Fender Competition Mustang Solid Body Electric Guitar (1971)
LOADING IMAGES
Fender Competition Mustang Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1971), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 320028, Lake Placid Blue with Racing Stripe finish, alder body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, original grey hard shell case.
This is a nice playing example of the most popular-for-the 2020s version of the ubiquitous Fender Mustang, the "Competition Blue" model from the turn of the 1960s-70s. This guitar was built in 1971, later in the run for this rather whimsical "Competition" version of the model. It features a snazzy Lake Placid Blue metallic "car" finish, "racing" stripe on the body, a pearloid pickguard and a natural headstock instead of the matching one used in 1969. A couple of years after it was made the finish options for the model were changed to sunburst, natural, or black and the super snazzy "Competition Mustang" series was retired under the checkered flag.
The Mustang was Leo Fender's last major original design before the CBS buyout, launched in mid-1964 to immediate success. The revamped Competition models were introduced in 1969 with contoured bodies and automotive themed hot rod trim that seem particularly suited to a guitar sharing its name with Ford! By the early 1970s the proliferation of cheaper Japanese guitars had undercut the market and sales were down, but the easy handling 24" scale Mustang endured through the decade as a classic in its own right. This one has several date markings inside; the neck is clear-dated to September 71, the pots coded to the 16th week of the same year and the pickups ink-stamped with 1971 codes as well.
Except for the lack of a matching headstock, the features of this Mustang remain nearly identical to late 1960s models. The neck has the typical lacquer headstock over poly, which Fender did in this era to "set' the decal properly. The neck even has a bit of figure in the maple.
The humble Mustang has proved a timeless favorite of countless garage and pro bands from the 1960s and '70s until today, forever exceeding Leo Fender's original intentions as a simple but effective student instrument. The Competition Blue variant in particular has earned special notice of late due to an enduring connection to Kurt Cobain, who is reputed to have called his rare left-handed one his favorite guitar.
Overall length is 39 3/4 in. (101 cm.), 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 in. (610 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This guitar had a now-invisible alteration at some point, but is neatly restored to original and remains a nice example, appearing largely original with some minor wear and tear and one small internal mystery. Under the pickguard all components are original or at least period correct but it appears another pickguard was mounted at some point. There are a couple of extra screw holes along the rim under the guard and several areas of hard residue from a sticky substance where something was once glued; all fittings are correct and complete and there is no additional routing or other alteration. We can't say if the original pickguard was re-installed or an exact correct assembly sourced from another 1971 Mustang; all components and wiring are era correct and likely original to the guitar; the solder joints also appear original but the wires were spliced just before the control cavity.
All else appears original and complete except for a repro trem arm, and the nearly always missing bridge cover is indeed gone. Inexplicably the front rim of the bridge cradle was notched for strings; someone had it mounted backwards at some point. The all-original finish has some checking, chips, dings and dents, but less "greening" than some and no large areas of loss except a decent sized buckle rash spot on the back down to the wood. The body color has darkened and "greened' somewhat as is usual but remains truer than many and does not appear to have spent much time in smoky environs.
The pearloid pickguard is very prone to shrinkage; this one is in very nice shape with only minor pulls at the screw holes. The headstock finish has some scuffing but the decal is perfectly preserved. The original frets have been crowned down a bit but the guitar plays fine and sounds exactly as it should. It includes the original hard case, still the traditional '60s-style grey model showing a decent amount of wear. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This is a nice playing example of the most popular-for-the 2020s version of the ubiquitous Fender Mustang, the "Competition Blue" model from the turn of the 1960s-70s. This guitar was built in 1971, later in the run for this rather whimsical "Competition" version of the model. It features a snazzy Lake Placid Blue metallic "car" finish, "racing" stripe on the body, a pearloid pickguard and a natural headstock instead of the matching one used in 1969. A couple of years after it was made the finish options for the model were changed to sunburst, natural, or black and the super snazzy "Competition Mustang" series was retired under the checkered flag.
The Mustang was Leo Fender's last major original design before the CBS buyout, launched in mid-1964 to immediate success. The revamped Competition models were introduced in 1969 with contoured bodies and automotive themed hot rod trim that seem particularly suited to a guitar sharing its name with Ford! By the early 1970s the proliferation of cheaper Japanese guitars had undercut the market and sales were down, but the easy handling 24" scale Mustang endured through the decade as a classic in its own right. This one has several date markings inside; the neck is clear-dated to September 71, the pots coded to the 16th week of the same year and the pickups ink-stamped with 1971 codes as well.
Except for the lack of a matching headstock, the features of this Mustang remain nearly identical to late 1960s models. The neck has the typical lacquer headstock over poly, which Fender did in this era to "set' the decal properly. The neck even has a bit of figure in the maple.
The humble Mustang has proved a timeless favorite of countless garage and pro bands from the 1960s and '70s until today, forever exceeding Leo Fender's original intentions as a simple but effective student instrument. The Competition Blue variant in particular has earned special notice of late due to an enduring connection to Kurt Cobain, who is reputed to have called his rare left-handed one his favorite guitar.
Overall length is 39 3/4 in. (101 cm.), 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 in. (610 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This guitar had a now-invisible alteration at some point, but is neatly restored to original and remains a nice example, appearing largely original with some minor wear and tear and one small internal mystery. Under the pickguard all components are original or at least period correct but it appears another pickguard was mounted at some point. There are a couple of extra screw holes along the rim under the guard and several areas of hard residue from a sticky substance where something was once glued; all fittings are correct and complete and there is no additional routing or other alteration. We can't say if the original pickguard was re-installed or an exact correct assembly sourced from another 1971 Mustang; all components and wiring are era correct and likely original to the guitar; the solder joints also appear original but the wires were spliced just before the control cavity.
All else appears original and complete except for a repro trem arm, and the nearly always missing bridge cover is indeed gone. Inexplicably the front rim of the bridge cradle was notched for strings; someone had it mounted backwards at some point. The all-original finish has some checking, chips, dings and dents, but less "greening" than some and no large areas of loss except a decent sized buckle rash spot on the back down to the wood. The body color has darkened and "greened' somewhat as is usual but remains truer than many and does not appear to have spent much time in smoky environs.
The pearloid pickguard is very prone to shrinkage; this one is in very nice shape with only minor pulls at the screw holes. The headstock finish has some scuffing but the decal is perfectly preserved. The original frets have been crowned down a bit but the guitar plays fine and sounds exactly as it should. It includes the original hard case, still the traditional '60s-style grey model showing a decent amount of wear. Overall Very Good + Condition.