I think I've caught the bug hard, would love to shop around for a vintage Fender Mustang - oddly enough this is the guitar that got me interested in offsets in the first place, but instead I somehow ended up buying a Jaguar and Jazzmaster instead!
I'm honestly a bit worried about shopping Vintage and don't want to get ripped off, and would really love some guidance. I'm currently evaluating a 1966 Daphne Blue (if I'm not mistaken) with OHSC, but I'm open to checking out other Mustangs. I'm just trying to figure out what exactly I need to ask and look for!
Besides, these things, what else do I need to do/ask?
How can I make sure the neck/plate belongs to the body?
I know the neck's heel should say the year, correct?
How do I check the body is legit?
Electronics - any guidance here? Especially if item is consigned, they won't know the full history!
Would appreciate any and every tip you guys can provide. Thanks so much, and I'm so excited!
the serial number on the neck plate should have a number that corresponds to the general time the guitar was made. ask for the number, check it against a website that has such info. if the serial number points to 1976 or something, you know it's unlikely to be original.
the neck on a 60s fender will have the code number (9 or whatever), the month and year stamped on. they changed to a different method of stamping in the mid 70s.
ask for gut shots if possible- pickup bobbins, pots, routs and the neck pocket- if it's a refin that's the first place to look.
if you get it and something doesn't add up, but the guitar plays well and sounds good, ask for some money back. bear in minds that mustang aren't worth a lot of money, few people are going to risk doing a cut and shut to turn a quick buck. a pre CBS Strat or Tele, maybe, but hacked up mustangs are usually easy to spot.
my advice- stick to 64-66. later ones are different guitars, and unless you particularly want a compstang I'd be more careful the further on in time you get.
Last edited by stewart on Tue Jun 17, 2014 9:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thanks so much for your reply, that is really helpful!
I can't wait to look for a great Mustang. I'm worried about "refins" - I don't think I care too much whether the finish is OG or not, but obviously an original finish is generally going to be a lot more valuable than a refinish - so I don't want to be overpaying for a refin.
Just like was said above, the pots have numbers imprinted on them that can be decoded for the date. Pickups will have the date stamped on the bottom of them. Neck will have a stamp at the heal and normally stamps on the underside where it screws on. Neck pocket normally has stamps also.
I'm going to have to stop by the shop to take a good look. This '66 Mustang is a consignment item, so they didn't know a whole lot about the guitar.
Based on the specs below is $875 (total price, inclusive of tax) fair?
From what I'm hearing:
'66 original in blue (they didn't specify which shade)
2 sets of pickups (unsure if it's vintage pickups in or out of the guitar)
Neck appears to be original but they didn't remove the neck from body to check
No tremolo arm
non original tuners (Schaeller, shop thinks - "Made in Germany")
original hard shell case included
Serial #118128
stewart wrote:oops, originally wrote 'neck plate' rather than 'neck heel' when I was talking about the stamp. typo.
There's also a serial number on the neck plate though, right? Generally the serial number corresponds with a specific year as well, although it won't be obvious at first. You have the Google "Fender serial numbers" for a decoding method. It's pretty straightforward.
Also, $875 seems fair for that guitar assuming the original pups are included. I had a mid 70s musicmaster and the tuners were in dire need of replacement. So new tuners aren't always a bad thing.
Is this Mustang at Real Guitars? Don't worry... I'm not going to buy it! I'm actually going to look for a Japanese 65 Mustang reissue as soon as I get to Taiwan.
If you want to know if the vibrato mechanism is original, the screw that keeps the handle in should be flat head, not hex, if there is still a screw in place. And the bridge should have little volcano/anthills where the holes are.
Here's what I mean about the bridge, right next to the low E saddle:
Neck will have a stamp at the heal and normally stamps on the underside where it screws on. Neck pocket normally has stamps also. 
