ShortScale.org

That's the model, Bandit 65, Solo Series, I think it's from 1987 or so. It makes everything sound like Surfer Rosa.

honeyiscool wrote:That's the model, Bandit 65, Solo Series, I think it's from 1987 or so. It makes everything sound like Surfer Rosa.

thats cool. demo these guitars. play some pixies songs.

have you putted lace sensors into youre white mustang?

Yeah, I have Purple in bridge, Silver RW in neck. The volume pulls out to go series. It's super versatile that way, but it's not the easiest thing to figure out on stage, which is kind of why I wanted the Cobain, because I figured a guitar with a SC neck and HB bridge can cover all the grounds I need to cover without me having to be hypervigilant.

Please do a demo with the new humbucker setups.

I want one soooo badd

I played the LPB and Fiesta Red Models today. Played great. I actually thought the pickups were good and I love the neck on these guitars. Fiesta Red played better, but I liked both. Priced at $999 at GC. Is it standard Mustang wiring on these guitars?

I would love to have the LPB Stang next to my CAR stang.

I will tell you, this guitar sounds FAT AS HELL. On my home recordings I was shocked how huge it sounds compared to my other guitars. It is a real screamer. Its the perfect weight, and so comfortable. I always wanted a Mustang and I wager TEH KURDTZ is the best one ever made.

I had the Mustang Special but had to send it back, and while I liked that one alot, this Mustang is better.

Man, now that I've had this guitar for a couple weeks I'd have to say it doesnt stay in tune worth a shit. And I havent used the whammy bar at all.

I can't tell if the tuners suck, if I need to replace the nut, or what, but the little E string especially, I can turn the crank almost an entire revolution and it doesn't change the tuning! I can't even get through a single song without this guitar going out of tune. Something is amiss. I am partially tempted to send the damn thing back if I don't come up with a solution and soon.

What gauge strings are you using?

Cymbaline wrote:Man, now that I've had this guitar for a couple weeks I'd have to say it doesnt stay in tune worth a shit. And I havent used the whammy bar at all.

I can't tell if the tuners suck, if I need to replace the nut, or what, but the little E string especially, I can turn the crank almost an entire revolution and it doesn't change the tuning! I can't even get through a single song without this guitar going out of tune. Something is amiss. I am partially tempted to send the damn thing back if I don't come up with a solution and soon.

how do you have the strings wrapped around the tuner post?

90% of all tuning stability issues on a shortscale come from doing something silly like using 10s on it. 11 gauge and up.

Now, this thing has those stupid through post tuners not like the good ol slot head Klusons on most mustangs, so I dunno if that's part of the problem there. You did put new strings on it, right? Those aren't the stock strings?

I just bought one last week, haven't had any issues with tuning stability. I've actually had better tuning stability than I did with my 65 RI. It's most likely the strings are too light, or the guitar isn't setup properly.

Pens wrote:Now, this thing has those stupid through post tuners not like the good ol slot head Klusons on most mustangs, so I dunno if that's part of the problem there.

They're slot head tuners on there. Definitely Kluson styled but they don't have the name engraved on them, so they may just be built to spec.
EDIT - They are Fender American Vintage tuners, costs about $35 for set.

Thanks for the replies folks,

1) I DID put 10's on it, lesson learned, I'll remove them tonight
2) the strings are put on the tuning knobs the correct way, into the hole and string leads off the bottom side not the top
3) I have yet to lube the nut or bridge or saddles, but tonight when I put 11's on and stretch the piss out of them, I'll do just that.
4) I'm glad the rest of you aren't having problems, like I said I love the way TEH KURDTZ plays and sounds, it just has been getting out of tune way too fast.

In a funny side note, on NIRVANA's live show 11/22/89, Kurdt sings on "School", "Wouldn't you believe it, we're out of tune", as well as says, "MY GUITAR! She's broken, she's broken, doesn't tune worth a shit". Too bad he couldnt have one of these badboys slung over his shoulder right? I bet he would be against this guitar now since it costs so much money. And furthermore, they just raised the price of the Mustang Special as well! Bastards. The mustang has gone from an entry level to a high-flyin' model, all thanks to His Royal Grungeness.

Cymbaline wrote:Man, now that I've had this guitar for a couple weeks I'd have to say it doesnt stay in tune worth a shit. And I havent used the whammy bar at all.

I can't tell if the tuners suck, if I need to replace the nut, or what, but the little E string especially, I can turn the crank almost an entire revolution and it doesn't change the tuning! I can't even get through a single song without this guitar going out of tune. Something is amiss. I am partially tempted to send the damn thing back if I don't come up with a solution and soon.

listen!

