How BAD is the Squier Sonic Mustang [review and demo]
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- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- Read the full review: artofshred.com/squier-sonic-m...
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MENTIONED IN THIS REVIEW
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🎸 Unboxing & First Impressions of this Squier Sonic Mustang • FIRST LOOK: The brand ...
🎁 Unboxing, First Impressions, and GIVEAWAY of the Squier Sonic Mustang HH (California Blue) • FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Squ...
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I know it has been 4 months since posting the unboxing of this Squier Sonic Mustang (in Torino Red) • FIRST LOOK: The brand ... , but you know what?
I got sick. And then injured. And then I just played it a lot and had to work my 9to5 and didn't have time to make a video. Do you have any idea how long this stuff takes? So long that if you buy me a coffee (ko-fi.com/artofshred) I'll be very grateful.
Anyway, I'm happy to report that Squier's quality control did not fail me on this one. No egregious issues. Were there any issues? Well you'll have to watch this beautiful little guitar review that I worked so hard on, won't you?
OK, just kidding, I won't keep you waiting. In the unboxing video I stated the guitar had a bunch of high frets and I was expecting I'd need to do a fret level and crown. Guess what? I did not have to do that! Even after lowering the string height I didn't get any crazy fret buzz. Woohoo! Interestingly, in the unboxing video I did get fret buzz. For whatever reason, I don't get that fret buzz anymore. I've played this guitar for well over a dozen hours and it plays well.
Onward!
Sometimes people don't like when I drench single coils in distortion so I drenched these single coils in distortion. And I love how it sounds. Do you love how it sounds? Does it matter what you think? Only if you're nice.
Right, so this is a fun cheap guitar. I bought it for $199.99 at Sweetwater. You can buy it there or anywhere you want. It's called capitalism and freedom of choice, look it up.
There is no background music on this review and so help me if that affects watch time I'm going to add extra loud background music forever more. 🎹
Specs of the Squier Sonic Mustang:
- Short 24" scale length
- Squier ceramic single-coil pickups
- 6-saddle hardtail bridge
- Poplar body
- Maple neck with skunk stripe
- 22 narrow tall frets
- 9.5" fretboard radius
- Synthetic bone nut
- 1 volume and 1 tone control
- 3 way pickup switch
Signal chain for the intro: Squier Sonic Mustang ➤ Positive Grid Spark 40 • You're gonna HATE me f... ➤ GarageBand (tapping riff is overdubbed, 1 hard right (Thrash KG Tone Cloud preset), 1 hard left (Death March Tone Cloud preset); backing riff is centered (Thrash KG); GarageBand drummer for the drums)
Signal chain for the rest of the demo sounds: Squier Sonic Mustang ➤ Positive Grid Spark 40 • You're gonna HATE me f... ➤ Audacity
0:00 Intro demo riff
0:15 Talking about the Squier Sonic Mustang
8:46 Sonic Mustang sound demo - Zábava
Read the full review: artofshred.com/squier-sonic-mustang/
Definitely one of the best budget guitars on the market right now. I love mine and you know I'm a LP/SG guy. Squier absolutely killed it with the Sonic series and the Mustang has to be my favorite!
Yeah man, they made it happen with these!
same, i watched ur video on the sonic mustang too
Mine has one of the best clean sounds I have. It still amazes me.
A big reason people even with larger hands might like a short scale, is for the lower string tension. As we get older, we get things like arthritis and other conditions that benefit from slightly reduced fret distances and lower tension :)
That's a great point! Something I should definitely be thinking more about 🤘👴
Nice review. I like that you don’t just use your channel to just show your guitar playing. Excellent work my man.
Thank you! I appreciate that 🤘🎸
Nice, honest review. Thanks!
Thanks for watching! 🤘
Great review and thanks for the sound demos. I'm surprised at how much bite those single coils have. Looking forward to the comparison between the HH and SS to really make a decision (haven't seen the SS in local shops yet though I have seen the HH)
Thank you. Yeah, these single coils are something. :) The HH review might not be live for a little while. I have a few other videos that are coming before it.
