strat vs mustang

[rlolzor]

Hi, so I'm a little confused between which guitar is better:
MIM Fender Stratocaster (2004) or MIM Player Mustang 90 with P90 pickups (2017)
...lookin for a garage rock sorta sound
I know people say the strat is better, hence I'm leaning towards that, but can anyone help with a comparison? Cheers
(Also, sorry if this is the wrong board, wasn't sure which one to post in)

[Don]

These are very different guitars. It's hard to say what's best for you. I can't imagine not having a Strat style guitar, but it'd be fun to try a Mustang with P90s- it'd rock harder, and I might lean towards it if I was playing the style you're playing.

[OldStrummer]

When I was looking for a short scale electric, I had my eye on a couple of Mustang 90s. They have a 24" scale, which was what I was seeking. But I really wanted a Telecaster, so when I found one, I bought it instead.

The Stratocaster is not a short scale. I have a 2004 MIM Strat that's Aztec Gold and is a fabulous guitar! The middle pickup went dead, so it was replaced with a Fender Custom Shop Texas Special. But as Don said, they are two completely different guitars! For the record, I have a G&L ASAT with P90s on it, and I love the sound and playing of that one, too.

[rlolzor]

When I was looking for a short scale electric, I had my eye on a couple of Mustang 90s. They have a 24" scale, which was what I was seeking. But I really wanted a Telecaster, so when I found one, I bought it instead.

The Stratocaster is not a short scale. I have a 2004 MIM Strat that's Aztec Gold and is a fabulous guitar! The middle pickup went dead, so it was replaced with a Fender Custom Shop Texas Special. But as Don said, they are two completely different guitars! For the record, I have a G&L ASAT with P90s on it, and I love the sound and playing of that one, too.

Sounds nice, and damn that is expensive! I'm really into the mustang because its pretty cheap, and i'd go for it if it had single coils, but unfortunately it doesn't. Is there any way I could possibly change the p90 pickup on the neck to a single coil?

[Don]

Sounds nice, and damn that is expensive! I'm really into the mustang because its pretty cheap, and i'd go for it if it had single coils, but unfortunately it doesn't. Is there any way I could possibly change the p90 pickup on the neck to a single coil?

P90s are single coils, though they're very different than Fender single coils- they're usually hotter and fatter sounding. I like them a lot. You should be able to change to any type of pickups that you like by replacing the pickguard.

[OldStrummer]

You can get a Fender Player Mustang with single coil pickups.

Here's an example at Sweetwater.

[rlolzor]

P90s are single coils, though they're very different than Fender single coils- they're usually hotter and fatter sounding. I like them a lot. You should be able to change to any type of pickups that you like by replacing the pickguard.

Oops, I realized that. I was thinking I would be able to do this, but someone told me 'there are not really drop in replacements for the P90 pickups to switch to a fender single coil'- not exactly sure what this meant but...I was originally going for a single coil in the neck and jb in the bridge sound for the mustang, would it sound similar if I switched out the p90 in the neck to a fender single coil and kept the bridge constant?

And about the pickgaurd, do you think there's any available that will suit this setting? I feel like there probably aren't.
Thanks in advance

[PaulHikeS2]

Hi, so I'm a little confused between which guitar is better:
MIM Fender Stratocaster (2004) or MIM Player Mustang 90 with P90 pickups (2017)
...lookin for a garage rock sorta sound
I know people say the strat is better, hence I'm leaning towards that, but can anyone help with a comparison? Cheers
(Also, sorry if this is the wrong board, wasn't sure which one to post in)

If you still haven't decided, for your style I'd recommend the Mustang. The P90s are a bit more raw and aggressive,and a bit less articulate than the Standard single coils. Better suited for garage rock, as well as crafting both a unique sound and creating a cooler vibe.