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Post subject: Floor vs Head - Help please
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 11:41 am
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Joined: Fri Dec 26, 2014 3:17 pm
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Hi new guy here, how you guys doin'?

I'm looking to be a fender customer in the near future but first I'm trying to clear a few things up so that I don't waste the little money I've got right now :)

I've been playing guitar since a few years now, but the last four due to personal problems I've been out of the loop. Now, I'm trying to get back in. :)

Once I owned a AC30TB but sadly had to let it go... Vox and Fender were always my favourites. Right now, I'm playing mostly clean tones and that is really the most important thing I'm looking for. Had a friend who had a Twin and used to rehearse at his house and that amazing clean sound has been with me since hence, here I am.

So, I had my eyes set on the Mustang Floor and heard some audio examples (and even tried one briefly at the store with some headphones) and the Twin sound sounded great to me. But having done a bit of research on it (not an impulse buyer) it seems it has a few shortcomings. FX loop position in the chain, not the same models as V2 Mustang amps spring to mind from what I've read here and around the web. Also, read somewhere Fender is discontinuing them, is that true?
That got me thinking about the Mustang V head as well. I won't need the cabinet as I'm living in, let's hope, special circumstances right now.

So, long story short I'm thorn between the Head and the Floor... :mrgreen:

I'd like your advice on the pros and cons of choosing one instead of the other bearing in mind that:

- I'll be playing 99% of the time in my room and can't disturb the other housemates, so headphones...
- My main interest is clean tones, with some ethereal shoegazy amounts of reverb/delay on occasion, think Cocteau Twins up to something like Yo La Tengo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mj3gv64BR4
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI7coYKrt_Q
- I'll mainly be recording stuff into a Presonus Audiobox 44VSL, so emulation quality via line out is paramount
- It's got to be portable, there's a very good chance I'll be moving around depending on the rent
- I still have a VOX V810 overdrive from my previous life and have intention of using it for that
- I'll probably add something like a Zoom MS-70CDR (heard one and was rather impressed...) for more extreme reverb and delay effects
- I'd like to spend the least amount of money

So, some advice please. And some audio snippets if you can of some clean presets you like if you own these units...
If you have other suggestions other than the Floor or the Mustang V I'd gladly consider them, but I've mainly narrowed it down to these two because of the quality and sound. Still, I'll listen...

Any other info you need for perspective just say so.

Thanks for any advice and for having me. :)

P.S. Sorry for the long post

Scott


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Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Floor vs Head - Help please
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 12:42 pm
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Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 10:39 am
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If you don't own a cab, you might consider the M3 v2. It's only $30 more than the head and you'll have a great little combo with all the amps and effects Fender offers on the Mustang line. You can use headphones which will mute the speaker, and you have a speaker for when you have the place to yourself to rock out.


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Post subject: Re: Floor vs Head - Help please
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 5:18 pm
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Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2012 3:15 am
Posts: 300
For that matter an M I has the same amps, cabs and fx as an M III or M V - so using the USB out or headphone out will be the same on any of the amps. They all use the same digital processing.
For saving money and if you only play loud once a year small should be ok.
OTOH the MIII is great !
You can also play them quiet and get pretty good tones - especially if you're more Cocteau than Slash.


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Post subject: Re: Floor vs Head - Help please
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 6:51 pm
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Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:21 pm
Posts: 164
First...IF you can be patient for about another month, the 2015 Winter NAMM show takes place in Nashville, TN. Fender is famous for NOT revealing new products before Winter NAMM (North American Music Merchants convention). The current Mustang Floor is a V1 model. Everyone has been begging Fender to update the Floor to V2 or better. There is no guarantee that they are going to do that however. But, if you can wait another month, it might be worth it.

If you are impatient and need to watch your $'s, then the current Floor at $199.99 is the way to go. Of course, IF Fender comes out with the V2 or better Floor in a month....oops! So, first and foremost I suggest you wait at least a month.

