Fender Mustang II versus Roland Cube 40XL

[Likeke]

In my search for a portable amp, I came across the Mustang II 40W for about the same price as the Cube, but it has a 12" speaker vs the 10" in the Cube. Anybody have experience with the Mustang and how does it compare? Thanks

[billkath]

I recently bought a III,not a II, but I frigging love this amp. I've used it out live 6 times (not jazz-pop/rock) and it is excellent. Can't tell you how highly I rate this little 100 watter- I've had none of the problems others have reported-and I'd have better ears than most of those. I had a Cube 60. The Mustang, IMHO, Slaughters it.

[spiral]

III and above has the fizz issues. II is a safe bet. Great sounding and cheap. Sounds great stock. Someone on the Fender board did a speaker swap and removed the back:

http://www.fender.com/community/foru...c7a7281bb6455b
http://www.fender.com/community/foru...b0d48b8048270b

[billkath]

Weird, that fizz issue. It only seems to affect some people-I wonder why that is? It's definitely not on my one, which is brand new, and very recently manufactured.

[spiral]

Weird, that fizz issue. It only seems to affect some people-I wonder why that is? It's definitely not on my one, which is brand new, and very recently manufactured.

Sorry to the OP, i don't want to bring your thread down. There was lots of back and forth and theorizing on the Fender board about what was going on. If you never have it, that is awesome. Some have reported it developing over time. You have a 5 year warranty so it should be fine either way.

The way Fender handled it is embarrassing but if you don't have an issue, there is nothing in the price range that sounds as good.

[cmajor9]

To keep things clear, the "fizz" issue is for the Mustang III, not the Mustang II (the one the OP asked about).

Personally, I found the II a bit limited if you want to get beyond the presets, but the Twin Reverb and Champ sounds were nice, and usable for jazz (esp. if you turn down the reverb a bit).

[Stackabones]

All things being equal, I'd always get the larger speaker. So, in this case, the Mustang II is the way to go.

If you use the Fuse software, the Mustang amps are incredibly flexible and you can create all kinds of custom settings.

[pghguitar]

I posted something similar to this in the past, and after reviewing all the previous posts, I decided to try out the mustang III from GC, even though the odds were stacked against this amp (fizz). Like the others, I didnt notice the fizz in the store, but did when I got it home. The fizz was noticeable enough to warrant the return of the amp, and a purchase of a cube 80xl. The mustang, hands down, had many more features and if it was not for the fizz problem, I would have stuck with the mustang. However, since I desired a pure clean sound, I could not keep the mustang and decided to opt for the cube.

[Al_F]

I have had a Mustang II since early June. I think its is very good, border on excellent for a practice amp. I play it clean 80%of the time and if you connect it to the Fuse sotfware, you can get most any Fender'ish tone you like out of it. The Marshall and Vox models are very good as well.

[Jehu]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but just wondering if folks have any updated opinions about the Mustang II V2 vs. the Cube 40XL. I will likely buy one of these in the very near future.

I know there is a lot of love for the Cubes on these fora, but here are the pros that have me considering the Mustang:

- direct USB interface (including Ableton) for recording
- A lot more opportunity for tweaking with the Fuse software
- 12" speaker (as opposed to a 10" in the Cube)
- $50 cheaper down here in NZ ($399 vs. $450)

In your collective opinion, would the nice, clean jazz sound of the Cube outweigh those factors? I should also add that I will be playing a Godin Kingpin II (with two P90s) through it, and I've heard that the Kingpins really shine through Fender tube amps. Apparently the Mustang emulates the Fender tubes quite well.

[ooglybong]

I had a Mustang II when they first came out, but I gave it to my son (a great drummer who's learning guitar) as a reasonable excuse to justify buying the Mustang III. Incredible amp for fusion and rock stuff, IMO, but I do prefer my Cube 80XL for jazz, sticking exclusively the JC Clean channel. (I know that others here have found great sounds for jazz in the Mustang, too—read on—but I happen to love the Cube for jazz.)

FWIW, I have the original v.1 Mustang III; it didn't have the 'fizz' issue at first, but, yup, eventually developed it. Oh, well. For the rock sounds, it's not all that obvious except on trailing-out tails on some notes, but that disqualifies it for jazz for me. The v.2 has allegdly been cured of the affliction along with adding more amp models and a few other features, so I'd definitely be looking for a v.2 Mustang, whichever model you choose.

However, IMO, the III is *such* a buy when compared to the II—absolutely worth the extra $100 or so if you can possibly swing it. No doubt in my mind, esp considering the 100 watts, Celestion speaker in the open cab for a bigger soundspace, plus the vastly superior GUI via the extra knobs and the LCD. Plus it just sounds so much better than the II. Like a blanket lifted off the speaker. IMO. (There's some detailed older threads here discussing these amps if you search.) Also, other modeling amps, IMO, might tend to focus a bit more on the "heavier" amp models as a selling feature, whereas the Mustang series, not surprisingly, tends to look more towards the Fender™ side of the equation.

But for jazz alone, personally I would stick with the Cube. YMMV, of course depending on how much versatility you need. (For rock stuff, I definitely prefer the Mustang.) BTW, the newest generation of Cube amps is just coming out, and Roland seems to have added some degree of IOS interconnectivity, but it still looks more comprehensive via Fender's FUSE software from what I can tell. (I haven't gotten around to using the FUSE stuff so far.)

Hope this helps. Good luck in your search.

[Al_F]

I've moved up to a Mustang III from II. Ooggbong's advice about paying the extra $100 for a III is solid. The III is a much better amp than the II all around. I love this amp.

