I was a fan of the previous Mustang amp series – I had the Mustang II and I liked it a lot. So it’s not a surprise that I like the new Mustang series. But the real question is this – is the new Mustang line better than the previous? And my answer would be… yes. Pretty much. I guess. Um, yes.
It’s not night and day better. So that creates a slight problem – you can buy a used Mustang III from the previous line for around $220, and the GT100 is $399. But it depends what you want, right?
The Mustang GT100 is nerdy – it can talk to your wi-fi network and download patches and all that stuff. It also has Bluetooth. Because it can. And it has tons of amp models and tons of effects. How does it sound? It’s a modeling amp, and like all modeling amps, it sounds stellar at bedroom/studio volume, and not as stellar when you crank it up. This amp CAN keep up with a real drummer, and it’s definitely loud enough to gig with, but I won’t give it high marks for what it sounds like at gig volumes. But it’s a $399 amp – try finding a gig-worthy new tube combo amp for that kind of money. You can’t. You can, however, often find a used Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for about $399, and if what you want is a great loud clean sound for a gig, the HRD will blow the GT100 away. But for home use, the GT100 is the far better choice. And if you want a wide variety of sounds, the GT100 definitely delivers. The HRD does one sound well, and has the worst dirt sound ever invented.
And that’s the market for this amp. Someone who plays at home and maybe does some jamming and some small gigs. For the money, the GT100 is a good deal.
To my ears, the GT100 did the clean sounds best. The more dirt/crunch/overdrive you add, the less realistic it sounds. But again, at bedroom volumes, it’s still pretty great-sounding.
Bottom line – Good amp for the money, very good at clean sounds, huge variety of sounds, loud enough to gig with, sounds great at home, sounds good enough at gigs.