But buying the Floor alone begs the question...what are you going to play it through when you need real sound, as in jamming with a band or a buddy?

The two amps you are asking about, the Mustangs III and V are both V2 and are outstanding buys. And their Twin Reverb model is amazing! Once again, if you buy the MV head, sooner or later you are going to want to play with other musicians. You're going to need a speaker cab. More bucks!

So now, we are where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. The 100 watt 1x12" MIII is $329.99 ($30 more than the MV head) and LOUD when you need it, but just turn the volume knob to zero, plug in the phones and rock on.

It's a decision only YOU can make :)


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Post subject: Re: Floor vs Head - Help please
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 1:38 am
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Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2012 11:37 am
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Location: England
For the purpose you describe, my opinion is definitely Mustang Floor rather than Mustang V head.

I'd agree with other posters that at this time of year, it's worth waiting to see if Fender announce anything new at NAMM - although of course it could still be several months after that before anything hits the shops.

However, for what you want to do, I think the current Mustang Floor does it. You won't need the additional amp models and effects - there's already way more than enough in-the-box to cover what you describe you want to do. So don't get hung-up on thinking it's missing important things or that you have to wait for the latest/greatest equipment.

As for the fx-loop position, yes this isn't ideal, but I don't think it will matter for your use. You can put your additional overdrive in front of the M-Floor, and your additional reverb/delay unit after the M-Floor's output. They'll then be in the right places in the signal chain anyway, without needing an fx-loop. Also, don't underestimate the power of the Mustang's built-in effects. You may well find it already includes exactly what you need (or something close enough), so you won't need any external effects at all - which will help with your 'portability' requirement.

The Mustang Floor has not been discontinued; yes that has been suggested within this forum, but by people who are either mistaken, mischievous or speculating. I think one or two retail chains stopped stocking it (as such chains are doing all the time, with all sorts of equipment), which led to people jumping to the wrong conclusions. (Of course, Fender could suddenly discontinue it tomorrow and prove me wrong; I'm just posting what I understand to be the current situation).

I think your unresolved question is: 99% of the time you will use headphones. What will you do the other 1% of the time? And what equipment do you need to support that? Others have suggested you get a Mustang combo amp rather than the M-Floor. That would cover 100% of your needs, if it is portable/compact enough for you. You may want the Mustang 3 (rather than 1 or 2) for the additional on-amp controls and LCD screen, which is a bit bigger - probably in the 'luggable' rather than truly 'portable' category.

But I don't see any point in you getting the Mustang V head, that doesn't seem to match your requirements at all. It seems to come down to a choice between a Mustang Floor or combo, based on that last 1%...


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Post subject: Re: Floor vs Head - Help please
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 3:22 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:08 am
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I own both, a Mustang 3v2 and a Mustang Floor.

Now, in terms of versatility, low cost, portability you are probably looking at suboptimal options... have you considered the Mustang 1v2 and Mustang Mini?
both:
-cost less than any of the other options you mention
-are extremely portable and have a low footprint
-you can play thru headphones or at low(ish) volumes thru the included speaker without any add-ons
-they include V2 models and effects
-if you "graduate" to bigger wattage amps, you can still keep these for home practice


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Post subject: Re: Floor vs Head - Help please
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 8:37 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:36 pm
Posts: 638
The M Floor is still hanging around but no update to V2 and no patch update... But I would not get a MV head and have no cabinet; so I wholeheartedly agree with the none-of-the-above crowd. Get a MIII V2 and you will be golden! Or find a good deal on a now-discontinued G-DEC 3 Thirty which enables you to one-man jam!

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my gear:

Jackson USA Phil Collen PC-1
Warmoth Custom-Build Stratocaster (The Andersong)
Fender American Special Stratocaster
Squier J. Mascis Jazzmaster
Fender Mustang GT40
Eleven HeadRush w/ two Alto TS212 FRFRs


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