Fender 0373652558 Electric Guitar: Full Review

The Fender 0373652558 Mustang Electric Guitar delivers classic offset body style and short scale playability, pairing it with modern Fender sound in an affordable package. This guitar features a basswood body with an offset waist that provides comfort and balanced weight distribution. The "C"-shaped maple neck has a rosewood fretboard with 24 medium jumbo frets, ideal for chording and soloing. Two single-coil Mustang pickups and master volume/tone controls provide versatile Fender tone that can go from glassy cleans to snarling growl. With its iconic styling and great playability, the Fender Mustang Electric guitar is an excellent choice for new players and those looking for a distinctive short-scale guitar with classic Fender vibe.

Body & Neck

The Fender Mustang electric guitar features a solid basswood body, which provides good weight, balanced tone, and smooth playability. Basswood is a common choice for budget-friendly guitars as it's relatively affordable yet offers decent tonal characteristics.

The neck is made of maple and has a very comfortable C-shaped profile that's not too chunky or too thin. It's a modern feel that most players will find easy to grasp and enjoyable to play. The maple neck is rigid and stable, providing a great foundation for the 25.5" scale fretboard.

Overall, the basswood body and maple C-shaped neck make for a well-balanced and easy playing guitar. The tonewood combination provides a pleasing blend of warmth and brightness. While not the most premium woods available, they offer good quality and performance for an affordable instrument.

When choosing an electric guitar, it's important to consider the body and neck woods, as these impact the tone, feel, and playability. Basswood is a common choice for budget guitars as it provides decent tone at an affordable price. Maple is also a popular neck wood that offers stability and a comfortable feel. While the Fender Mustang uses these cost-effective woods, other guitars may utilize more premium tonewoods like alder, ash, or mahogany for the body, and maple, rosewood, ebony, or roasted maple for the neck. Higher-end guitars aim for optimal resonance and sustain.

For example, the Yamaha CG162S electric guitar has a nato body and maple neck. Nato is similar to mahogany, providing a focused low end with crisp mids and smooth highs. This gives the Yamaha CG162S a balanced tone across the frequency range. The maple neck offers stability and a comfortable slim, fast feel. Together the nato and maple create a versatile guitar well-suited to many playing styles. While the Yamaha CG162S costs more than the Fender Mustang, it demonstrates how stepping up to more premium woods can impact an electric guitar's tone and playability. You can learn more about the Yamaha CG162S here: Yamaha CG162S.

When shopping for an electric guitar, carefully evaluate the tonewoods used for the body and neck. While budget models like the Fender Mustang use affordable woods like basswood and maple, pricier guitars utilize premium selections like mahogany, ash, and ebony. The type of wood significantly impacts an electric guitar's resonance, sustain, tone across the frequency range, and feel. It's an important factor to consider along with hardware, electronics, and craftsmanship. Do your research to determine if paying more for premium tonewoods is worthwhile for your needs and budget.

Pickups & Controls

The Fender Mustang features two single-coil pickups that provide a bright, crisp tone. Single-coil pickups tend to have more treble and less midrange than humbuckers, making them ideal for clean tones and chord voicings.

The guitar's control layout is simple and straightforward - just a master volume and tone control. The volume knob controls the overall output level, while the tone knob rolls off the high frequencies when turned down. This allows you to easily shape the guitar's tone from bright and snappy to smooth and mellow.

Some players may find the lack of a pickup selector switch limiting, as you can't toggle between the bridge and neck pickups independently. However, the master controls are convenient for quickly dialing in your sound without getting lost in complex switching options. Overall, the controls offer just enough variety for fundamental tone shaping.

While the Fender Mustang utilizes a simple single-coil pickup and control configuration, other guitars like the Stagg SCL60-BLK offer more versatility. The SCL60-BLK has a humbucker in the bridge position and a single-coil in the neck, allowing for thicker, higher-output tones from the bridge pickup. It also includes independent volume controls for each pickup, a 3-way toggle switch, and push/pull coil splitting on the tone knobs. This expanded control set provides more tonal options by blending the pickups and tapping different coils. Players looking for a wider range of tones may prefer the flexibility of the Stagg SCL60-BLK over the streamlined Fender Mustang.

That said, the Mustang's simple pickup and control layout is part of its charm for many players. It's designed to nail classic Fender single-coil tones without getting overwhelmed by controls. Some guitarists prefer having fewer knobs and switches to deal with, finding it easier to dial in sounds quickly. The Mustang aims more for doing a few sounds very well as opposed to having incremental options. Ultimately, the right pickup and control configuration comes down to personal playing style and needs.

Playability

The Fender Squire Mustang electric guitar is designed for comfort and ease of use. Its slim C-shaped maple neck provides a smooth, fast feel that makes it easy to play fast riffs and solos up and down the neck.

The shorter 24" scale length reduces string tension, making bends and vibrato easier to perform. This gives the Mustang great playability for guitarists with smaller hands who find it difficult to wrap their fingers around a full scale neck.

