A Must-have Mustang for the Modern Player

Fender’s Player II Mustang represents a modernized reimagining of the brand’s short-scale alternative icon, elevating the alternative style and sound of the original with enhanced performance and playability. It all starts with a slim slab body comprised of alder and a 6-saddle hardtail bridge that forgoes the tremolo unit of the original for a more stable and secure feel. Two angled Player series Alnico V single-coil Mustang pickups grant you the chiming highs, firm bass, and snappy short-scale pop that have made the Mustang a standard-issue 6-string among grunge, alternative, and indie-rock guitarists for decades. Hop on over to the opposite end to be rewarded with a fast-playing Modern “C” neck profile, a 9.5-inch fingerboard radius, and medium-jumbo frets — a formidable fretboard formula that’s sure to please players of all stripes with slick bends and effortless chording. Wrap it all up with Fender ClassicGear tuners and an array of all-new colors unearthed from the Fender archives, and the Fender Player II Mustang is a stage-ready short-scale that’s sure to make a splash!

Inspired by Fender’s Mustang and Duo-Sonic guitars of yore, the Player II Mustang significantly deviates from the standard Fender formula with its 24-inch scale length. This scale locks in at a full 1.5 inches shorter than the Tele, Strat, and Jazzmaster, which naturally leads to a far slinkier feel under your fingers. Moreover, short-scale Fenders like the Player II Mustang boast a tone all their own, supplying a slightly snappier and more percussive attack; it’s a tone like no other, which is one of the many reasons why the Mustang has long been endorsed by grunge, alternative, and indie-rock guitarists as an idiosyncratic alternative to your bog-standard 6-string benchmarks.

Just what is lurking under the Mustang’s plastic-covered pickups? The truth is that Mustang pickups — including the Player series Alnico V Mustang pickups found on this model — are historically quite similar to Stratocaster pickups in construction, only with flush pole pieces to accommodate the charming covers. However, coupled with the Mustang’s short 24-inch scale, their uniquely angled arrangement results in a focused, chiming, and surprisingly mellow tone that’s ever championed by Sweetwater’s short-scale supporters.

The Player II Mustang pairs its vintage Fender heritage with a host of modern performance-minded updates. Slick playability and buzz-out-free bends are yours across the breadth of the fingerboard thanks to the 9.5-inch radius and medium-jumbo frets — a far cry from the speed-bump vintage frets and round 7.25-inch radius found on almost all vintage and reissue Mustangs. What’s more, the Modern “C” neck provides supreme comfort and a fast feel, accommodating players of all styles and hand sizes with a “just-right” carve.

Tech Specs

• General
• Number of Strings6
• Left-/Right-handedRight-handed
• Body
• Body TypeSolidbody
• Body ShapePlayer II Mustang
• Body MaterialAlder
• Body FinishGloss Polyester
• Color3-color Sunburst
• Neck
• Neck MaterialMaple
• Neck ShapeModern C
• Neck JointBolt-on
• Radius9.5"
• Fingerboard MaterialMaple
• Fingerboard InlayDots
• Number of Frets22
• Scale Length24"
• Nut Width1.650"
• Nut MaterialSynthetic Bone
• Hardware
• Bridge/Tailpiece6-Saddle Strings-Through-Body Strat-Style Hardtail Bridge with Bent Steel Saddles
• TunersFender ClassicGear
• Electronics
• Neck PickupFender Player Series Alnico V Mustang Single-coil
• Bridge PickupFender Player Series Alnico V Mustang Single-coil
• Controls1 x volume, 1 x tone
• Switching3-way toggle pickup switch
• Miscellaneous
• StringsFender 250L, .009-.042
• Case/Gig BagSold Separately