Beloved by bassists such as Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, St. Vincent) and Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth), the short-scale Fender Mustang Bass offers easily playability and warm, corpulent tones that thump and groove. The Fender American Professional Classic Mustang Bass retains all of the funk and vibe of vintage models, while presenting upgrades such as a flatter 9.5” radius fingerboard, comfy Modern C neck profile and Fender’s Greasebucket tone system—which rolls down high frequencies without adding bass to prevent muddy tone.
“One of my favorite things about the Mustang’s shorter scale is it allows me to play fun and beautiful chord things with so much ease,” says session guitarist and bassist Nicholas Veinoglou. “With a longer or fatter neck, I would be stretching to every last inch of my hand. In addition, as a studio player, I can nail any tone I need, and I don’t need extra gear to get them. Every sound is contained in this one package.”
Key Features of the Fender American Professional Classic Mustang Bass
- Alder body with gloss urethane finish
- Maple neck and fingerboard
- 30” scale length
- Fender Coastline ’70s split-coil Mustang pickup
- Fender Greasebucker tone circuit
- Four-saddle Mustang bass bridge
- Fender lollipop tuning machines
- Includes deluxe gig bag
Shop Now: Fender American Professional Classic Mustang Bass in Sherwood Green Metallic
Low-End Chameleon
The Mustang Bass may be a tad pint-sized compared to a standard 34” scale bass, but its stature doesn’t prevent it from producing a big and versatile sound.
“A Mustang is what I usually use to play bass in the studio,” says Veinoglou, “because I need to cover pretty much any sound an artist or producer asks for. This is no one-trick pony. It’s a very expressive instrument that can handle a wide variety of styles from jazz to funk or punk.”
Shop Now: Fender American Professional Classic Mustang Bass in Faded Dakota Red
Meet the Fender American Professional Classic Lineup
Alongside the Mustang Bass, the American Professional Classic Series includes a range of iconic instruments tailored to every playing style and sonic preference.
- Stratocaster SSS – Equipped with three Coastline ’57 single-coils, Modern C-shaped neck and 9.5"-radius fingerboard. Offered with maple and rosewood fingerboards.
- Stratocaster HSS - Sporting two Coastline '57 single-coils and a Coastline '57 humbucker for extra punch and tonal versatility. Offered with maple and rosewood fingerboards.
- Telecaster – A timeless workhorse, donning Coastline '63 telecaster pickups and a Greasebucket tone system. Offered with maple and rosewood fingerboards.
- HotShot Telecaster – Nashville-style featuring dual Coastline '63 telecaster pickups, a Coastline '57 Strat pickup in the middle and vintage-style brass saddles, offered with maple and rosewood fingerboards.
- Jaguar – Equipped with Coastline '65 Jaguar Pickups and custom-faded finishes, this Jag offers up pure offset nostalgia. Offered with maple and rosewood fingerboards.
- Jazzmaster — The surf music and indie-rock icon includes two Coastline '65 Jazzmaster single-coils, alder body and Modern C-shaped maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard.
- Precision Bass – A classic reborn, this P-bass struts Coastline '60s split-coil precision bass pickups, blending vintage punch and modern clarity. Offered with maple and rosewood fingerboards.
- Jazz Bass – Carrying Coastline '62 jazz bass pickups, this is the choice for expressive players seeking depth, punch and articulation. Available with maple and rosewood fingerboards.