Pawn Shop Mustang Special review

[JimmydaSaint]

Hi guys,

I've been a long-time lurker, but this is my first post.

I've trawled the boards looking for a Pawn Shop thread to add to but I've drawn a blank even after using the search facility. I assumed that this series would have created a few waves around these parts, so apologies if I'm erroneously starting a new thread that's long been buried.

I posted this review on another forum that has been a bit of a ghost town of late, so - as I'm looking for a new place to talk about obscure Fenders - I thought I'd share my thoughts on it with you guys here by means of introduction. Hope it is helpful...



My favourite guitar is the Fender Duo-Sonic II, an axe that combines the beauty of the Mustang with the simplicity of a Telecaster. The only things I'd change about it (and I have in a project guitar I built) would be to give it modern Gotoh machine-heads, a maple neck, truss rod adjustment from the sensible end, a humbucker in the bridge position and a six-saddle bridge. Oh, and swap the switches for an out-of-the-way toggle selector. Plus a coil-splitter switch. Ok, that seems like a lot of changes but that's how I like 'em.

If it seems like I'm going off track here, my point is simply this: I immediately loved the 'Mustang Special' because it is not really a modified Mustang, it is really a modified Duo-Sonic II with its hardtail bridge instead of the Mustang vibrato. Now, I know a lot of you guys get hacked off when anyone slates the Mustang trem, so I should get this out there now: I hate ALL vibrato units/bridges. I've locked-down my mustang one, can't stand the Strat one on the Cyclone, hate the loose feel of the Jag/Jazzy one (don't get me started on the Jaguar bridge) and generally don't require a trem on any guitar I've ever played.

I take it though, that if you are reading up on the new Pawn Shop Mustang, you're also not bothered about having a vibrato (or perhaps you just really love the Mustang and you're upset that they've ruined it).
As I said, this is a guitar for Duo-Sonic II fans, not Mustang fans.

So, how does it all feel? Right.
The neck has a fair amount of gloss on the maple on the back - about the same amount as the Japanese '69 Mustang RI, if that's any help as a reference for any of you. It's not 'sticky' or sweat-inducing like the finish on a Chinese gloss finish though (I have to sand those off!). It has quite a flat profile (which doesn't bother me either way) and what appear to be medium jumbo or jumbo frets. The rosewood is the same high-quality, soft, dark stuff you get on Jap Fenders rather than the cheaper-feeling lighter stuff you find on Mexican Fenders and Asian Squiers. I much prefer vintage fretwire thickness, but despite this the guitar is still very playable and the fretwire doesn't crowd the fretboard too much. I've played one instore and got mine mail order: the former had a wonderfully low, fast action that really blew me away. When I received mine it had an incredible high set up - which brings me onto...

The bridge is a six saddle (yay), hardtail (yay), bent-steel saddle (yay) Strat-type (meh), string-through-body (mmm) one. I personally prefer top-loaders, but the action certainly isn't too 'tight' with the factory 9-gauge strings on. It is very easy to fiddle with to adjust action and intonation and does the job very well. It does looka bit cheaper than the bent steel saddle bridge you'd get on a US Fender though: chrome finish kinda looks sprayed-on and there is no FENDER stamped into the saddles. It doesn't look as cheap as a Squier Cyclone bridge though (if that reference helps anyone).

The tuners are Kluson style repros. Mine are a little 'gritty feeling' on the high E. They're OK, but again the finish looks a tiny bit cheap. They're not as nice as the ones on either the Fender Japan '69 RI Mustang nor even the Squier China Classic Vibe Duo-Sonic. They look and feel cheaper than both. I'm considering swapping mine out. Don't think I have the heart to drill a new guitar to accept Gotoh Schaller-style tuners sadly.

