Key specifications

What is the Mustang Micro Plus?

The Fender Mustang Micro Plus is Fender’s latest innovation in portable, plug-and-play headphone amps. It’s a significant upgrade on the older Mustang Micro, with even more sounds, features, and app compatibility.

Simply connect it to your guitar’s jack output, plug in some wired headphones, and enjoy 25 integrated amp models and 25 effects – a massive array of tonal options to play with!

Alongside these are 100 editable preset slots that give you ample room to create your own sounds or tweak the pre-loaded settings to your taste.

Using the Micro Plus, you can practise along to backing tracks, record directly to a DAW, or even hook up to an external speaker for jamming or performing! It’s basically a Swiss army knife that deserves a space in every guitarist’s gig bag.

Fender Mustang Micro Plus vs. Mustang Micro

Overview

The original Mustang Micro was a revelation. Gone were the days of lugging around an amp for practice at home or abroad, with the Mustang Micro, you could cram plenty of tones into a box that’s barely bigger than your thumb.

Despite its power and opportunities for jamming, the Mustang Micro lacked a few key features that held it back. Specifically, a screen and on-board tuner! It’s no good trying to nail down your favourite song to a backing track while one string is off-key.

Luckily, the new Mustang Micro Plus addresses the former’s shortcomings and upgrades the basic LED indicators to a bright OLED display that’s much easier for navigating settings. It displays your current patch/preset and is used for adjusting EQ settings. Plus, there’s the built-in chromatic tuner for changing pitch.

Beyond just visuals, the Mustang Micro Plus has more going on under the hood. It builds upon the 24 amp and effect models of the original by offering 25 amp models and 25 effect models.

Playing through all these is made a bit smoother with Bluetooth 5.1 which reduces any stutter/lag when streaming backing tracks for a smoother experience.

On top of all that, a staggering 100 customisable presets allow you to dial in virtually any sound you’d like and call them up in an instant thanks to the bank of presets.

Speaking of customisation, the new Fender Tone App allows you to create patches in the same manner as full-blooded floor multi-fx units – crazy!

Design

Not much has changed here. The Mustang Micro and Mustang Micro Plus are basically the same shape with almost the same buttons. The obvious difference is the inclusion of the handy screen on the Plus and a “save” button on one side that lets you store a preset.

Sounds

With a wider selection of amps and effects, the sonic possibilities of the Mustang Plus are much bigger than before. Flick through some of the built-in presets and you’ll quickly fly between tones that range from nu-metal crunch to swirly reverbs and delays.

These factory sounds are surprising in their fidelity and what’s more is that they’re all fairly immersive when playing through headphones, without much need for tinkering. And if you do want to tweak the settings, a quick tap on the EQ button can shift between things like flat EQ and high/low cuts to easily shape the sound.

The effects go beyond the basics, providing a wider array of reverbs, delays, and modulations, making it easier to shape your sound exactly how you want it.

Those spacious 100 preset slots we mentioned earlier also come into play, allowing for a full bank of recallable presets. Combine that with the Fender Tone App, available on both iOS and Android, and you’ve basically got a pocket-sized multi-fx.

Functionality

Functionality on the Plus is better than ever before. The addition of a screen makes it so much easier to tell what setting you’re on, and it’s faster to switch between them. Using the Fender Tone app you can set up your own patches and sounds, and the names will update on the Micro Plus in real time – a seriously handy feature!

Playing along to backing tracks is a breeze too, just connect with Bluetooth and play away.

Taking it a step further, the bi-directional USB recording functionality means you can record your guitar directly into your DAW via USB. Essentially, this means you can play along with backing tracks or other audio from your computer while recording your guitar, all without additional hardware.

It’s the perfect gateway to push players from practice to recording, using familiar tools and without having to navigate plugins.

With regards to battery life, both models provide 4-6 hours of continuous play on a full charge.

However, the Mustang Micro Plus is designed to be even more efficient with its power consumption, ensuring you get as much playtime as possible before needing to recharge. And when you do, both models offer USB-C connectivity for quick and easy charging.

Fender Mustang Micro Plus vs. Boss Katana GO

The Boss Katana GO was a strong contender in the headphone amp category, offering a wide range of effects, amp models, and unique features like Stage Feel mode. While the Katana GO is no longer in production, the Mustang Micro Plus steps in as a modern alternative with its own set of advanced features.

For guitarists who miss the Katana GO’s unique features like wireless footswitch control or Stage Feel mode, the Mustang Micro Plus provides a simpler, yet powerful alternative. Its Fender Tone App integration, combined with the versatility of its amp and effect models, make it a worthy successor for players looking for modern functionality in a compact, portable form factor.

FAQs

What does the Mustang Micro Plus do?

The Mustang Micro Plus is a compact, portable headphone amp that offers various amp models and effects for guitarists. It plugs directly into your guitar, allowing you to practise anywhere with high-quality sound. It’s perfect for silent practice, recording, and on-the-go jamming.

Can you play bass through Mustang Micro Plus?

You can play bass through the Mustang Micro Plus. While it’s designed primarily for guitar, its amp models and effects work well with bass, offering a range of tones for practice or recording. It’s a convenient tool for bassists looking for portability and silent practice.

Can you play a Mustang Micro Plus through a speaker?

You can play a Mustang Micro Plus through a speaker by connecting it via the headphone output to the speaker’s input using a compatible cable. This allows you to amplify the Mustang Micro Plus’s tones, making it versatile for both silent practice and louder playback through external speakers.

Final thoughts

So, Fender Mustang Micro Plus vs. Mustang Micro – which one wins? It’s pretty clear that the Mustang Micro Plus is an all-out upgrade over the Mustang Micro. If you’re after something basic and not bothered by the addition of a screen, the Mustang Micro might still hold appeal. The Micro Plus, however, is probably going to be the must-have accessory for guitarists everywhere in 2024…

Need some extra guitar-related content? We’ve covered more hot Fender releases in our articles below:

Fender Player II Stratocaster and Telecaster Review – How Do They Compare to the Player I?

Fender Tone Master Pro Review – Amp and Effect Modelling at Its Finest

Squier Stratocaster Review – We Put the Entry-Level Sonic to the Test