I have been playing for 35 years........spent thousands on gear and I can buy something like this.take it home and relax......awesome they are..........IMHO...GREAT STUFF!....Thanks Shane..CHEERS!
I was in a British pub rock band in the late seventies and early eighties. That meant humping gear into the Transit, humping it out again and setting up. At that time I was using a Vox AC30. It was a great sound, as long as it was cranked up. Aside from the fact that cranking it up meant drowning out all the other instruments (not popular) and annoying the pub’s landlord, there was the problem of valves (tubes). I got used to taking off the back, reseating the valves and/or replacing them on the spot thanks to a bag of them that I carried around. The amp was also prone to picking up VHF signals, particularly police cars. So occasionally, my lovely guitar breaks were interrupted by “Tango Foxtrot pursuing a suspected stolen vehicle heading north from Folkestone”. I guess the punters thought it was all part of the act. But I sold the AC30 and bought a Gibson Lab series solid state amp, and I never looked back. 100% reliable, lovely sound and no more valves to think about. I can appreciate that purists like the sound of a cranked up Fender Twin but it’s a one trick pony and the audience will never notice the difference. On the other hand, the Mustang will get you there at a fraction of the cost and with plenty of other options in reserve. A no brainer for me.
Great, truly great. Fender should be paying you, showing these amps in an actual gigging live setting is more than they do and answers everyone's questions about them.
I have a Mustang III. I've owned it for some four years and have gigged it extensively; all in all, I would say that it's fantastic value for money. They are light, extremely loud and versatile - and contrary to a few comments here, I find the 1950s/60s vintage pre sets to be extremely impressive. The one obvious difference between this amp and a vintage tube amp, is the tonal characteristics at low volume. But you can't have everything....and believe me, carrying this to the car at the end of a long night as opposed to lugging a Fender Twin is hugely preferable.
I would have thought that the tonal characteristic differences between the Mustang and a tube amp would be more evident at a high volume. Many tube amps don't really come into their tonal brilliance unless they are cranked ......say a Boogie Mk1 or a Fender Twin for example.
Leave the tube amps in the recording studio where you CAN hear the difference when you mic them up (and even that gap is closing quick). For the cover band, pub combo, or home player this is all you'll ever need. You've sold me on ditching my Blues Junior and going the Mustang III route - lighter weight and perhaps better yet, consistent powerful sound night after night. Right on!
i dont mean to be off topic but does anybody know a tool to get back into an instagram account? I was stupid forgot the login password. I would love any assistance you can offer me.
@Malik Cannon I really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and im trying it out atm. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later with my results.
I second all the comments from IntheBlues...I've been gigging with a Mustang III for about 2 yrs now. Amp is suprisingly Good stuff! Respond very similar to a tube amp at volume... maybe a tiny bit more compression but that actually helps fit in the mix without excessive volume. All guitars sound as they should. Spot on for Fender amp models and I've had and played almost all of them live and at volume. Enjoy!
Great live demo of one of the most versatile, affordable, great sounding, little "loud" amps out there :) Never regretted getting mine, awesome amp! With a good ear and a little patient tweaking from time to time, you can get just about any guitar sound/tone you want.
I've been playing for the last few years through a Germino Masonette 25. Fabulous amp. BUT when I first plugged into a Mustang III and noodled around a bit I was blown away by the quality of tone from this little monster. I've been playing guitar for 45 years - professionally for 20 and have owned all sorts of tube amps - Marshall, Fender, Mesa, Germino, and many others. The presets that come already on the amp are mostly useless - when you start modifying the tone to your personal taste, and utilize the custom presets from the community base, the amp really come alive. The Mustang isn't the best of the best by any means but when considering cost, portability, reliability and range of tone, this amp rates very, very high. The "fun factor" of this amp is through the roof. Highly recommended !
I think your post is a very accurate assessment. I've either had or played guitar players who have played numerous Fender, Marshal, Mesa etc amps and I think the Mustang III sounds great too and capable of covering a lot of ground. I just use it for home playing and never cranked mine up to dance club or big stage volume , so I can't speak for that. I picked up a Mustang 1 amp too for low volume practicing in my living room, when I don't feel like isolating myself in the music room. I'm impressed by that little guy too. Great for playing along with backing tracks coming through the computer speakers.
Thanks! Awesome review and demonstration. I have had a Mustang V2 I for about two years and really love the amp. I am going to keep the Mus I and buy either a Mus II or III but have decided to go for the Mus III, has sooooo much more to over for just a few bucks more. Great to hear the amps and hear your comparisons with tube amps. I am definitely on a budget. Thanks again man and rock on! ShivaOm.
+intheblues It didn't really answer the question of volume comparability to drums as everything is going through the pa system so potentially for all we know the amp could have been turned up to twice the volume of the drums on the mixing desk, so I would appreciate your estimation of how it compares in a totally acoustic (no PA) environment. Sounding good though.
Hi Shane, You've convinced me with your demos. I've sold a vox ac15c1, vox night train, badcat cougar 15 and an American handwired badcat and I'm now just playing my mustang. Please keep posting these cool demos! God bless!
one of the best download videos I've ever seen you showed what it does with a band instead of in the living room thanks much I appreciate it Glen from suspect band
wow!! live test rocks!!!! i want all my reviews/demos like this you guys spoiled me. What a great way to demo a product and great playing too!! thanks ill be back fo sho
You guys have some serious blues chops! Nice demo and even with the just the handy cam it sounded great. I have a MIII that I use at church and I can't believe that 65 Twin tone with a touch of reverb and delay. So Fender glassy. And the Supersonic was a pleasant surprise! Great for lead tones! Picked mine up BRAND NEW for $232 USD! Truly one of the best investments for guitar I've ever made!
