Mustang

Half-step heavier than 9s adds body to Mustang without scale-length drawbacks.

RPS reinforcement on short-scale Mustang helps whammy-heavy indie rock.

24" Mustang stays in tune better with lighter gauge — student-scale favorite.

Ernie Ball Extra Slinky 8-38 on the Fender Mustang is the Japanese tension-comfort secret that crosses over from drop-tune territory into standard tuning. As a Japanese guitar-shop store manager (OK Sound channel) puts it on YouTube (👍7): "弦のテンション感が柔らかい方が好みなので数年前はレギュラーチューニング用に08~38の弦張ってた" — "I prefer softer string tension, so a few years ago I was using 08-38 strings for regular E tuning." Conventional wisdom: 8-38 Extra Slinky is for drop tunings or junior players — every Sweetwater spec sheet warns that 8-38 in standard tuning sounds floppy and pitch-unstable on a 25.5-inch scale. Mismatch logic: the Mustang's short 24-inch scale already reduces string tension by roughly 15% versus a Strat — pair with 8-38 in standard E tuning and you get a bend-heavy, fingertip-friendly setup that matches the Japanese-market preference for feather-light tension on small-hands or female-player rigs.

Best for Japanese-market players who want the Mustang as their first 'real' electric and prize bend-comfort over big sustain; skip it if you want classic Mustang surf-spank or downtuning headroom.