Switches - Well, the good news is that the pick-up selector switch is now a Les Paul-style toggle on the treble horn. Haven't found it gets in the way there yet, but they didn't have the forethought to make it toggle neck-bridge rather than the totally stupid bass-treble, so if you do knock it while paying the neck pick up, it WILL accidentally select both of the bridge pup. Stupid.
The traditional Duo/Mustang switches have been modified and repurposed: they've lowered the switch in the body (as many of us do with washers on mustangs only on these the switch buttons are just smaller) so tehy are lower in profile and nowhere near as easily knocked. Brilliant. They are also not pick up selctors anymore - they are coil-splitting switches! Whoop! They do what you imagine they do: select either coil (not just one like many regular coil-split switches) and in the middle position they are humbuckers. I guess that if you turn both pups on and coil split them both they are also noise cancelling, but I haven't checked an know little about electircs in detail. Fender say the switching allows 18 different sounds (I haven't counted), but most importantly it means you can have an HH guitar that allows you to also have SH and HS. Most notable is the fact though that you can set it to the same pick-up configuration as a JagStang or a Cyclone, which is a plus for me.

Pick-ups - When I played instore I found the pickups to be brighter and more single-coiley than most HBs, but they still packed a sizeable punch. The difference between which split coil you select in each pick-up is pretty minimal, TBH, but there is a difference naturally. You can't quite achieve the warmth of a single coil neck pup nor the singing highs and gain of a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge. The pick-ups are a great compromise, but not the best of both worlds. I'm considering swapping out the bridge pup for a SD JB myself. I compared this guitar instore to a Mexican Black-top Fender Jaguar and the covered humbuckers on the Jaguar were a fair bit meatier and high-gain than those on the Mustang Special... but then you can't get the single-coils sounds from the Jag ones. I found that when I lowered the action of my Mustang Special at home that I'm getitng way too much treble through the humbuckers now. I think I'll rectify this with heavy-gauge strings because...

The strings it comes with are Fender standard factory 9s, despite them not suiting a shortscale guitar and
The nut is a shallow, cheap plastic job. It will require a little filing to get a decent heavy-guage string in there. Mine has now got a Tusq graphite nut in it.

The body is as light as a feather, has belly and forearm contours and is a modified Duo-Sonic II (has no trem routing remember) shape. Fender have made the guitar body a fair bit smaller on the tail end, presumably because the bridge is smaller and this makes the design look less tail-heavy. Purist are going to be upset by it; I think it is a good idea. It looks fine, TBH. This is a personal taste thing though. It will also make overweight guitar players look even bigger.
I love the fact that it has strung-through ferrules on the back because I have a weird fetish for them (probably because my first Tele was a top-loader and I was jealous), so that's a plus for me.

As for plastics, fit and finish, the usual Japanese quality build applies and these are lovingly put together. Very sleek & smooth, great fret job, tight neck pocket, great inlays on neck and good feel. The neck has a beautiful vintage tint to it as Jap ones usually do (as opposed to other Fender Asia lacquer jobs). The paint looks a tiiiiiny bit gloopy on the edge of the neck pocket but I mean on a miniscule level. I'm referring here to the Lake Placid Blue finishes I've seen, as I've not had a look at the Candy Apple Red close-up. I also think it's a little bit of a shame that they didn't modify the Mustang-shaped pickguard to fit the hardtail bridge. As it stands there is a gap there is if someone had slapped a Mustang bridge on a project guitar. This may be the 'pawn shop' vibe they are going for, but I would have liked to see the extra attention to detail, myself. The mint-green colour though is retro-awesomeness, even though Mustangs had perloid or tort scratchplates in reality.


Personally, I really like it, but I've been annoying and added a poll as I'm a newb and this function is new to me. Whoop.

[SGJarrod]

http://www.shortscale.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=40941

and within this above linked thrad there is another link to the original thrad...(urs is the 3rd)

I played one and really liked it but the body was too small...so would not buy.... will stick to my Vista Jagmaster

[honeyiscool]

Where's the option for "I like it but I think it looks hideous."

