Fender Mustang owners, can you help me?

[Snaplit]

Hello there, I recently made a thread on here about some confusion about what amplifier I should start out with, being all new and ignorant and stuff.

So I asked around for what people would think would be the best choice for me considering I live in an apartment. And all the specs I wanted the amp to have etc. Such as being able to have headphones plugged into it, have tons of effects, be versatile and sound nice.

One of the requirements that was pretty important to me was that the amp should be able to play really well even at extremely low volumes, for example if i felt like playing at 2AM, I should be able to without waking anyone up, but also be able to hear and enjoy what comes out of the speaker.

So long story short, about 80% of everyone suggested the Yamaha THR10 for its versatility, great sound, effects and ability to sound really nice at low low volumes, etc.

So yeah, Yamaha THR10 vs Fender Mustang series
How well do the Mustangs play at low volumes?
If you have both of them it would be really swell if you could compare them and take my situation into consideration

Thank you

[nightflameauto]

I had a Mustang I for a while and it actually sounded better at lower/whisper volumes than it did at screaming volumes. I haven't messed with the Yamahas, so I'll let somebody else cover that. Really though? Both of these are made for the quiet/at home practice routine, so I doubt either will disappoint you for being able to pull off low volumes.

[savoldi]

The Mustang 1 works for me. It's got what you're asking for.

[guitarbilly74]

the mustangs are awesome for low volume playing. I haven't heard the THRs yet but every review has been good.

[savoldi]

You can hook up the Mustang with a USB cable and download presets, also. Not sure if the Yamaha does the same thing.

[dparr]

Originally Posted by savoldi

You can hook up the Mustang with a USB cable and download presets, also. Not sure if the Yamaha does the same thing.

Yep, you can download presets with the Yamaha THR10 also.

My son has played through both a lot. He says the Mustang sounds like a nice little guitar amp. The THR sounds like a nice little pro studio.

[JSutter]

I've played them both. They will play quietly for sure. They have their pros and cons. For instance the THR is plug in and go while the Mustangs is more of a tweakers amp. As with all gear, you will need to try them and make your own decision. I'd rather have the THR.

[Travisaurus Rex]

the mustang III is great at any volume. Sounds better loud but still really good at soft volumes. The headphones sound good with them too.

[Stevetemp]

One thing to keep in mind, at least imo...is that the Mustangs retain their Fender heritage at their core. While they have decent sounding hi-gain, the great majority of it's tone is pure Fender. I think Fender deserves an award for this, as most modellers try to do everything under the sun, and usually fall short. it says Fender on the front, and that's what it is!

I have the III, and for being a 100 watt, 12 inch speaker, it's extremely lightweight and portable. Plays well at low volumes, but like any good amp opens up at higher volumes. It will also serve at rehearsals, jams, and many gigs. It really bridges the gap between having a quiet home practice, and still being useful out. A true grab and go amp.

Headphone use is outstanding. FX are enough to keep your interest, easy to access, yet never take over the amp. Some of the best sounds are, say, a Deluxe and a bit of verb. Easy access individual buttons on top make it easy to ditch fx for pure amp tone, or bring them back in again. The III has a useful screen interface to keep track of parameter changes.

I only have 2-3 negative points...and I'm picky. The overall tone can slide into the nasally side, but I think that's generally a function of a combo amp in a small shell. A speaker change should be carefully evaluated, because the lip of the speaker protrudes in the amplifier section via cutout for space, though it's only an inch or so. I believe it would be impossible to put something like an EV12L in there with it's beefy frame. And finally, Fender chose to not put an external cabinet output on it, the only real design mistake. I think it would sound outstanding to a 4x12 cab, and this type of amp should have that option.

I give a solid 9 for it's good tone, ease of use, and portability.

[NinjaRaf]

Originally Posted by Stevetemp

One thing to keep in mind, at least imo...is that the Mustangs retain their Fender heritage at their core. While they have decent sounding hi-gain, the great majority of it's tone is pure Fender. I think Fender deserves an award for this, as most modellers try to do everything under the sun, and usually fall short. it says Fender on the front, and that's what it is!

I have the III, and for being a 100 watt, 12 inch speaker, it's extremely lightweight and portable. Plays well at low volumes, but like any good amp opens up at higher volumes. It will also serve at rehearsals, jams, and many gigs. It really bridges the gap between having a quiet home practice, and still being useful out. A true grab and go amp.

Headphone use is outstanding. FX are enough to keep your interest, easy to access, yet never take over the amp. Some of the best sounds are, say, a Deluxe and a bit of verb. Easy access individual buttons on top make it easy to ditch fx for pure amp tone, or bring them back in again. The III has a useful screen interface to keep track of parameter changes.

I only have 2-3 negative points...and I'm picky. The overall tone can slide into the nasally side, but I think that's generally a function of a combo amp in a small shell. A speaker change should be carefully evaluated, because the lip of the speaker protrudes in the amplifier section via cutout for space, though it's only an inch or so. I believe it would be impossible to put something like an EV12L in there with it's beefy frame. And finally, Fender chose to not put an external cabinet output on it, the only real design mistake. I think it would sound outstanding to a 4x12 cab, and this type of amp should have that option.

I give a solid 9 for it's good tone, ease of use, and portability.

I always wondered about this. Ive tried some hybrid fenders in the past, and they do sound great, but the hi gain stuff wasnt what I thought it should be. For me, I like peavey high gain stuff, so wifey got me a peavey vypyr 15 for xmas. I couldnt be happier with a practice amp. The high gain models sound like the peavey amps they are modeling. Same kinda deal....at its core, its a peavey. The cleans are pretty stellar, as are the effects.

[Stevetemp]

I would agree raf...that the Peavey hi gain is better, generally speaking, than the Mustang. Just kinda makes sense, in a way...right?

Not saying the Mustang hi-gain isn't usable. it certainly is! However, I would not want to rely on Vypyr quality. I was checking them in the store, one had bad lights and at least two of them did not work at all. I have high confidence that my Fender is gig-worthy. Good quality even if you don't gig with it. I think that's what makes the Mustang III a great amp. It fits very snugly between the fine line of practice and gig amp.