Ash Body Mustangs

JAC

My 78 has an Ash Body. I will take photos if I get any response on here and post it. This way you can see the way they were from the era I got mine. CBS was using ash on many of their guitars then. Good rosewood was still around and available back then also. The Japanese reissues are cool as well but, I don't know what the bodies are made of.. I read on one of the threads on here someone posted they were basswood bodies. That could be but, I don't know for sure. I do know mine is ash and, I love the way an ash bodied Fender sounds.

Mad-Mike

Typically the Japanese Reissues have Basswood bodies, though I think they changed to Alder for some variants sometime in the 2000s, and for the Japanese market I have seen some Sen Ash examples in Japanese stores. I can attest that Basswood was used in the 90's and early 2000's as those guitars were all pretty light and the few I've seen with dings open enough to see the wood beneath have that telltale salmon tint basswood has under the sanding sealer.

I was having a small debate about this with someone on OSG a few weeks ago with regards to the Jaguar/Jazzmaster and there was a conclusion that Fender Japan uses different woods for different markets. Basswood is a pretty inexpensive tone wood, and most Japanese building houses use it for their "shred guitar" builds. Japan would have some more expensive tone woods on their own market of the Mustang because the Mustang is a much more popular guitar there, and Japanese guitar players probably demand more options for the Mustang than we do in the states.

JAC

In the late 70s CBS Musical was using ash on electrics back then. Ash can be both lighter or heavier wood. From my recollection the late 70s Fenders were all heavier bodied guitars. I worked at Fender back then, so I was exposed to the product. I've handled many late 70s guitars. I only have two of that era myself and both are ash. My other one is a 78 brown P Bass with a maple neck.

redman1401

To add to mike's post, I believe the Japanese 65 reissues were alder while the rest were basswood.

JAC

Mad-Mike said:

Typically the Japanese Reissues have Basswood bodies, though I think they changed to Alder for some variants sometime in the 2000s, and for the Japanese market I have seen some Sen Ash examples in Japanese stores. I can attest that Basswood was used in the 90's and early 2000's as those guitars were all pretty light and the few I've seen with dings open enough to see the wood beneath have that telltale salmon tint basswood has under the sanding sealer.

I was having a small debate about this with someone on OSG a few weeks ago with regards to the Jaguar/Jazzmaster and there was a conclusion that Fender Japan uses different woods for different markets. Basswood is a pretty inexpensive tone wood, and most Japanese building houses use it for their "shred guitar" builds. Japan would have some more expensive tone woods on their own market of the Mustang because the Mustang is a much more popular guitar there, and Japanese guitar players probably demand more options for the Mustang than we do in the states.

Mad Mike I did not know that Mustangs were popular in Japan. I suppose it might have to do with Char, one of the great Japanese guitar artists. I've seen him play with a Mustang on his song "Smoky". This guy is a pretty awesome player. The Japanese have some great musicians in all genres of music it appears.