The rounded fingerboard edges provide comfort when moving up and down the neck quickly. The guitar feels very natural to hold due to its contoured body shape. Overall, the Mustang offers excellent playability that makes it fun and enjoyable to play for extended periods.

Sound

The Fender Mustang electric guitar produces a bright, punchy tone thanks to its pair of single-coil pickups. The bridge pickup provides a lot of treble and bite, while the neck pickup offers a warmer, rounder sound.

When both pickups are selected together, the guitar has a balanced tonality that's versatile for playing rock, blues, country, and pop. The brighter tone makes the Mustang ideal for cutting through a mix live or recording in the studio.

The guitar has master volume and tone knobs, allowing you to easily shape and control your sound. From sparkling cleans to gritty overdrive, the Mustang can cover a wide tonal palette. The single-coil pickups and bolt-on maple neck give this guitar a classic Fender snap and resonance.

While it doesn't have the bottom end of a humbucker-equipped guitar, the Mustang still delivers satisfying thickness and body for chords and riffs. Overall, it's a versatile instrument with vintage-inspired Fender tone and character.

Hardware

The Fender Mustang features quality hardware that enhances the guitar's playability. The bridge is a hardtail configuration, providing stability and ensuring the strings stay in tune. It has six individual saddles for precise intonation adjustments.

The tuners are Fender's own vintage-style bent steel saddles. They provide smooth and accurate tuning, which is important for keeping the guitar in tune during performances. The tuners are mounted on a skirtless nylon nut for reduced friction and enhanced sustain.

The Mustang also comes equipped with other high-quality hardware like volume and tone knobs, pickup switch, strap buttons, and jack plate. The knobs and switch have a smooth rotation and the buttons and plate are securely mounted.

Overall, the hardware complements the design and playability of the guitar nicely. The quality components like the bridge, tuners, and electrics give the Mustang reliable performance gig after gig. Guitarists will appreciate how the hardware enhances stability, sustain, and reliable tuning.

Pros

This Fender Squire Mustang guitar offers several nice features for the price:

• Great sound for the money - The dual single-coil pickups provide a classic bright, crisp Fender tone. While not as rich sounding as American-made Fenders, the pickups and hardware produce very solid sound quality considering the budget price point.

• Lightweight, comfortable body - The Mustang's slim contoured body is made from basswood, making it lightweight and easy to play for long periods. The short 24" scale length reduces tension on the strings for smooth, comfortable playing.

• Smooth modern C-shaped neck - The maple neck has a smooth satin finish and a C-profile that contours nicely to the player's hand. The 12" radius fingerboard promotes comfortable chording and soloing.

• Includes gig bag - This guitar comes with a protective gig bag, providing a handy way to transport the instrument safely. The included gig bag is a nice bonus not always found in this price range.

Cons

• The tremolo bridge is extremely basic and limited in functionality compared to higher-end models. It doesn't allow for fine tuning or bends, only basic up and down motion.

• The pickups are lower quality and lack richness/depth, especially when compared to USA-made Fender pickups. They produce a thinner, brighter tone that some players may find too harsh.

• The tuners feel cheap and can go out of tune more frequently than sealed tuners. Plan on upgrading them if staying in tune is important.

• The lighter pine body reduces sustain and produces a less full sound compared to alder or ash bodies. It also dents and marks more easily.

Who is it for?

The Fender Mustang electric guitar is best suited for beginner and intermediate players looking for an affordable, versatile guitar to learn on. With its short 24" scale, thinner body, and smooth satin neck, the Mustang is comfortable for smaller hands and easier to play than many full-scale models.

The dual pickup configuration gives players a good range of tones, from crisp and bright to thicker and warmer, making this a flexible guitar for playing various genres like rock, blues, punk, indie, alternative, and more. The built-in USB port also makes home recording easy.

More advanced guitarists may want a model with higher quality pickups and hardware. But overall, the Fender Mustang offers great value and playability for new and progressing players looking to hone their skills on an authentic Fender. The classic offset shape also provides some uniqueness versus typical Stratocaster or Telecaster models.

Verdict

The Squire by Fender Mustang electric guitar offers great value for money as a budget-friendly and versatile instrument. Though made in China, it retains much of the build quality and sound of its American-made Fender counterparts.

The Mustang body shape is comfortable and lightweight, making this a great electric guitar for younger players or beginners. The dynamic duo of single-coil pickups provide crisp, bright tones that can handle any genre from rock to funk.

While the hardware, tuners, and pickups are more basic, they perform well beyond their price tag. Overall, the playability and sound rivals guitars costing twice as much.

For gigging musicians or those wanting to grow into intermediate playing, the lack of a tremolo bridge and cheaper materials mean it may be worth upgrading later on. But as a starter electric, or backup guitar for practice and jamming, the Squire Mustang presents an excellent value.

It's an ideal choice for new players that captures the vibe and versatility of the Mustang at a budget-friendly price point. Those seeking great Fender sound and quality without breaking the bank should give the Squire Mustang serious consideration.