[stewart]

nice idea, but not for me. i can't handle the shape of the bridge v the pickguard. it's a small thing but enough of a turn off that i wouldn't buy one. i like the way they sound in the demo vids i've seen though.

[Dave]

Great detailed review - cheers!!

I like i on looks alone although that bridge needs to be swapped for one that fits that pickguard, or a new pickguard cut to fit that bridge - its sloppy design laziness otherwise that bugs me.


Also a great review over at Offset with A+ photos:

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... =6&t=47845

here are some non-too serious upgrades:

[JimmydaSaint]

Thanks for comments, guys. Sorry about starting a new thread. Is there a way I can merge this review with the existing one(s)

[SGJarrod]

a mod will have to do that...also welcome aboard

[Dave]

Aaah i don't think it needs merging - there's about 5 different mustang threads active at the moment and if we go too far down that route we end up with only a few threads ongoing forever. Plus i don't know if anyone here posted such a detailed review from an ownership point of view.

And to be fair search functions on forums always seem so anally retentive as to be almost impossible until you get to know them a bit. It happens man.

I think, aside from the bridge/[ickguard issue it's just the price that prevents me from really wanting one at this stage.

[JimmydaSaint]

Great detailed review - cheers!!

I like i on looks alone although that bridge needs to be swapped for one that fits that pickguard, or a new pickguard cut to fit that bridge - its sloppy design laziness otherwise that bugs me.


Also a great review over at Offset with A+ photos:

http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... =6&t=47845

here are some non-too serious upgrades:

This second one actually looks pretty sweet, Dave!

I mention the pickguard not fitting the bridge in my review as a negative point. I didn't think anyone except me would be bothered by it though as loads of '70s CBS Musicmasters have a massive gap that looks ugly as sin to me, but others rave about them. Like I said, I guess it is the Pawn Shop vibe, but I agree I would have liked to see a fitted scratchplate rather than a standard Mustang one.

[JimmydaSaint]

Oh, I forgot to mention. My tuners are none too straight on the back of the headstock. All a bit _ / – | _ \

[taylornutt]

I have played several of these guitars and I find them a lot of fun to play, despite the smaller body. I really like the pickups and the switching options. I would love to tranfer the pickups/ electronics to a normal Mustang/Jag-stang body with a traditional Mustang trem. I saw a used LPB model on CL for $625. I would trade for it if the guy accepted trades.

[StevePirates]

I love everything about this guitar except the uber-small body.

[JimmydaSaint]

TBH, I didn't even notice the small body until I saw people talking about it on here and other forums. I first clapped eyes on it in a guitar shop hanging up next to (diagonally mounted though) a RI '65 Mustang (Most '65 Mustangs had Kluson tuners not F keys, in my experience, but whatever) and I didn't even notice the difference. I think the butt of the guitar suits the smaller bridge.
I asked my girl if she thought the weeny body made me look like a giant when we went back in and she insisted it doesn't.

[SGJarrod]

I love everything about this guitar except the uber-small body.

+1

it does make me look GIANT

[kypdurron]

Custom 'Duo-Sonic III' hybrid

pics please

[dezb1]

I love everything about this guitar except the uber-small body.

+1

it does make me look GIANT

I have this problem with the standard mustang, so these are even worse on this front. But they look the part and sound great pity they're too small for me giant frame.

[SGJarrod]

I love everything about this guitar except the uber-small body.

+1

it does make me look GIANT

I have this problem with the standard mustang.

yarp....

[doober314]

Really not used to seeing humbuckers in there, but it still looks prrrrretty good.

[Mike]

Mustangs are for little-uns like me.



Go play a Strat or something.

[Dave]

Hahhaha agreed. In your face Giants!

That being said an upscaled 25.5 mustang is a project I'd like to tackle if I can ever get the time to build bodies. I'm sure I've seen a couple of folks including Andrewdoeshair at Offset do this. Could just stick an aftermarket strat neck on and get a pickguard cut.