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How long has it taken you to get the hang of fine-tuning the Fender Mustang?
2 Weeks 50%  50%  [ 7 ]
1 Month 7%  7%  [ 1 ]
3 Months 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
6 Months 7%  7%  [ 1 ]
9 Months 7%  7%  [ 1 ]
1 Year 14%  14%  [ 2 ]
1 Year + Some Other Period of Time 14%  14%  [ 2 ]
Total votes : 14
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Post subject: Fine-Tuning the Fender Mustang - Poll, Tips, and Stories
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 7:04 pm
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Hey, everybody! Please feel free to share your poll answer, tips, and stories concerning the fine-tuning of your Fender Mustang Amps/Floors.

I just wanted to see how long it took most people to get the hang of fine-tuning a Fender Mustang Amp, and maybe make a small archive of tips to help anyone who picks one up or decides to buy it. (Because in spite of the Marshall Code coming out recently, I am standing with the Fender Mustang series due to its pure awesomeness that can only be unleashed with time and patience.)

I know it took about a year of fiddling with it once a week for me. I got mine last summer, and sometimes, I wouldn't be able to tinker with the sound for weeks due to my schedule. More recently, I've been able to balance out the sounds I like and the sounds I can use, if that makes any sense.

My favorite presets are probably the British 60's (Vox AC30), British 70's (Marshall Super Lead Plexi), British Watt (HiWatt DR103), and the Metal 2000 (Mesa Dual Rectifier). Each one has wonderful tone that can be unleashed once you learn how to EQ everything. (TIP: each EQ knob affects the overall sound, not just those frequencies.)

I love running the BIAS at full and the SAG at rock-bottom, even for my clean tones. That may be because I use a few pedals to give me a heated tone built on that clean tone to gradually build distortion when I feel like it. My distortion tastes are kind of unique, so none of the built-in Fender pedals really did it for me, except for the delay and reverb pedal settings. Those ROCK like AC/DC in concert, man! I am considering using the Greenbox (Ibanez Tubescreamer) on top of my TS9 to help sweeten up a few presets, though.

My last tip is gain-staging. Can you get a shredded metal tone with these things? Dang straight, you can. However, death metal and thrash metal may be slightly out of your reach. You just have to make sure you're not overloading the circuits with gain, because too much gain equals noise, and that's not the awesome NOIZE with a Z. It's more like the harsh buzzing that never leaves, like ground-loop, only more annoying. So watch how much gain you're pushing, and don't be afraid to dial it back a bit. Most professional recordings actually don't have nearly as much gain as you think.

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Post subject: Re: Fine-Tuning the Fender Mustang - Poll, Tips, and Stories
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2016 7:24 am
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Location: Heber Springs, Arkansas, USA
I said 9 months, but when do you know you totally have the hang of it? Not sure I do, or that I will really "have it" any time soon......

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Post subject: Re: Fine-Tuning the Fender Mustang - Poll, Tips, and Stories
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2016 1:13 pm
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Location: Southern California, USA
Only took a couple of weeks to get the hang of fine tuning the Mustang. Still mastering the process....

I've had my two Mustangs for over a year and a half, and, still enjoy discovering new ways to nurture great voicings from them. Their sonic palletes are extremely broad. With 17 modeled amp profiles each with its own Gain, Vol, Treb, Mid, Bass, plus individual Advanced Amp parameters, and 44 FX each with several variable parameters, the interactions and combinations are nearly endless!

During the early weeks, each model still had identical factory presets. Due to their different Celestion speakers, the MIV and MIII, each expressed identical presets distinctively. Even after the speakers were broken in, this difference persisted. This is evident with any of the basic modeled amp profiles (clear from FX), or, those with FXs enabled. As most Mustang owners don't have multiple Mustang models this many not be of significance to everyone, at least, not once they've made their purchase decision. Overall the 2x12 MIV sounds fuller, has more lower mids and a richer bottom end. Because the 1x12 MIII doesn't have those same traits it sounds a bit brighter. The MIV is by no means dull. A few subtle adjustments attenuating the MIV's mids and lows makes it sound nearly identical to the MIII. However, I have found no way to make the MIII sound like the MIV.

