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Fender Japan Kurt Cobain Mustang 2012 Sonic Blue. Excellent Condition 9.0/10.

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Weight: 7.3lb

A superb and scarcely seen example of one of Fender’s most distinctive artist models, the 2012 Fender Japan Kurt Cobain Mustang is based on the modified Mustangs Kurt Cobain used with Nirvana. A Mustang with a very different attitude to the traditional specification.

These guitars don't come up very often in this kind of condition. The guitar is in excellent shape throughout and is good enough for any collection, especially considering the guitar is now 14 years old. We noted just two very minor impressions, visible only in direct light along with a very minor mark to the back edge of the headstock (see additional images). Otherwise the guitar is exceptionally clean, frets perfect and is an absolute joy to play.

Cobain’s Mustangs were heavily modified to suit his playing style, and Fender’s 2012 Japanese model faithfully captured many of those distinctive details. The result is a short-scale offset with plenty of vintage Mustang character, combined with the power and versatility expected from one of Cobain’s best-known guitars.

The Sonic Blue finish gives the guitar a classic Fender appearance, complemented by the four-ply tortoiseshell pickguard. Underneath the familiar Mustang silhouette lies a much more aggressive specification, centred around a Seymour Duncan JB humbucker in the bridge position. The pickup is direct-mounted to the alder body, providing the high-output, powerful bridge sound associated with Nirvana and Cobain’s modified Mustangs.

At the neck is a Mustang-style single-coil pickup, giving the guitar a noticeably more open and articulate voice. The unusual switching arrangement allows the pickups to be switched individually and offers phase switching, making this far more versatile than its stripped-back appearance might suggest.

The guitar retains the compact 24" scale length that makes a Mustang so comfortable to play. The maple neck has a super comfortable C profile and is fitted with a 7.25" radius rosewood fingerboard and 22 vintage-style frets. It is a particularly easy guitar to play, with the shorter scale giving the strings a slightly slinkier feel than a full-scale Stratocaster or Telecaster.

Hardware is equally faithful to Cobain’s modified instruments, with an Adjusto-Matic bridge and Dynamic Vibrato tailpiece. Combined with the offset alder body, this gives the guitar plenty of visual character and makes it immediately recognisable as the Kurt Cobain model rather than a standard Mustang.

Produced by Fender Japan, these guitars have become increasingly sought after by collectors and players alike. They occupy an interesting place in Fender history, combining the compact simplicity of the original Mustang with the heavily modified specification that became synonymous with Kurt Cobain.

A genuinely distinctive Fender Japan instrument and an excellent choice for anyone looking for a Mustang with considerably more attitude than the standard model. Equally at home in a collection or plugged into a loud amplifier, the Kurt Cobain Mustang remains one of Fender’s most characterful artist models.

Specification:

Model: Kurt Cobain Mustang

Year: 2012

Country of Manufacture: Japan

Body Shape: Mustang

Body Material: Alder

Body Finish: Gloss

Colour: Sonic Blue

Pickguard: 4-Ply Tortoiseshell

Neck Material: Maple

Neck Shape: C Shape

Neck Finish: Urethane

Fingerboard: Rosewood

Fingerboard Radius: 7.25"

Number of Frets: 22

Fret Size: Vintage Style

Position Inlays: Vintage White Dots

Scale Length: 24" (610 mm)

Neck Construction: Bolt-On

Bridge Pickup: Seymour Duncan JB Model Humbucker – Direct Mounted

Neck Pickup: Fender Mustang Single-Coil

Pickup Configuration: H/S

Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone

Switching: Individual On/Off and Phase Switching

Bridge: Adjusto-Matic

Tailpiece: Dynamic Vibrato

Machine Heads: Vintage-Style

Hardware Finish: Chrome

Orientation: Right-Handed

Guitar will be well packed and sent fully insured. Thanks for viewing!

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