ShortScale.org

westtexasred wrote:Walter White knows what to do with a 2008 Dodge Challenger

Aw, man. That is just wrong in so many ways!

History is one thing, but quality is another.

Lots of folks here and on other forums are saying that the new MIJ Mustangs are very high quality guitars. I have a Made in Mexico Jaguar Classic Player Special HH from a few years ago. How would a MIJ Mustang stack up against a Mexican Jaguar or even a mid-1990's Mustang in terms of build quality and components?

the 65RI is heavier, and when you hold it you feel like you could fuck up someones shit with it more than previous versions.


im not joking. it just feels like its put together better

Look, the guitar I really wanted to buy was a legit mid-1990's Fender Mustang in the same color scheme. I played it at a Vintage Shop in Seattle, really liked it, and then stupidly failed to put down some earnest money. Someone else bought it and I was pissed. Then I saw this listing for what appeared to be *another* mid-1990's Mustang.


Actually, except for the neck and (possibly) the body contours, I'd rather have the current Mustang than the 94-95. Don't get me wrong - I think the 94-95 necks are some of the best Fender ever made, but I'm not as wild about basswood in general, and that's what they used in the mid-90s for the bodies. The current bodies are made out of the same wood that Fender originally used on the vast majority of USA built Mustangs - poplar. The current 65 RI is also "truer" to vintage specs in terms of features and details.

The "white" mid 90s Mustangs are usually more yellowed - kind of a banana pudding color. Either that or sonic blue - or was it daphne? It's a light blue - I don't recall which one at the moment. The truer, purer olympic white is used on the current 65 RI's.

If you want an older one, why not just hang out until a pre-82 Mustang shows up at a price you like? They show up in the classifieds regularly, and they're also all over ebay, craigslist, etc.

The only thing I'd care about with that guitar was whether I liked it and it was a price I wanted to pay.

^ This.

We can generalize about guitars all day, but not all 94 Stangs are created equal. Nor are all 08 Stangs created equal. If it feels good, go for it.

Play it acoustic. Plug it in. Bring another guitar you like to compare neck comfort. That should be more than enough info to help you decide.

Now for my generalization: IMO Fender Japan makes some quality shit, regardless of year/factory.

Alright. I'm convinced.

I just asked the seller if he could move on the $700 price a little. I have an online offer for a 65RI 'Stang in Daphne Blue, with a HSC, for $600 shipped.

I prefer the Olympic White finish, and there's always a risk in buying something sight-unseen. But I think I'd be happy with either guitar.

Good luck with that. I think sight-unseen is always a bit iffy with guitars. Not because the seller has a lemon, per se. Rather, buying a guitar is a very personal thing. Your eyes shouldn't make the decision; it should be up to your ears and fingers.

That said, there are a lot of guys on here who find excellent guitars online all the time and seem to come away with some real gems.

singlepickup24 wrote:Good luck with that. I think sight-unseen is always a bit iffy with guitars. Not because the seller has a lemon, per se. Rather, buying a guitar is a very personal thing. Your eyes shouldn't make the decision; it should be up to your ears and fingers.

That said, there are a lot of guys on here who find excellent guitars online all the time and seem to come away with some real gems.

I agree that buying sight-unseen is risky. I've bought a guitar off eBay before (worked out fine) but never directly from an out-of-state seller. Not even sure how to do that to give me some extra security if things go south.

My youngest son just made a plea for me to get the Daphne Blue (sight-unseen) Mustang: "Dad, why would you buy a red Ferrari if you already have a red Ferrari, just with different headlights? It doesn't make sense!"

i've only ever bought one guitar after playing it first, everything else i've ever owned has been online. if it's shit, sell it on. and anway, you're not going to get a lemon 65RI, i've never heard anyone complain about them.

robroe wrote:
my new 65RI neck is chunkier than my compstangRI neck, jag stang neck, jaguar neck, bronco neck. its thicker than all that shit

That's good to know - I guess I'd better steer clear of the current '65 RI's - I like them a ton in terms of look and features, but I really prefer the thinner necks of the mid-90s era.

I have a late '65 slab board neck that I bought on Ebay because it was in such beautiful condition, but when it arrived I hated the shape - it's pretty U shaped and pretty chunky, so I guess if that's fairly normal for the real 65 neck, they got it right on the RI. My 75 Musicmaster neck is super slim by comparison, and my 71 compstang's neck is somewhere in-between.

I wonder what the necks on the Squier Mustangs are going to be like.

^ Hopefully the new VM line will have necks like the current line, which I think are awesome.

stewart wrote:i've only ever bought one guitar after playing it first, everything else i've ever owned has been online. if it's shit, sell it on. and anway, you're not going to get a lemon 65RI, i've never heard anyone complain about them.

Agreed, I've not yet met a 65RI I didn't like. When it comes to buying guitars, I'm just a picky bastard and prefer to try first when possible.