Squier Mustang for Beginners: A Complete Guide

The Squier Mustang is a brilliant choice for anyone picking up an electric guitar for the first time. It's affordable, it looks cool, and it's genuinely easy to play—which means you'll actually want to practise rather than stare at it in the corner.

Why the Mustang Works for Beginners

Let's be honest: not every guitar feels welcoming when you're learning. The Squier Mustang, though, seems designed with beginners in mind. Its smaller, lighter body sits comfortably whether you're standing or sitting, and the shorter 24-inch scale (compared to a full-size Stratocaster's 25.5 inches) means the frets are closer together. For smaller hands especially, this is a real advantage—your fingers won't have to stretch as far to play chords and riffs.

The neck is genuinely playable. It's narrower than many guitars, and the action comes set up reasonably from the factory, meaning you can actually press down on the strings without your fingers aching for hours. That matters more than you'd think; a poorly set-up guitar is demoralising for a beginner because it feels impossible to play, even when you're doing everything right.

Getting Started: Your First Days

When your Mustang arrives, resist the urge to dive straight into "Wonderwall." Instead, do three things first:

1. Give it a gentle inspection. Check that the tuning pegs turn smoothly (they should; Squier's hardware is solid), and make sure the neck looks straight when you sight down it from the headstock. If anything looks obviously bent or broken, contact the seller—but 99 times out of 100, you'll be fine.
2. Tune it up and let it sit. New strings stretch, so tune it to pitch, then leave it for an hour. Tune it again. You might need to do this two or three times over the first day; that's entirely normal and not a sign anything's wrong.
3. Adjust the strap and practice standing. Most beginners learn sitting down, which is fine—but get comfortable holding it standing too. Adjust the strap so the guitar sits at roughly the same height whether you're sitting or standing. This sounds trivial, but it makes a real difference to your posture and comfort.

What Makes the Mustang Different to Play

The Mustang's offset waist and shorter scale give it a character all its own. It's the guitar Kurt Cobain played, so it has serious rock credibility—but that's not really why you should care. What matters is that the body shape means it sits naturally against your body, and the offset design just looks undeniably cool, which gives you an extra bit of motivation to pick it up.

The pickups are simple and direct. You've got two single-coil pickups with a three-way selector, plus volume and tone knobs. That's it. No complex switching, no five-way selector to get confused by. It makes for a focused, no-nonsense tone that ranges from bright and jangly to warm and textured depending on how you turn the knobs. For a beginner, that simplicity is a gift.

Common Beginner Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Here's what most beginners get wrong with a Mustang—and how to sidestep those pitfalls:

• Tuning too tightly by ear. The Mustang's tuners are smooth, which is great, but it means you can easily turn them too far. Use a tuner app or a clip-on tuner (they cost about £10 and are essential for any guitarist). Don't trust your ear yet; your ear will develop, but at the start you'll consistently tune flat.
• Assuming it "needs setup" when it plays a bit stiffly. New guitars sometimes feel tight to play because your fingers aren't used to it. Give it a week of regular playing before deciding anything's wrong. Your fingers toughen up, and you'll adapt. That said, if it's genuinely painful or the strings are miles off the fretboard, take it to a local tech for a once-over—usually £30–50 well spent.
• Neglecting the cable and amp. Your Mustang is only half the equation. Invest in a decent cable (avoid the cheapest ones; they pick up noise) and a small practice amp. You don't need an expensive amp for practising at home—a 10-watt amp is plenty, and they start around £40. A cheap, thin cable will frustrate you and make the guitar sound worse than it is.
• Changing the strings too soon. Factory strings are fine. Don't panic and replace them after a week. They'll settle in and stay playable for months. When they eventually sound dull or feel sluggish, then change them—usually around three to six months of regular playing.

Building Your First Sound

One of the Mustang's unexpected strengths is how customisable its tone is, even with simple controls. Set your volume to about 7, your tone knob around 5 (neutral), and use both pickups together. That's a great starting point: full and balanced, with enough presence to cut through if you ever play with others.

As you play, experiment. Roll the tone knob down for warmth and vintage vibes; push it up for brightness and twang. Switch to the neck pickup alone for softer, rounder tones; the bridge pickup for snap and attack. You'll develop preferences, and that's where your personal voice on guitar begins.

The Long Game

The Mustang won't hold you back as you improve. It's the same platform that professional musicians still use. Fender makes the American Vintage re-issue and various professional models, and plenty of working guitarists play Squiers because they're reliable and sound great. You're not buying a guitar you'll outgrow; you're buying an instrument you might love forever.

The real key to progress isn't the guitar—it's showing up and playing regularly. Even 15 minutes a day will get you far further than sporadic hour-long sessions. Your Mustang makes showing up easy because it's genuinely nice to hold and play. Use that to your advantage.

If you're nervous about the guitar being "good enough," stop worrying. The Mustang is a proper guitar played by accomplished musicians. Your job now is to enjoy learning on it and not get bogged down in second-guessing yourself. That way lies GAS—Gear Acquisition Syndrome—and you don't need new gear; you need to play what you've got.

You've made a smart choice. Now pick it up and play.

For a comprehensive overview of the Mustang's design, history, and specs, see the complete guide to Squier Mustang.

Frequently Asked Questions