The Fender Mustang amp series is feature rich and offers multiple options along the model line. Our fellow gear head Brian Keith breaks down the differences between the Mustang II and Mustang III.
Mustang 2 and Mustang 3 Front profile
Fender Mustang II and III
Mustang amp side view
| Model | Mustang II | Mustang III |
|---|---|---|
| DPS Engine | x | x |
| 12 Amp Models | x | x |
| 37 Effects | x | x |
| Headphone Jack | x | x |
| USB Connection | x | x |
| Tuner | x | x |
| Aux Input | x | x |
| Tuner | x | x |
| LCD Screen | x | |
| Data Wheel | x | |
| Presets | 24 | 100 |
| Speaker | 12″ Fender Special Design Speaker | 12″ Celestion Speaker |
| Watts | 40 | 100 |
| Back | Sealed | Opened |
| Weight | 24lbs | 36 lbs |
| 2 Button Footswitch | Optional | Included |
| 4 Button Footswitch | N/A | Optional |
| Knobs | Gain, Volume, Master, Treble, Bass | Gain, Volume, Master, Treble, Bass, Reverb, Middle |
| Additionally, both models include Ableton Live Lite & Amplitube Fender LE Black textured “Carbon Tweed” covering w/Silver grill cloth |
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Fender Mustang III LED
If you’re using the headphone jack for practice or the USB to record to computer they will sound identical.
The differences start showing when you use the external speaker. The additional wattage, higher quality speaker and open back of the M3 make it sound fuller & it holds together better at higher volume.
The other big difference is how you edit your presets on the fly. On the M2 there are limitations to what you can do on the amp directly. Full control of the M2′s settings require you to connect it to the computer and use FUSE to adjust the settings. With the controls on the front of the M3 you can change everything on the fly without the need for computer connection.
Examples:
M2/M3 on amp changes: Gain, Volume, Treble, Bass & Master.
M2 on amp changes: limited amp model selectivity (some not avail on the panel), limited effects selectability and setting changes M3 on amp changes: full amp model selection and all amp settings including bias & sag, full effects selectability, settings and order of effects
Other M3 advantages: 100w Celestion speaker, effects loop, 2 button switch included and 4 button sw capability (the M2 can only do a 2 button sw and its not included).
So if you want full on the fly editing or with a band: go M3. If you want to use it primarily for headphone/home practice or USB recording
go M2.