Fender Mustang, faded sonic blue, made in Japan 1993-4. What a beauty, right? The Mustang enjoyed a bit of attention in the mid 90s from punk and grunge bands, but not that many were being made as it always takes a bit of time for the catalog to catch up to the cool kids. This dates to 1993-4, right in the thick of the grunge era, and is as old now as those 60s guitars played by 90s bands were then... weird thought! It came out of the factory in a tasty coat of sonic blue, but with a couple of decades on the clock it's now a delightful deep surf green. The great thing about a faded finish is that isn't not even: it's everything from olive to mustard to sky blue depending on where you look, and the aged cream plastics and red tort guard bring out the best. The body is light, comfy and super resonant; loud unplugged and very responsive to the touch. The slim round neck and 24" scale make for an effortless player; it's too easy to riff on and hard to put down. The punchy, snappy twang that's so charming in a Mustang is all there, balanced by a certain breathiness that comes from hours of play. Hot tip: guitars that look like this don't tend to hang around long, so chop chop!

Model: Fender '69 Mustang (MG69-65)
Made: Japan 1993-4, Fujigen plant (serial O022123)
Finish: sonic blue, 3-ply red tort guard
Body: basswood
Weight: 3.300kg
Neck: maple with rosewood board, 24" scale, 7.25" radius
Mods: nut replaced
Pickups: Fender Japan MG Vintage single coils
Case: basic gig bag

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. Headstock has some marks on the end and back. Neck has minor dimples on the back only, smooth in the hands. The back has some light scuffs and surface scratches, no major marks. The sides have a few minor marks: dimples on both horns, scuffs and marks in the elbow area, a chip and some marks near the jack. The front is pretty tidy, just minor dimples around the body and some play wear on the guard and top horn. Note significant uneven fading all over the body; the finish is now several shades of green. Overall: good condition (7/10).

Playing condition notes: Action is low, intonation is good, neck is straight, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. Frets have some normal wear, they're freshly polished and fairly even, 7/10 for life left. Wearing fresh 11/49 Moonshiners strings.