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$100 Practice Amp: Frontman 25R or Mustang I
Frontman 25R 20%  20%  [ 4 ]
Mustang I 80%  80%  [ 16 ]
Total votes : 20
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Post subject: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 8:46 pm
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Hey guys. This is my first thread with the forum. I'm very excited to be part of the community.

I'm asking for help deciding which $100 practice amp is right for me.

Frontman 25R or the Mustang I?

The purpose will be for fun and general bedroom/office/basement solo practice. I do not plan to perform and for the time being, no band practices...just me for now. After playing for about 7 years, it's been about 4 or 5 since I've played seriously. So...a bit rusty.

I'm drawn to the Mustang for the fun, customization, novelty of the community and effects and modeling. I'm drawn to the purity, simpleness, size, look of the Frontman.

I have not used either. I am hoping to go to Guitar Center this week to sample both. Anyone have experience on both and a preference? BTW I realize I'm posting this in the Mustang section so the input might be slanted, but I trust you guys. :)


UPDATE:
Thanks for all the response so far everyone. I figured in this forum section it'd be a landslide!

I want to add one more "gotcha"...I'm an Apple consultant and am VERY savvy with technology and have loads of computers/servers at my house. The USB connection is very appealing as the new MacBook Air (my main lounging laptop) does not have a line-in. So far, I've been using my iPhone and iPad with Amplitube and an iRig to hook them all together.


Last edited by Barefootpanda on Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:01 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:39 am
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The FM 25 was my choice for several reasons:
1 inexpensive,
2 cheap,
3 has a 10" speaker, and 2 channels,
4 it can be used as a loop or acoustic amp for small sessions (not giging).
5 5 year warranty,
6 Got it with a trade for $35,
7 Did I mention does not cost much.


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:50 am
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Mustang for one simple reason: The Mustang gives you access via FUSE to great backing tracks (you can easily add many more in) and playing to good backing tracks is one of the best ways to get your time straight and develop as a player.

The fab tones and efx are just a bonus. But a bonus that makes you sound better, and the better you sound, the more encouraged you are to practice more.


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 3:11 am
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I think the OP is pointing our that the cost of both is $99. So we can rule out price as a consideration ;-)

Also its worth mentioning that the R in 25R means reverb. Dont buy a practice amp without reverb. Its a minimum effect you must have for lead sounds.

Im sure that the sound of the frontman can be reproduced by the mustang. However the mustang can also do so many more sounds.. particularly if you want to experience really high gain and metal type sounds or want to play around with modulation (delay/flange/chorus etc). The frontman will really only be good at the clean and low gain fender amps sounds.

Musicmaster mentioned backing tracks on the mustang via fuse, but you can do the same on the frontman by plugging you mp3 player into the aux in so I dont see that as a big feature.

The frontman will be much simpler to use and more like a real amp experience. You start with your basic sound and then add (real) effects pedals as you need to. The mustang is all done in the amp, but its not quite the same somehow. For example adjusting the bass/mid/treble on the mustang doesnt feel like adjusting the eq on a real amp.

All of this probably doesnt help much ;-) Its a hard choice really...


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 6:25 am
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TTSC wrote:
The FM 25 was my choice for several reasons:
1 inexpensive,
2 cheap,
5 5 year warranty,
6 Got it with a trade for $35,
7 Did I mention does not cost much.


:)

If I could get one for $35 I'd grab both! Maybe I go FM 25R used and a new Mustang...


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 7:00 am
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TTSC wrote:
1 inexpensive,
2 cheap,
6 Got it with a trade for $35,
7 Did I mention does not cost much.
The OP can get it for $99, so same as M1.

Quote:
5 5 year warranty,
Same as M1 probably.

Quote:
3 has a 10" speaker, and 2 channels,
10" over 8" might be an advantage.


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 8:40 am
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I'd go with the FM25, at least for now. With that, you need to definitely plan on an MII/III to expand your playing experience. Playing with all the added features, actively participating in the community forum, being able to share presets, these are all inspirational values that are really motivational and rewarding and as a sole bedroom player is a way to get you to keep playing, practicing and learning new material.
The Frontman is an amp that you can always fall back on in the event you want to get away from your modeling amp for whatever reason. I am completely happy with my Mustang II, but I also have a 65 twin reverb. I don't play in a band, so the tube amp gets very little attention. But every now and then...well, you know.


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:44 am
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I chose the Mustang I, because you can get a clean Fender sound like the 25R easily, but you have more options and more growth possibility. Plus, it will be more fun being able to sound more like your favorite guitarist without buying other pedals, etc. Anything that makes learning more fun will increase your motivation to stay with it! :D


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:26 pm
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I haven't heard the Frontman ... but IMO ... I'd hold off purchase of any of the Mustang models for the time being.

