Fender has launched the Mustang Micro Plus – the latest evolution of its hugely popular headphone amp for guitar, which introduces some key functional and operational upgrades.
The flagship Mustang Micro unit has become one of the market’s standout headphone amps. In Guitar World’s own view, it is the best overall headphone amp you can currently buy, and was awarded a flawless five-star review by Total Guitar upon its release.
As such, the Mustang Micro Plus has big boots to fill, and in order to offer a worthy follow-up to the market-conquering practice amp, Fender has drafted in some hardware and software tweaks.
Chief among these is a new screen, which has been fitted to the top of the unit, and a newly updated Fender Tone app compatibility. While the screen hopes to make preset identification a lot more intuitive, the app looks to offer in-depth parameter control and the ability to download off-platform tones, making it far more powerful than its predecessor.
The Mustang Micro Plus includes 25 amp models and 25 effects, with room for 100 editable presets and a built-in tuner, which can be displayed via the new screen. Given the fact the previous Mustang Micro was lauded for its tonal superiority, we imagine the Mustang Micro Plus will be no different.
Operation-wise, the Mustang Micro Plus still has a similar control set to its predecessor, meaning there are ‘+’ and ‘-’ buttons for Preset, EQ and Modify, as well as a Tap Tempo button that activates the tuner when held. There’s also a large central rotary control, which is in charge of output.
Elsewhere, it supports Bluetooth connectivity for streaming songs to play along with, and a USB-C jack for recording, and has a battery that offers over four hours of continuous play time.
Given its tonal performance should be on a par with its forebear, the key headlines with the Mustang Micro Plus really are its updated user interface and the new companion app – both of which seem to have made a significant improvement in the way players can use it.
With that said, it looks as though such updates have been worth it. In his Mustang Micro Plus review, Guitar World’s Matt McCracken said it is “very much the upgrade that was needed for one of the most popular headphone amps for guitar”.
“A brilliant option for the practicing guitar player, the combination of ultra-portability, great tone, and reasonable price make the Fender Mustang Micro Plus a worthy successor,” he writes.
“This new addition represents a significant leap forward in both technology and user experience, offering unparalleled versatility and tone in an incredibly portable package,” comments Fender’s Justin Norvell. “The Mustang Micro Plus is designed to inspire musicians at every level, providing a powerful, intuitive, and accessible way to create and explore new sounds.”
Not only does the Mustang Micro Plus look to elevate Fender's own headphone amp range, it also seems to be a response of sorts to Boss, which recently entered the market with its own screen-equipped, app-compatible, highly rated Katana:GO amp.
However, as per a statement from Boss, the Katana:GO has already been discontinued after only two months of production due to difficulties in “the procurement situation of the materials”. Such parts shortages don't seem to be an issue for Fender, though, which will no doubt look to capitalize on the current lack of competition as it rolls out its own updated offering.
The Mustang Micro Plus is available now for $149. To put that into perspective, the existing Mustang Micro weighs in at $99.
Head over to Fender to find out more.
