new stuff from fender japan

[Bacchus]

I don't get the aluminum guard hate, IMO it's still the only way to make sunburst look respectable,

Wrong. That's a refinish you're thinking of.

[Nick]

Its a nice option though. If they can offer it with Jags, Strats and Teles then why not Mustangs, Jazzys will be next.

I've always seen the mustang as a guitar that people play to get a specific sound, much like the jaguar and telecaster. I know nothing is really sacrilege with you in terms of modifying guitars, and I definitely have thrown humbuckers in some of my favorite single coil guitars (look at my poor Blazer), but if you're buying a brand new guitar to get a humbucker sound there's already tons of options, I don't see the reason to go with a mustang, unless you just want teh kurdtz

I understand what your saying, the bit in bold truly made me lolz
I dunno if this Fender-Humbucker-Krudtz mentallity is strong on here because most of us came off JS.Com but its not relevant to me. I never really liked Nirvana and i certainly dont respect Cobain as a player like i do others. The thing is i like Fender guitars, more so offsets and 'Stangs, but i find it difficult to get the sounds i need with single coils. Fair enough, i could use a lot of FX like Aaron North does with NIN to achieve heavier sounds with his Cyclone and Jazzmasters and its something i have been looking into. But an easier option is humbuckers.
I hear what your saying about inherant tone but theres a few odd guys out there like myself that want something different. Fender obviously know this hence the variety in what was once a strictly traditional market.

Agreed, I guess I'm just not too keen on pre-hot rodded guitars. There's something different about buying a guitar that's already been "modified" vs putting a different pickup in a guitar you already own and love, and getting to choose which pickups to install. Most guitars I've played like this (like that hot rodded tele they made with a similar SD mini hum in the neck last year) feel awfully unbalanced to me, and are pretty much trying to generalize what people who swap pickups in their guitars are looking for, and just based on logic alone, they aren't going to please everyone with whatever pickups they go with.

[Fran]

I've always seen the mustang as a guitar that people play to get a specific sound, much like the jaguar and telecaster. I know nothing is really sacrilege with you in terms of modifying guitars, and I definitely have thrown humbuckers in some of my favorite single coil guitars (look at my poor Blazer), but if you're buying a brand new guitar to get a humbucker sound there's already tons of options, I don't see the reason to go with a mustang, unless you just want teh kurdtz

I understand what your saying, the bit in bold truly made me lolz
I dunno if this Fender-Humbucker-Krudtz mentallity is strong on here because most of us came off JS.Com but its not relevant to me. I never really liked Nirvana and i certainly dont respect Cobain as a player like i do others. The thing is i like Fender guitars, more so offsets and 'Stangs, but i find it difficult to get the sounds i need with single coils. Fair enough, i could use a lot of FX like Aaron North does with NIN to achieve heavier sounds with his Cyclone and Jazzmasters and its something i have been looking into. But an easier option is humbuckers.
I hear what your saying about inherant tone but theres a few odd guys out there like myself that want something different. Fender obviously know this hence the variety in what was once a strictly traditional market.

Agreed, I guess I'm just not too keen on pre-hot rodded guitars. There's something different about buying a guitar that's already been "modified" vs putting a different pickup in a guitar you already own and love, and getting to choose which pickups to install. Most guitars I've played like this (like that hot rodded tele they made with a similar SD mini hum in the neck last year) feel awfully unbalanced to me, and are pretty much trying to generalize what people who swap pickups in their guitars are looking for, and just based on logic alone, they aren't going to please everyone with whatever pickups they go with.

Yeah, it is a shame. I really cant get my head around that. My MIK Toronado has balanced Duncan Designed humbuckers and upgrades are not needed, they go and discontinue it then produce all these other more expensive models with naff pickup choices. Weird.
On the flipside, it is sometimes more economical to buy a straight traditional model and modify it yourself like i did the burgundy mist Jag. It worked out a lot cheaper than buying an HH model. I suppose that depends on your skills though.