Thanks Karol - that guitars sounds great, especially considering the price. If I’m in a junior high or high school band, this would be one of my top pics and as someone in his early 60s, I still got my finger on the trigger to buy one😊
Thanks, Mike. It sounds surprisingly good, doesn't it? Definitely a good buy in the price range.
dude this guy is great and i love watching him. deserves more subs
Thank you! It's a slow growth process 🤘🎸
dude thanks for the nice comment and liking my comment.@@ArtOfShredYT
thanks for the video. i am going to get the pink humbucker one for my daughter soon.
Nice! I think she'll like it 🤘
i just bought one, the sunburst version, its indeed a great guitar, i put 11's and the thing stays in tune all day, and also has great sustain. thank you for your review.
Sweet, thanks for watching! 🤘
That red light fever is real!! I dig that red.
Few people know the pains of pressing record 😆
Squire has worked hard and earned it's new respect.
They aren't looked down upon as they used to be.
I have ZERO shame gigging my Squires....
They're still looked down upon by guitar snobs 🤣 But I dig them!
I like the pick ups 👍
Same!
It’s sooo cuuute ❤
Im getting the sonic HH california blue one soon👍
Nice! I'm going to give that one away :) czcams.com/video/vCkVQ8F8ZIU/video.html
Nice informative review. I was going between this or a bullet telecaster scratch and dent for around $100.
Thank you! Hmm, $100 is not bad. I will say I never really liked a lot of the Bullet series because so often I'd pick one up with quality control issues. I'm kind of surprised at this Sonic.
@@ArtOfShredYTso Bullet Mustang or Sonic one?
I do dig the color options better on the Sonic series....
But the 12" of the bullet is way more appealing/comfortable for me 😳
If bullet is more comfortable for you then go with that
i got a squier sonic strat..sounds great
Yes, "fun" is the working term for this axe. It's a joy to play. I'm 5'6" and the shorter scale is great for me, but really only because the strings are slightly easier to bend.
I have one in blue with humbuckers, and one in red with single coils, beautiful guitars. 💓🎸. And I am not a beginner.
Yeah they're sweet 🤘
I got a pink Squier sonic mustang and I love it. 💓🎸.
Nice! 🤘
I have the Graffiti Yellow one and really love it. I spent the bucks on my tele and strat American pro II so when I came across the Classic Vibes series I was really impressed and have bought the tele thinline, jazz master and starcaster. Now this mustang sonic is the only one so far for under $200 I own and it’s really just a great guitar.
Thanks for sharing! Doesn't compare to Classic Vibes to me, but I do like it 🤘
@@ArtOfShredYT absolutely. I’m amazed at the quality of my three classic vibes guitars.
Just picked up the green one for $139 usd. Cant wait to play
Sweet, enjoy! 🤘
I love that Red. There are very few reds that actually look good on Fenders. This is one of them.
It's nice! Fiesta Red is also a nice one 🤘
My Bullet Mustang from 2021 has 9.5 inch radius frets. I guess it's the 2017-19 Bullet Mustangs that have the 12 inch radius and those also have a larger and wavy Mustang lettering on the headstock.
The humbuckers first sounded too hot, but by turning the guitars volume knob half way down I'm very pleased with them.
The Bullet Mustangs that are still for sale have a 12" radius. I didn't realize that there were Bullet Mustangs with 9.5" radus.
@@ArtOfShredYT Thought I was getting a 12" radius when I ordered it from Thomann, but it's 9.5". I have other both 12" and 9.5" guitars. I like this one though and kept it. Don't know when they started making these 9.5", mine is made in Indonesia 2021, and they have used two different kind of letterings on the headstocks. After receiving mine I found in a local music store new Bullet Mustangs with 12" radius and they were made in 2019. Then I googled it and found other folks also speculating about this difference in radius.
