Fender Mustang Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965)

Fender  Mustang Solid Body Electric Guitar  (1965)
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Item # 10448
Prices subject to change without notice.
Fender Mustang Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965), made in Fullerton, California, serial # L88567, red lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original grey hard shell case.

This is a nicely preserved 1965 Fender Mustang, all original and showing just some general cosmetic wear. It was made just about a year after the model's debut in the second half of 1964, and shows no changes from the first examples except for pearloid dots on the fingerboard in place of the "clay" versions. The Mustang was Fender's classiest student guitar, basically the same instrument as the Duo-Sonic II with the addition of the new "Dynamic vibrato" tailpiece and floating bridge. Light, easy to handle and quite versatile with its in/out of phase pickup options the model was instantly hugely successful. While never promoted as a professional guitar it has proved a timeless favorite of countless garage bands and even many pro players from the 1960s and '70s until today.

The body on this example sports a deep red lacquer finish with virtually no yellowing or fade, since the clear lacquer overcoat used on the higher-grade Fenders was not sprayed over the color coat. The pickguard is laminated plastic with a snazzy pearloid top layer. The rosewood-fingerboard maple neck has a 24" scale length, the same as the Jaguar and longer than the earlier 1950s fender student models. The heel is stamped August 1965, the pots coded to the 34th week of that year and one pickup carries a date of 9-15-65 (or possible 7-15-65).

At this time the Fender Mustang was quickly becoming the most popular electric guitar in the world which peaked with a staggering nearly 18,000 units sold in 1966 alone, far more than any other competitive instrument. This is a nice original example, played in a bit but unaltered and still a great little guitar. Like its contemporary automotive namesake the early Mustang remains an American classic and still represents the best deal in an original 1960s Fender instrument.
 
Overall length is 39 1/2 in. (100.3 cm.), 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 in. (610 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).

This guitar remains all original, even including the often-lost trem arm; only the snap-on bridge cover has gone missing. It is relatively clean overall, with checking and small finish dings, scuffs and dents scattered around the front, sides and back. Only a few of the marks go down to the white undercoat, mostly on the edges. The hardware has only fairly light wear, there are a couple of odd deeper scratches to the pickguard that are not overly conspicuous.

The back of the neck is very clean and the logo decal is nicely preserved. The frets are original with some fairly light wear and this is a good player with two strong pickups that blend well together for the typical phased Mustang tones. The original case is still intact with some external wear. Even if not the absolute cleanest we have had this is still a nice ready-to-gig 56 year old Fender with a great vibe. Overall Excellent - Condition.