I found the Advanced Amp parameters (SAG, BIAS, Noise Gate, Cab Sim, and other advanced amp parameters when provided with several of the amp profiles) to be where the Mustang's Magic is! This and balancing the SPLs of the Presets was when the Mustang really began to shine!

Next was exploring the 4 FX Banks. I found the majority of FX as configured and presented in the FX Bank menus too harsh. This is also how I felt about the majority of Factory Presets 00-82. Once I dialed back many of the amp parameters and FX parameters and realized that each time any modeled amp profile or FX is retrieved from the menus it comes in with its own factory default settings, I was able to dial them back as desired. Subtle adjustments are the way to go with the Mustangs. Gain staging is important with the Mustangs! Overdriving any of the stages becomes quite evident. I find it better to increase the Mustang's ample Master Volume and attenuate the modeled Amp profile's Gain, Volume, and Advanced Amp Master (if any), FX Drive/Gain/Levels to achieve the best results.

I found that dialing in the basic amp profiles' parameters and their respective advanced amp parameters (w/o using any FX) was the best way for me to learn how the Mustang renders each amp profile as the Gain, SAG, BIAS, etc. are adjusted. Sometimes, simply changing these or switching to another amp profile can be sufficient, rather, than enabling an Stomp FX bank feature.

The entire process is very dynamic and can be quite subtle! I found adjusting almost any parameter had some sort of an interdependent affect on the resulting sound blend with other parameters. For much of the first year, I relied on the amp's LCD panel, 4 btn fsw controls, and the EXP-1. As my amps are not in the same room as my computer, I did not use FUSE much.

When the Android REMUDA App was introduced in the Summer of 2015, my Mustang's blossomed! I was now able to edit and control everything easily on my Mustangs! Subtle and interdependent parameter adjustments became so easy to try, demo, save, and compare. Rearranging Presets was an easy drag and drop. So was reorganizing the signal chain. Perhaps most significantly, REMUDA remembers the last used parameters of any amp profile including, advanced amp settings, and FX. So each time I wanted to hear what changing to another amp profile or FX would sound like, I no lomger had to start from scratch! This was massive for similar sounding FXs like some of the Delays, Reverbs, and Stomps, as well as for comparing how same/similar or different amp profiles sounded with slight changes to their advanced amp settings.

Another Fender Forum Member and new Mustang owner in 2015 prepared a very useful compilation of a load of Mustang info and publised a pdf. He shortly thereafter published it as the Mustang and Fuse Wikia for all to more easily access and contribute. It has been a great Go To reference.

I now know my Mustangs quite well. I really savor what they can do with my ProBucker equipped LP's and Sheraton, and my Fender Vintage Noiseless equipped custom Strat! Like knowing what to do with a good capable console and a few racks of out board gear the Mustangs can really deliver solid results!

_________________
Mustang v2 III/IV●EXP-1●FUSE●REMUDA
Epi LP Florentine Pro●LP Cstm Pros●LP PlusTop Pro●Sheraton-II Pro
Cstm Strat Vntg Noiseless●Guild D-55
So Creek Cables●BOSS RC-1●RS7500
D'Addario Strings●Vari-Grip●Planet Lock Straps


Last edited by MusicLaw on Fri Jul 29, 2016 11:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Fine-Tuning the Fender Mustang - Poll, Tips, and Stories
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2016 8:44 pm
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Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2016 1:55 pm
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I bought my MIIIv2 new in May. Read up on it beforehand, checked YouTube, tried it in person. After a few of the presets, I went backwards and ran into the "plain" amp sims. A couple of quickly tweaked Fender cleans through the speaker, and I was sold.

Editing the amp on the fly was completely intuitive and I sprung for the 4 button footswitch to enable settings changes as well as a basic pedal board. I figured it wouldn't be that difficult to save the changes. I was right. To me, ease of use was great and most basic functions were easy to grasp without peeking at the manual. I even stumbled onto a couple of advanced parameters before finding out what I was really doing.