It had no high frets, so that was fine, but had to install some washers under the truss rod nut because it bottomed and I needed to tighten it more to get the action low. Sanded the back of the neck smooth. Now I'm really pleased with this guitar, and I wouldn't mind having a Sonic Mustang with single coils as well.
I have a lot of guitars and i'm just bought this red model with single coil and the blue model with humbucker for the fun ... My first idea was to upgrade with the best pickup but i think the original sounded great and do not changed them
I agree. Surprisingly good sounding pickups!
24in. scale length with single coils on a lightweight body. Checks all the boxes for me!
I’d prefer daphne blue and an Ebony fretboard with locking tuners, but now I’m just splitting hairs. 😉
The California Blue on the Sonic HH is beautiful, but I dig the single coils in these. Locking tuners are definitely out of the question for nearly every cheap guitar except the MS450 (my favorite cheap guitar).
I want blue too I hate fender puts out only like 2 or 3 options color usually an ugly color
My HH version with 11s is now my #1, livelier than my Bullet version, & less setup hassles
Nice! 🤘
Bullet FSR is the best of the bunch. Belly and arm curves. 12” radius. Configure it any way you like , it,s a swimming pool route so buy your choice of pickups and a pickguard to match if necessary. A good nut and setup and you’ve got a very light and well balanced cheapish guitar .
FSR is Fender Special Run, correct? Which model guitar are you referring to? Mustang?
@@ArtOfShredYT yeah the mustang , with the competition stripes. The QC has slight variation so in store is best so you can check on that first b4 buying. So good i bought 3. Didnt get the 4th as the neck wasn't in as good condition.
Love me a good Stang. Your bright red is nice - I did a Dakota Red nitro on mine and like that retro look a lot too.
I use 10-46 on most of my guitars but had a suggestion to try 10.5/11-50 on the Mustang. Really nice! GHS Boomer for me. Let it sit a bit and check your action, you may need to adjust the truss rod a touch.
That maple neck has me wondering why I never saw one, really nice!
Thanks for sharing! 🤘
I bought one recently and mine needed a fret dress as it had several high spots on them that made string bending choke out on some of the higher frets and I didnt like the seriously hot pickups that measured 12 ohms!! Which I think is ridiculous for single coils.
But after new set of tonerider single coil pickups and a fret dress and set up and Its amazing for the price. Ill probably do a rewire with full size pots at some point although it doesnt really need it and I've found the tuners OK and work really well.
Thanks for sharing! It's too bad yours had so many high frets but happy you got it set up how you like it
@@ArtOfShredYT Yes, three minutes of levelling and 2 hours of polishing with fret rubbers and its great now ;)
I actually like the sound clean and with the blues overdrive preset. I think it was country road. My first Electric was a used Fender Mustang. I was 10 years old or so and it fit me perfect. I am almost 60 now and still gigging. Mostly with my homemade Esquires. I don't know why I want this guitar but, I do.
Thank you! Happy you dig it. It's a fun budget guitar, that's for sure. 🤘
I love my Sonic HH Mustang. The only two issues I have with it is the switch position, I tend to hit it when I'm playing. The 2nd issue is that my high e string keeps getting caught under the 4th fret when I strum. I don't have a heavy strum and I use a light pick.
I've not heard of that 2nd issue but I'd like to see a video of it
Time to take it to a tech, because that ain't normal. Sounds like a popping fret.
@jayrobb9 I did. After I set up the intonation, I started getting a lot of fret buzz up and down the neck. Then I noticed the string heights were way off. Some were way too low, some way too high. So, I sent it in to get a full setup. The tech said the issue with the High E string getting caught was a 2 part issue. 1 being the frets not being set correctly and the 2nd being the 9 Guage E string fender puts on them is way too light of a string for a short scale. Either way, that has been taken care of, and now I'm waiting on my moded pick guard to convert to what it should have been in the first place with the old-school slide switches above the strings instead of the flick switch bellow the strings where it can be hit while playing... I'm still not sure what Fender/ Squire was thinking going that route with the switch...lol
@@ravenhawke5the string gauge never crossed my mind, but whoever decided to ship a shortscale with 9's should be put in thr stocks in town square and pelted with rotten vegetables ! Good idea getting a custom picguard, as well. That switch position really isn't great
Looks like I'm not the only person who's looking forward to the HH review and your choice of which one you prefer.
