, I've since fitted a tunomatic and some straploks.

Plays a lot better now... spent along time tweaking to getting it where I want it. Pickups swap / Action / truss rod / Shim / pickup height / nut file / trem tweak etc etc.

gusman2x · Post by **gusman2x** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:46 pm

That was an awesome demo. Really enjoyed your playing too

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:21 pm

othomas2 wrote:Cheers Fran, very ropey playing.... I'm not normally that bad. I always tend to record myself half pissed lol.

You sound good to me mate, nowt ropey about that demo

Any significant difference with the TOM fitted?

I tell ya, im loving this, affordable classic guitars that are good quality and you can mod all day long. I want one of everything. Squier fucking rule.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:16 pm

As cliched as it sounds it really does add mass, sustain and generally feels more solid... perhaps more generic you could say. More Gibsony. I got used to that since having a tuno on my jag... regardless of any Kurt connection.

With a shim especially .... there was no way round keeping that stock bridge on the mustang without mods. I'd find you'd hit a intonation screw at both ends, and the saddle grub screws would feel spiky on the hand like a strat trem often does, and constantly dropping themselves. Maxing them out would have not benefit either. Unless you you cut down the intonation screws and apply tape or threadlock to the grub screws then that would be an ongoing issue. You may also notice I switched the bridge around in the demo ... as you could almost get away without any contact that way when intonated properly.

I figured I'd swap it out and be done with it. However, it took quite a lot of modding to the tuno as well... I had to dremel the bottom of the bridge and the posts to get it low enough. Also the I needed to file down the saddles, but there's no buzz whatsoever... but it isn't adjustable. It's cut for this guitar and set that way. I've said before somewhere, that I find the vibrations on Squiers between neck / body are lacking , so this help with that too. Still not perfect but better.

Having said all that, If you like the traditional characteristics of an offset / shortscale... of course you can use all that to your advantage.... it's part and parcel with these guitars. The dry, plinky, vibrating noises behind the bridge has their benefits also. Just depends what you want. I would at least opt for a mustang bridge.... the varying size of the saddle barrels does help, without those pesky grub screws.

O

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:29 pm

othomas2 wrote:As cliched as it sounds it really does add mass, sustain and generally feels more solid... perhaps more generic you could say. More Gibsony. I got used to that since having a tuno on my jag... regardless of any Kurt connection.

+1 on everything, including the "had a TOM on my Jag" bit. I've also experimented with one on my JS, but didn't like it as much as on the Jag because the neck is so much smaller-feeling and it's rather unbecoming of the TOM setup versus the vintagey shortscale feel imo (a little bit ironic, doncha think?)

If you put a TOM on a Mustang, Jag or Jazzmaster it's a completely different feeling/sounding guitar. More "generic" kind of hits the nail if only because TOM'd Gibsons are some of the big, ubiquitous designs out there like the Strat/Tele. Offsets have way more of a stand-alone character in their old-school form, with the TOM you lose almost all of that. If you've compared lead guitar playing on a CP or Mascis to a '58 JM or '62 Jag design you've probably got a good handle on what it changes... but just strumming chords unplugged and that, particularly jangly stuff with a mix of fretted/open strings, is far different with the different bridges.

jagsonic · Post by **jagsonic** » Wed Aug 08, 2012 10:59 am

Is that sonic blue?!? It's very white in my eyes...

Phil O'Keefe · Post by **Phil O'Keefe** » Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:12 pm

I would at least opt for a mustang bridge....

Don't forget guys - these are 9.5" radius necks, vs the traditional Mustang's 7.25" fingerboard radius... a stock Mustang bridge and saddles won't work properly. Warmoth makes a replacement Mustang style bridge with adjustable saddles (for $50) that will work, and Graph Tech sells adjustable Mustang saddles (for $33) that will also work, but used Mustang saddles off Ebay or from the classifieds here won't.

http://www.warmoth.com/Modified-Mustang ... -P616.aspx

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessor ... s-set-of-6

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:27 pm

I gotta say Phil.. I like the idea of a TOM and agree with Owens extra mass=more sustain theory. I fitted a TOM on the Jag-Stang i built and im impressed with the Squier JMJM as well.
Thanks for the info though, some guys will no doubt want to keep it traditional.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Thu Aug 09, 2012 12:56 am

othomas2 wrote:Did a clip while messing around earlier.... totally unprepared.

I tried to use most of the pickup options available, but the audio (and sloppy playing) doesn't really reflect that too well haha... Jb Jr in the bridge, so not completely factory spec. In hindsight I don't know why I bothered with the loop station, should have just strummed a few chords and switched between the pickups, but it was just what I doing at the time. Anyways...

[youtube][/youtube]

nice demo !!!

reminded me of a dead deer by Casket Lottery

[youtube][/youtube]