Replacement Pickups for Fender Mustang Squire Vintage Modified Mustang

[ghostlyskies]

Hi I have a Squier Vintage Modified Mustang with 2 single Duncan Designed Pickups which, in my opinion sound awful. They really let this guitar down.

I run it through a Blackstar or Vox tube amp so there are no issues with amps, the pickups let this little mustang down and I am hoping someone can tell me which pickups to buy for it

It is fitted with the original two 3 way switches that can turn on or off each pickup or have them in or out of phase. The guitar is stunning to look at, there are no problems with the bridge and the tuners seem to be good quality. It doesn't go out of tune much.

I am currently using 9-42 strings which is the size it originally came with.

In your opinion what pickups should I replace them with? And do you think the electronics in the Squiers are of reasonable quality or should I replace them as well.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Many thanks,

Michael H
Thornton NSW Australia

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Replacement Pickups for Fender Mustang Squire Vintage Modified Mustang

Mustang pickups need to be a bit hotter than you'd want in say a Strat, because the covers don't allow them to be raised as high as optimal in most cases, and strings are typically higher off the body than on a Strat, which intensifies the issue.

I'd try something like Quarter Pounders, or some other "hot" Strat pickup, and consider getting rid of the covers... I'd say an 11k DC resistance for the bridge pickup isn't overdoing it, and might be the minimum. Even hot rails have potential in Mustangs, if you don't mind venturing away from the Vintage aspect of the tone.

The other electronics/wiring/pots in the Squiers are "good enough."

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Replacement Pickups for Fender Mustang Squire Vintage Modified Mustang

Lace Sensors are offered in a whole range of flavours from "vintage" through to extremely hot. I like the Burgundy Sensor in the bridge/Treble position and the Silver or Emerald Sensor in the neck/Rhythm position.

The short scale length of the Mustang points towards using heavier string gauges. (11s or 12s.) The Dynamic Vibrato bridge isn't much cop on American-made Mustang guitars. The budget lookalike vibrato on Indonesian-made Squier guitars is pretty poor. I blocked mine off.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Replacement Pickups for Fender Mustang Squire Vintage Modified Mustang

IMO the only reasons to buy a Mustang are the looks and the trem (and scale length, if it floats your boat, but it doesn't mine.) Excellent tremolo range/smoothness and its ability to stay in tune (if you set it up properly) ALMOST make up for how much of a mess they can be to set up and dial in as far as pickups, string height vs. tremolo height etc.

The worst thing about the Mustang trem is that the tailpiece height goes up/down depending on where you want the trem set, and at worst it will interfere/bind strings on the back of the bridge. String gauges should be kept BELOW 10 in my experience, or else there can be some setup weirdness in terms of that, in particular.

Considering how touchy regular Mustang trems are with setup, I'd recommend moving to a US/vintage or Japanese one... Squier's Jazzmaster/Jaguar trems are poor quality, while I've never played a VM Mustang I can't have faith in the cheap, non-Fender branded trem. Back to pickups... Lace has the advantage of looking right.

 

[marcello252]

Re: Replacement Pickups for Fender Mustang Squire Vintage Modified Mustang

Squier's Jazzmaster/Jaguar trems are poor quality

I have a Squier JMVM and although I can see the vibrato isn't top quality I don't feel is really that bad, my only complain is I can't block it if I wanted to. The real problem comes from the bridge, the softer type of metal used, compared to american one, seems to be easily wearable, in fact mine had the thread worn out soon. I replaced the bridge with a Staytrem and I'm currently living in happiness since

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Replacement Pickups for Fender Mustang Squire Vintage Modified Mustang

Some of the generic/Squier Jaguar/Jazzmaster trems are good; I've had three with uneven pivots though, that either clicked and creaked or wouldn't return to pitch, at all. In one case I had to painstakingly file the edge piece, and eventually the trem worked. QC just seems really poor. Replacing with an AV trem fixed the issue, every time.

I've heard good things about the Staytrem. Still have a stock Squier bridge on my current VM Jazzmaster, no complaints.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Replacement Pickups for Fender Mustang Squire Vintage Modified Mustang

Staytrem bridge and arm replacement parts are high quality and work well. I have them on my FSR AVRI Jaguar. I would struggle to justify the expense on a Squier VM.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Replacement Pickups for Fender Mustang Squire Vintage Modified Mustang

I would ask what kind of music you are making also, but I agree that Mustang pickups need to be a little hotter. Decide if you want to stay with single coils or go with single -sized humbuckers. Do you want clean and clear sounds? Darker and heavier? What don't you like about the pickups in there? You don't have to replace any other electronics unless you want to, if they are working well.

 

[marcello252]

Re: Replacement Pickups for Fender Mustang Squire Vintage Modified Mustang

Staytrem bridge and arm replacement parts are high quality and work well. I have them on my FSR AVRI Jaguar. I would struggle to justify the expense on a Squier VM.

They're worth every cents, even on these budget guitars.
The Squier JMs and Jags are indeed (believ it or not) medium-high quality instruments although they are undoubtedly cheap, at least for woods and fretwork stuff (even pickups, they are the asian SD designed similiar in specs to Hot and Vintage standard SD production), it's the 'metal' part the area where the quality is less predictable.
If we talk about the Mastery bridge, yes, it's a bit too much maybe for a Squier but the Staytrem is still expensive but not so much, it's beautiful made, most of all it works perfectly, so, yes, I'd buy it again.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Replacement Pickups for Fender Mustang Squire Vintage Modified Mustang

I don't like the Mastery.

I actually prefer the Squier VM series to Japanese Fenders. Better necks, more accurate shapes and contours, and actually better stock electronics by far. They're a great deal, you can do a few mods on one and still be far below MIJ Fender cost.

If you have money for an MIJ, might as well grab a Mexican. Actually an AV is still a good deal, compared to the hard/unalterable points on an MIJ and the cost of upgrading.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Replacement Pickups for Fender Mustang Squire Vintage Modified Mustang

There is the small matter of me residing in the U.K. - where Staytrem is manufactured - and not having to pay as much as overseas purchasers.

 

[ghostlyskies]

Re: Replacement Pickups for Fender Mustang Squire Vintage Modified Mustang

thanks for your reply, I will follow it up, cheers, Mick - Australia