Fender Amp Mustang I V2 Combo

Product Information

Presets are easily edited with the knobs on the face of the amp, and then saved with the Save button on top. Seventeen high-quality Fender and other amp models including five new ones, such as '57 Twin and '60s Thrift This review is highlighting the Fender Mustang I V.2. The features stay the same across the whole lineup all the same. The only thing that changes is the size and output. The ‘V.2’ indicates that the Mustang series has had an upgrade which simply means there are more amp choices to choose from when setting your tone. There are five additional amps, five additional stompboxes and pitch shifting.

There’s a Mustang II, which is a 40-watt amp with a 12’’ speaker. The series goes up to the Mustang V, which is a 150-watt head with a 4×12’’ speaker cabinet. No one will mistake the Mustang I V2 for a stage-ready combo amp. This is but a practice amp, compact and light and featuring 20-watts of power. The Mustang I is less likely to suffer damage for its small and light. So, overall, there won’t be any issues with the amp or the software. Why should you get a Mustang I V2? This is a fantastic first amp for a beginner. The ability to easily connect the amp to your PC/Mac via USB sets this amp above other budget range amps. Having a wide range of modelled amps, effects and presets gives you plenty of flexibility. The only time you will outgrow this amp is when you need something louder or you move to styles that require more gain for styles such as metal. The quality of the effects and the Fender style modelled amps are excellent and suit players interested in that type of tone. Growing up in rural Australia, there wasn't much to do but play guitar and stare at the red dirt. When things broke, the only person to fix them was fifty miles away, and eventually fixing gave way to building, giving me my career as a luthier. I wouldn't have it any other way.Controls: Gain, Volume, Treble, Bass, Master, Preset Select, Modulation Select, Delay/Reverb Select, Save Button, Exit Button, Tap Tempo Button Lastly, the “V.2” indicates the series has had an upgrade, so you now have more amp choices because there are now 5 additional alternatives. The V2 models carry additional tonal shifting options mostly. In addition to the 17 amps, there are 44 available effects split into four categories. The categories are: Stompbox (typical pedal style effects such as overdrive, distortion, compressors and wahs), Modulation (such as chorus, flanger, tremolo, pitch shifter and filters), Delay (a few different types of delay such as ping-pong, tape, reverse, stereo) and Reverb (small hall, large hall, plate, ambient, spring). The Stompbox effects are only accessible through the Fender FUSE software so if you don’t connect your amp to your PC/Mac, you will only be able to adjust the other three categories of effects. Keep in mind the presets and amp voices exist because the channels don’t. That means there’s not a “clean channel.” Instead, you would have to find and amp voice that delivers a clean sound, like the Fender Twins.

Digital technologies have allowed some major improvements regarding what solid-state guitar amplifiers can provide. The old adage saying “tube amps are always better” might no longer be true. Another thing to note is that changing the original presets might not be the best idea. Tweaking the knobs can have a huge difference in the factory presets because they were programmed outside of the amp. That means there’s a distinction between the original programming of the amp and how each knob truly works. Keep in mind the tone is about personal taste, and as yours might be different than mine, I invite you to see the following demo video:

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This doesn’t mean that a more experienced player will have no value with this little amp. It can be a great practice tool to have at home while your big heavy tube amp sits at the rehearsal space. Wefinally have a modelling amp has had the common sense to include a USB port to connect to a PC/Mac. Modelling amps have been around for years and while amps have been very reluctant to include a USB port, multi-effect pedals have been including them for years and it works really well (see the review on the Line 6 HD500X). Fender FUSE This could be confusing or even overwhelming for a beginner, and maybe even a bit too much for a more experienced player. However the wide array of amp models are sure to keep you busy for hours experimenting with different amps, effects, and pedals. Overall, the modeling technology and the ability to connect the amp to a PC makes this a handy amp for first-time guitar players and for intermediate guitar players looking to learn about digital recordings and effects. The sound quality is well above its price point. When you’ve heard enough affordable amps, you’ll notice how the sounds are mostly cheap and muddy.

Users claim the amp does a great job at what it intends to do. However, they insist the amp needs some tweaking via the FUSE software. Either way, the Mustang I V2 allows guitar beginners and students to start out with a great tone. More importantly, this amp allows people to learn about different effects and tonal shaping, which is something even pro players can appreciate. There are 24 fully customizable factory presets that can all be accessed right on the amp. There are three banks of eight presets. You can see which bank you’re on by looking at the color of the LED light. Green = bank 1, Orange = bank 2, and Red = bank 3. However, putting the speaker off to the side for a moment, let’s focus on the internal sound quality. The Fender Mustang is obviously a solid-state amplifier, so getting that tube response is very difficult. I do have to say that it does it pretty well. It replicates that ‘tube warmth’ of say a ’57 Deluxe well, and is very dynamic.If that's not enough for you, it is also possible to store more on your PC, which brings us nicely onto ... Don’t underestimate it for its size, because the amp is very powerful, even beyond a typical practice amp. It comes with 20 watts of solid state power, which is easily enough for home use and even mic’d gigs. I know this from personal experience. I played my first 3 or 4 gigs with just this amp. The amp was obviously mic’d, because 20 watts of solid-state through an 8” speaker isn’t enough to keep up with a band.

On top of that, you have a 2-band EQ section and a wide array of quality onboard effects. You’ll find chorus, tremolo, reverb, phasing, flanger, delay, and more. If you’re looking at a Mustang III, IV or V, then the answer is yes. This is due mostly because the v.1 versions of those amps had a bug that is know as “FIZZ” among their grumpy owners. V.2 solves the FIZZ problem.Instead of channels, the Mustang I V2 has presets, and I have to highlight presets of the Mustang series because they are functional, versatile, and fun. As for the modeled amps, you’ll find great tones on the Fender voices. You can dial-in Fender’s signature tones from its 8’’ speakers and their different vintage amp-voice alternatives. If you don’t plan on using the Fender FUSE software or wouldn’t know how to do it, this amp is not a great choice. You won’t have many effects to play with and, in all honesty, you might not like the original presets and voices. Amp Models - Without doubt, the main attribute of this Fender combo is the authentic sounding amp modelling on board. Is it any good though? Fender Mustang I - V2 Amp Models List This is a no-brainer. Boss is the daddy when it comes to pedal-based effects, and putting them all in a cheap combo was a master stroke.