I first gigged out my M-4 in 2011 and quickly realized that it was unbeatable. Because of all the deep editing and cab Switching that can be done, it's virtually limitless in the tone department 👌 exceedingly fun to play because of its versatility👍
I've had my M III for over a year. Really enjoy it, suits every playing mood I have. Output to the headset is great too. Likely one of the best buys all around in a guitar amplifier.
Sounds great. I was checking one out at the local guitar store due to your demos and a guy walked up and asked it the amp had tubs because it sounded great.
Amazing amp! I purchased one of these a couple of months ago for rehearsal use, saves my weary body lugging my Blackstar HT 20 with eminence swamp thing on board !! heavy!!. I've done the modeling thing before and reverted back to tube but this amp sounds superb and is reasonably easy to set up ..patch wise. Now like your good self I'm gonna gig it this friday!! I'll try and get some footage!!
Mustang IIIs are seriously unbelievable bought my a couple years back. I've had to resort to using it as a back up live amp for quite some big shows and it's my go to practise and rehearsal amp. I've had this at an 8 on the master volume (I play in a punk band)
Shane, Fender is meeting in the board room as I type... They are discussing the uptick in Mustang Sales... Lots of charts, booze flowing, and picture of your face beaming from a projector. Fender man of the year....
Ive seen tons of reviews on the Fender Mustang amps, but I think that this is the first one Ive seen that is actually live with drums. I have to say, I am very impressed with the blues tones you guys were getting from it. Now, I am left to wonder about the rock tones.. but if they are as good as what I heard in this vid, Im sure there are some very usable rock tones in there. I think I'd be tempted to throw a tube-drive of some sort in the chain and see what happens. Great video and Thanks
Thank you for giving us this insight into the way the amp sounds in vivo, or real life. It's never, NEVER about the way it sounds by itself, but about the way it sits in the mix of a real performance in a real performance space. I'm not sure if it was your settings or the amp, but it still has a bit of thinness, that could be pumped up, but overall it sounds good.
I have the first version of the Mustang III (not this V2) and i simply love it. I've also already played it live in bars and in one big (and i mean BIG) open hair stage, mic'd up, at volume 4 out of 10, and... my god, 5 stars people. Buy it ;)
Trust me guys, this amp is really awesome and its even better with my Tech 21 fly rig pedal, it kills any famous tube amp easily. This amp roxx & I'm proud owner!! 😀👍👌
I gig with a Mustang3. It will drown out a loud drummer if you want it to. About 4 - 4.5 on the master volume is all you need to keep up. The master volume is also very linear. On a lot of amps there's an area on the master volume that's tricky, because the volume will jump dramatically with a tiny adjustment. The Mustang is smooth from zero to seven (I've never tried to run it wide open). At seven it was moving my pant legs. One thing to watch out for is that the trebles beam like crazy, and the amp can sound harsh if it's pointed directly at the audience. A guy from another band was at one of our gigs and told me that he was getting harsh treble at the back of the room. Now I either aim it angled across the stage toward the opposite wall or use gaffer's tape to to make a 6" by 6" patch on the grill cloth in front of the center of the speaker. I may invest in a Weber beam blocker. The amp is very responsive to pick attack and the guitar's volume knob - very tube-like. I like it over all, but I think the other guys in the band like it better than I do. Every time I talk about switching amps, they ask why I'd want to do that.
Did you ever get a Weber beam blocker ? I've never heard of it, but wondering if that helped. I'm wondering that harsh "back of the room treble" was because of the room acoustics....or a problem at any venue with the Mustang or similar digital amp.
Great playing. I think that's what needs to be pointed out the most about these videos. I think it shows that good players can make ANY amp sound good. Still, for us amateurs, we should probably stick to the cheaper stuff and get better first. These videos kind of make me regret getting on the "tube bandwagon" and getting a Twin.
I know, right? Even smaller tube amps don't sound as nice as these. Yeah, the Mustang might not get the same "feel", but the difference is marginal at best. These amps will get you 95% of the way there. And not dent your wallet (or hurt your back) as much!
Love your videos Shane, keep up the good work. My only complaint? You can make any piece of gear sound good. Why? Because you are good, the sound comes from you, from your hands, from your heart. Not much of a complaint really, more of an observance. BTW maybe the big Mustang 111 beat up on the little Blues Junior but I’ll bet a bigger tube amp like the HRD would win the tone/ response test.
I brought this used amp and put in eminence 150w 8ohm speaker man this little amp sound like mesa boogie it loud and perfect, it has all the effects sound, all you need is a crybaby pedal . So try it !👍🎶🎶🎶
@JeffJohnson I think this amp would work great in church. I've played in church myself for about 8 years and it's about impossible to turn up a valve amplifier loud enough to get it sounding good. It's like driving a Corvette on fifth gear going 30 miles per hour. The mustang would sound much better at those volume settings.
I have had this amp for about a year and my band have started getting better gigs, normally it holds up I'll b honest, but we played on an oval today and it was absolutely wispering especially compared to the other guitarists Marshall (bit of an unfair comparison). It was on absolute full, all nobs turned up, and the marshal was only on about 4/5 depending on the song. Conclusion: Good for pub gigs I guess, but I'm looking to buy a louder amp soon for bigger, open gigs.