So, for that reason, I checked that it took me 2 weeks to figure out the amp. That said, I'm still replacing the presets I don't like and planning on arranging the presets for overall ease of use (planning to pick one model per song and, as needed, bring in effects from my pedal board and/or the Mustang itself--hell, I could probably just set it on a clean Twin or Deluxe and use it just like a single channel tube amp all night). And it may take a while to reach optimal arrangement of 99 amazing presets that may take a while to craft, but I'm really enjoying the process so far.


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Post subject: Re: Fine-Tuning the Fender Mustang - Poll, Tips, and Stories
Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 4:03 am
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Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:47 am
Posts: 1256
Bought my first stang in 2012, It only took me a few days to figure the inner workings out, I've been using modelers (line 6, Eleven Rack) as well as software plugins for a while now, so I was pretty familiar with the overall process.

still happy with the amps tho (I've a III and a IV both V1.)... I use them in grab and go situations, (jams, and things like 1 set gigs.)

I still have my tube amps tho... as good as these are, ....


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Post subject: Re: Fine-Tuning the Fender Mustang - Poll, Tips, and Stories
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2016 9:18 am
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Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:53 pm
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It takes no time at all to figure it out technically, but the trick is to understand what every setting really does by ear and how they all interact. After 2+years I still discover things now and then i didn't fully realize before.

My best tip is this....when you are tweaking a patch, don't just tweak an knob and listen to see if it sounds better. Get the patch as good as you think you can without spending a ton of time, then take that patch and copy it somewhere else like say slots 30 and 31. Then continue to tweak 31 in ways you think work and each time you try a different setting, switch back and fourth between 30 and 31 withn your footswitch as you play to see how they compare. What i found is that it's amazing how different some things sound that way when they don't seem very different if you just try it then set it back the way it was. Somehow being able to instantly switch from the patch to another thats the same but with one change allows you to hear the true difference that tweak made. But if you just tweak the patch without having the patch as it was b4 the tweak to switch between, you can't hear the difference. In the time it takes to reach down and change it back your brain loses how it sounded. It's bizarre. I have tried changing a EQ knob like midrange for example and felt it made little difference. Then i set the mid back to where it was and still i hear little difference., But if i copy the patch next to the original and change that mid setting then switch between the 2 patches with my foot as i'm playing, the difference all of a sudden seems huge ! This allows you to really know if the change you made is truly a keeper or not. Before i started doing this i'd make a change and think it was good only to later find the old version of the patch was in another slot somewhere i forgot about and when i tried it i realized it was a lot better sounding before the tweak, Thats when i started tweaking this way. Try it, you might be amazed and it makes getting a patch you like to sound it;s best far far quicker.


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Post subject: Re: Fine-Tuning the Fender Mustang - Poll, Tips, and Stories
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2016 10:30 am
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Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2014 11:39 am
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Oczad,

Absolutely a great comparison tip!

An A/B comparison of two Presets is supoorted via the Quick Access feature of the two button fsw. The 4 btn fsw's Quick Access feature expands this to an A/B/C comparison of three Quick Access Presets. Either fsw and the Data Wheel supports comparison of several contiguously positioned Presets via their Up/Dn navigation modes.

REMUDA users have the Favorites feature! This allows quick and easy comparison of any number of Presets - without having to move or reorganize them. Simply set the Favorite Marker for each Preset of interest. When you toggle the Ditect List to Favorites view only those Presets appear. Combined with REMUDA's Performance Mode, Presets assigned to a Song in a SetList can be automatically remapped to your 4btn fsw QA buttons.

_________________
Mustang v2 III/IV●EXP-1●FUSE●REMUDA
Epi LP Florentine Pro●LP Cstm Pros●LP PlusTop Pro●Sheraton-II Pro
Cstm Strat Vntg Noiseless●Guild D-55
So Creek Cables●BOSS RC-1●RS7500
D'Addario Strings●Vari-Grip●Planet Lock Straps


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Post subject: Re: Fine-Tuning the Fender Mustang - Poll, Tips, and Stories
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 5:20 am
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Location: ohio
didn't take long to figure out. bought it because I had some gift cards to use, and surprised how much I liked it. I mainly use it for practice, or when going to a friend's house when I want to take a small everything package.


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