| Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Fender | | | | potential for hours of experimentation and manipulation. |
| unveiled its new line of Mustang guitar amplifiers this | | | | Fender is definitely onto something new and exciting |
| past week. We got a sneak peak at the new Fender | | | | with their Fuse software. It'll be interesting to see how |
| Mustang II amp yesterday here at the Austin Bazaar | | | | it develops in the coming years as more and more |
| office. The Texas sales rep for Fender came into our | | | | users get connected to the platform and start sharing |
| office and gave us a demonstration of the Mustang | | | | with others. For better and for worse, it seems like this |
| amp in conjunction with the Fender Fuse software | | | | is the way amp technology is headed nowadays. |
| platform. | | | | All in all, the Fender Mustang amp that we saw was |
| The Fender Mustang guitar amp is a low-cost | | | | awfully impressive for a modeling amp, in particular for |
| modeling amplifier that simulates a range of classic | | | | its size and price point. Not only is it a lot of fun to play |
| guitar tones and effects. Priced as low as $100, the | | | | with, especially for Fuse users, but it's a practical amp |
| Fender Mustang is a guitar amp that anyone can | | | | for those who want a lot of features for not a lot of |
| afford. The 20-watt Fender Mustang I is sold for $100, | | | | money. It's also practical from the standpoint that it |
| while the 40-watt Fender Mustang II goes for $200. | | | | doesn't take up a lot of space. At 8.7 x 18.25 x 17.25 |
| Not only was the Mustang II amp that we saw louder | | | | inches and 24 pounds (and that's for the Mustang II, the |
| than I'd expected given its size, its modeling capability | | | | bigger of the two), it's a relatively small amp and |
| was spot-on accurate. The Fender Mustang comes | | | | doesn't call for much in the way of pedals or effects. |
| preloaded with 24 individual amp presets arranged in | | | | You just plug in your guitar and play. Hooking up your |
| three banks of eight: '57 Deluxe, '59 Bassman, '65 Twin | | | | laptop to use Fuse is optional, of course. |
| Reverb, British 60s, British 80s, American 90s, Metal | | | | As with the Fender G-DEC series, the Mustang amps |
| 2000, and Super-Sonic. | | | | aren't for everyone. For someone like me who came |
| It was clear that Fender put a lot of research and | | | | of age playing a Super Reverb, there's no getting |
| development into the modeling capabilities of the | | | | around the fact that the Mustang is a solid state amp |
| Mustang. Our resident guitar wiz here at the office | | | | without tubes. For some purists, the proposition will |
| gave the amp a try and without much effort was able | | | | probably begin and end on the matter of tubes. |
| to simulate the searing metal crunch of Pantera | | | | Fortunately, there are plenty of tube amps on the |
| guitarist Dimebag Darrell as well as the unmistakable | | | | market for those who dislike solid state technology. At |
| tone of Jimi Hendrix with a quick twist of a knob. It | | | | the same time, good luck finding a high-quality tube |
| was a lot of fun to go from metal shredding to a clean, | | | | amp in this price range! |
| classic Fender sound just like that, without any pedals | | | | From a personal standpoint, I was really excited by the |
| or anything like that. | | | | amp-modeling capabilities of the Mustang. It may not |
| In addition to the amp-modeling capabilities, there's a | | | | be a tube amp and it may not rival a Hot Rod Deluxe |
| bunch of modulation and delay/reverb effects, a | | | | or Super-Sonic Combo, but the Mustang sure sounds |
| dozen of each, to be exact. There's also a chromatic | | | | like the real deal. For only one or two hundred bucks, |
| tuner as an added bonus. | | | | you're getting great value for your dollar with the |
| In addition to the control panel features, the Fender | | | | Fender Mustang guitar amp series. It's an easily |
| Mustang amps sync with the Fender Fuse software | | | | affordable entry point for anyone curious about the |
| platform. This opens up the door to a whole new | | | | Fuse software platform but doesn't want to pony up |
| world of presets and editing. We didn't have much of a | | | | for a G-DEC of comparable wattage. |
| chance to toy with this, but it's clear that there's | | | | |