Do you use the Rode M3 exclusively? I've never used one but it sounds great. And these Mustang videos are really great. They convinced me to buy the 5 and the 4-12. Big Ol' thumbs up from the states.
intheblues I'm impressed. My Samsung Camcorder is horrible by comparison. My lead guitar has a Mustang V stack, it's pretty killer. I think one of the most interesting aspects is, that, despite it being digital and complex like a 747 in all that it can do... he rarely messes around with it. And he's never even hooked it up to his PC yet.
yaaaay!! I finally get to order my Mustang III v2 on Saturday, should have it by middle of next week(July 4th "Independance Day" holiday weekend here in the USA, or it's normally only 2-day shipping) This ticks every single box for me and just might be my LAST amp... ;0p
If I was gigging again, Id have 3 of these. Run 2 in stereo and 1 as back up. These are the real deal. Its just the cork sniffers who will stand with their overheating valves until they blow. Ive been messing with speakers in mine. I really think this is an area with potential. Stock speaker is very good but through my Emi Wizard sounds amazing. Makes me wonder how it would sound with a EV12L?
How do you think of the reliability now that you've had it just over a year? I just got a Mustang II a week ago and I'm liking it a lot, having tried just the standard built in tones / effects so far (starting with fuse this weekend). I'd have gotten the Mustang III if my budget would've stretched that far.
Now that is really impressive Shane! Especially listening to two different guitarists. I like Brian's start tone. Any idea what pickups he has in that? Now...... have stocks run out yet?
Hey, great video, exactly what I'm looking for! I'm in a two piece on fuzzy keyboard and heavy drums, my drummer hits hard, will my keyboard be able to keep up with just this? Cheers! Freddie
Cool test/demo ! So if you had to play this same gig , playing CLEAN, without overdrive, , ,would you still take the Mustang 3 over the Deluxe Reverb ? Thanks.
I have a Fender mustang 111 v2 and would like to firmware update but Fender fuse has been discontinued, do you have any suggestions that might be helpful?
The latest version is firmware version 2.2 Fuse still works on my Windows 10 PC so you should bs able to upgrade the firmware.Also check out the Remuda Android app!
intheblues Shane have you ever played the Mustang II? Do you think those 40 solid state watts could handle to compare in volume and headroom to a 22w Fender Deluxe Reverb?
What was the master volume set at? I play in my little 5x5 meter practice room, and I cannot play with it over 4,5 without it hurting my ears, so I don't understand people worrying about it not being able to keep up with a drummer or play in a concert hall.
The Mustang is an amp you have to tweak to sound good, don't rely on the factory-presets. If you don't have the patience to tweak it'll never sound good...
Dennis Schell He probably used the stock presets... If you take the effort to do some tweaking (or simply download Shane's presets) then this amp sound awesome, much like the originals
I own one for almost a year now. Are there any extra amp models available? I would love to see the Hot Rod Deluxe and Blues Deluxe on it as well. Mainly because of the 6L6 and the excellent clean and blues sounds on the real version of these amps.
I found the modeling feature too slow for live gigs. Stomp boxes are much easier. Walking back to the amp isn't a good option if you sing also. I would prefer the Champion 100 which is why I sold my III V2
yes I know I had one but they are a 2 button one...the 4 button one should have come with this amp and there should be a readout so that you know where the heck you are in the setting but there isn't....I still would prefer the Champion 100 over it but (and this is a big one) if I were buying an amp right now it would be the Super Champ X2 because it has the same programming capabilities as the Mustang but has the manual controls of the Champ series....best of both worlds....still stomp boxes on stage are much easier to deal with
@@jchavins You can manually control the settings on the Mustang like any other amp.......and you can use pedals with the Mustang too if you'd rather use your own.
I can't wait for a head to head showdown with the Fender Mustang III or IV and the Blackstar ID 60 or 260 Shane . I'd also be interested in you oppinion as a Blues amp on which you prefer due to youtube's reproduction of sound . Jerry - aka - HUTCHfromBA . Blues On....
+dx2800 I have a mustang iii v2 and roland Cube 40 - the cube is a great amp. I prefer the flexibility of the Mustang but I miss the amazing model of the JC that the cube has. That said the mustang can get very close to that if you use the "studio preamp" as the amp model. The cubes are great but I think their compression algorithm is inferior, When practicing alone in a quite room I can hear subtle artifacts, that bug me. They are subtle and are only noticeable when practicing alone in a very quite room, you would not hear it in any other situation, the mustang ( and the smallest cube amp) do not have this problem.
I like this amp for it's mellow, non-metal just break up to decent crunch at bedroom levels. You can some good crunch without a lot of buzz, so you let the note decay more naturally - even at very low volume. I find even the small over driven tube amps played at such low volumes still have issues this amp does not have. They really need to be played loud to sound decent. I think if I was a pro that could count on a good set up, I would prefer the tube, but if I am going into a dive bar anyway, what difference does it make?
Which footswitch are you displaying here? It doesn't resemble either the 4-button footswitch for Mustang Amps or the MGT-4 Footswitch for the new GT fender amps.
Hey Shane. Why is it that when I try to crank my Mustang III V2 it 'dips' out (volume goes completly off for 2-4 seconds)? It happens mainly when I use dirt pedals. But it does the same without any pedals. If I crank the master, the volume and start to turn up the gain, the volume dips out as though it can't handle the high volumes. Any explaination for this??
Do you know the actual settings that were done to the supersonic preset. I tried to install the preset after downloading from fuse and they all say V2 and I can't seem to get them on my version 1 amp. Maybe my problem is something else. I like that sound.
