Fender Mustang I 20-Watt 1x8-Inch Guitar Combo Amp

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $159.99
Sale Price: $109.99
Today's Bonus: 31% Off

• 20 Watts
• 1-8" Fender Special Design Speaker
• One channel (with 24 presets)
• Controls: Gain, Volume, Treble, Bass, Master, Preset Select, Modulation Select, Delay/Reverb Select, Save Button, Exit Button, Tap Tempo Button

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I bough this amp for my 9 year old son who is learning guitar for his Christmas present. I thought that since I love Fender guitars and since he has a mini Squier we'd like to get something in the Fender Family. I seriously expected a cheap imitation of a Line 6 Spider with a Fender logo slapped on it. I should have had more faith in Fender.

I am blown away by the sounds that come out of this amp. The AMP models are far more real and interesting sounding than any modeling tool I have ever used. The amps don't sound digital or processed, they actually sound overdriven when you crank the gain. You would swear that there are tubes in this thing when you listen to it. I can't get over the Bassman, the twin Reverb and the Deluxe. They sound so full and strong.

My biggest compliment of the Mustang is that it is the ONLY modeling amp that has great sounding Vintage tones. Line 6 has tons of metal stuff, and a lot of weird niche tones. Vox has never really made great modeling stuff. Digitech sounds super processed and the vintage tones are terrible.

If you play Blues, Rock, Classic Rock, Country, Funk etc... This amp is for you. There is just enough metal or heavy sounds to have a few choices for Modern Metal, but Metalheads might be better off with the Line 6 stuff.

The other great thing about this amp is how easy it is to tweak the tones using the amp controls. By looking at the controls, you know right where you are and what you have to do to edit your sound. You don't need to dive 5 levels deep into an LCD screen in order to make great sounding tweaks.

But if you like to go deep, you'll love the Fender Fuse software. It is easy to use and there are countless user submitted tones to help shape your sound.

The fact that Fender not only included FUSE with this amp, but also the Ableton recording software that is also pretty user friendly and fully usable without having to pay to upgrade anything, is just frosting on the cake.

I am a father of 4 who normally has to practice at night and being able to have an amp that can get quiet but still sound amazing, with the added features of a headphone jack and an AUX in, I can play whenever I want. I am actually selling my nice Tube amp and using the Mustang as my only amp for now, and I feel like I am not missing out on any features or downgrading my sound at all.

The value of this amp is amazing. People will shell out 2-3x as much for a Line 6 modeler, but the vintage tones will not sound anywhere close to as good as the Fender tones.

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I was skeptical about this amp, since it was so cheap, yet had all these features. Youtube and the Fender website allowed me to watch videos that impressed me. I took a chance and decided to go with the Mustang 1. I am glad I took the risk, cause this amp is simply amazing. First, without the software, it would make an incredible amp, combined with the FUSE software, it is over the top! With Fuse, you can add nearly any effect, and alter the effects just like you could on real pedals, so much more in depth and detailed than even my expensive multi-effects units! Fuse is simple to use as well, although the other 2 software programs, Ableton and Amplitube, do NOT impress me. Ampltube works, but I don't know what it is used for other than bypassing the Mustang and playing through your PC speakers. Ableton just doesn't seem to work. It loads up, and I can tell that it's working, but I can't get it to record ( which was one of the reasons I was interested in this amp ). The amp itself is simple to use, looks very handsome, and has great sound quality. The amp and FUSE alone are worth the price! I can really care less about Amplitube or Ableton. Pure genius, to make an easy to use amp with the effects built in. No more lugging around extra pedals or cables ! Thank you Fender, it's the things like this that keep me loyal to you.

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Have had this amp for a few weeks and my son and I can't stop messing with it. We are constantly finding new sounds. Connecting the online software gives you even more sounds and more control. We have dialed in everything from an old Fender Bassman to a Vox AC30 to a Marshall with so many effects that you'll never need a pedal again. Unreal for $!00.

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I agree with most of the reviews here. Combined with the Fuse software I think Fender has set a new standard at this price and the competition may need to follow. It is not a perfect amp and the way it functions is not for everyone, but the Mustang I is a great value at the current price.