More and more ... people that are taking the time to be methodical as they go through the amp and software ... and slow down ... and listen with a practiced ear to the result ... are finding the Mustang is not the success story they had hoped ... especially if they like clean tones. Sure ... FUSE is kinda kewl and there are lots of effects and presets to tweak and play with ... but what do ya want ... decent tone for your money ... or not. Only you can decide which amp gives you the tone you want at your price point. What ever you audition ... listen real close before ya buy ... don't get caught up in all the hype.

KenB


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:14 pm
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My brother has an older frontman all black 10w i think and the newest silver one 15w ... they both sound ok to dink around on ..but there over a yr old ...maybe 2-5 yrs ... He gets a good sound when he hooks up his boss flanger ..but that's about it ..he's stuck on that same sound..

Least w/ the Mustang you know its going to be better supported through this forum for one ... and the Tones are endless ... whether you're a beginner or not you'll have more fun on the Stang I bet plus they 5 watts more and the cool Fuse editing..tuner, etc, etc.

Wishlist.
One thing I would love to see ..and yes ..I'm sure we can all think of something else to add to the Mustang ..but I'd love to see a 20-60 sec. looper installed.....sure, with the software we can record and play to it ..but it would be neat....then a real good Octave up fuzz and really good Univibe for effects ..now modeling..add Vibro King, Super Reverb, Vibroverb... Orange Terror ..and maybe something else ... haha :) A 1/4 line-out on the back would be nice to plug into an external cabinet..make it switchable 4/8/16/32 ... price tag the Amp for $900 then I pass ........... lol

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Eminence The Wizard vs Stock Mustang II Speaker Shootout http://arttux.com/Fender-Mustang-II-Eminence-Wizard-Speaker-Swap/


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 8:07 pm
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There is no sound that you can create on the Frontman that you can't emulate on the Mustang I. But there are countless sounds on the Mustang I that you will never get on the Frontman.

Mustang's emulate the great Fender Tube amps really well, sound amazing at low volumes and you can plug it into a computer and headphones. Along with the Mustang, you'll get the FUSE community and the Ableton recording software.

If you want to expand the sounds on the Frontman, you'll need to add pedals.

As far as practice, and versatility, I can't think of one reason to choose the Frontman over the Mustang.


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:03 pm
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paztormike wrote:
As far as practice, and versatility, I can't think of one reason to choose the Frontman over the Mustang.


While I agree that the Mustang CAN produce all the sound of the Frontman, the experience is not like using a standard amp. The FM will feel more like an actual non-modelling amp when you are adjusting the EQ. If you like the basic FM fender tone you could quite easily just add a delay pedal and some modulation pedals (I really only like flange) and have many many different sounds. Plus the FM can have an OD pedal of your liking added to the front.. Say a TubeScreamer or a DS1. The Mustang wont like the increase signal strength and strange things will happen (Of course the Mustang has a bunch of its own OD/dist/gain types).

I would go for the Mustang too, but its worth pointing out that there are some small pros to the Frontman.


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:37 am
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I appriciate all the constructive conversation. From what I've found during my research I think we are the first community to do so.

I am still on the fence, but am leaning more toward the Mustang I over the Frontman 25R.

Growing up I had a large Ampeg amp so I've experienced a standard amp and worked worked with them for years. The deal isn't done, but as people are pointing out - a Mustang can sound like a Frontman, but a FM won't sound like a Mustang.


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:11 am
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Duncane probably brings up some really good points. My external OD and Wah pedal when plugged into the Mustang might not sound as great as when they're plugged into a regular Amp ... but that's not to say, there isn't a setting within the Mustang that cannot be tweaked.. to allow a great sound from them. I'm still experimenting ..but slowly. That said, for $100 (and if you like playing around with lots of gadgets)..just grab the MI. I'm sure you'll love it.

_________________
J. Hendrix / S.R.V. / E. Clapton / R. Hansen / F. Marino / B.B. King (now that's a neat six-pack) :)
Eminence The Wizard vs Stock Mustang II Speaker Shootout http://arttux.com/Fender-Mustang-II-Eminence-Wizard-Speaker-Swap/


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Post subject: Re: Frontman 25R vs Mustang I? Help purchase a $100 amp...
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 11:23 am
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duncane wrote:
Plus the FM can have an OD pedal of your liking added to the front.. Say a TubeScreamer or a DS1. The Mustang wont like the increase signal strength and strange things will happen (Of course the Mustang has a bunch of its own OD/dist/gain types).

aLinux wrote:
My external OD and Wah pedal when plugged into the Mustang might not sound as great as when they're plugged into a regular Amp ...

Can you elaborate on that? Why won't the Mustang work as well (or not) as any solid state amp?


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