I stated which one I prefer in this video 😉
Just re-watched this video and spotted your "nod and a wink" this time round.
@@paulkazimierow3286 🤣🤘🎸
Guitar also very good for Jazz (with the right strings and the appropriate amp)
Anybody who owns several guitars and likes variety should get a Mustang instead of another pedal the next time they're shopping for gear. I think most folks would really enjoy having one in their collection. But it would also be a great first guitar for a beginner. I've been playing a long long time on mainly LPs and Teles and have added a couple Bullet Mustangs to my 'arsenal' in the last couple years. Loads of fun, they sound and play great, no regrets. On one of mine, the fit and finish are as nice as any decent Fender, with the best paint job I've ever seen. Of course everyone might not be so lucky, but for around $200 new and $100-150 used it's worth trying one. I would gig with mine any time, no worries.
Thanks for sharing... pedals are fun and take up less space but yeah I agree an extra guitar can't hurt 😆🤘🎸
I have a bullet Mustang and it become my bedroom guitar. It does a bit of neckdive but overall its quite a solid, funny little guitar to play. I think you made me want to by another one 😅
hehe, they're definitely fun!
I tested this one in a local shop and I felt the neck really dry and narrow. Also I got a couple of old squier standards series and they feel More confortable than these new squier sonic series.
Yeah, as is often the case with the cheapest Squiers it may be hit and miss. But I still really like this one
Just widened the nut slots and lube them no more tuning problems.
Yup, definitely an option!
Tornio and Fiesta red are my favorite 😊😊😊 Grace and Candy Apple red I’m not too fond of.
Fiesta Red is nice. I also like Candy Apple, though
I love mine, thinking about a second one, why... why not? They sound (to me) almost like a mix between a tele and a strat, I play them clean, no distortion. The tuners are fine, I never had a tuner "untune" itself. Use 10's or 11's and no tuning issues.
Nice! Yeah they sound good
Hi dude. I really liked the video. I want to ask u, is the mustang suitable for a tall person with big hands?? I really like the Mustang (and Jaguar) and ive been thinking about buying the sunburst model, but ive never had a 24" scale guitar before, and i have no idea if that might be a problem. For example, Thurston Moore is crazy tall and he played with a Jaguar and a Mustang at some point, but im still not sure. Id like to know your opinion before buying it. Thank you🙂
How tall are you? I'm 6'5" and it's fine although short scale did take some getting used to. I'd check it out in store first if you can
Hey Karol, my son has a channel and he struggled at first, even to just get words out. He then started scripting. He's videos are very good now. You'll get there.
9-42s on a 24 inch. Do the strings feel a bit loose?
Kind regards.
Thank you, yeah, scripting helps! I've experimented with it in some videos (e.g. the Spark GO video was scripted). I'll have to experiment some more with my work flow.
The 9s actually don't feel loose to me.
I had to replace the plain white pickguard with a white pearl one on mine. The plain white was just kinda boring and cheap looking. I also installed locking tuners, roller string trees and a shim in the neck pocket to pitch it back slightly (makes short scale offsets much easier to intonate.)
I also have an Imperial Blue Bullet Mustang-90. I installed P90s, a white pearl pickguard with P90 cutouts, locking tuners, roller trees and a shim on this one's neck as well. I prefer the look of the Sonic Mustang SS, but I prefer the sound of the Bullet Mustang-90.
The biggest difference I noticed between my Bullet and my Sonic is that the Bullet has contour cutouts in the body, the Sonic does not. The Sonic is just a flat slab on both sides. As a man with a belly, that's something I'm definitely gonna notice.