Volume & Tone:

Subjective subject but the Mustang I has really good tone & volume considering the price & size. Clean tones were important to me so I narrowed my choice to this or the Vox Valvetronix VT+ series while testing amps at Guitar Center. The cheapest Vox VT+ (has a tube) sounded sweeter and louder through the 8 inch speaker, but it also cost more. For my purposes: practice, small jam sessions, and personal recording this was the best choice. If I was planning to primarily gig with the amp or play with a drummer/large ensemble I would have spent more $ and purchased a Vox VT+. The Mustang II is also a louder option, but at that price range I think there are better choices for live performance.

Pros:

-The most versatile modeling amp in this price range. The caveat is you have to hook it up to a computer with the included Fender Fuse software to bring out all the versatility and near limitless tones. I didn't see it in the product description so I'll point out that with Fuse you can overwrite all 24 presets. With the amp alone you can only overwrite 16 presets.

-Good tones; wide range of models; some are better than others. As with any modeling amp, just don't expect the models to sound as good as the real amp in a side by side comparison.

-I tested with my bass guitar and it sounds good AT LOW VOLUME.

-Includes a USB cable over 6' long and some lite versions of recording and performance software (which I haven't used).

Cons:

-Fender Fuse software functions okay but is slow and a little buggy. It also lacks some basic functionally like allowing the user to choose the location to save Fuse files to their PC. It looks like Fender continues to release updates so hopefully this will improve over time. Fuse installation on a PC also requires you to install a Microsoft add-on first. After I installed and rebooted I was prompted to install a bunch of updates related to the MS add-on.

-The amp did not come pre-loaded with any dry presets, unless you count one super high gain metal preset. They all have some effect on them, distortion, reverb, delay, etc...but these can be changed once you learn how to use the amp.

-I would not recommend this amp for a beginner unless you like to fiddle with knobs and play with different sounds more than learn how to play guitar. It will work, but they may need assistance and more time with the manual to avoid frustration.

-The optional footswitch (not included) only covers 2 presets

-The aux and headphone jacks have no nut locking it to the amp body. If you tug too hard on a chord plugged into one of those jacks you might do some serious damage to the jacks but all the modeling amps I looked at in this price range are built the same way, just be aware if you plan to use these features.

-The "Octaver" effect is disappointing. It is nothing like a Boss "Octave" stomp box...maybe I assumed too much.

Tips/Suggestions:

-Spend some time reading the manual or viewing videos online to familiarize yourself with the amp. The Mustang and modeling amps in general are more complex than a standard amp.

-When you create/modify/save a user preset, make sure you compare the volume to your other presets to avoid annoying volume fluctuations between presets.

-If you do not plan to ever hook the amp up to a computer (Fuse software) you're missing out on a lot the Mustang has to offer in versatility and ease of use.

So, you have a C note laying around, and you're looking for a new amplifier. You're looking at the best option for that kind of money in my opinion. Big sound right out of the box, and most presets with a little tweaking can be simply amazing. While the FUSE software is available, in truth you could just stay within the confines of the amp for months without problem. It's a very versatile amp that can play multiple genres. Now, it could use some kind of chart on the amp to tell you what the modifier (modulation, delay/reverb) are so you don't have to keep the manual with it until you learn the amp, but that's a mild gripe. It also needs a second set of LEDs so the two modifiers don't have to share one. The on-board tuner is great, the tones are excellent, and aside from a few gripes about over-designing it with the shared LEDs and slightly complex interface (at first), it still places at the top of the $100 amp class and a contender in the $250 class in my opinion (It will run shoulder to shoulder with a MG30DFX Marshall I've had the privilege to test out.) Tone wise, it can hand out major grind in the metal presets, and five seconds later you can make it throw some major vintage sound without much fuss. I'm extremely pleased with it. In 99% of my reviews, I pose the question that if someone stole the piece, would I replace it. The answer is absolutely, and I'd do my best to find the guy who stole it and stick my dog on him!