Welcome to Winterwind’s Fender Mustang PJ Bass Review – Take Two. And, even though this is “take two” it’s also a case of “third time’s the charm”.
Last year, in the early spring of 2021, I gave the Mustang PJ a try. I was looking for a second bass, something different than my Hofner 500/1, and the Mustang PJ was my first choice. Reviews and discussions on various musicians’ forums were overwhelmingly positive and I thought it was worth a whirl. As I wrote in last year’s review, it didn’t work out as I’d hoped. While I could fully understand the glowing reviews I felt the PJ just wasn’t for me.
I’m primarily a guitarist so I’m a fan of short-scale basses, something that also limits my options. I tried a Danelectro Longhorn after the PJ but that didn’t work out either. What lead me back to the PJ was popping into the music store I frequent and seeing a special run seafoam green model hanging on the wall. I have a weakness for seafoam green. I said “Mine!” and traded the Longhorn in towards the PJ.
Although the one hanging on the store wall wound up going back, its replacement is a keeper. For the sake of fairness, I’ll cover both in this review and after a few weeks of getting better acquainted with the second bass, colour me impressed.
Out-of-the-box Factory Setup – 5/10
(Note – We’ll get the negative out of the way first. The low score here is because I had to try two to get a good one and they both had one annoying, easily corrected issue.)
When I tried the first seafoam green PJ in the store I was sitting down and playing hunched over. The store was busy enough that I was leaning in towards the amp to hear the bass better. Having tried a PJ a year ago I had an idea of what I was getting so I quickly went through the pickup positions, made sure the electronics were good and said, “I’ll take it!”
I’ve been playing for decades. I should have just looked down the neck. Instead I was so excited by the special run colour I didn’t do my due diligence until I got home.
I expect to do a fine tuning setup on any new guitar because a perfect player out-of-the-box is rare. And setups are also a matter of personal taste too but this bass was way off. The action measured almost 11/64 (4.3mm) and the neck relief was 0.078 (2mm). I checked the truss rod and the relief was maxed out.
If Fender shipped it that way, they shouldn’t have. Dealers should also make sure instruments are set to factory spec before they put them on the wall for sale. That should be a matter of pride for the store and staff. Sadly though, while you may find that with an independent you’ll almost never see it in a retail chain store.
I tweaked the truss a bit but quickly decided I wasn’t comfortable keeping the bass. I found myself wondering if Fender shipped it this way, what else could pop up down the road, even after a proper stem to stern setup? Fortunately, the dealer quickly brought in a replacement, with a far better factory setup, so I exchanged them.
One thing to note on both models was the poor job done on the string winds.
Break angle for strings is important and it’s determined by the nut slots and the string winds. On Fender basses the string tree helps with the break angle on the D and G and the E string is close enough to the tuning post that it’s usually alright. It’s the A string that can be tricky. With both basses, while the slots were fine, the insufficient winds weren’t and I had the issues you’d expect as a result.
It would have been nice if I could have played the stock strings for a while. I shouldn’t have to immediately replace strings on a brand new, from the factory, instrument. As a matter of preference, sure, but not as a matter of need.
(Note: I find John Carruthers’ bass setup videos extremely useful. I also find it interesting his suggested string length is longer than what Fender techs suggest in their videos. For me, his suggestion of 5 and 1/2 inches past the post is perfect.)
Fit and Finish – 10/10
As mentioned, seafoam green is a weakness of mine. I love the old classic colours – seafoam green, sonic blue, they’re gorgeous to my eyes. This bass is no exception. I even like the pau ferro fretboard.
As a bit of a gear traditionalist I tend to prefer the darker look of rosewood. Due to CITES and sustainability, many companies have switched to pau ferro, or other alternatives, on many models. But the pau ferro fretboard on mine works. It’s a softer looking, light brown that makes a nicer transition between the maple headstock, mint green pickguard and seafoam green body than rosewood would have.