[william]

I've always seen the mustang as a guitar that people play to get a specific sound, much like the jaguar and telecaster. I know nothing is really sacrilege with you in terms of modifying guitars, and I definitely have thrown humbuckers in some of my favorite single coil guitars (look at my poor Blazer), but if you're buying a brand new guitar to get a humbucker sound there's already tons of options, I don't see the reason to go with a mustang, unless you just want teh kurdtz

I understand what your saying, the bit in bold truly made me lolz
I dunno if this Fender-Humbucker-Krudtz mentallity is strong on here because most of us came off JS.Com but its not relevant to me. I never really liked Nirvana and i certainly dont respect Cobain as a player like i do others. The thing is i like Fender guitars, more so offsets and 'Stangs, but i find it difficult to get the sounds i need with single coils. Fair enough, i could use a lot of FX like Aaron North does with NIN to achieve heavier sounds with his Cyclone and Jazzmasters and its something i have been looking into. But an easier option is humbuckers.
I hear what your saying about inherant tone but theres a few odd guys out there like myself that want something different. Fender obviously know this hence the variety in what was once a strictly traditional market.

Agreed, I guess I'm just not too keen on pre-hot rodded guitars. There's something different about buying a guitar that's already been "modified" vs putting a different pickup in a guitar you already own and love, and getting to choose which pickups to install. Most guitars I've played like this (like that hot rodded tele they made with a similar SD mini hum in the neck last year) feel awfully unbalanced to me, and are pretty much trying to generalize what people who swap pickups in their guitars are looking for, and just based on logic alone, they aren't going to please everyone with whatever pickups they go with.

i think a tele with a mini hum is the most balanced you can make a tele. for instance, not a huge volume drop when you switch to the neck, and more usable sounds in general.

also, you still get to choose what pickups to put in it, regardless of what pickups it came with, so whats the problem?

on the other hand, that stang would be way hotter with 2 mini hums.

[Fran]

on the other hand, that stang would be way hotter with 2 mini hums.

You may as well stick Hot Rails in it and keep the aesthetics if your going that way.

[Nick]

i think a tele with a mini hum is the most balanced you can make a tele. for instance, not a huge volume drop when you switch to the neck, and more usable sounds in general.

also, you still get to choose what pickups to put in it, regardless of what pickups it came with, so whats the problem?

on the other hand, that stang would be way hotter with 2 mini hums.

I thought the mini hum sounded muddy and too gainy in the tele. What sounds good on paper isn't always good in execution. Changing the pickups defeats the purpose of paying more for an already modified model.

[william]

i think a tele with a mini hum is the most balanced you can make a tele. for instance, not a huge volume drop when you switch to the neck, and more usable sounds in general.

also, you still get to choose what pickups to put in it, regardless of what pickups it came with, so whats the problem?

on the other hand, that stang would be way hotter with 2 mini hums.

I thought the mini hum sounded muddy and too gainy in the tele. What sounds good on paper isn't always good in execution. Changing the pickups defeats the purpose of paying more for an already modified model.

yeah, those SD hums are shitty. but the body and pickguard are already routed, so all you have to do is sell the SD thats already there, use that money to buy the one you want, and you are already there, which is alot less work than buying a std tele, routing the guard and body, and replacing the pickup anyway.

also (fran), i was making a comment on the aesthetics of two minihums, so "preserving the aesthetics" by using hotrails doesnt make sense.

[Fran]

i think a tele with a mini hum is the most balanced you can make a tele. for instance, not a huge volume drop when you switch to the neck, and more usable sounds in general.

also, you still get to choose what pickups to put in it, regardless of what pickups it came with, so whats the problem?

on the other hand, that stang would be way hotter with 2 mini hums.

I thought the mini hum sounded muddy and too gainy in the tele. What sounds good on paper isn't always good in execution. Changing the pickups defeats the purpose of paying more for an already modified model.

yeah, those SD hums are shitty. but the body and pickguard are already routed, so all you have to do is sell the SD thats already there, use that money to buy the one you want, and you are already there, which is alot less work than buying a std tele, routing the guard and body, and replacing the pickup anyway.

also (fran), i was making a comment on the aesthetics of two minihums, so "preserving the aesthetics" by using hotrails doesnt make sense.

I have a hotrails in my Mustang and you would never know unless you are close up, it looks traditional stock but its got a humbucker fitted. Thats what i mean.

[Will]

Let's accentuate the positive - they are not giving every asshole a siggy sunburst strat with a $600 markup for no backplate.

[Ty]

Some quick eBay searching got me to this
LINK