Fender muscles in on the nano amp market with the Mustang Micro
Can Fender's latest effort hold up to products like Nux's Mighty Plug?
Fender is moving into the nano-amp market with the Mustang Micro. Competing with products like the Nux Mighty plug, the Mustang Micro is designed to offer a portable practise solution. This one comes with 12 amp models, plus a selection of 12 onboard DSP effects to play through. Fender has included a few neat little features, too, that will make it attractive as a mobile practice tool for many guitar players.
Fender Mustang Micro Headphone Amplifier
Micro headphone amps have been a thing for a while now, providing a players with an easy way of practising at home or on the road. Given the incredibly success of the Mustang amp series, this seems like a logical next step.
The Mustang Micro has you covered for many different styles of music, with 12 amp models from the Mustang series. as well as 12 effect combinations to play with, including modulation, overdrive, compression, stereo delays and reverbs. There’s also an onboard EQ to tweak your tones. With all that lot, you’ll probably be able to tease from nice amp sounds from this compact unit.
Fender Mustang Micro Headphone Amplifier · Source: Fender
Bluetooth & Connectivity
You can even play along to your favourite backing tracks or instructional videos using the built-in Bluetooth audio connection. That’s an important feature for practising. The way Bluetooth has been implemented includes audio video sync so your tuition videos should play back just as you would expect, with no lag or delays.
Despite its small size, the Mustang Micro has a multi-purpose USB-C socket. Yes, it recharges the internal lithium ion battery; Fender says you can expect up to four hours on one charge. But you can also use it to update the software and, crucially, to record your output to a DAW on your PC or Mac. That makes it even more useful for travelling musicians, or quickly getting an idea saved to your hard drive. The audio output is a 1/8” stereo headphone socket, while the jack plug can be set to various angles so it should fit pretty much any guitar model.
Mustang Micro or Mighty Plug?
This pocket-sized amp has a lot going for it, giving you a lot of uses across practising and recording. It’s not as feature-rich as the Nux Mighty Plug, though, which adds much deeper layer of functionality via an app, as well as IRs, more effects and things like drum tracks. And it costs less than the Mustang Micro. That said, Fender’s new micro amp will no doubt get you some great sounds of the calibre that’s made the Mustang a best-seller. And it says Fender on it.
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2 responses to “Fender muscles in on the nano amp market with the Mustang Micro”
So it doesn’t even have any stereo minijack aux input????!!!
You’ve GOT TO own and use a mobile smartphone streaming Bluetooth audio (lossy codec roughly 320kbps MP3 quality) just to play along with it…
What is it with companies these days? Why can’t you just put a standard analogue aux socket so you can play along with anything you want?
Not everybody owns a smartphone anyway.
Not everyone wants compromised audio quality of Bluetooth or MP3. Some people still play elec guitar along to their CD collection or even their vinyl and jut want a standard analogue line input.
Yes, it’s Fender brand, blah blah blah, but for a third of the price – just £33 on Amazon the Valeton Rushead Max is easily the best such practise amp of this type on the market currently.
Bluetooth does not affect audio quality. It just depends on the source and the headphones you are using. If you are using Spotify, then yes, it will be MP3 quality. But if you use Amazon HD or Tidal Master, then it will be CD quality. There are products out there for everyone. Fender is trying to move along with the technology and demands, and market demands a more wireless future. Personally, I think this is a really cool and comfortable way to jam.