1968 Competition Red Mustang

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Fri May 31, 2013 1:41 am

After a brief amount of trauma over a blue competition Mustang I had paid for and was refunded (hopefully the seller reconsiders because I still would like it) I found this lovely guitar.

It is a 1968 serial number Competition Red Fender Mustang. Neck date is January 15, 1969. I am pretty sure this is one of the early ones because it still has Kluson tuners instead of the 70's "F" tuners. It also came with an original case and tremolo arm. Just missing a bridge cover as far as I can tell. (The seller is putting the original knobs on and taking the speed knobs off.) Here are the listing pictures. I have a tracking number so this should be a good deal.

$(KGrHqV,!jMFD2VU1BOLBREcb23L1!~~60_3 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

$(KGrHqF,!rcFDyg7BcqUBREcb50D7w~~60_3 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

$T2eC16Z,!)kE9s4,BD8)BREcb8iBlg~~60_3 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

$(KGrHqZ,!rgFDS,Bqu01BREcb+j2MQ~~60_3 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

$(KGrHqN,!lUFEF4J6rB9BREccCoqL!~~60_3 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

$(KGrHqV,!o0FEF22rOO)BREccFeNN!~~60_3 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

$T2eC16J,!)QE9s3HEE1OBREccIIg2!~~60_3 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

$(KGrHqJ,!hwFEDVsTqGpBREccLIl3w~~60_3 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

$(KGrHqN,!ikFE!HTPI4rBREccN0+8!~~60_3 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

$T2eC16h,!yME9s5qJFppBREccQsukQ~~60_3 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

$T2eC16N,!)sE9swmYlFPBREccTowzg~~60_3 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Fri May 31, 2013 2:26 am

beautiful

I've had that on my watch list for the past couple days, or a similar one.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Fri May 31, 2013 2:55 am

Probably the same one? I just bought it yesterday.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Fri May 31, 2013 3:29 am

first compstang ever
?

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Fri May 31, 2013 3:32 am

HNB wrote:Probably the same one? I just bought it yesterday.

probably, as thats when it ended.

fortunately we weren't bidding against each other

I just wanted to see what it was going to go for.
IMO you got a great price on it. but that is up to you to disclose. not me.

StevePirates · Post by **StevePirates** » Fri May 31, 2013 4:37 am

That is really really nice! Great acquisition!

Joey · Post by **Joey** » Fri May 31, 2013 4:39 am

Awesome!

I'm waiting on my first compstang. I got a blue one on the way.

speedfish · Post by **speedfish** » Fri May 31, 2013 9:00 am

Congrats! That thing is smokin hot!

BearBoy · Post by **BearBoy** » Fri May 31, 2013 10:29 am

That is lovely. Very jealous.

BobArsecake · Post by **BobArsecake** » Fri May 31, 2013 10:48 am

Beautiful.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Fri May 31, 2013 3:52 pm

robroe wrote:first compstang ever
?

I doubt it, but it seems like it is from the first month. I am guessing it was a pretty early one because of the Kluson tuners and the 68 neck plate serial.

I found out that 15January1969 on the neck might be a miss-stamping because 15 isn't the day, but the neck type and 15 should be Jaguar. (Mustang is 16 I guess?) A Jaguar neck would have been bound at that point from what I hear. Either the stamp was done wrong or it is a smugged 16 that looks like a 15. LOL

Jim_Nowhere wrote:probably, as thats when it ended.

fortunately we weren't bidding against each other

I just wanted to see what it was going to go for.
IMO you got a great price on it. but that is up to you to disclose. not me.

I got it for $1800 including shipping. Considering the new Japanese ones seem to go around $1,000 I think it was a very good price for it being in pretty good shape and having a vintage case.

StevePirates wrote:That is really really nice! Great acquisition!

Thanks!! It will be fun to see how close my Japanese 69 Reissue is to it.

Joey wrote:Awesome!

I'm waiting on my first compstang. I got a blue one on the way.

Part of the Compstang club now!

speedfish wrote:Congrats! That thing is smokin hot!

Man I can't wait to get it. It is only a couple states over so hopefully it comes fast.

BearBoy wrote:That is lovely. Very jealous.

It was a lucky find. I was checking ebay after losing out on the blue one seeing what they were going for. Saw that one and messaged the seller asking how the neck was and if it had any neck pocket cracks. He said the neck is nice and smooth and no cracks, so I jumped on it.

BobArsecake wrote:Beautiful.

Thanks! Hopefully it plays as nice as it looks.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Fri May 31, 2013 5:52 pm

the very early compstangs had the stripes all the way round the body, but i think they're exceptionally rare. rodvonbon has one though (the bastard).

