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Fender American Performer Mustang
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster
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Playability
78
Sound
75
Build
67
Value
73
Score
73
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Playability
67
Sound
74
Build
70
Value
60
Score
70
FIND IT ON:
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Fender American Performer Mustang vs American Original 50s Stratocaster Specs Comparison
Fender American Performer Mustang American Original 50s Stratocaster
General
Brand: Fender Fender
Year: 2019 2018
Configuration: SS SSS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: American Performer American Original
Colors: White, Sunburst, Blue White, Sunburst, Gray
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Alder
Bridge: American Performer Mustang Bridge and Tremolo Pure Vintage 6-Saddle Synchronized Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Fender ClassicGear Pure Vintage Single Line Fender Deluxe
Fretboard: Rosewood 1-Piece Maple
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: White Dot Black Dot
Scale Size: 24" 25.5"
Shape: Modern C Fender Soft V
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm) 1st Fret: 0.9'' (22.9mm) - 12th Fret: 0.99'' (25.1mm)
Frets: 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver 21 Vintage Tall Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 9.5"
Nut: Synthetic Bone Bone
Nut Width: 42.8mm (1.685'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Fender Yosemite Single-Coil Mustang (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Pure Vintage 59 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Fender Pure Vintage 59 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Fender Yosemite Single-Coil Mustang (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Pure Vintage 59 Single-Coil Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Chrome Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
Fender American Performer Mustang pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender American Performer Mustang's switch options
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster's switch options

Reasons to Get
Fender American Performer Mustang over American Original 50s Stratocaster

Release Year
2019 vs 2018
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Type of Frets
Jumbo vs Vintage Tall
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Modern C vs Fender Soft V
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickups
SS vs SSS
Beautiful cleans
Number of Frets
22 vs 21
Allows to reach higher notes
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.82'' (20.8mm) vs 0.9'' (22.9mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.87'' (22.1mm) vs 0.99'' (25.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.685'' (42.8mm) vs 1.654'' (42mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
24'' (609.6mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Value Score
73 vs 60
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster over American Performer Mustang

Number of Frets
21 vs 22
Warmer neck pickup
Type of Frets
Vintage Tall vs Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings
Neck Profile
Fender Soft V vs Modern C
Great if you like to hang your thumb over the fretboard
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
SSS vs SS
Beautiful cleans and good tone versatility
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.9'' (22.9mm) vs 0.82'' (20.8mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.99'' (25.1mm) vs 0.87'' (22.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm) vs 1.685'' (42.8mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24'' (609.6mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone

Other Key Differences
Fender American Performer Mustang vs American Original 50s Stratocaster

Bridge Pickup
Fender Yosemite Single-Coil Mustang vs Fender Pure Vintage 59 Single-Coil Strat
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender Yosemite Single-Coil Mustang vs Fender Pure Vintage 59 Single-Coil Strat
Different Neck Pickup
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Maple
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Fender American Performer Mustang vs American Original 50s Stratocaster

Body Wood
Alder
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT

Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster favors large hands more than the Fender American Performer Mustang.

Fender American Performer Mustang:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Fender American Performer Mustang meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster meets only 5. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Fender American Performer Mustang
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Locking tuners

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Woods Used in the Fender American Performer Mustang

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Winner: Fender American Performer Mustang.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender American Performer Mustang has an SS configuration while the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster has SSS pickups.

SS is the classic Telecaster configuration. It's used mainly for playing clean or with low-gain distortion, and it's very popular for the country genre because of their brightness. It doesn't give you as much versatility as a Strat SSS configuration, but you might like the cleaner look of a guitar body with fewer pickups.

On the other hand, SSS is perfect for players who like to play clean. The definition you get between notes and the crispiness is unmatched by most other configurations. You can still use it for distortion, but you won't get the same kind of output and power compared to a humbucker, and the hum they produce also makes them less adequate for high gain.

Pickups Quality

Both come with some of the top pickups on the market. You can't go wrong with either of them. You'll probably never need a pickup upgrade.

We found the same or similar pickups to the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster's online:

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

The Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster gives you 5 switch options while the Fender American Performer Mustang gives you 3. This means that the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender American Performer Mustang
Pickups 100
Sustain 70
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 75
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 72
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 74

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender American Performer Mustang compares to the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Fender American Performer Mustang has a Synthetic Bone nut. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.

On the other hand, the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster comes with a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

Both come with a similar bridge: Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Fender American Performer Mustang's are Fender ClassicGear while the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster's are Pure Vintage Single Line Fender Deluxe

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender American Performer Mustang
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster
  • Made in United States
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender American Performer Mustang
Quality of materials 61
Features 55
Quality Control 85
Build Quality 67
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster
Quality of materials 61
Features 55
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 70

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Fender American Performer Mustang Nut Width
Fender American Performer Mustang Nut Width
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster Nut Width
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Fender American Performer Mustang has the wider nut with 42.8mm (1.685'') vs 42mm (1.654''). This is a 0.8mm (0.031'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Fender American Performer Mustang, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Fender American Performer Mustang's Scale Length
Fender American Performer Mustang's Scale Length
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster's Scale Length
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster has the longest scale: 25.5". The Fender American Performer Mustang is only 24" long. This is a 1.5'' (38.1mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Fender American Performer Mustang Neck Profile
Fender American Performer Mustang's neck profile
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster Neck Profile
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Fender American Performer Mustang has a C type of neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

The Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster, on the other hand, has a V neck. This neck shape was more common during Fender's early years. Some people like it because they use their thumb over the edge of the fretboard to press the lower strings. It's rather thicker than most modern necks, so it's not usually used for playing fast solos.

Fretboard Radius

Fender American Performer Mustang Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the Fender American Performer Mustang and the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster have the same fretboard radius of 9.5". This is the most common radius for Stratocaster guitars. It's considered curved when compared to most other models. This allows you to play chords very easily without muting strings accidentally and gives you more space between strings for fingerpicking. However, this curve also gives the guitar less allowance for lower action. If you bend too hard at the high frets, some of your notes might get muted because the curve will make the string fret out.

Fret Size

Fender American Performer Mustang Frets Size
Fender American Performer Mustang's Frets Size
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster Frets Size
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster's Frets Size

The Fender American Performer Mustang has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster's Vintage Tall frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

Fender American Performer Mustang
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 70
Playability 78
Fender American Original 50s Stratocaster
Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 50
Playability 67