Cool, thanks for sharing! How does a shim help with intonation?
@@ArtOfShredYT I don't understand the physics of it, but as I understand it, it has something to do with the pressure on the saddles and keeping the strings properly seated. There's a bunch of videos out there about it. All I can really tell you is that I had issues intonating both my Squier Mustangs and my cheap Glarry imitation of a Mustang and shimming the neck fixed the issue on all 3 instruments.
Interesting!
As far as the Pickguard goes , did you buy one without having to make any adjustments? Did you have to drill in new holes for it to fit ?
@@shaunpafford3966 The pickguard I bought was for a Fender, so yes, I had to drill a couple new holes and use my jigsaw on the pickguard to get it to fit around the hardtail bridge. It looks great though.
Looks like a Duo-Sonic II to me. 😉
Yup pretty similar
I am about to buy one used and need your opinion quick: is this suitable for a live setting in any way? Perhaps with better pick-ups or even the way it is now? What do u think? Alternative would be to buy the Squier Mustang Classic Vibe 60s for a couple of hundred bucks more. Is it worth spending that or is the Sonic Mustang fine for simple live playing?
Personally I'd go with the Classic Vibe if money wasn't an issue, but the Sonic is definitely doable live. You'll see what, if anything, you need to upgrade after a few shows. I actually really like the Sonic's pickups, but sound is definitely subjective and it might not work for you with your particular amp in a live setting.
Those ceramic pickups are build like mini P90 of some sort.
Two tiny magnets on each side of the pole piece.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing 🤘
Hi, Nice review, Is the body made of solid poplar
Yeah, as best I can tell by the spec sheet
Those unstamped rotomatic tuners are still better than ping econo tuners.
I just ordered one on ridiculous sale price from Fender, and I fully expect to open it and spend several hours attending to it. Part of the low price is that there wasn't a skilled luthier spending three hours on it, carefully sanding down the fret edges, smoothing out the feet board, polishing the back of the neck, cleaning every bit, adjusting the truss rod, etc. And the strings need new ones. They give you cheap strings.
All that attention would add $300 to the price. And you can do that by taking it to a shop if you want, but there's something personal about doing it yourself. You add the value in by getting it just right.
And because you've invested so little money in it, you can mod it piecemeal whenever you want without worrying about tanking its resale value. Switch pickups, paint it, "relic" it if that's your jam, replace the tuners... It's fun!
Just my 2¢. People whining about frets not being perfect are missing the point.
Nobody's whining about imperfect frets, but it isn't too much to ask that entry level guitars be playable out of the box. This one was, of course, but that's not always the case.
It *is* too much to ask of a new player to learn how to do a full setup just so they can play their new instrument. It's like asking someone to learn how to build an engine before getting a driver's license.
ramble on!!
Haha! I do
Were you getting the thick sound from the guitar tone pot or from the amp... or both?
All tones from the Positive Grid Tone Cloud modelers, surprisingly enough!
Signal chain for the intro: Squier Sonic Mustang ➤ Positive Grid Spark 40 czcams.com/video/llCF5cxhjx0/video.html ➤ GarageBand (tapping riff is overdubbed, 1 hard right (Thrash KG Tone Cloud preset), 1 hard left (Death March Tone Cloud preset); backing riff is centered (Thrash KG); GarageBand drummer for the drums)
Signal chain for the rest of the demo sounds: Squier Sonic Mustang ➤ Positive Grid Spark 40 czcams.com/video/llCF5cxhjx0/video.html ➤ Audacity
Not ready for prime time
Cool story
@ArtOfShredYT you have both HH and SS which one would you choose if want buy only one?
For these I'd go with the single coils. I do like the HH, though.
@@ArtOfShredYT thanks
Okay, you’ve got me paying attention to this one.
I have a theory that Mustangs with the single coils work better than people expect because they sound narrower and less full range. Which is going to work better for a lot of rock players. A dirtier clean than crystal clean will bunch through better, and shaving bass helps that. For gainier stuff, cutting bass before the preamp helps for tighter, less flubby tones. A mustang already does that without an eq pedal or Tube Screamer.