Shane, I gig with my Mustang Floor through the aux of my Behringer GX210 35 watts......although my Mustang Floor can be patched with XLR's right to the PA....have you tried the Floor and is this as good as micing the amp?
Owned this amp for a couple of years now and though I'd ask the community: What about the models based on amps with no mid control, or with just one tone knob ( '57 deluxe)? Should we set the bass/mid knobs halfway on the mustang to "neutralize" them or is there a specific setting I should use to emulate the original behavior?
I just picked up 1 of these, basicly new, had 2hrs use. 8 yrs in the wardrobe. Paid $300 sounds good. Apparently Fender stopped Fuse updates. What now, just use it as is, I suppose. A Bit sucky A big name like Fender stops support of a product. Any Tips anyone???
If you have the Fender Fuse software, you should have all you need. Making your own presets based on your guitar and pickups is the best way to go anyway. If you don't have it, there are other places on line that you can download from other than Fender....which btw, is a pretty lousy thing Fender did by taking down their FUSE download.
Is this v1 or v2 and will your Supersonic and Deluxe patches work on v1. I can get a v1 today but the only reason I want it is to get your Supersonic and Deluxe tones. Help! I need to know soon.
I got the V2 mate, the newer one. Don't buy a V1 they don't have the same options and are older. Not to say they aren't good but V2 is the most current.
+intheblues I bought the original Mustang III from a store because it was $100 cheaper used, I haven't been disappointed with it aside from the overdrive but I've only had it for 2 days, I can't really complain about it. For a non-tube amp the clean channel with my Strat sounds excellent and the power and sound really breathes through that 12" speaker... if you can get a really good deal, the Mustang III V1 is still great. I don't know if I would ever go to the V2 anytime soon unless there was something to convince me to take this back and drop that extra cash
@@robosag I've got a Mustang III v1 and a Mustang 1 V.2 .....You've got a couple extra amp models.......like the pawn shop model, whatever that is. I don't think you're missing much. They basically are the same amp.
My Mustang Bricked can you believe it flashing white LCD screen that's it dead as a dodo. 8 months old 👎 luckily warranty kicks in so won't be long for new/fixed one.
Your astonished (and I could say "mildly embarrased") realization that a solid state amp can indicernably "match" an expensive tube amp - have swung me back over to the Fender Mustang camp. As a Fender GDec user since learning guitar six years ago - I was about to spend $500 for an "upgrade" to a Blues Jr (plus a handful of fairly expensive pedals) before you came out with this. I will (for now) loose the higher education I would have received by learning how to get the tones I needed from my guitar and a single channel tube amp. In reality, I work 60-80 hours a week and so for my own practical purposes, the Mustang will give me the tones I need quicker, for the least cost and with the lightest weight. Sold.
I have been playing for 35 years........spent thousands on gear and I can buy something like this.take it home and relax......awesome they are..........IMHO...GREAT STUFF!....Thanks Shane..CHEERS!
Thanks mate :)
I was in a British pub rock band in the late seventies and early eighties. That meant humping gear into the Transit, humping it out again and setting up. At that time I was using a Vox AC30. It was a great sound, as long as it was cranked up. Aside from the fact that cranking it up meant drowning out all the other instruments (not popular) and annoying the pub’s landlord, there was the problem of valves (tubes). I got used to taking off the back, reseating the valves and/or replacing them on the spot thanks to a bag of them that I carried around. The amp was also prone to picking up VHF signals, particularly police cars. So occasionally, my lovely guitar breaks were interrupted by “Tango Foxtrot pursuing a suspected stolen vehicle heading north from Folkestone”. I guess the punters thought it was all part of the act.
But I sold the AC30 and bought a Gibson Lab series solid state amp, and I never looked back. 100% reliable, lovely sound and no more valves to think about. I can appreciate that purists like the sound of a cranked up Fender Twin but it’s a one trick pony and the audience will never notice the difference. On the other hand, the Mustang will get you there at a fraction of the cost and with plenty of other options in reserve. A no brainer for me.
I bought this machine for your comment and it was an excellent decision. thank you very much
Great, truly great. Fender should be paying you, showing these amps in an actual gigging live setting is more than they do and answers everyone's questions about them.
I have a Mustang III. I've owned it for some four years and have gigged it extensively; all in all, I would say that it's fantastic value for money. They are light, extremely loud and versatile - and contrary to a few comments here, I find the 1950s/60s vintage pre sets to be extremely impressive. The one obvious difference between this amp and a vintage tube amp, is the tonal characteristics at low volume. But you can't have everything....and believe me, carrying this to the car at the end of a long night as opposed to lugging a Fender Twin is hugely preferable.
I would have thought that the tonal characteristic differences between the Mustang and a tube amp would be more evident at a high volume. Many tube amps don't really come into their tonal brilliance unless they are cranked ......say a Boogie Mk1 or a Fender Twin for example.
Leave the tube amps in the recording studio where you CAN hear the difference when you mic them up (and even that gap is closing quick). For the cover band, pub combo, or home player this is all you'll ever need. You've sold me on ditching my Blues Junior and going the Mustang III route - lighter weight and perhaps better yet, consistent powerful sound night after night. Right on!
I really like mine but I haven't been able to explore it completely. Great comment.
i dont mean to be off topic but does anybody know a tool to get back into an instagram account?
I was stupid forgot the login password. I would love any assistance you can offer me.
@Tristen Brooks Instablaster =)
@Malik Cannon I really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and im trying it out atm.
Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later with my results.
@Malik Cannon It worked and I now got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thank you so much you saved my ass!
I second all the comments from IntheBlues...I've been gigging with a Mustang III for about 2 yrs now. Amp is suprisingly Good stuff! Respond very similar to a tube amp at volume... maybe a tiny bit more compression but that actually helps fit in the mix without excessive volume. All guitars sound as they should. Spot on for Fender amp models and I've had and played almost all of them live and at volume. Enjoy!
I bought a Mustang III, tube screamer and cry baby to play live. Loved the result. All I need, great amplifier.
Great live demo of one of the most versatile, affordable, great sounding, little "loud" amps out there :) Never regretted getting mine, awesome amp! With a good ear and a little patient tweaking from time to time, you can get just about any guitar sound/tone you want.
Great playing and Tone. Solid states amps are just getting better
Thanks mate :)
I've been playing for the last few years through a Germino Masonette 25. Fabulous amp. BUT when I first plugged into a Mustang III and noodled around a bit I was blown away by the quality of tone from this little monster. I've been playing guitar for 45 years - professionally for 20 and have owned all sorts of tube amps - Marshall, Fender, Mesa, Germino, and many others. The presets that come already on the amp are mostly useless - when you start modifying the tone to your personal taste, and utilize the custom presets from the community base, the amp really come alive. The Mustang isn't the best of the best by any means but when considering cost, portability, reliability and range of tone, this amp rates very, very high. The "fun factor" of this amp is through the roof. Highly recommended !
I think your post is a very accurate assessment. I've either had or played guitar players who have played numerous Fender, Marshal, Mesa etc amps and I think the Mustang III sounds great too and capable of covering a lot of ground. I just use it for home playing and never cranked mine up to dance club or big stage volume , so I can't speak for that. I picked up a Mustang 1 amp too for low volume practicing in my living room, when I don't feel like isolating myself in the music room. I'm impressed by that little guy too. Great for playing along with backing tracks coming through the computer speakers.
Thanks! Awesome review and demonstration. I have had a Mustang V2 I for about two years and really love the amp. I am going to keep the Mus I and buy either a Mus II or III but have decided to go for the Mus III, has sooooo much more to over for just a few bucks more. Great to hear the amps and hear your comparisons with tube amps. I am definitely on a budget. Thanks again man and rock on!
ShivaOm.
You've completely answered my question about playing with a drummer. Thank you! The amp sounds great.
Thanks Lorenzo :) No problems at all. It keeps up no worries with a drummer.
+intheblues It didn't really answer the question of volume comparability to drums as everything is going through the pa system so potentially for all we know the amp could have been turned up to twice the volume of the drums on the mixing desk, so I would appreciate your estimation of how it compares in a totally acoustic (no PA) environment. Sounding good though.
Hi Shane,
You've convinced me with your demos. I've sold a vox ac15c1, vox night train, badcat cougar 15 and an American handwired badcat and I'm now just playing my mustang. Please keep posting these cool demos! God bless!
one of the best download videos I've ever seen you showed what it does with a band instead of in the living room thanks much I appreciate it Glen from suspect band
wow!! live test rocks!!!! i want all my reviews/demos like this you guys spoiled me. What a great way to demo a product and great playing too!! thanks ill be back fo sho
You guys have some serious blues chops! Nice demo and even with the just the handy cam it sounded great. I have a MIII that I use at church and I can't believe that 65 Twin tone with a touch of reverb and delay. So Fender glassy. And the Supersonic was a pleasant surprise! Great for lead tones! Picked mine up BRAND NEW for $232 USD! Truly one of the best investments for guitar I've ever made!
I first gigged out my M-4 in 2011 and quickly realized that it was unbeatable. Because of all the deep editing and cab Switching that can be done, it's virtually limitless in the tone department 👌 exceedingly fun to play because of its versatility👍
Mate. It sounded great. Ive always liked the simplicity of the solid state. And now with this and modeling... Thanks for sharing
I've had my M III for over a year. Really enjoy it, suits every playing mood I have. Output to the headset is great too. Likely one of the best buys all around in a guitar amplifier.
man that tape delay setting sounds great!
Sounds great. I was checking one out at the local guitar store due to your demos and a guy walked up and asked it the amp had tubs because it sounded great.
Tried it out today... Needless to say, sold the tube amp. It's so much easier to carry and sounds pretty spot on! Thanks
great sound is coming out of that deal. awesome demo.
Amazing amp! I purchased one of these a couple of months ago for rehearsal use, saves my weary body lugging my Blackstar HT 20 with eminence swamp thing on board !! heavy!!. I've done the modeling thing before and reverted back to tube but this amp sounds superb and is reasonably easy to set up ..patch wise. Now like your good self I'm gonna gig it this friday!! I'll try and get some footage!!
Mustang IIIs are seriously unbelievable bought my a couple years back. I've had to resort to using it as a back up live amp for quite some big shows and it's my go to practise and rehearsal amp. I've had this at an 8 on the master volume (I play in a punk band)
Cool, love your playing guys! Fantastic!
Great vid Shane ... excellent stuff!!
Shane, Fender is meeting in the board room as I type... They are discussing the uptick in Mustang Sales... Lots of charts, booze flowing, and picture of your face beaming from a projector. Fender man of the year....
but isn't wasn't long after that , that Fender hired a hitman once Shane started endorsing other amps instead.
Bill Gates rockin the Strat, nice!
