Fender Mustang

Student-model simplicity that became a garage-rock secret weapon.

The Mustang arrived in 1964 as Fender's upgraded student guitar with a 24 or 22.5 inch scale, dual single-coils, and dynamic vibrato. Affordable vintage examples helped fuel 1990s grunge and noise scenes, and new models keep its punchy character alive.

Introduced: 1964 (student offset series)
Signature traits: Short scale options, phase-switching pickups, dynamic vibrato
Notable players: Kurt Cobain, Adrian Belew, Liz Phair