The bright fender tone you would expect to hear is present, until you start altering the settings and dialling in some of the amp models that is! The extensibility of this amp also makes it great for getting started with digital recording. In fact, one user review alluded to the fact that this is more of a 'guitar system' than an amplifier. Disadvantages These tiny little tube-driven heads have 20 watts of solid-state power, so there’s plenty of clean headroom for home use. The only catch is you have to hook it up to a cabinet for it to work. Fender has integrated solid-state technologies across its entire product line. One of their most popular solid-state amps is the compact Mustang I V.2, which is a top choice on the practice amp market. Its 20 watts of digital power gives you plenty of output to play for around 30 people. It can also give you enough voltage to rehearse with your band in your garage or home studio.

Presets are easily edited with the knobs on the face of the amp, and then saved with the Save button on top. This is a fantastic first amp for a beginner. The ability to easily connect the amp to your PC/Mac via USB sets this amp above other budget range amps. Having a wide range of modelled amps, effects and presets gives you plenty of flexibility. The only time you will outgrow this amp is when you need something louder or you move to styles that require more gain for styles such as metal. The quality of the effects and the Fender style modelled amps are excellent and suit players interested in that type of tone.

The preset selection is made up of eight amp models, each with three presets for a total of 24 presets in all. You can directly save 24 presets on the amp, but you can also use the Fender FUSE software to add another 12 presets. Overall, you can save up to 36 presets. As an amp suitable for beginners, the range of effects and presets it offers is huge, compared to other models. Amp Model Ableton® Live Lite 8 Fender® Edition studio-quality recording software compatible with Mustang USB recording output Even though USB connectivity seems like the common thing to do, this is an extremely rare feature out there, although it shares the feature with the Boss Katana modeling amp series. Furthermore, it can connect to your PC/Mac/Laptop. This is an uncommon feature on this price range, and it makes it a very handy and useful amp for first-time guitar players.

So, whereas tubular amps are the professional choice and sell for professional budgets, digital technologies allow for cheaper designs suited for beginner, amateur, and enthusiast musicians. You might say it’s a bit strange to include this, since it’s also a Fender combo amp, but the Fender Champion 50XL is very similar in a lot of ways. Differences being, it has more power (50w solid-state dwarfs the Fender Mustang’s 20-watt output), it’s transistor powered instead of digital, and it has a much better 12-inch speaker.Aside from the Fender FUSE Software, the amp ships with Ableton Live Lite 8 Fender Edition, which is a studio-level recording software (DAW) with AmpliTube Fender LE edition VST. Amplitube is an amazing plugin that imitates guitar sounds, amps, effects, and even mic positions without the need for the actual physical hardware. Users claim the amp does a great job at what it intends to do. However, they insist the amp needs some tweaking via the FUSE software. The Mustang I V.2 Combo from Fender is a digital modelling amp capable of reproducing the sounds of 17 classic Fender amps. As you’ve seen, this amp requires a bit of experimentation and effort from your part to get most of it.

No one will mistake the Mustang I V2 for a stage-ready combo amp. This is but a practice amp, compact and light and featuring 20-watts of power. Finding quality effects on this amp was also quite surprising as most of its competitors on the same price range have poor sounding effects that feel too digital and destroy the original signal of your guitar. Mustang’s effects are very usable. The new v.2 models have gotten minor upgrades to the control panel, but otherwise look very much the same. The tiny 17lb plywood body houses an 8″ Special Design Fender speaker. The speaker is very dark and muddy, but has a surprising (and overwhelming) amount of bass for such a tiny speaker. I had a hard time getting a good sound through the speaker and found that it didn’t sound much better when it’s mic’d.

Advantages

Since I posted my original post, Fender Mustang 1 vs 2, a Comparison, Fender has released another version of their popular Mustang series of modeling amps; the v.2. A full palette of effects including reverb, delay/echo, tremolo, phaser, with additional new effects including Big Fuzz, Green Screamer and pitch shifting (with even more available through Fender® FUSE™) This is very common with these smaller practice amps. The same criticism is often levied at the Line 6 Spider range. All the time and effort goes into cramming it full of features, but not bothering to make the speaker actually sound adequate. This is usually the reason why I tell people to save a little longer and buy a Boss Katana 50, which has a ton of features and houses a decent 12″ speaker. Its modeling circuit brings you 8 factory presets and 17 amp models including a ‘57 Deluxe or a Fender-unique Metal-2000. The amp voices cover from classic analog amps to the most modern and fire-breathing sounds you can imagine.

The USB connection and Fender's own FUSE software lets you personalise the presets to the exact style you're looking for. Mac version: https://www.fmicassets.com/fender/support/software/fender_software/fender_fuse/mac/FenderFUSE_FULL_2.7.1.dmg If you want to be a serious musician, you need to have the right equipment. Cheap and second-rated gear can affect and downgrade the quality and impact of your sound. For a guitarist, having the best guitar amp is part of having the right equipment. You want one that produces crisp, clear sound and one that offers tons of good options. Throw at an affordable price, and you get a steal! The Fender Mustang I V2 20-Watt 1×8-Inch Combo Electric Guitar Amplifier can deliver all and more. In fact, Leo Fender actually started building amps before moving into the manufacturing of guitars. The Fender Mustang isFender’s Mustang series offers solid choices meeting every guitarists’ requirements. The Fender Mustang I V2 is an impressive option for its vintage-inspired tones, price, and modern technology. It includes a good portion of the features found in the larger and more expensive models in the series. This is ideal for any guitarist looking for a great practice combo. Who needs a collection of amps when you can have the whole range in just one? As for the modeled amps, you’ll find great tones on the Fender voices. You can dial-in Fender’s signature tones from its 8’’ speakers and their different vintage amp-voice alternatives. Despite having sturdy quality, the amp doesn’t feel too heavy. Rather it feels quite well made. The amp is smaller in size, therefore, easy to move around. Also, there is less chance of serious damage in the case of dropping it. The USB cable adds to the flexibility. Overall, it is quite a reliable model in terms of quality. What this means is the Mustang is very portable and has the perfect size for your room, garage, or living room.