Steve Jobs too. 2:48
Before he plotted to destroy the world
Ive seen tons of reviews on the Fender Mustang amps, but I think that this is the first one Ive seen that is actually live with drums. I have to say, I am very impressed with the blues tones you guys were getting from it.
Now, I am left to wonder about the rock tones.. but if they are as good as what I heard in this vid, Im sure there are some very usable rock tones in there.
I think I'd be tempted to throw a tube-drive of some sort in the chain and see what happens.
Great video and Thanks
Always love your videos friend! Band sounded great!
2:50 guy walks in with his phone...."oh crap, hold on....this to too loud!" LOL
Lol
Also ... a woman walked out for the same reason ... too loud to talk LOL
Hey Marv, I found that sound you were looking for... but it's too loud.
He thought is was going to be a strip club.
Thank you for giving us this insight into the way the amp sounds in vivo, or real life. It's never, NEVER about the way it sounds by itself, but about the way it sits in the mix of a real performance in a real performance space.
I'm not sure if it was your settings or the amp, but it still has a bit of thinness, that could be pumped up, but overall it sounds good.
Listen again and again, especially blindly, I must admit it is quite nice. These are not as thin as I thought at first. What a value!
mustang III v2 is pure badass that's all there is to it ... nuff said ... especially with a tele!
Excellent jammin'... got me a goose bump or two off that one...
I have the first version of the Mustang III (not this V2) and i simply love it. I've also already played it live in bars and in one big (and i mean BIG) open hair stage, mic'd up, at volume 4 out of 10, and... my god, 5 stars people. Buy it ;)
Trust me guys, this amp is really awesome and its even better with my Tech 21 fly rig pedal, it kills any famous tube amp easily.
This amp roxx & I'm proud owner!! 😀👍👌
Nice Playing! I was set on getting the Fender Champion, but now this amp may be the better choice! tough decision! both nice amps!
+Chris ‘AngryCagen’ LeMay what did you get?
I gig with a Mustang3. It will drown out a loud drummer if you want it to. About 4 - 4.5 on the master volume is all you need to keep up. The master volume is also very linear. On a lot of amps there's an area on the master volume that's tricky, because the volume will jump dramatically with a tiny adjustment. The Mustang is smooth from zero to seven (I've never tried to run it wide open). At seven it was moving my pant legs.
One thing to watch out for is that the trebles beam like crazy, and the amp can sound harsh if it's pointed directly at the audience. A guy from another band was at one of our gigs and told me that he was getting harsh treble at the back of the room. Now I either aim it angled across the stage toward the opposite wall or use gaffer's tape to to make a 6" by 6" patch on the grill cloth in front of the center of the speaker. I may invest in a Weber beam blocker.
The amp is very responsive to pick attack and the guitar's volume knob - very tube-like. I like it over all, but I think the other guys in the band like it better than I do. Every time I talk about switching amps, they ask why I'd want to do that.
Did you ever get a Weber beam blocker ? I've never heard of it, but wondering if that helped. I'm wondering that harsh "back of the room treble" was because of the room acoustics....or a problem at any venue with the Mustang or similar digital amp.
As I said on Facebook. Couldn't agree with you more Shane. So happy to see & hear your results. Nice work :-)
Thanks! :)
Great playing. I think that's what needs to be pointed out the most about these videos. I think it shows that good players can make ANY amp sound good. Still, for us amateurs, we should probably stick to the cheaper stuff and get better first. These videos kind of make me regret getting on the "tube bandwagon" and getting a Twin.
I know, right? Even smaller tube amps don't sound as nice as these. Yeah, the Mustang might not get the same "feel", but the difference is marginal at best. These amps will get you 95% of the way there. And not dent your wallet (or hurt your back) as much!
sounds amazing...
Sounds really good. nice playing, too.
Love your videos Shane, keep up the good work. My only complaint? You can make any piece of gear sound good. Why? Because you are good, the sound comes from you, from your hands, from your heart. Not much of a complaint really, more of an observance. BTW maybe the big Mustang 111 beat up on the little Blues Junior but I’ll bet a bigger tube amp like the HRD would win the tone/ response test.
nice job, keep on blusin, i cant wait to get my boss katana. i seen your review on it im sold thanks for that man thats cool
Outstanding.
Brian is incredible, holy shit!
I brought this used amp and put in eminence 150w 8ohm speaker man this little amp sound like mesa boogie it loud and perfect, it has all the effects sound, all you need is a crybaby pedal . So try it !👍🎶🎶🎶
@JeffJohnson I think this amp would work great in church. I've played in church myself for about 8 years and it's about impossible to turn up a valve amplifier loud enough to get it sounding good. It's like driving a Corvette on fifth gear going 30 miles per hour. The mustang would sound much better at those volume settings.
erictoniaschwab1009 what? Turning up an valve amp makes it sound better. Do you even have any idea what you're saying?
@@jonadegraaf7916 That IS what he said.
Sounds great!
Sounds great!
I have had this amp for about a year and my band have started getting better gigs, normally it holds up I'll b honest, but we played on an oval today and it was absolutely wispering especially compared to the other guitarists Marshall (bit of an unfair comparison). It was on absolute full, all nobs turned up, and the marshal was only on about 4/5 depending on the song. Conclusion: Good for pub gigs I guess, but I'm looking to buy a louder amp soon for bigger, open gigs.
