Comparing Mustangs: Classic Vibe vs Vintera
Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2022 2:23 am
I was at my favorite guitar store and they currently have 3 used Mustangs in stock. (and one Squier Bullet Mustang)
I have plugged all these instruments in before, so today I was just playing them acoustically to compare the features/quality of the guitars.
Two of the Mustangs were used Vintera Mustangs in Lake Placid Blue and the other Mustang was Olympic White with the red tort guard.
Both Vintera Mustangs were priced at $799 and the CV Mustang is priced at $299.
![Image](http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52120453024_4eef716b78_c.jpg)
![Image](http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52120452964_e91ab0c10b_c.jpg)
![Image](http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52120453034_933a4b3eee_c.jpg)
![Image](http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52120704665_b73c5f1a69_c.jpg)
The Vintera Mustangs were light weight, looked good and had a very comfortable neck. Everything you would expect for a guitar valued at $1200. I like the lower profile pickup switches, similar to the Squier CV models, and they were very positive when switching. The LPB and the ivory pickguard were a beautiful color combo. The neck on both guitars had a nice medium profile and the gloss finish was nice and not very tinted.
Both Vintera Mustangs had awful/no setups for the Vibrato. Since these are used, obviously no longer had the "factory" setup if they is a thing anymore. One of the Vinteras Mustangs had washers under the cigar tube and bridge posts wrapped to convert it to a Hard tail. The other one had the tube leaning so far forward (tilting forward 45 degrees) that is looked like it was about to come loose. Both Bridges were not flat on the plate, but were only slightly elevated. Both guitars would require a bit of work to return to an actual working vibrato.
The Classic Vibe Mustang was a little heavier than the Vintera Mustangs, but not enough to be a turnoff. The neck is tinted darker and has the metal Kluson style turners. The neck profile felt almost identical to the Vintera necks, though perhaps slightly thicker. All my guitars are 7.25" radius, but the 9.5" radius felt great. Two of the pickguard screws near the neck were crooked and needed to be fixed. That was the only QC issue I noticed. The CV Vibrato also needed a setup and the bridge was flat against the Vibrato plate.
Final Thoughts
I really liked the Vintera Mustangs.I think used for $799 is not bad and sorta reminds me of Japanese Mustangs. With a Proper setup, these guitars would be a great addition if you need another quality mustang. I am not sure I would pay retail price of $1200.
What really impressed me though was the Classic Vibe Mustang. Here is a guitar that is $500 cheaper used and less than half the price of the Vintera Mustang new. It totally blows me away the overall quality and I actually like it better than the Vintera Mustangs. This is not saying the Vintera Mustangs are bad, but for the money, it makes no sense to pass on the Classic Vibe Mustang. (Unless you need the word "Fender" on the headstock). The CV Mustang needs some upgrades(Vibrato,tuners,and maybe the bridge) to be on a level playing field with the Vintera Mustangs but all are fairly cheap upgrades.
These are both great traditional Mustang guitars and I think you should check them out if you can. I have a used CV Mustang I am trying to purchase but if that falls through I will go back and pick up this white CV Mustang.
What have your experiences been with Classic Vibe and Vintera Series Mustangs?
I have plugged all these instruments in before, so today I was just playing them acoustically to compare the features/quality of the guitars.
Two of the Mustangs were used Vintera Mustangs in Lake Placid Blue and the other Mustang was Olympic White with the red tort guard.
Both Vintera Mustangs were priced at $799 and the CV Mustang is priced at $299.
![Image](http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52120453024_4eef716b78_c.jpg)
![Image](http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52120452964_e91ab0c10b_c.jpg)
![Image](http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52120453034_933a4b3eee_c.jpg)
![Image](http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52120704665_b73c5f1a69_c.jpg)
The Vintera Mustangs were light weight, looked good and had a very comfortable neck. Everything you would expect for a guitar valued at $1200. I like the lower profile pickup switches, similar to the Squier CV models, and they were very positive when switching. The LPB and the ivory pickguard were a beautiful color combo. The neck on both guitars had a nice medium profile and the gloss finish was nice and not very tinted.
Both Vintera Mustangs had awful/no setups for the Vibrato. Since these are used, obviously no longer had the "factory" setup if they is a thing anymore. One of the Vinteras Mustangs had washers under the cigar tube and bridge posts wrapped to convert it to a Hard tail. The other one had the tube leaning so far forward (tilting forward 45 degrees) that is looked like it was about to come loose. Both Bridges were not flat on the plate, but were only slightly elevated. Both guitars would require a bit of work to return to an actual working vibrato.
The Classic Vibe Mustang was a little heavier than the Vintera Mustangs, but not enough to be a turnoff. The neck is tinted darker and has the metal Kluson style turners. The neck profile felt almost identical to the Vintera necks, though perhaps slightly thicker. All my guitars are 7.25" radius, but the 9.5" radius felt great. Two of the pickguard screws near the neck were crooked and needed to be fixed. That was the only QC issue I noticed. The CV Vibrato also needed a setup and the bridge was flat against the Vibrato plate.
Final Thoughts
I really liked the Vintera Mustangs.I think used for $799 is not bad and sorta reminds me of Japanese Mustangs. With a Proper setup, these guitars would be a great addition if you need another quality mustang. I am not sure I would pay retail price of $1200.
What really impressed me though was the Classic Vibe Mustang. Here is a guitar that is $500 cheaper used and less than half the price of the Vintera Mustang new. It totally blows me away the overall quality and I actually like it better than the Vintera Mustangs. This is not saying the Vintera Mustangs are bad, but for the money, it makes no sense to pass on the Classic Vibe Mustang. (Unless you need the word "Fender" on the headstock). The CV Mustang needs some upgrades(Vibrato,tuners,and maybe the bridge) to be on a level playing field with the Vintera Mustangs but all are fairly cheap upgrades.
These are both great traditional Mustang guitars and I think you should check them out if you can. I have a used CV Mustang I am trying to purchase but if that falls through I will go back and pick up this white CV Mustang.
What have your experiences been with Classic Vibe and Vintera Series Mustangs?