Swap
Swap
Fender Player Mustang 90
Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang
VS
Playability
77
Sound
72
Build
57
Value
74
Score
69
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logoMusician's Friend logoFender logo
Playability
75
Sound
72
Build
67
Value
71
Score
71
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logoAmazon logoMusician's Friend logoFender logo
Add more to comparison

Fender Player Mustang 90 vs Ben Gibbard Mustang

Reasons to Get
Fender Player Mustang 90 over Ben Gibbard Mustang

Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
Pickups
P90P90 vs SS
Vintage tone with decent versatility
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Value Score
74 vs 71
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang over Player Mustang 90

Release Year
2021 vs 2018
From a more recent year
Pickups
SS vs P90P90
Beautiful cleans
Strap Lock
Yes vs None
Protects your guitar from dropping by locking the strap
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance

Other Key Differences
Fender Player Mustang 90 vs Ben Gibbard Mustang

Bridge Pickup
Fender Mustang MP-90 vs Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Mustang
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Fender Mustang MP-90 vs Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Mustang
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Alder vs Ash
Different Body Wood

Shared Features
Fender Player Mustang 90 vs Ben Gibbard Mustang

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Nut Material
Synthetic Bone
Same Nut Material
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.82'' (20.8mm)
Same neck comfortability
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.87'' (22.1mm)
Same neck comfortability
Nut Width
1.654'' (42mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
24'' (609.6mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
9.5'' (241.3mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Avg. Weight
7.275lbs (3.3kgs)
Similar weight
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • 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
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.

Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang is probably the better product overall with its final score of 71 compared to the Fender Player Mustang 90's 69 score, although not by a lot.

The Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang wins when it comes to build quality. On the other hand, the Fender Player Mustang 90 has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

Both meet 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. 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. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Fender Player Mustang 90
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

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

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Fender Player Mustang 90 Overview

  • From Fender's 2018 Player series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 24"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Alder body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Mustang MP-90 (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • 6-Saddle Strings-Through-Body Strat Hardtail with Bent Steel Saddles bridge
  • Modern C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Standard Cast/Sealed tuners
  • Weight between 6.95lbs (3.2kgs) and 7.6lbs (3.4kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang Overview

  • From Fender's 2021 Artist series
  • Ben Gibbard Signature
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 24"'' scale
  • 9.5" Fretboard Radius
  • Chambered Ash body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Mustang (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Mustang (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Mustang Tremolo bridge
  • Modern C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Vintage-Style with Fender Logo tuners
  • Weight between 7.15lbs (3.2kgs) and 7.4lbs (3.4kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

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

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.

Woods Used in the Fender Player Mustang 90

Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

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 Ben Gibbard Mustang

Ash wood pattern used for guitar building
Ash

Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.

Winner: Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang.

Pickup Configuration

The Fender Player Mustang 90 has an P90P90 configuration while the Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang has SS pickups.

P90P90 gives you two P90s for a crunchy vintage tone. The tone sits somewhere in the middle between typical single-coils and humbuckers. They also produce less hum than single-coils, but they don't cancel it completely like humbuckers.

On the other hand, 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.

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.

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

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

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

They both share the following switching options:

Fender Player Mustang 90 and Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Fender Player Mustang 90 and Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang's switch options

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 Ben Gibbard Mustang.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Player Mustang 90
Pickups 100
Sustain 65
Versatility 54
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72
Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 62
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 72

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 Player Mustang 90 compares to the Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang.

Country of Origin

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

Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.

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.

In this case, both have Synthetic Bone nuts. 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.

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.

The Fender Player Mustang 90's brige is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

On the other hand, the Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang's is a 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 Player Mustang 90's are Standard Cast/Sealed while the Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang's are Vintage-Style with Fender Logo

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 Player Mustang 90
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang
  • Expensive Wood
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Strap Lock
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • 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

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Player Mustang 90
Quality of materials 51
Features 50
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 57
Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang
Quality of materials 66
Features 60
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 67

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 Player Mustang 90 Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42mm (1.654'').

This is considered a narrow width for a 6-string guitar. This means that this guitar will have a narrower string separation at the nut, which will affect your fretting hand.

If you are a player with big hands, you might find it difficult to play chords without muting strings. However, this is good for players who have smaller hands, as it will allow them to reach each string more easily at the nut.

Scale Length

Fender Player Mustang 90 and Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang's Scale Length
Both have the same 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.

In this case, both have a scale length of 24".

There are advantages and disadvantages to a short scale length like this. This guitar will be very easy to play, especially if you have small hands because the frets will be close to each other. Also, since the distance between the bridge and nut is short, the strings will have less tension, so they'll be really easy to bend. However, this also means that you won't be able to lower the action (lower the saddles and get the strings closer to the fretboard) too much or you will get fret buzz since the strings will be a bit loose.

Also, short scales give less space for the harmonics to 'breath', so this ends up making the tone of the guitar sound more 'bassy' than a loger scale where there's more separation between harmonics, which gives the tone more chime.

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 Player Mustang 90 Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same 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.

Both the Fender Player Mustang 90 and the Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang have a C-shaped 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.

Fretboard Radius

Fender Player Mustang 90 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 Player Mustang 90 and the Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang 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.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Fender Player Mustang 90:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender Player Mustang 90 and Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

Final Playability Scores

Fender Player Mustang 90
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 60
Playability 77
Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 60
Playability 75

Specs Side-by-Side

Fender Player Mustang 90 vs Ben Gibbard Mustang
General Fender Player Mustang 90 Ben Gibbard Mustang
Brand: Fender Fender
Year: 2018 2021
Configuration: P90P90 SS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Mexico Mexico
Series: Player Artist
Colors: Green, Pink, Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Chambered Ash
Bridge: 6-Saddle Strings-Through-Body Strat Hardtail with Bent Steel Saddles 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Mustang Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Standard Cast/Sealed Vintage-Style with Fender Logo
Fretboard: Maple Maple
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Black Dot Black Dot
Scale Size: 24" 24"
Shape: Modern C Modern C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm) 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm)
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 9.5" 9.5"
Nut: Synthetic Bone Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 42mm (1.654'') 42mm (1.654'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fender Mustang MP-90 (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Mustang (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Fender Mustang MP-90 (Single Coil / Passive) Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Mustang (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 0