The build quality is fantastic. I haven’t found any flaws and I have no complaints with this bass (the second one) whatsoever. I even managed to dodge the sticker bleed I had with the PJ I tried last year where the outline of Fender’s marketing free lessons sticker somehow bled into the pickguard and left a mark.
My Tele is a MIM Vintera ’50s and this Mustang PJ is also a MIM. In my experience, there are some great quality guitars and basses coming out of Fender’s Mexican factory.
Tone and Playability – 9/10
The key feature of the PJ is that it gives you a Precision pickup and a Jazz pickup. It’s even in the model’s name after all. That gives you a lot of tonal versatility right there and you can further shape it, to an extent, with the tone knob.
At this point, I should probably state I’m not a roundwound player. I prefer flats. I thought I might keep rounds on the PJ, to give it more of a difference to my Hofner and the flats its strung with, but the experiment didn’t last. The stock strings on the PJ are Fender 7250M NPS (45-105) and I considered ordering a set to replace the poorly strung stock strings. I ultimately decided against it though because no matter how much I tried to get used to the round sound I found I kept rolling back the tone and playing closer to the neck.
I’ve used LaBella flats for years and went with them again for the PJ. Since flats of a corresponding guage will have a higher tension than rounds I ordered a set of LaBella 760FL-S (43-104). I love them. A PJ and LaBellas are peanut butter and jelly to my ears. My bass rig is quite simple. The amp is a Fender Rumble 100 V3 and I have a Keeley Bassist Compressor pedal. Between the two, and the strings, this bass now gives me everything I want from it.
To be honest, I probably won’t get a lot of use out of the J pickup but the P and the blend of the two with in the middle position are exactly what I was looking for.
Regarding playability, I’m liking the PJ much better the second time around.
I’ve spent 20 years playing Hofners and the neck is much different. It’s 22 frets vs the PJ’s 19 and the width and carve are naturally different too. My Hofner measures 1.89″ (48mm) at the 12th fret while the PJ measures 2.08″ (53mm).
When I tried the PJ last spring I kept missing notes when I played up the neck. While the 9.5″ radius was comfortable I’d either hit the wrong fret because I had three fewer or my fingers would miss the strings because the neck was 5mm wider. This time I knew what to expect and I’ve enjoyed the PJ each time I’ve picked it up. I’m still getting used to the neck differences but that’ll come in time.
Fender Mustang PJ Bass Review Final Verdict – 9/10
How do I arrive at a fair score? I gave this a 9/10 because if I was judging solely on the second model, the out-of-the-box score would have been 8/10. Some may feel that an instrument should be judged solely on fit, finish, tone and playability but to me though, the condition the instrument arrives in from the factory is a factor. It’s part of the overall experience and the need to immediately replace the stock strings was an annoyance.
That being said, a year after first trying one, and having tried three Mustang PJs in total, the third time is indeed the charm. I’m very pleased with this bass. The only reasons I can think of for not getting one would be if you’re not a fan of short-scale basses or because Fenders are pretty ubiquitous and you’re looking for something that looks different than what a lot of bassists use.
This bass does absolutely everything I want it to, sounds exactly the way I want it to, and it’s seafoam green. For me, it’s a winner.
Update – October 2023
I kept this bass for just over a year and just sold it. It took my three different PJs to get a keeper. I had set it up the way I wanted, strung with my preferred LaBella flats. It played beautifully, it sounded great. It was a well-built, quality MIM. But the neck and I just didn’t get along.
The neck was causing me a lot of pain the further up I played. A touch of arthritis and carpal tunnel meant just getting through two songs guaranteed some throbbing and numbness in my wrist. After 20 years playing Hofner necks I could never fully adjust to the Mustang neck and switched back to Hofners.
Fender’s site lists the Mustang PJ neck shape and nut width BUT… they don’t list the neck width at the 12th fret or string spacing at the bridge. They should. They’re key specs all manufacturers should list.
Fender lists the PJ’s nut width at 38.1mm. I measured the 12 fret neck width at 52mm and the string spacing at the bridge at 60mm.
