❌SOLD❌ Fender Mustang Refinished Black, 1965

Introduced in August 1964 and built until 1982, the Fender Mustang was positioned between the student model DuoSonic and the professional grade Telecaster. Most Mustangs have a 24 inch scale length, but a few were built with a short 21.5 inch scale, all with Rosewood fingerboards. Until 1969, the body was a simple Alder slab body, and then it received standard – patented – Fender contours. Until 1968, the finish was nitrocellulose lacquer; at that point the finish shifted to the new, heavier polyester coatings.

Fender was purchased by CBS on January 5, 1965. This example dates to 1965 so it is a very early CBS guitar, almost certainly built with pre-CBS components already in stock. It was refinished long ago in black, and the original pickups have been replaced with Lace Sensor Holy Grail models. The faux-pearlescent pickguard is original, as are the tuners. The neck finish is the original lacquer, and the decal is in good shape – many have dried out and flaked over the years.

This Fender Mustang guitar is in good playing condition and sounds great. The original grey hard shell case is included, with some graffiti it has acquired over the years.

The Fender Mustang features a trem system using a rocking bridge and elevated string bar tailpiece, the springs being located under the chrome bridge plate. Overall, this design shares several elements of the Jazzmaster / Jaguar trem bridge.

While intended as an intermediate model, the Mustang was used by professionals, including Johnny Winter. One of the things that has contributed to the immediate and enduring popularity of Fender guitars is the ease with which they can be successfully customized. However, the student and intermediate models, the DuoSonic, Music Master and Mustang, have a body that’s over a quarter of an inch thinner than the pro-grade Telecaster and Stratocaster. Many of the parts that have been successfully used on the pro models just can’t fit on the Mustang, for example a stock Stratocaster trem bridge or a Floyd Rose.