THIS guitar stays in TUNE if youre doing it right okay?

Put some ghs 0.9
cut of all extra length of the string so you have only one circuit around the tuner.
stretch the strings.
tune it.
bend all strings on 17 fret until it stays in tune.
now its playable!!!!

Guitar won't stay in tune? Did you try pouring beer on it?

The Cobain didn't stay in tune for me either worth shit. Every time I dove on the whammy it only came back flatter. All Mustangs do this to an extent but that crappy ABR-1 lookalike is just not a fit with a moving tailpiece, especially with the deeper grooves they cut for 7.25" radius. I think it would actually have very good stability if you locked down the tailpiece like Kurt actually did, but otherwise, it's definitely the bridge IMO.

Thankfully... it's an easy fix. Check out what I did with the Wilkinson roller saddle bridge on this guitar. I posted a thread about it here: http://www.shortscale.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45554

As for tone, I still don't know how I feel about the JB. It's so unique and odd. It's very midrangey and nasal sounding. I don't like it... and then I switch to the middle position and all of a sudden it's the best middle position out of all my guitars. Given how much I use the middle position in general and I really don't use the bridge position much on a Mustang, so I think it's not worth changing.

Pens wrote:90% of all tuning stability issues on a shortscale come from doing something silly like using 10s on it. 11 gauge and up.

Now, this thing has those stupid through post tuners not like the good ol slot head Klusons on most mustangs, so I dunno if that's part of the problem there. You did put new strings on it, right? Those aren't the stock strings?

I have 10s on every Mustang I've had and stability has never been a real problem unless I'm using the whammy. I think my current Mustangs could handle 9.5s or smaller, even. I'm pretty sure I kept 9s on my old CIJ Jaguar (Mustang bridge) for a while, never had problems. 10s on a 24" scale already have more string tension than 9s on a 25.5" scale.

Also, where are you getting that Cobain has through post tuners? Mine definitely has slotted tuners.

what pots are on the JB for this guitar. I think SD suggest that bright guitars like alder bodied bolt on fenders should use 250k pots as opposed to the 500 pots you normally would use for a humbucker. Maybe that will make it sound less nasally.

honeyiscool wrote: Thankfully... it's an easy fix. Check out what I did with the Wilkinson roller saddle bridge on this guitar. I posted a thread about it here: http://www.shortscale.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45554

Nice work, however I'm not a guitar handy-man, so I'd have to pay someone else to rig that up. In all honesty I hate the looping the strings around the tailpiece setup. The other thing is, I have not whammied this thing at all, and it refuses to stay in tune. Its too bad because I do like the tones that come out of this guitar, but I can't justify the money for a guitar that won't even stay in tune. I think I may go back to the mustang special, that thing was solid as a rock.

the mustang special has a hardtail strat bridge right?

The mustangs can stay in tune... it does require some work however. Adding washers and locking the tailpiece down isn't difficult (nothing you need to pay anyone else to do)

get some locking tuners, and the I guess the KC mustang has the TOM bridge as opposed to that mustang bridge.. I used to wrap electrical tape around the mustang bridge so it didn't shift around, but the TOM should fix that problem.

I actually own a vista musicmaster now and I think it's better than the mustang was personally. It could use locking tuners, but it's got all the advantages of the mustang (weight, size,) with none of the problems caused by the tremelo.

and I only payed $250 for it, as opposed to what are you guys paying for mustangs these days? $700-1000?

bradzeera wrote:I just bought one last week, haven't had any issues with tuning stability. I've actually had better tuning stability than I did with my 65 RI. It's most likely the strings are too light, or the guitar isn't setup properly.

Pens wrote:Now, this thing has those stupid through post tuners not like the good ol slot head Klusons on most mustangs, so I dunno if that's part of the problem there.

They're slot head tuners on there. Definitely Kluson styled but they don't have the name engraved on them, so they may just be built to spec.
EDIT - They are Fender American Vintage tuners, costs about $35 for set.

Ah no shit? I thought they put those through-post tuners on there like they did on the Jag. My mistake on that.

Yeah, the other thing like blane said is to lock the tailpiece with some washers if just upping the gauge doesn't fix it. This is a shortscale, the string tension is less than a strat so you have to go up in gauge to get normal tension. Otherwise your strings are all kinds of floppy.

I heard from jarrod that the local Guitar Center has a lefty one of these in store, I'm going to make a trip out to play one and see what it's like. I don't really need it since I made my Musicmaster, but I'd like a go on one at least.