It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:11 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Mustang III vs IV and speaker questions
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:38 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:02 am
Posts: 12
Hey all. I've never owned a Mustang but am seriously considering one of the new V.2s when they come out.

I have a few questions. I've wanted a stereo combo for a while now so the IV appeals to me but I wonder if it's worth the extra $200 over the III.
For those that have played both do you find stereo effects on the IV to be very effective?
Does it make much of a difference over the III?
Does the IV sound fuller overall due to it being a 212?

I was also wondering about the stock speakers.
Do you find these speakers to be adequate for this amp?
Is there any reason to consider a speaker swap?

I owned a PV Vyp75 for a while and swapped out the stock speaker with an Emi Wizard and thought it was quite an improvement over the stock speaker. I'm just wondering if the same would apply to the Mustang.

Thanks
Jerry


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Mustang III vs IV and speaker questions
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:04 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2012 11:37 am
Posts: 1315
Location: England
I have a "V1" Mustang IV. I have played a Mustang III once. So I'll try and answer some of your questions in that context:

"do you find stereo effects on the IV to be very effective?"

In terms of how they sound through the amp's own speakers, not really no. The speakers are quite close together, so there isn't enough separation to create a good stereo image. Both the M-III and M-IV have stereo output through the USB and headphone-out sockets, so you'll get better stereo connecting to another device.

You can also use the fx-send, plus XLR-out on the "V2" amps. This is where the M-IV has the advantage - it has stereo outputs for both, whereas the M-III is mono-out (for its fx-send, not sure if it will even have an XLR out).

Also, if you are using external effects in the fx-loop, the M-IV support both stereo send and return, whereas the M-III is mono for both. So you can't add external stereo effects to the M-III (well, you can add them, but they'll work in mono not stereo!).

"Does the IV sound fuller overall due to it being a 212?"

Personally, I really like the sound of the 212 in the M-IV, although not having tried the two amps side-by-side I don't know how different it is to the 112 in the M-III. The M-IV, being higher power as well as having two speakers, isn't quite so playable at low volume, but works well enough at don't-annoy-the-neighbours levels.

The M-IV is a bigger beast to carry around though. It's luggable by one person, and weighs less than an equivalent size valve/tube amp, but it's a bit cumbersome.

The M-IV 212 cabinet looks brilliant though - and obviously that makes my guitar playing sound a lot better :)

"Do you find these speakers to be adequate for this amp?"

Personally I think the speakers are great. I know some people upgrade speakers as a matter of course, but in my opinion, there's no reason to change the speakers in the Mustang. They're certainly good-enough quality for the rest of the amp. I think there are more worthwhile upgrades to consider for the Mustang, such as metal jack sockets for example, before worrying about speakers.

The Mustang does have several different built-in cabinet simulations, plus many other tweakable parameters, that change the sound from the speakers probably at least as much as changing the speakers themselves. You should exhaust all the possibilities of that before feeling the need to spend money on new speakers.

If I did get to the point of being dissatisfied with the sound, I'd probably look at moving to a different amp altogether, with higher-grade componentry all round, rather than just changing the speaker in the Mustang. Obviously different people approach this differently.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Mustang III vs IV and speaker questions
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:12 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:02 am
Posts: 12
Thanks so much for the reply.
I kind of thougt that the closeness of the speakers in the 212 might be an issue.
It seems to me that for my needs, an at home low volume player, the III might be the better option.

Thanks again.

Edit to add, I could always get the V head and 2 112 cabs and separate them a bit for more stereo spread.

So many ideas, so little money.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: