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Post subject: Using my Mustang IIIv2 as a guitar AND bass amp?
Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2017 7:00 am
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First off I have no intention of using the stock speaker which would probably be ripped to shreds pretty fast.

I'm thinking about replacing the stock speaker with a 400W, 8 Ohm Eminence Delta 12A (NOT the pro series) so I can use the amp for both guitar and bass.

Anyone here tried the Mustang IIIv2 with a bass using a Bassman patch and a speaker that can handle it?

Would like to know before I spend the money.

Thanks


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Post subject: Re: Using my Mustang IIIv2 as a guitar AND bass amp?
Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 10:21 am
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A Fender rep demo'ed the amp being used for both (online somewhere). People argue about this all the time. I don't know how loud you plan on playing it, but I play mine with my bass, but at low volume... mostly for recording through the lineout. For this it works great! NO problems so far.

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Post subject: Re: Using my Mustang IIIv2 as a guitar AND bass amp?
Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 11:32 am
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Rock Star
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LorneC wrote:
Anyone here tried the Mustang IIIv2 with a bass using a Bassman patch and a speaker that can handle it?

I have not, but similar to what Mark mentioned above, I have plugged a bass into my amp and then plugged the effects send straight into my mixer. I didn't even change to the Bassman model and it sounded pretty durn good, IMO.

I think your only challenge is making sure your speaker doesn't blow. Oh and 100W isn't a lot for a bass amp, so it might not be able to keep up with a Hungarian Death Metal band volume-wise.

Here is an example of a Fender Jazz bass (MIM) plugged through the Mustang and into the mixer (bass starts at 0:09):


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Post subject: Re: Using my Mustang IIIv2 as a guitar AND bass amp?
Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 4:37 pm
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I use my Mustang iii as a bass amp, even on gigs. I use the Bassman preset and back off the bass knob as much as I can reasonably get away with.

Ok, it's not ideal as I have to use it during the set at points for rhythm guitar, but it certainly hold it's own and I've not shredded the speaker yet. We play pretty loud aswell !

As an all rounder I think it makes a pretty passable bass amp.


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Post subject: Re: Using my Mustang IIIv2 as a guitar AND bass amp?
Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2017 8:39 am
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So I went ahead and installed a 400w Eminence Delta Pro 12a instead of the standard 12a I'd originally intended to install.

NOTE: the Pro 12a has the flattest EQ of all the Eminence speakers I looked at, which is what I wanted using a modeling amp so the sound is not colored in a distinct manner.

However, not exactly the smooth swap I'd hoped. Had to use a router to cut more of an opening where the top edge of the stock Celestion speaker slides in. Also had to use longer mounting screws because the speaker rim is so much thicker than the stock speaker. Since I didn't want to install the speaker lettering upside down also needed to use spade connectors and about 10" of extra speaker wire to reach the speaker terminals.

Apparently the standard 12a wouldn't have had any of these issues since the rim is comparable to the Celestion with the terminal at the top of the speaker instead of the bottom.

As for the playing my bass through it in an A/B comparison to my Fender Bronco 40 Bass Amp. There is no comparison. It absolutely sucked in comparison to the Bronco.

Now if I could somehow get my obsessively tweaked Bassman head with a modern cabinet patch from my Bronco onto my Mustang it probably would be a different story. Alas the Mustang doesn't have that cabinet as an option, just the Bassman cabinet (all the rest are guitar cabinets).

Anyway, that's the bad news. But the GREAT news is that my Telecaster through my Mustang now sounds beyond amazing. No more ice pick, ear bleeds or annoying fizz.

The Delta Pro 12a gives an unbelievable bottom end with really smooth highs and mids. In fact I now have to rework all my tweaked presets to get some more presence, but the even, full tone is hard to describe.

I think Shane (intheblues) on YouTube described it as either overtones (or maybe undertones, can't remember) when he replaced the stock speaker with an Eminence Swamp Thang. I'd concur with his description.

Anyway, bottom line, huge improvement for guitar tone and to me, definitely worth the money.

As for bass, meh, not worth it if you already own a Bronco 40, much better bass tone using the Bronco with XLR to PA.


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Post subject: Re: Using my Mustang IIIv2 as a guitar AND bass amp?
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:17 am
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Thought I'd give an update on my expensive failed guitar/bass amp experiment for my Mustang III.

Summary: I would recommend NOT installing the Delta Pro 12a.

Reason: Although it removed the ice pick/ear bleed tones of the stock speaker, the Pro 12a removes higher frequency tones I didn't really notice until one day I had to use my Boss AC-3 acoustic simulator pedal for a particular song and no matter what preset configuration I used, I could not get a realistic acoustic tone.

I figured out it was solely the speaker when I plugged in my headphones and verified with XLR to PA that it wasn't the amp.

Anyway, bottom line, I did a ton more research and found that the Eminence Texas Heat (150w) is the way to go.

After hooking up the Texas Heat, I actually get better tones now than I do through XLR or headphones with zero ice pick or annoying hum. Which means from now on I'll be using a mic for my amp instead of XLR.

Bottom line: Bronco 40 gives far superior bass tones bass than a Mustang III even with a Delta Pro 12a. And IF you want to upgrade the Mustang III stock speaker for guitar, Eminence Texas Heat is a solid choice that gives excellent tones for all amp models (including Marshall). Absolutely no digital processing detected (by my ear).


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Post subject: Re: Using my Mustang IIIv2 as a guitar AND bass amp?
Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 3:49 pm
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Coming back to this thread as I am really struggling to find a BETTER bass amp than the Mustang iii . !! Seriously.

My set up is, Bass into Mustang and XLR out to desk/pa.

The thing is, you can get so many different sound permutations from a iii that other "so called" bass amps don't come anywhere near to.

The XLR outputs on a iii are an absolute line level joy ! Just contrast that with the Rumble Bass Amp threads, turn up the volume and the line output increases which is just stupid IMO.

I've tried a few different bass amps out now for our band and the iii, if used sensibly, is better than all of them. Don't go expecting to blow the roof off the venue with one, keep it low, as only a stage monitor, but XLR output to the PA system and it can really kick $@! !


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Post subject: Re: Using my Mustang IIIv2 as a guitar AND bass amp?
Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2018 10:24 am
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oh hell yeah, and just think - you have SO MANY EFFECTS at your disposal. The envelope filter sounds great with a bass. Also - distortion! I could see how this would be a killer bass rig with an added stage monitor and the amp speaker muted.


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