+Ember why not mic your amp and run the mic into a stage monitor. I never understand when people say a 100w is not loud enough for gigs
Jaffa Road just got a vox cab xD valvetronix, its awesome
Sound like a real valve amp lol iv always wondered what one of those would sound like live! Great tone
love the playing and supersonic preset at 4:15
Do you use the Rode M3 exclusively? I've never used one but it sounds great. And these Mustang videos are really great. They convinced me to buy the 5 and the 4-12. Big Ol' thumbs up from the states.
yeh ok... seeing you guys sound amazing live kind of sells it (looking to buy one at a good price second hand all these years on)....
nice sound from mustang
Jury's out, it rocks. Audio is better on that phone than you'd think!!! holy crap, or was that board audio.
Just video camera audio from my little Sony CX-110 Camera
intheblues I'm impressed. My Samsung Camcorder is horrible by comparison. My lead guitar has a Mustang V stack, it's pretty killer. I think one of the most interesting aspects is, that, despite it being digital and complex like a 747 in all that it can do... he rarely messes around with it. And he's never even hooked it up to his PC yet.
Love it... A bold statement from the underdog #MustangIII
yaaaay!! I finally get to order my Mustang III v2 on Saturday, should have it by middle of next week(July 4th "Independance Day" holiday weekend here in the USA, or it's normally only 2-day shipping) This ticks every single box for me and just might be my LAST amp... ;0p
I hope so and also hope you've got a lot of time left.
If I was gigging again, Id have 3 of these. Run 2 in stereo and 1 as back up. These are the real deal. Its just the cork sniffers who will stand with their overheating valves until they blow. Ive been messing with speakers in mine. I really think this is an area with potential. Stock speaker is very good but through my Emi Wizard sounds amazing. Makes me wonder how it would sound with a EV12L?
How do you think of the reliability now that you've had it just over a year? I just got a Mustang II a week ago and I'm liking it a lot, having tried just the standard built in tones / effects so far (starting with fuse this weekend). I'd have gotten the Mustang III if my budget would've stretched that far.
It will sound even better after the speaker beds in, That will take at least 24hr of playing time.
Sounds great ;)
When you say custom eq is that an external eq thanks dave
whoaaa what a nice amp!!!!!!!!
Now that is really impressive Shane! Especially listening to two different guitarists.
I like Brian's start tone. Any idea what pickups he has in that?
Now...... have stocks run out yet?
It's a stock Japanese Stratocaster from memory :)
i have the mustang the amp rocks i play everything from metal to blues i take this amp every where from my studio to concert and im 12 years old
mustang 3 also
bvb lover bvb i meant all i have is mustang 3
Hey, great video, exactly what I'm looking for! I'm in a two piece on fuzzy keyboard and heavy drums, my drummer hits hard, will my keyboard be able to keep up with just this?
Cheers! Freddie
Cool test/demo ! So if you had to play this same gig , playing CLEAN, without overdrive, , ,would you still take the Mustang 3 over the Deluxe Reverb ? Thanks.
Very very very gooooodddddd
I have a Fender mustang 111 v2 and would like to firmware update but Fender fuse has been discontinued, do you have any suggestions that might be helpful?
The latest version is firmware version 2.2 Fuse still works on my Windows 10 PC so you should bs able to upgrade the firmware.Also check out the Remuda Android app!
Please forgive me for going off-topic. However can you please tell me why RUclips has ZERO reviews of Fender Blues Jr iii vs Marshall dsl 15 c?
intheblues Shane have you ever played the Mustang II? Do you think those 40 solid state watts could handle to compare in volume and headroom to a 22w Fender Deluxe Reverb?
I would guess the Mustang was A. The second had a little bit more warmth to it but both are very usable sounds.
Shane , can you record your playing from this amp directly into a DAW on my Windows 7 PC ?
Hi Jerry. Yep, you can mate. It has two XLR outputs on the back so you can hook it up no worries.
What was the master volume set at? I play in my little 5x5 meter practice room, and I cannot play with it over 4,5 without it hurting my ears, so I don't understand people worrying about it not being able to keep up with a drummer or play in a concert hall.
I have a cheap Yamaha EG112C. Think the amp will work well with it?
Sasmitha Waidyatilleke yes it will I got a Yamaha eg112c also n mustang 3. trust me I'm rocking!!!
Seem's like tube's are not a necessity any more.
And I've been gigging a Mustang 3 for 2 years, love it, and think you have little experience with it....
The Mustang is an amp you have to tweak to sound good, don't rely on the factory-presets. If you don't have the patience to tweak it'll never sound good...
Dennis Schell He probably used the stock presets... If you take the effort to do some tweaking (or simply download Shane's presets) then this amp sound awesome, much like the originals
50'smusicgroup fb no the're not... However, skilled musicians are...
@@martijnvandenakker803Akker where can I find Shane's presets?
Can you do Orange CR60C Live Gig Test & Review please?
I own one for almost a year now. Are there any extra amp models available? I would love to see the Hot Rod Deluxe and Blues Deluxe on it as well. Mainly because of the 6L6 and the excellent clean and blues sounds on the real version of these amps.
I found the modeling feature too slow for live gigs. Stomp boxes are much easier. Walking back to the amp isn't a good option if you sing also. I would prefer the Champion 100 which is why I sold my III V2
But This amp does have Footswitch.. and stomp.
yes I know I had one but they are a 2 button one...the 4 button one should have come with this amp and there should be a readout so that you know where the heck you are in the setting but there isn't....I still would prefer the Champion 100 over it but (and this is a big one) if I were buying an amp right now it would be the Super Champ X2 because it has the same programming capabilities as the Mustang but has the manual controls of the Champ series....best of both worlds....still stomp boxes on stage are much easier to deal with
@@jchavins You can manually control the settings on the Mustang like any other amp.......and you can use pedals with the Mustang too if you'd rather use your own.