Genius-level mod idea: get a Freeway toggle that adds another 3 switch positions with both pickups in series, series out-of-phase, and parallel out-of-phase. Try the out-of-phase options with all levels of dirt/fuzz/amp gain-people sleep on this. Evaluate what the switching will give you before even contemplating pickup swaps, since you can pick based on the full switching pallet.
I'll have to look into this Freeway toggle as I haven't used one before. Thanks for sharing!
it is possible to put an original fender mustang trem system and bridge on this guitar?
No. Wouldn't be worth the work it would take
hey guy, I'm new to this. Tomorrow's my bday and I'm finally getting one. Is this good for me? I already like this and blue HH one. Also, would it connect to phone's or other speakers? Please guide me 🙏🏻
It might be good for you. It depends what you like and what kind of music you want to play. But it's a fun guitar! It won't connect to your phone or speakers without a wireless/bluetooth connection of some sort. The Spark GO practice amp is on sale for $99 right now and it connects to your phone with bluetooth to get a near endless array of sounds. Here's my review: czcams.com/video/1oyT5D2ZXss/video.html
@@ArtOfShredYT thanks. Mustang HH it is!! My first guitar!!
@@amangoyal923 nice, happy birthday, have fun! 🤘
Did you use a pedal at 10:53?
No, I use the Spark Control footswitch: czcams.com/video/Cd3noFXdOc4/video.html
Hmm haven’t tried the “Sonic’s” yet. I’m a classic vibe fan
I'm a CV fan as well
@@ArtOfShredYT Jimi Hendrix played the version in this video so I’m all ears 😆. Awesome video!
Whats the difference in the bullet HH mustang and the sonic HH one??
fretboard radius is 12" on the Bullet instead of 9.5" and the Bullet has a belly carve
@@ArtOfShredYT cool thanks, are the pickups the same or diff?
I don't know for sure
Shorter scale but standard nut width?
Yeah 42mm nut
Wish it came in Desert Sand. Would scratch my Duo-Sonic itch.
I hear ya. They generally don't give us fancy colors in this price range unless it's a special run
Just blown it with allen key.. I mean wrench lol..what's a Wrench.. 🤔
Sometimes CZcams comments are so nonsensical I don't even know what to say in response.
What is the weight? Thx.
6.8 lbs
Thank you!@@ArtOfShredYT
buy cheap(er) guitar + a good quality used amp. you can usually get your money back on a good used amp. recommended Fender Mustang LT 25 -used 65-100$
Good tip!
So strange that it has 22 frets. I never see (hardly) any Fender product with 22.
I'm not sure why they decided that for the shorter scale guitars, but I'm pretty sure all Mustangs and Jaguars have 22 frets.
This with a Katana good to go under $500.
Yup although I'd go with a Spark 🎸🤘 czcams.com/video/llCF5cxhjx0/video.html
Europeans can't but them Mitchell's
No contours make the HH model better
The Sonic Mustang HH also doesn't have a belly carve. Bullets do, but don't come in vintage-style single coil
What happened to the hair?
I lost it
@@ArtOfShredYT Thinking about it I think I've mixed you up with another youtuber, sorry.
Haha no worries
didn't Kurt Cobain like the mustang
Yeah. And Jaguars. He also played lots of other guitars as well
@@ArtOfShredYT I’m aware I just know he liked the fender mustangs
It's impossible that you're not going to offend the weirdly bitter trolls which anything gear-related is always crawling with.
I'm not sure what you're referring to. I don't think I've had any troll comments on this video, but it does happen from time to time in general.
sorry people are hard on you - i'm "sure" they're perfect. i like what you do. and you do it for free for us - how can you complain?
Ha, no worries, it comes with the territory of doing things in public that people can comment on anonymously. I appreciate your support!
Thin and bland sounding.
If you say so