Yahoo Autos New Mustang GT: The Road & Track Test
Since it was first introduced in 1964, the Mustang has always been about rock 'n' roll. But a lot changes in 53 years. What once was a simple, straightforward piece of old-school engineering has evolved into something 21st century and decidedly high-tech. The all-new Mustang has fully embraced the digital world, while still sticking to its American badass roots.
Fender started selling the Mustang guitar back in 1964. Mustang amplifiers followed in 2010, soon becoming the best-selling digital amps on the market. Now the equipment maker is stepping up its game. The new Mustang GT, available in 40-, 100-, and 200-watt configurations, is the first guitar amp to work with a smartphone app to give you the tonal variety and versatility of a whole collection of different amplifiers and effects pedals.
The Mustang GT works in concert with the new Fender Tone app for iPhone or Android. Connecting your phone via Bluetooth gives you control over all the amp's functions. And there are many, many functions to control. Right out of the box, the Mustang GT comes with all sorts of tone presets to recreate a plethora of classic rock sounds. Fender even worked with a number of big-name artists, including Josh Klinghoffer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Scott Ian of Anthrax, Grimes, and many more, to let you mimic your favorite guitarist's trademark sound with a single tap.
With your guitar and phone plugged in to the amp, it's easy to get playing with a preset sound. But for the true guitar nerds out there, the app lets you customize more parameters than you thought possible, pulling up a variety of different guitar amp and speaker emulations and adding virtually every effect imaginable. You can even alter the order of different effects, modifying the amp's tone without having to unplug and rearrange a whole slew of effects pedals.
The Bluetooth connection also means you can play music stored on your smartphone through the Mustang GT, making it easy to strum along with your favorite downloaded or streaming songs.
In a brief demo at a New York studio with the 100-watt Mustang GT100 and the 200-watt GT200, I got to sample all of the amp's many functions. I'm a big advocate for old-school, tube-driven amps, but the Mustang GT conjures up plenty of sweet rock 'n' roll tones, with features my old Deluxe Reverb couldn't even dream of.
Yes, the Mustang GT lacks some of the nuance of a good tube amp, but it offers unparalleled flexibility. The 12-inch speakers in the single-speaker GT100 and twin-speaker GT200 produce a surprisingly rich, full-bodied sound.
The Tone app is easy to use, giving you full control over the amp's many parameters. You can forego the smartphone link, of course, but you'll be left with just the screen and switches on the amp itself to change presets and modify effects. You can also save your presets in the app, letting you switch amp settings on the fly.
Fender pitches this as an amp for everyone, from beginners to professional players. While I doubt you'll see many pros taking the Mustang GT on the road, it does make a great home amp. And intermediate players who are still experimenting with tone and finding their sound will find the Mustang GT's flexibility and variety alluring.
The Mustang GT40, with twin 6.5-inch speakers, costs $249, while the GT100 and GT200 come in at $399 and $599, respectively. In all forms, these amps offer that beloved classic rock sound in an affordable and surprisingly high-tech package.
Sounds like a familiar formula, doesn't it?
Since it was first introduced in 1964, the Mustang has always been about rock 'n' roll. But a lot changes in 53 years. What once was a simple, straightforward piece of old-school engineering has evolved into something 21st century and decidedly high-tech. The all-new Mustang has fully embraced the digital world, while still sticking to its American badass roots.
Fender started selling the Mustang guitar back in 1964. Mustang amplifiers followed in 2010, soon becoming the best-selling digital amps on the market. Now the equipment maker is stepping up its game. The new Mustang GT, available in 40-, 100-, and 200-watt configurations, is the first guitar amp to work with a smartphone app to give you the tonal variety and versatility of a whole collection of different amplifiers and effects pedals.
The Mustang GT works in concert with the new Fender Tone app for iPhone or Android. Connecting your phone via Bluetooth gives you control over all the amp's functions. And there are many, many functions to control. Right out of the box, the Mustang GT comes with all sorts of tone presets to recreate a plethora of classic rock sounds. Fender even worked with a number of big-name artists, including Josh Klinghoffer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Scott Ian of Anthrax, Grimes, and many more, to let you mimic your favorite guitarist's trademark sound with a single tap.
With your guitar and phone plugged in to the amp, it's easy to get playing with a preset sound. But for the true guitar nerds out there, the app lets you customize more parameters than you thought possible, pulling up a variety of different guitar amp and speaker emulations and adding virtually every effect imaginable. You can even alter the order of different effects, modifying the amp's tone without having to unplug and rearrange a whole slew of effects pedals.
The Bluetooth connection also means you can play music stored on your smartphone through the Mustang GT, making it easy to strum along with your favorite downloaded or streaming songs.
In a brief demo at a New York studio with the 100-watt Mustang GT100 and the 200-watt GT200, I got to sample all of the amp's many functions. I'm a big advocate for old-school, tube-driven amps, but the Mustang GT conjures up plenty of sweet rock 'n' roll tones, with features my old Deluxe Reverb couldn't even dream of.
Yes, the Mustang GT lacks some of the nuance of a good tube amp, but it offers unparalleled flexibility. The 12-inch speakers in the single-speaker GT100 and twin-speaker GT200 produce a surprisingly rich, full-bodied sound.
The Tone app is easy to use, giving you full control over the amp's many parameters. You can forego the smartphone link, of course, but you'll be left with just the screen and switches on the amp itself to change presets and modify effects. You can also save your presets in the app, letting you switch amp settings on the fly.
Fender pitches this as an amp for everyone, from beginners to professional players. While I doubt you'll see many pros taking the Mustang GT on the road, it does make a great home amp. And intermediate players who are still experimenting with tone and finding their sound will find the Mustang GT's flexibility and variety alluring.
The Mustang GT40, with twin 6.5-inch speakers, costs $249, while the GT100 and GT200 come in at $399 and $599, respectively. In all forms, these amps offer that beloved classic rock sound in an affordable and surprisingly high-tech package.
Sounds like a familiar formula, doesn't it?
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