[Jabberwocky]

The Fender Mustang III V2 has resolved the fizz issue. Pony up the $100 for the Mustang III V2 over the Mustang II V2. You get a better speaker, more power (100W), a bigger open-back cabinet, an LCD panel that allows you to adjust FUSE parameters without being hooked up to your laptop, and a 2-button footswitch.

I like the Mustang III V2 for its Fender amp models. The amp models capture much of the vibe of the Fender's tube amps on which they are modelled. For clean tube jazz sounds, I think it hits it out of the park. I was close to buying a new old stock Fender Ultralight a few months ago but am glad I waited.

Trouble is, my store has no more Black in store so I will have to settle for this: http://www.fender.com/en-DJ/amps/gui...i-v2-red-120v/ . Red is not a very jazzy hue but it shall have to do.

The Roland 80XL is a very good amp with only one useable channel for me: the JC120. It also costs more. Well, I am bored of the Roland JC channel so the Fender Mustang III V2 was a godsend.

[Jehu]

Thanks for the input, guys. It would definitely be the Mustang II (v2) for me... the price jump to the III down here is much more substantial: $399 to $699 (~$585 US).

I noticed that the new Cube GX models have added tweaking via iOS, but I am not an iOS guy so the Fuse software still wins that skirmish.

[Bensta]

It sounds like you've made up your mind, but the decision could simply be based on the following distinction: the Cube 40 is a better jazz amp, the Mustang is a better amp if you want more features and want to play in a broader range of styles for cheap. I've owned both. For jazz, it's hard to beat the Roland JC clean model. Love that thing.

[Jabberwocky]

They are different but one is not better than the other for jazz. It depends on your own inclinations. Is a modelled Fender Twin Reverb sound any less of a tone for jazz than the Roland JC120 modelled channel? Your own inclinations will lead you to select one or the other.

Blanket statements are hardly helpful. We can only speak about our own inclinations.

[Bensta]

Blanket statements are hardly helpful. We can only speak about our own inclinations.[/QUOTE]

Or, since it's all apparently completely relative, perhaps we shouldn't bother to comment at all, lest we risk making a "blanket statement" about "blanket statements."

I've owned both amps. In my completely relative commentary based on my own experience, I would say that the Mustang didn't do Jazz all that well, especially in comparison to the Cube. I'll leave it to the OP to determine whether or not that was "helpful."

[Jehu]

It sounds like you've made up your mind...

Not at all, actually! (I had only made up my mind about the Mustang II vs III based on the price jump.) It's going to be a tough call. I've heard both in the store and I do like the sound of the Cube a bit better, but I'm also told that the Mustang doesn't lend itself particularly well to store demos because of the ability to fine-tune with a PC.

Question those who have owned the Mustang: When you've dialled in a sound using Fuse, does that only work when the amp is connected to the PC, or does the sound "transfer" to the amp settings (i.e., you can take the amp elsewhere with the same sound dialled in)?

[ooglybong]

I've heard both in the store and I do like the sound of the Cube a bit better, but I'm also told that the Mustang doesn't lend itself particularly well to store demos because of the ability to fine-tune with a PC.

Maybe in regards to demos that show what you can do with a PC but not the overall sound since any Mustang can certainly be tweaked right on the spot. However, said tweaking will tend to be be much more convoluted and relatively unintuitive with the Mustang I or II (without a PC) since, IMO, their GUIs are extremely limited. Therefore this is probably not a fair comparison to the Cube because, well, there isn't a PC link on the Cube to begin with.

On the Mustang III, however, the GUI is vastly improved. As an audition, you could always just pick one of the 'bare bones' patches (in the upper 90s level, these have no FX added), maybe dial a bit of reverb for some space, and have at it. Or pick any patch. However, in my experience, most patches' Gain settings are programmed somewhat too hot and will respond positively with a sizable reduction there. YMMV, of course, and it certainly depends what you're going after.

Question those who have owned the Mustang: When you've dialled in a sound using Fuse, does that only work when the amp is connected to the PC, or does the sound "transfer" to the amp settings (i.e., you can take the amp elsewhere with the same sound dialled in)?

The sound can be tweaked and saved right to the amp via FUSE, and, at that point, the Mustang doesn't need a PC connection any longer. Via the software, there's a lot of experimentation on tap, too (if you're so inclined), including downloading other users' patches online and trying them out, tweaking, and saving what you like (also if you're so inclined). In fact, Fender touts being able to turn the entire amp into a specifically country-twangin' amp or a metal amp, etc. thru an en masse transfer-to-amp of various tonally-organized patches via the software (never tried that myself either).

Hope this somehow helps.

[cosmic gumbo]

As mentioned in a recent post, I just returned 2 different Roland cube 40xl because of the fizzy noise they made. Can't say that I didn't give them a fair shot. It'll keep me from wasting my time on an 80xl as a future purchase.

[Jabberwocky]

I wonder if there is a preset on the Fender Mustang V2 which models the Roland JC120 clean channel?

[Jabberwocky]

As mentioned in a recent post, I just returned 2 different Roland cube 40xl because of the fizzy noise they made. Can't say that I didn't give them a fair shot. It'll keep me from wasting my time on an 80xl as a future purchase.

Is the fizzy issue resolved on the new Roland Cube GX series? Curious minds would want to know.

[ooglybong]

Is the fizzy issue resolved on the new Roland Cube GX series? Curious minds would want to know.

Is this actually a documented issue with the original Cubes (like with the v.1 Mustangs)? I had a Cube 30 for about five yrs, traded it for my Cube 80XL, and there was/is no noise problem with either amp, nor had I ever heard of any widespread problem either.

[Jabberwocky]

Yes, it is a documented issue as it is with the Mustang V1s.

[zigzag]

Even in the Cube 80XL, if multiple effects (EFX/Delay/Reverb) are used simultaneously at higher levels, there will be hiss/fizz when notes are struck.