BathTubWarrior · Post by **BathTubWarrior** » Fri May 31, 2013 5:56 pm

Oh man that is gorgeous! I had been looking at that auction for a while just to see how much it would fetch, glad the seller is putting on Mustang knobs, those knobs on there in the picture are ugly. This wouldn't happen to be a 24" 3/4 scale would it? Or was that phased out by then and Kluson tuners were possibly just getting rid of old stock?

iCEByTes · Post by **iCEByTes** » Fri May 31, 2013 10:53 pm

big score

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 12:44 am

BathTubWarrior wrote:Oh man that is gorgeous! I had been looking at that auction for a while just to see how much it would fetch, glad the seller is putting on Mustang knobs, those knobs on there in the picture are ugly. This wouldn't happen to be a 24" 3/4 scale would it? Or was that phased out by then and Kluson tuners were possibly just getting rid of old stock?

mustangs were never made 24 3/4" scale..

the other option was 22.5" scale..
this isn't one of those though.

most 22.5" were A width necks.. IIRC..

--

I'm just super glad this found a home in a community where it'll be well loved. aka ours .
and its a great price considering what the re-isssues go for, doesn't appear to be re-build from parts ..
and is about $300 - $600 less then any of the other comp stangs on ebay at the moment from the same era.

BathTubWarrior · Post by **BathTubWarrior** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 1:03 am

Jim_Nowhere wrote:
BathTubWarrior wrote:Oh man that is gorgeous! I had been looking at that auction for a while just to see how much it would fetch, glad the seller is putting on Mustang knobs, those knobs on there in the picture are ugly. This wouldn't happen to be a 24" 3/4 scale would it? Or was that phased out by then and Kluson tuners were possibly just getting rid of old stock?
mustangs were never made 24 3/4" scale..

the other option was 22.5" scale..
this isn't one of those though.

most 22.5" were A width necks.. IIRC..

--

I'm just super glad this found a home in a community where it'll be well loved. aka ours .
and its a great price considering what the re-isssues go for, doesn't appear to be re-build from parts ..
and is about $300 - $600 less then any of the other comp stangs on ebay at the moment from the same era.

Sorry, I meant to say 3/4 scale(Not that it was actually 3/4ths of the original 24" but 3/4 scale as in 22.5", weird how they did that) Then I'm guessing the Klusons simply showed up early on the competition models and did not mean 22.5" scale length like most of the older Mustangs.

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 1:23 am

exatly.

they switched from the klusions to the others sometime in mid 69 i believe, though ROBROE might have a better idea about that then me.

every pre-70s mustang i've owned (and that is at 5 now?) has had klusions in the headstock when it got to my hands..
sadly most of those are gone now..
but the tow i have left.. a 66 that was butchered and a 74 with a 68 neck that i pieced together over a few years were both drilled for klusions and came with them installed.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 2:22 am

Loads of pictures as promised. It does indeed say 15JAN66B in the pocket for what it is worth. It had a massive shim that I removed. I took some pictures of the guts. Pickups are stamped 6 6 6 so I have been calling it the devil. It is need to see shielding nailed in with a small finish nail. It is stamped 109 on the body under the guard. The switches needed some contact cleaner and work great now. Vintage bodies feel thin compared to the Japanese reissue. Normal I am guessing? The Kluson Deluxe tuners look stock. I see no signs they were changed. The neck is in fantastic shape. It even has a slight flame to it. Pickups sound nice and clear. I like having both on. There is a ground wire running from the control plate to the tremolo plate. Kind of cool. I took pics of the tremolo unit and bridge. The case is pretty small compared to my other cases. No compartment inside. Just space for the guitar so I wrapped the tremolo arm in a cloth to keep it from banging around in there. The lettering on the decal look kind of pink. (White over the red.) Loads of cool stuff. Here are the massive pictures!

IMG_3446 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3448 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3450 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3452 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3454 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3457 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3459 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3460 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3461 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3464 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3466 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3467 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3468 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3471 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3473 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3485 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3491 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3497 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3498 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3499 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3500 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3501 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3502 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3503 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

IMG_3505 by Hentai No Baka, on Flickr

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 3:11 am

The really early comp stangs had comp stripes that went all the way around the back of the guitar as well. I think Robroe was asking if it was your first comp stang.

Either way, lovely.

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 3:21 am

It is my first American one. I have had two Japanese ones. One CAR one without a matching headstock that I traded and one OTM one that I kept with a matching headstock. They feel WAY different. American ones feel smaller and lighter. (Unless this one is different than the norm.)