Compared to a Hofner, which measures 42mm nut width, 48mm neck width at the 12th fret and 48mm string spacing at the bridge… No wonder I never adjusted and was always fighting the pain.
I wish I could have kept the PJ. The look and colour are classic, iconic Fender. The build quality was great. The neck just didn’t work for me.
I blame Star Trek for that.
(Star Trek 1966-2005 RIP)
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My Sierra Sunburst Mustang PJ needed a setup out of the box. Fit and finish was perfect but I was disappointed to find the strings fitted by Fender were a long scale set of roundwounds. Not a very elegant wrap round the tuning posts and the E string seemed ludicrous. Anyhow, a set of GHS Precision Flats were fitted and I was off to the races.
I love this bass, I started out on bass but I am really another guitarist at heart. I did have a problem with the toggle switch cutting out but switch cleaner sorted that and it is no longer a problem. I used to have a n Ibanez Soundgear bass but arthritis out a stop to me playing that. I eventually sold that and was without a bass for some time until I decided to buy the Mustang and I’ve been happy with my choice. I particularly like the responsive tone control that works well without turning to mud when it’s backed off.
I agree that the black scratchplate doesn’t suit the Sienna Sunburst but I can’tell decider what to replace it with.
Hi Tom,
I think a pearloid pickguard, white, maybe aged white, would work better with the Sienna Sunburst. Ultimately, I’m happy with my Seafoam Green. I like the classic colours and my Tele is Sonic Blue. I really wanted a Vintera ’50s Strat but… Fender doesn’t do them in that colour, only the “Modified ’50s” which isn’t 50’s spec. I guess that’s because they want Buddy Holly fans to pay for a few thousand for an American Original or $10K for a reissue. I’ll stick with my MIMs. A good setup, maybe some mods and they’re great for gigs or studio. And you’re right about the rolling off the tone without mud. It’s nice.
I guess QC has been slipping for a few companies from what I’ve been reading. How much of that is tied to two years of pandemic issues, who knows? For example, FMIC had Gretsch move production of their Electromatic mid-range line from Korea to China and there seem to be some issues with that line in its new home.
I’m like you, primarily a guitarist but I love playing bass and actually prefer doing my own bass when recording. I’ve got some arthritis creeping in myself and I find bass easier to play now than guitar. Strangely, while I’m losing speed on guitar, I’m fine on bass. May that last as long as it can.
I have 3 Fender basses, including a MIM Mustang P/J, and I think the the Mustang has the best tone of all of them, but I preferred my first Olympic or Antique white Mustang to the seafood green, but the split coil kept crapping out and my Guitar Center store couldn’t or refused to fix it, so I returned it and purchased my current one from Sweetwater. Like Joseph, arthritis has caused me to stop playing guitar, so I’m glad I can play bass.
I’m still getting used to the neck differences. I do prefer the narrower Hofner neck. I play up the neck a lot and Hofner’s 48mm at the 12th fret is nice and comfy. Sorry you had to stop playing guitar. I’m not at fast as I used to be but I still play.
Shame about Guitar Center. I’ve heard a few less than flattering stories but… that’s big box retail. (Our equivalent here in Canada is Long & McQuade – I DO NOT recommend them.) Glad you got better service from Sweetwater.
Wish it had a wider nut.
Fender nuts are funny, they’re half the thickness/depth of any other nut. And the break angle for the A is always “meh”.
I have to say that I do prefer a Hofner’s neck. I guess I just got use to playing them for 20 years. The Mustang bass’s neck is 4mm wider and has three fewer frets. Leads to hand cramping.
The break angle for strings is a problem on Fender basses, with a wonky A string often a victim. I put a Gruv Grear fretwrap behind the nut and it fixes the issue. I had the same reaction to a Mustang PJ color that you had – except for me it was Shell Pink. It’s on order and I’m waiting for it now. Very much looking forward to it.
That’s the thing that’s always amazed/annoyed me. It’s a well known issue. Very well known. You’d think after all this time Fender would simply do a better job there. I guess it’s a case of “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature!”