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A lot of people seem to say how much they'd love a maplestang whenever they're mentioned, but there's only one thread that really talks about the Japanese MG77. It seems like they're pretty easily available, they're on eBay and a guitar shop here in Sydney say they can get anything in from Fender Japan within the week. Is this the same everywhere? Do people not know about these or just forget? Does anyone have one or know someone who does? The reason I'm asking is that I'm really interested in these and it's looking like my next guitar purchase will be the 'Natural' MG77 or this:

i'm not a fan.
and getting them in the UK / North america is not easy

So your "official Fender Dealer" can't or won't order them in for you?

What don't you like about it? I wrote you a Twitter so we could have more of a discussion about it there.

they're over priced . . .

you can get a vintage maple stang for the price of those.

Where can you get vintage maplestangs? I've never seen one. Not even on eBay. Remember I'm in Australia and the only vintage things most people care about are Les Paus and Strats... sigh. I have seen a few Mustangs in vintage shops, but they're always overpriced and never in good shape.

I used to have one that I picked up in a trade for a boss GT6. they're around, you just have to have a little patience.

People know they exist. Having to get them ordered from Japan makes them way overpriced though, so they're often not considered when people are looking at Mustangs.

I think most people prefer rosewood mustangs anyway and the 65RI's which are here are better quality guitars.

love my 78 maple neck mustang. i think a few shortscalers have owned or played it. the neck is my favorite thing about it.

The black one is tasty, that one up there, nah not so much..

I think I've finally grown out of my maple hating phase.

DanHeron wrote:I think most people prefer rosewood mustangs anyway and the 65RI's which are here are better quality guitars.

Are 65s actually better quality guitars? As far as I can tell, the hardware and everything seems comparable to the '65, and the only differences are ash/maple vs. poplar/rosewood, and this guy has contours! From close ups, the saddles look fully sized, and it's not basswood, so it seems very well made and fully awesome.

I think the guitar itself is fantastic, and I prefer a maple neck 90% of the time. However, it just doesn't work as well cosmetically on a Mustang, I don't think. Least not that finish. Now if the neck were more of a bleached blonde maple neck, with smaller headstock, and the body was a nice color like olympic white with a white guard (like a nice white Strat would be), this would look fantastic and I'd bet it'd be a beautifully playing guitar, too.

seb_ennis wrote:Where can you get vintage maplestangs? I've never seen one. Not even on eBay. Remember I'm in Australia and the only vintage things most people care about are Les Paus and Strats... sigh. I have seen a few Mustangs in vintage shops, but they're always overpriced and never in good shape.

Here's one, pricey though.

http://www.gbase.com/gear/fender-mustang-1978-natural#

rich wrote:love my 78 maple neck mustang. i think a few shortscalers have owned or played it. the neck is my favorite thing about it.

that was the one I traded for a Boss GT6. Lovely guitar, if you ever unload, you should let me know. I almost bought it back several times.

drBenway wrote:I think I've finally grown out of my maple hating phase.

I feel like people hate on maple only because they don't like how it looks.

Which is a perfectly valid reason to hate on something, but still...

honeyiscool wrote:

drBenway wrote:I think I've finally grown out of my maple hating phase.

I feel like people hate on maple only because they don't like how it looks.

Which is a perfectly valid reason to hate on something, but still...

a lot of people like the feel or rosewood under their fingers. They feel totally different, maple is glossy and feels like plastic under your fingers while rosewood or ebony actually feels like wood. I like both.

honeyiscool wrote:

DanHeron wrote:I think most people prefer rosewood mustangs anyway and the 65RI's which are here are better quality guitars.

Are 65s actually better quality guitars? As far as I can tell, the hardware and everything seems comparable to the '65, and the only differences are ash/maple vs. poplar/rosewood, and this guy has contours! From close ups, the saddles look fully sized, and it's not basswood, so it seems very well made and fully awesome.

I think the guitar itself is fantastic, and I prefer a maple neck 90% of the time. However, it just doesn't work as well cosmetically on a Mustang, I don't think. Least not that finish. Now if the neck were more of a bleached blonde maple neck, with smaller headstock, and the body was a nice color like olympic white with a white guard (like a nice white Strat would be), this would look fantastic and I'd bet it'd be a beautifully playing guitar, too.

To be fair I haven't played one of the maple stangs. I'm assuming its like a 69 Reissue though, and I think the 65s are better. That seems to be the general opinion on here anyway.

Still great guitars, I have a 69ri and love it.

An old singer in my band had an original 76 or 77 maple necked mustang, I really liked it - it had a lovely birds eye maple neck (or at least he said it was birds eye maple).

The 'stang in the OP looks pretty nice, I kinda dig it. I'd certainly like to sling it.
But, yeah, importing Japanese market Fenders to North America can be a bit of a bitch.

portugalwillie wrote:

honeyiscool wrote:

drBenway wrote:I think I've finally grown out of my maple hating phase.

I feel like people hate on maple only because they don't like how it looks.

Which is a perfectly valid reason to hate on something, but still...

a lot of people like the feel or rosewood under their fingers. They feel totally different, maple is glossy and feels like plastic under your fingers while rosewood or ebony actually feels like wood. I like both.

The plasticy feel of maple is because it has to be finished; it's gonna feel like poly or nitro or whatever was used to clear coat it. Rosewood (or ebony) is oilier with different pore structure and can be left as wood... hence it feels like wood rather than a finish coat.

Yeah, the hate/love for maple is often due to aesthetics, which is fine. Technically it has a different tonal character than other woods, but, a fretboard cap isn't going to have a very strong impact on the sound once it gets through the pickups, effects chain and amp... it's really about as much of a non-issue as other tonewood ideas for an electric guitar (we don't need to discuss this, it's well covered in other threads). If you don't like the way maple looks, that's just fine... appearance is an important aspect of an electric instrument.

yack

Your fingers shouldn't even touch the fretboard, though, which is why I don't get how the plasticky feel affects your playing at all. And there are lots of satin finishes out there that are so subtle that some people think Squier maple necks are unfinished (they are finished).

And fretboard wood is the one thing I can actually tell the difference for, sonically. It's not even that subtle. That said, it's not a make it or break it point.

seb_ennis wrote:So your "official Fender Dealer" can't or won't order them in for you?

not in america they won't. fender japan is not allowed to sell directly to american shops. we only get japanese models that fender USA allows.