Fender finally nailed it. It's like somebody went back to the 60's and 70's in a time machine, and brought this guitar back to the now with them. While in my opinion the pickups have always sounded awful even on my vintage 1966, but only for any kind of crunch or metal tones. For the cleans, they're identical in sound except without all the extra noise they used to put off. Fender made them better in the noise aspect and kept the great tone. They're a bit hotter sounding than the vintage which is what they needed back then. The neck shape and size is perfectly recreated. After you get it set up it surprisingly stays in tune. The vintage ones did not do that unless you locked the tree all the way back tight rendering it useless. This guitar arrived so very flawless. Im really impressed with how well fender built this guitar. These were tough built like a tank back in the day, in fact Kurt Cobain threw his high in the air and bounced it off the stage, the same guitar was used many shows after that. Minor repairs of course, but not many guitars will take that. This one feels like a tank as well. Just like years ago. If you want metal tones you'll need to at least trade out the bridge pickup for a humbucker like everyone does. But it's worth it. The short 24 inch scale makes for easy playing and easy bends. The cut aways on the body give you excellent comfort. The 1966 did not have those and often would make the body feel differently sitting down while playing. I didn't know how… read more much difference it made until I got one with the contours. It weighs the same as the vintage, heavy enough to not feel like a toy but not too heavy to stand for hours and play. I think it's perfect in every way. Well worth the money. I have to warn beginners. If you're just starting out and learning to play guitar, and you choose this short scale fender. It kinda spoils you to stay with short scale. Also, the neck and bridge shape and style spoils you to lean toward these guitars too. I hunted for years to find a used one after I made the mistake of selling mine in the late 80's. The squires got kinda close but just didn't do the vintage mustang feel for me. The squire necks were not the same. When I unboxed this thing and picked it up, I could feel my old guitar shape and size before I could even get it to my lap. Cut the slot in the pick guard to access the truss rod, and string it before adjusting the truss rod for a flat fretboard. The neck stays straight once you get it there. Just like the old ones. Never had to adjust them more than once or twice. They're a tank. I prefer the vintage truss rod for this reason. IT STAYS unlike the headstock access truss rods. Mine arrived with high action and needed set up like any other new guitar. After the setup, the strings are almost laying on the frets. Still has great sustain and no string buzz. I was shocked at how much tighter the clearances are. This is a quality built guitar in every step of the build. The old ones had small manufacturing flaws. These do not. I'd rather have this one than my old 1966 any day. Hope this rambling on review helps someone make their decision out there. Jam on!

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