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Post subject: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:49 am
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First post here folks, so greetings to everybody.
I appreciate the "fizz" theme has been done to death, and I have read the thread (took me two hours!), but I just wanted to clarify a couple of things.

I'm in the UK, girlfriend is buying me an amp for Christmas, and the Mustang 3 WAS top of my potential list. I'm still unsure about manufacturing dates, serial numbers etc. Are any now "safe" to buy, or should I forget about it for now and look at another brand? Thanks for any answers and also thanks to the posters who have added so much to the main thread on the topic, very helpful.


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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 3:17 pm
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I just bought a Mustang 3 today, Manufactured: 02/20/11
It definitely fizzes. Updated firmware did not fix it.

STAY AWAY!


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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:54 pm
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I bought an MIII in August and no FIZZ whatsoever. I love my MIII and MIV.


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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 7:35 pm
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Can you tell us when your Mustang 3 was made? Should be a little tag inside the back. I'm curious to see if/when they started making "good" ones, so I can decide if I need to ask the store if they have a newer shipment or if I need to just return it for a refund.

Youtube video showing the problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6H3gFU6e7o


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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 8:19 pm
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Several of us have been caught in the assumption that newer ones were perhaps fizz free. However Fender would not swap out my relatively recent fizzing MIII on warranty for one of a newer manufacture date because they said that they all fizz and that a new manufacture date wouldn't make any difference. If you have a fizzing mustang that is not acceptable to you and it is within your return period, you might consider returning it. I don't think you can expect Fender to do anything about it on warranty, based on my experience.

Quexoz wrote:
Can you tell us when your Mustang 3 was made? Should be a little tag inside the back. I'm curious to see if/when they started making "good" ones, so I can decide if I need to ask the store if they have a newer shipment or if I need to just return it for a refund.

Youtube video showing the problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6H3gFU6e7o


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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 8:52 pm
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What Fender said and what is really going on may be two different things though. I'm betting they will fix the problem on newer ones then deny there was ever a problem, or claim it was fixed in firmware, to avoid having to make right SO MANY defective amps they already sold. I've seen many other companies do the same thing before.

Anyway, if the store I bought it from has 4 more in stock, and say one or two were made in August or something....well...maybe those would be good?


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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 5:07 pm
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I bought a Mustang III in either late February or early March...no fizz problem whatsoever. The suggestion that you return to the local dealer and swap out for a new one would be the safest route to go should there be a problem.


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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 5:31 pm
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I'm in the UK and had an MIII on approval for 3 weeks - absolutely perfect, sounded great, no fizz at all. Only reason I didn't keep it is because I needed an extn cab out which it didn't have.

If you buy one, I recommend you buy from DV247 (I got mine from their Barnet branch), for the following excellent reasons:

1. The Fender guarantee in the UK is 2 yrs (5yrs is ONLY US/Canada); but DV247 gives a free 4 yr guarantee on all gear they sell
2. DV247 has a no quibble 30 day return policy
3. Very competitive AND you can do deals with them. The MIII price was £217 when I bought mine, but they did me a deal for £200.
4. Excellent customer service; very helpful & easy to deal with (based on my experience with Barnet store)

But another very good & under-rated great sounding modeling amp to try is the Laney Prism P65 (12" speaker). Not as many bells/whistles (eg only 4 user presets you can save) but it sounds great, has lots of nice Laney models, very punchy with nice feel/response, nice boost feature in any mode, and I've not read about any problems with them. Also, if you register on line the standard 12 mth warranty is extended to 5 yrs. (Again, I recommend DV247). I have 2 Laney all-valve amps (VC30-210 and Cub 12R) and their customer service is excellent.

Rich :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 5:43 pm
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The problem with swapping out a fizzing Mustang is that the fizz can start any time, from right-out-of-the-box to months down the road, at which point the return period is over.

Fender's position is apparently twofold:

1. All Mustang models III, IV and V are susceptible to fizzing.

2. Fizzing is normal for these Mustang models, and does not interfere with the intended use of the amp.

Therefore, fizzing will not be covered by Fender under the warranty because fizzing is a normal part of the amplifier's operation.

The only decision one must make with regard to buying an MIII is whether it is worth $299 to purchase a modeling amp which may not be able to replicate a pristine low-gain amplifier tone.


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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:25 am
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IMO ... not safe to buy an MIII ... too risky ... and who needs the aggravation if it fizzes ...

KenB


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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:01 pm
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Quexoz wrote:
Can you tell us when your Mustang 3 was made? Should be a little tag inside the back. I'm curious to see if/when they started making "good" ones, so I can decide if I need to ask the store if they have a newer shipment or if I need to just return it for a refund.

Youtube video showing the problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6H3gFU6e7o


Thanks for linking this video. I don't own an MIII/IV/V so before seeing this I wasn't sure what the fuss was all about.

Now having seen this and assuming it's accurate I don't see how Fender can claim it's a "normal operation" of this type of amp.

This reminds me of a sound I used to get from an amp by hitting a power chord on the guitar and immediately hit the power switch. As the power went down it would make a "cool" fizzy sound.

I wonder if the Mustangs have a voltage regulation problem in their power amps? I'll bet their using a switching power supply which are more efficient but can be touchy if not designed properly. I'm just guessing so I may be way off.

Cheers,

Update: Checked out the youtube video again and it sounds like the MIII sample has reverb while the MI sample does not.

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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:24 pm
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mhowell, there's also the two sound clips linked in the first post of the big fizz thread.


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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:58 pm
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Yeah..I could hear that strange sound in the video...thank goodness I don't have any of that in my IV model. With that said..there are other modeling amps on the market : :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:06 am
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mhowell wrote:
Quexoz wrote:
Can you tell us when your Mustang 3 was made? Should be a little tag inside the back. I'm curious to see if/when they started making "good" ones, so I can decide if I need to ask the store if they have a newer shipment or if I need to just return it for a refund.

Youtube video showing the problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6H3gFU6e7o


Thanks for linking this video. I don't own an MIII/IV/V so before seeing this I wasn't sure what the fuss was all about.

Now having seen this and assuming it's accurate I don't see how Fender can claim it's a "normal operation" of this type of amp.

...



If the video is not accurate I'd like to hear why it isn't so I can pull it down if it's misleading.

John


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Post subject: Re: Is it "safe" to buy a Mustang 3 yet?
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 1:02 pm
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johnjaypl wrote:
mhowell wrote:
Quexoz wrote:
Can you tell us when your Mustang 3 was made? Should be a little tag inside the back. I'm curious to see if/when they started making "good" ones, so I can decide if I need to ask the store if they have a newer shipment or if I need to just return it for a refund.

Youtube video showing the problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6H3gFU6e7o


Thanks for linking this video. I don't own an MIII/IV/V so before seeing this I wasn't sure what the fuss was all about.

Now having seen this and assuming it's accurate I don't see how Fender can claim it's a "normal operation" of this type of amp.

...



If the video is not accurate I'd like to hear why it isn't so I can pull it down if it's misleading.

John


Just curious, how did you arrive at the clean tone for the MIII?

Did you create a clean preset or did you use one of the pre-defined presets or did you simply use the knobs on the amp to turn off all the effects? I would try all three of the above methods to make sure there is no variation in the fizz that you are seeing.

Not doubting your results, just curious myself. My MIII does not fizz so I have no way to check myself....

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