Shane , do you know if the stock speakers on the III and IV are 8 ohms each ?
Not sure off the top of my head. The speaker in the III is 8 but I would check the specs on the Fender website regarding the IV.
I can't wait for a head to head showdown with the Fender Mustang III or IV and the Blackstar ID 60 or 260 Shane . I'd also be interested in you oppinion as a Blues amp on which you prefer due to youtube's reproduction of sound . Jerry - aka - HUTCHfromBA . Blues On....
Great videos Shane. Whats sounds better: Mustang III v2 or Roland Cube 80?
+dx2800
I have a mustang iii v2 and roland Cube 40 - the cube is a great amp. I prefer the flexibility of the Mustang but I miss the amazing model of the JC that the cube has. That said the mustang can get very close to that if you use the "studio preamp" as the amp model. The cubes are great but I think their compression algorithm is inferior, When practicing alone in a quite room I can hear subtle artifacts, that bug me. They are subtle and are only noticeable when practicing alone in a very quite room, you would not hear it in any other situation, the mustang ( and the smallest cube amp) do not have this problem.
I like this amp for it's mellow, non-metal just break up to decent crunch at bedroom levels. You can some good crunch without a lot of buzz, so you let the note decay more naturally - even at very low volume. I find even the small over driven tube amps played at such low volumes still have issues this amp does not have. They really need to be played loud to sound decent. I think if I was a pro that could count on a good set up, I would prefer the tube, but if I am going into a dive bar anyway, what difference does it make?
Which footswitch are you displaying here? It doesn't resemble either the 4-button footswitch for Mustang Amps or the MGT-4 Footswitch for the new GT fender amps.
Hey Shane. Why is it that when I try to crank my Mustang III V2 it 'dips' out (volume goes completly off for 2-4 seconds)? It happens mainly when I use dirt pedals. But it does the same without any pedals. If I crank the master, the volume and start to turn up the gain, the volume dips out as though it can't handle the high volumes.
Any explaination for this??
is there any way to control the settings on the amp without a preset? (nice playing btw)
Trevor Scott yes, you can change them on the amp or you can change the preset with the Fuse software that comes with it.
ThePyrosteve Ok thanks I've figured it out since I've commented.
intheblues nice jam!!!!!
Do you know the actual settings that were done to the supersonic preset. I tried to install the preset after downloading from fuse and they all say V2 and I can't seem to get them on my version 1 amp. Maybe my problem is something else. I like that sound.
You guys are interesting players
Shane, I gig with my Mustang Floor through the aux of my Behringer GX210 35 watts......although my Mustang Floor can be patched with XLR's right to the PA....have you tried the Floor and is this as good as micing the amp?
Tell the truth... You brought a backup just in case! Lol.. Great tones.. I'm very curious to try one..
Owned this amp for a couple of years now and though I'd ask the community:
What about the models based on amps with no mid control, or with just one tone knob ( '57 deluxe)? Should we set the bass/mid knobs halfway on the mustang to "neutralize" them or is there a specific setting I should use to emulate the original behavior?
I just picked up 1 of these, basicly new, had 2hrs use. 8 yrs in the wardrobe. Paid $300 sounds good. Apparently Fender stopped Fuse updates. What now, just use it as is, I suppose. A Bit sucky A big name like Fender stops support of a product. Any Tips anyone???
If you have the Fender Fuse software, you should have all you need. Making your own presets based on your guitar and pickups is the best way to go anyway. If you don't have it, there are other places on line that you can download from other than Fender....which btw, is a pretty lousy thing Fender did by taking down their FUSE download.
Is this v1 or v2 and will your Supersonic and Deluxe patches work on v1. I can get a v1 today but the only reason I want it is to get your Supersonic and Deluxe tones. Help!
I need to know soon.
I got the V2 mate, the newer one. Don't buy a V1 they don't have the same options and are older. Not to say they aren't good but V2 is the most current.
+intheblues I bought the original Mustang III from a store because it was $100 cheaper used, I haven't been disappointed with it aside from the overdrive but I've only had it for 2 days, I can't really complain about it. For a non-tube amp the clean channel with my Strat sounds excellent and the power and sound really breathes through that 12" speaker... if you can get a really good deal, the Mustang III V1 is still great. I don't know if I would ever go to the V2 anytime soon unless there was something to convince me to take this back and drop that extra cash
@@robosag I've got a Mustang III v1 and a Mustang 1 V.2 .....You've got a couple extra amp models.......like the pawn shop model, whatever that is. I don't think you're missing much. They basically are the same amp.
My Mustang Bricked can you believe it flashing white LCD screen that's it dead as a dodo.
8 months old 👎 luckily warranty kicks in so won't be long for new/fixed one.
They tend to do that!
❤my new tube amp ❤no tube heat . light weight love it 😮❤dialing it in is amazing .works😮❤🎉
Your astonished (and I could say "mildly embarrased") realization that a solid state amp can indicernably "match" an expensive tube amp - have swung me back over to the Fender Mustang camp. As a Fender GDec user since learning guitar six years ago - I was about to spend $500 for an "upgrade" to a Blues Jr (plus a handful of fairly expensive pedals) before you came out with this. I will (for now) loose the higher education I would have received by learning how to get the tones I needed from my guitar and a single channel tube amp. In reality, I work 60-80 hours a week and so for my own practical purposes, the Mustang will give me the tones I need quicker, for the least cost and with the lightest weight. Sold.