Fender Mustang GT Amps - Just Launched

Over the last few years the Fender Mustang amps have certainly gained their fair share of attention and praise for being reliable and accurate sounding modelling amps, so let’s take a look at their new generation of modelling amps - The Mustang GT40, GT100 and GT200.

First off, a bit of housekeeping... in the interest of transparency I must say that I have been a user of Fender Mustang amps for the last 5 years or so (currently using the Mustang V amp head and I am very, very pleased with it). I find them to be reliable, the pre-loaded preset sounds are perfectly usable and I have found the accompanying Fender Fuse software to be really handy for tweaking sounds, dialling in my own tone and using it as part of my home-recording rig. I honestly can’t see myself selling it any time soon. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s crack on with these new Fender Mustang GT amps.

If you are new to the Mustang range then you should know that they are a series of digital-based amps that come loaded with a huge stack of pre-loaded presets based on famous artists’ sounds, as well as clean sounds of iconic amps (not just classic Fenders but also ‘American '90s’, ‘British '60s’, ‘British '70s’, ‘British '80s’, ‘British Color’ - if you are unsure what any of these are based on then their icons on the screen of the Mustang amp will certainly give it away).

The Mustang amps also have corresponding footswitches (these are sold separately at perfectly reasonable prices), Mustang GT 200 comes with the footswitch allowing the user to flick between presets or enable/disable the vast array of effects with their feet. One of the main user features that I like about the Mustangs is that you are able to tweak and save effects and amp settings on the amp itself, without the need for hooking up to a computer. This has come in handy many times when sharing equipment with other bands at gigs and allowed me to quickly flick to my settings no matter how much the other band modified it to their taste.

The screen has been given an upgrade to a full-colour LCD display in the new models and should you need to connect the amp to the internet for downloading new sounds you can use the new Mustang GT’s Wi-Fi capabilities. Access to sounds via the new Fender Tone App which replaces Fuse making the Mustang GT the world’s first Wi-Fi enabled guitar amp. You can also stream music from your phone or music player to your amp using Bluetooth. It’s a nice touch from Fender to have the same software, presets and bluetooth & WiFi connectivity across all the models.

The Fender Mustang GT 40

On the subject of the different models, let’s start small and work our way up... The most compact model is the Mustang GT 40, a 2 x 6.5 inch Celestion loaded combo with 40 watts of power. As with many amps this size, you’d be hard pressed to perform with this amp but as it sounds so good at modest volumes, it would be very well suited for bedroom use or even in a studio.

The Fender Mustang GT100 Guitar Amp

In the middle of the range is the Mustang GT 100, which has (obviously) 100 watt of power and a single 12 inch Celestion speaker. The cabinet of the GT 100 is made from plywood, which has been chosen for its light weight and tonal characteristics. Other differences from the GT40 and the GT100 is that the control panel of the GT100 has knobs for reverb and mid EQ tweaking, which you would have to go the the LCD screen for editing these on the GT40.

Fender Mustang GT200 Amp

Sitting pretty at the top of the range is the Mustang GT200 - a 200 watt, 2x12 combo. The inclusion of the second speaker means that effects like stereo delay are delivered with pristine accuracy and impact. One of the advantages of the GT100 and GT200 over the GT40 is the added physical connectivity that can be found on the back of the unit. The addition of left and right XLR outs is useful for professional recording and some live setups, there is also stereo FX send and returns for the stompbox-happy players out there.

From a personal perspective, I am surprised to see that there isn’t a head model in the new lineup like there was in the previous generation and I can only speculate as to why this model wasn’t carried forward. However, that is my only gripe with the new Mustang GT amps and there is certainly a lot to like about them, namely the Bluetooth streaming, the WiFi capability for downloading additional sounds, the colour screen and the ability to modify the order of the effects in the simulated chain. As you would expect with Fender, the tones and sounds are incredibly accurate and would suit guitarists at any level.

As I said at the beginning, I might be a little bit biased so why not come on down and try out one of these brilliant digital amps for yourself in our music superstore, our guitar team will happily get you plugged in so you can try one out in a trial booth.

• 3 Models - GT40 (40 Watt), GT100 (100 Watt), GT200 (200 Watt)
• 21 Classic amp models
• 47 Effects
• WiFi connectivity for downloading additional presets
• Bluetooth enabled for streaming music and connecting to Fender mobile app
• Aux in port for playing music from a phone or music device with 3.5mm jack
• Loaded with Celestion speakers
• 3.5mm Headphone output
• Access to the new, free Fender Tone app