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Post subject: help needed...new M3 amp
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 1:32 pm
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Long story short, I usually play acoustic but recently switched over. Now, I needed a new amp and was looking at something "simple & basic" when a Mustang III v2 dropped into my lap. So I'm a total electric noob and have this killer amp coming to me in a couple days. Suggestions on the first things I should do? Anywhere online that I could access a manual to start getting familiar with it? ANY thoughts & ideas are greatly appreciated!


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Post subject: Re: help needed...new M3 amp
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 2:08 pm
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well of all things to fall in ones lap an MIII is probably about as good as that will get!!

Fun amps to use, lots of good tones, edits are needed but easy to manage on the MIII even more fune with FUSE and a PC

the amp comes with a basic "quick start" guide.

Check this link:
http://www2.fender.com/support/articles ... ier-series

you should find some interesting downloads there.

here's the advanced manual:
http://support.fender.com/manuals/guita ... nglish.pdf


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Post subject: Re: help needed...new M3 amp
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 2:13 pm
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TYTY Kid...that's exactly what I was hoping for!


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Post subject: Re: help needed...new M3 amp
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 7:10 am
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cool man!

IMO: some of the best settings, are in the"Basic...." models.

(like Basic Twin, Basic Deluxe, Basic Bassman etc.)

Good luck


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Post subject: Re: help needed...new M3 amp
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 8:47 am
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Just remember this....the stock presets are at best lousy. For me literally unusable. When the right model is tweaked just right (right=whatever sounds right to you) the amp is capable of sounding fantastic. In other words, it goes all the way from the bottom end of the tone quality spectrum to the top depending on how well u r able to tweak it. So spend the time, and it may take a long time but it's worth it. First thing i would do is try all the basic models with no effects which you will find in the highest preset slots, probably around 82 to 99. Once you find the one that you like best, strat tweaking that model. Just need to learn how to get to the settings and also to unlock the amp so you can save your work. Hit the utility button repeatedly till you get to a page that mentions "lock". Turn the data wheel till it shows the amp is not locked. Then you can start tweaking a model to your preferences. Hitting the amp button once when you are at a model you want to tweak will show you the first page of settings like gain, volume, treble mid and bass etc. Hitting it a second time brings a page that lets you choose the speaker cabinet simulation you want and a number of other things that may vary from one model to the next. Soon as you change any setting the save button will turn read. Once you'd got a sound you like, hit the save button twice. And it'll be saved to that slot. Or hit it once then turn the data wheel till you get to a slot you want to save it to, but note that it will overwrite whatever was in that slot. After you hit the save button once you can also choose to edit the patch name.


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Post subject: Re: help needed...new M3 amp
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 10:01 am
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oczad gives a good practical summary of how to get started (knowing about the "lock" setting will probably save you more frustration than you realize!).

I'll add my 2 cents though. If you're coming from accoustic, go straight to the '65 Twin amp, zero out the gain and tweak the tone to your liking and save this in your "0" slot so the amp automatically turns on to this very clean setting. Get to know this amp and how you can modify it before going to all the others. The trick to these amps is learning the subtlities! It's not all the over the top presets, it's in the subtle control you get.

While initially opposed to digital modeling amps, after getting control over some of the simplest things, I have completely been won over.

Enjoy your MIII!!!! I love mine!!!!!!

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Post subject: Re: help needed...new M3 amp
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 1:59 pm
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Thanks folks, VERY much! Yes, knowing now about the "lock" feature will make life a lot easier and right now, I think I simply want to keep things on the "clean" settings. I'll definitely play around with the others but for the moment would like to keep things simple. lol

One question. Should the guitar be set any certain way? Do I adjust the amp or the volume and brightness on the guitar?

Thanks again!


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Post subject: Re: help needed...new M3 amp
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 3:48 pm
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You can do either, but the ubiquitous "guitar volume knob trick" ( ie roll it off to clean up the tone, roll it up to get dirtier) only works when you're playing with some volume- and at a point where small changes in input will push the amp over the edge or pull it back from the brink. At typical bedroom levels it won't do much but make you sound muffled. Basically, these tricks work because players have learned to set their sound up to take advantage of the way a tube amp works when it's cooking.

The Mustang will respond to this trick- but you need to turn it up, and have whatever model you're using set to be near the breakup point. For changes in volume level, you'll still need to have some volume to work with. At bedroom levels, the vol knob on your guitar will act like a tone control, mainly.

Personally, I tend to leave the tone on my guitars all the way up ( for all the tone), unless the guitar is just obnoxiously bright. However, I'm a home player so it's not a big deal to tweak knobs on my amp. Working the guitar knobs comes in handier when you're onstage and want to make a quick adjustment- where multiple trips to your amp to fiddle about is disruptive to the flow and looks bad.

One trick to tweaking the amp controls not mentioned yet is:
Use the physical knobs for big changes.
use the data wheel and lcd screen for fine tuning. The data wheel adjusts gain volume treble etc in tenths- ie 1.1-1.2-1.3. it will take while to make a big change that way!

I can also say with confidence that you'll become so used to the onboard tuner that you'll wonder how you ever got along without!


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Post subject: Re: help needed...new M3 amp
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 11:22 am
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One question. Should the guitar be set any certain way? Do I adjust the amp or the volume and brightness on the guitar?

well in fact you shouldn't need to do anything different with the guitar.

On some models (like the Twin model) there's a bright switch that is only accessible in FUSE when the Amp is hooked up to a PC with a USB cable.

(Don't ask me why the developers didn't use on of the unused controls in page 2 of the amp settings and allow "Bright: On/Off" but they didn't..

So if you're using the Twin model and thinking, wow..this is just way to bright, then - you're probably going to need to install fuse so you can get at that setting.

on other models (like the Marshall based ones for example) there is a presence control, so don't' forget to check page 2 of the amp settings (pres amp once, you'll see the front panel, press again, you get to page 2 of the amp models settings - (sag, bias, noise gate, cab emulation)

I can also definitely tell ya that guitars with single coil pickups are going to be a bit bright sounding thru this amp. So for other models, you're just going to have to take down the treble setting and adjust the base and mid to smooth it out. you can also go to "page 2" of the amp settings and adjust the bias, that can warm it up too.


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Post subject: Re: help needed...new M3 amp
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 7:37 am
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Hey Tazflyer:


Here is a thread I saved a link for. It older & long but really good information. I would call it, "the instructions it should have come with.."

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=75417

Don't get frustrated. I have had mine almost a year and I am still learning and loving it.
The people on this forum are very helpful and they know the amp like pros. So post away.

Peace


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Post subject: Re: help needed...new M3 amp
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 1:14 pm
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i8chillywilly wrote:
Here is a thread I saved a link for. It older & long but really good information. I would call it, "the instructions it should have come with.."

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=75417


:mrgreen:

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Post subject: Re: help needed...new M3 amp
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 4:11 pm
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FFXIhealer wrote:
i8chillywilly wrote:
Here is a thread I saved a link for. It older & long but really good information. I would call it, "the instructions it should have come with.."

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=75417


:mrgreen:



Epic thread!!! Thank you. 8)


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Post subject: Re: help needed...new M3 amp
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 7:18 pm
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i8chillywilly wrote:
Epic thread!!! Thank you. 8)


You're welcome. :wink:

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Fender Mustang V + V412
Fender Mustang II
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Fender American Special Stratocaster
Hagstrom Ultra-Swede
Custom Warmoth Strat


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