“He handed me a 1970s maple-neck, Walnut-finish Mustang Bass loaded with flats. I was instantly hooked”: What this perfect pair of vintage Fenders tells us about collecting gear

This pair was separated at birth. I first discovered the joys of the Fender Mustang Bass – strung with flatwounds, of course – several years ago while recording a Blue Violet album.

I’d been using a Japanese Precision Bass, but Middle Farm Studios’ Pete Miles handed me a 1970s maple-neck, Walnut-finish Mustang Bass loaded with flats. I was instantly hooked.

I kept an eye out for Mustang Basses and spotted one at Vintage ’n’ Rare Guitars in Bath: a ’67 model in White. That finish is actually the same acrylic paint Fender marketed as Olympic White.

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An early example, I snapped it up for £3,000 about five years ago. Today, similar models fetch around £4,000, proving you don’t need top-tier instruments to get on the vintage guitar investment ladder.

The Duo-Sonic II was offered in the same White, Red, and Blue (Daphne Blue) finishes as Mustangs and Mustang Basses, and I became fixated on finding one to match my bass (why not?).

I’m very cautious about buying guitars before playing them, but about 18 months ago, I stumbled across a ’65 Duo-Sonic II on Reverb and took a punt because the seller’s photography was so detailed.

Priced reasonably at £2,400, I pulled the trigger, and it joined the family a few days later.

• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.