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Post subject: My Mustang IV has arrived - Pics and thoughts
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 3:45 am
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Ta da!  It's here :)

The amp is heavier, bigger and louder than I expected.  What was I expecting?  Dunno, it's my first 2x12 combo.  I assume if it were a valve it would be even heavier!

I have had a fair bit of time playing with it, it took a while just to get the firmware updated and get my head round fuse.

It comes with 100 presets, but doesn't seem to have any extra so if you want to save you have to save over the top of another. Unless I'm missing something.

It's hugely tweakable, it's pretty neat getting into the bias and sag options and fiddling around. FUSE is pretty good too, easy to use and visually helpful. Of course you can tweak all on the amp but fuse is VERY easy to use.

I can get good low volume sound, but I don't think it does whisper quiet, the volumes probably aren't sensitive enough, or those speakers aren't. While it's good enough not to annoy the neighbours or wife, I don't think I could use it while baby is sleeping (without headphones that is).

I really love the basic amp models, and the crunchy tones. If you don't like to a preset it's very easy to adjust it and save it. The Fender cleans ring and chime out really well.

The higher gain stuff seems fine to me, but I'll only dabble in there anyway. I usually don't go heavier than rock. Think Slash and 'By The Sword' and that's about as heavy as I go.

This amp is loud, but then that's probably the least surprising thing you will read here. How does the tone hold up at high volume? Dunno, it was too feckin loud so I had to turn it down I'll do more testing at volume on another day.

The 4 button footswitch is cracking, well built and the tuner is brilliantly easy to use and see, works great in the dark with a red light either side, green light and LCD in the middle.

I've been downloading some community presets and some of them are really, really good.  Some good Clapton, Rory and EVH tones in there!

Is it perfect? No, don't be stupid, of course it's not. Some of the presets suck, though given how tweakable everything is I'd be surprised if they couldn't be made usable. A small headphone out is an oddity, but probably isn't a deal breaker.

I used headphones last night and ran an mp3 into the aux and it sounded excellent.

My ME-70 could well be surplus to requirements now, I just need to test out recording from the amp but I need a little converter jack so I can get 2 leads into the headphone out.  I could do it via USB but I'd prefer just to go straight to my soundcard as I'm used to that.

UPDATE:

I have now tried all 100 presets with both the les paul and the strat.  I have to say, the amp really shines best with the strat.  Probably not surprising given how good the fender amp models are.  The les paul doesn't sound as good on the Fender amp models, but stands out in some of the heavier gain stuff.

Note that in the pics below my reverb pot is missing it's little silver cap, hopefully Fender will send me one to take the bad look off it :)

Image
Mustang IV by chinster.uk, on Flickr

Image
Mustang IV Dials by chinster.uk, on Flickr

Image
Mustang IV LCD by chinster.uk, on Flickr


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Post subject: Re: My Mustang IV has arrived - Pics and thoughts
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 5:56 am
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Happy for you. :P
This is my project to make the Mustang IV and resell II.


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Post subject: Re: My Mustang IV has arrived - Pics and thoughts
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 8:37 am
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Can you also show a photo of the 4 button foot switch?i want to get a mustang V head and it comes with the same foot switch but there are no photos of it.


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Post subject: Re: My Mustang IV has arrived - Pics and thoughts
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:07 am
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Metalman50 wrote:
Can you also show a photo of the 4 button foot switch?i want to get a mustang V head and it comes with the same foot switch but there are no photos of it.


Sure, no problem!

Image
Mustang IV Footswitch by chinster.uk, on Flickr


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Post subject: Re: My Mustang IV has arrived - Pics and thoughts
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:45 am
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I'm really interested in the Mus IV. I've wanted a stereo amp for a long time and this may be the one.

I haven't played one yet but hopefully will get a chance this weekend.

Congrats on the new amp.

:mrgreen:


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Post subject: Re: My Mustang IV has arrived - Pics and thoughts
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 1:14 pm
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Pinky Floyd wrote:
It comes with 100 presets, but doesn't seem to have any extra so if you want to save you have to save over the top of another. Unless I'm missing something.


This was my first impression as well. However, in the FUSE software, go ahead and 'backup' your current 100 presets and name it something like 'Original 100' and then go to town tweaking and overwriting. You can back up and restore as many presets individually or all at oncee and mix and match from your PC.

Fender has an example of making a "Saturday gig preset" file that you load before you go, and then a whole host of other present files available in the load option. It makes sense really, don't be afraid to alter and overwrite anything. Even if you lose the original 100, you can just reset the amp to factory default anyways! Pretty awesome.

I only have the Mustang III, but between the Volume, Master Volume, and Guitar volume, I've been able to get my amp to really whisper quiet. I suppose you having two speakers may complicate things a tiny bit, but can you turn one speaker off in the menus somewhere?


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Post subject: Re: My Mustang IV has arrived - Pics and thoughts
Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 5:32 pm
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Thanks for posting the footswitch photo,it looks good and has more features on it then i thought it would have, like the led display,is there a delay when you switch presets or use the up down bank switches?


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Post subject: Re: My Mustang IV has arrived - Pics and thoughts
Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2011 3:14 pm
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Niceeeeee .... thats the one I really want ..but I cant give up this MII ... but I wish I didn't have it ..cuz mmmm that baby looks sweet. Hows the Chorus or other stereo effects sound thru the clean channel.. and did you have an MI or MII previously. Good Amp shots btw. LCD is perfectly aligned ..and did your amp come out of a dbl box with the missing reverb silver thingy like that ? ..... Love to have that f/s tho ...

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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: My Mustang IV has arrived - Pics and thoughts
Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:21 pm
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The stereo effects work a treat. Yes, the reverb knob was missing it's little silver cap out of the box but I think fender are going to send me a new knob as soon as they have a spare. I am totally in love with this amp paired with my strat. My poor les Paul isn't getting a look in. I adore the crunch sounds I can get from the amp.

It's really, and I do mean REALLY loud but at 150w you would kind of expect that. Easy to get neighbour friendly levels of volume though and the headphones also work superbly. In fact, I prefer headphones as I enjoy playing loud rather than quiet.

When the missus goes out or I get an hour on a Saturday afternoon I turn it up a wee bit.

Its a smashin amp for the price, and if Fender fix the wah issue then I will be even happier than I am now.


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Post subject: Re: My Mustang IV has arrived - Pics and thoughts
Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 4:18 pm
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Excellent stuff.. Great to hear... These amps are somewhat of a real masterpiece..thats for sure.

_________________
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: My Mustang IV has arrived - Pics and thoughts
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 8:39 pm
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im thinking of picking one up this weekend (sat) all i owen are teles.will a tele sound good through the M IV?


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