Ben Gibbard Mustang
Ben Gibbard – even if you’re not deeply entrenched in the indie music scene, chances are high you’ve come across that name. The melodic voice behind Death Cab for Cutie and one-half of The Postal Service, Gibbard has been an influential figure in shaping the indie-rock and electronic scenes for over two decades.
But Gibbard isn’t just a singer; he’s a multi-instrumentalist, and his guitar playing, in particular, is a defining aspect of many of his songs.
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Who is Ben Gibbard?
Ben started Death Cab for Cutie back in the late 1990s as a solo project, and it quickly gained attention on college radio stations and with indie music lovers digging through places like Sam Goody and FYE.
After his first solo tape, You Can Play These Songs with Chords, Gibbard brought a talented crew of musicians together to make Death Cab for Cutie a full band – and the rest is history. They’ve put out a string of iconic albums, scored Grammy nominations, and defined the sound of indie music for years to come.
On top of that, Ben teamed up with Jimmy Tamborello in the mid-2000s to create The Postal Service, another influential project from the era. Gibbard has this undeniable talent for crafting catchy rhythms, personal storytelling, and memorable melodies.
Fender Signature Ben Gibbard Mustang
The Fender Mustang, originally launched in the 1960s, has always been a bit of an underdog in the Fender lineup, especially when compared to the Telecaster and Stratocaster. However, its unique tone and playability have made it a favorite for many, including Ben Gibbard.
Gibbard’s signature sound comes largely from his trusty 1970s-era Fender Mustang. This guitar has become an essential part of his songwriting and stage sound.
His journey with the Mustang started about a decade ago when he swapped gear with a friend and landed his first ‘70s model. He instantly fell for its simplicity, the warm pickups, and the overall vibe. From there, it became a bit of an obsession.
I don’t know if it’s a function of how I like to move around a guitar neck or the size of my hands in relation to a much wider neck, but I found that I could arpeggiate and acrobatically move around the guitar in a fashion that I did in the early days of the band. Immediately, the Mustang became my go-to guitar, and I haven’t looked back.
Since that first Mustang, Ben has built an entire collection of these classic guitars – and he’s made them his own with a few key modifications.
Fender took inspiration from these mods to build the new Ben Gibbard Mustang®, a sleek and updated version of the classic design with some cool personal touches.
The guitar has a resonant, chambered ash body, a 22-fret modern “C”-shaped maple neck, and a 9.5” radius fingerboard—everything Ben needs to capture his stage tone. He also simplified the controls for a no-nonsense setup with a single master volume knob and a three-position rotary pickup selector. It’s all about ease, style, and great sound on stage and in the studio.
This new Ben Gibbard Mustang® is a bold twist on a classic design and captures everything that makes his sound so iconic. It’s vintage-inspired but tailored to modern players and his personal style – a true reflection of his career and his love for these guitars.
To have this guitar built exactly the way I want it is pretty phenomenal. I wanted to make a guitar made for someone who is singing and playing guitar at the same time, because if you’re trying to do two things at once, I want as few distractions as possible. That means removing any impediments to having the guitar be completely playable and in tune as possible. It’s really a joy to play.
Fender Ben Gibbard Mustang Specification Table
| Category | Specification |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Brand: | Fender |
| Configuration: | SS |
| Strings: | 6 |
| Made in: | Mexico |
| Series: | Artist |
| Colors: | Natural |
| Left-Handed Version: | No |
| Body | |
| Type: | Solid Body |
| Body Material: | Chambered Ash |
| Bridge: | 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Mustang Tremolo |
| Neck | |
| Neck Joint: | Bolt-On |
| Tuners: | Vintage-Style with Fender Logo |
| Fretboard: | Maple |
| Neck Material: | Maple |
| Decoration: | Black Dot |
| Scale Size: | 24″ |
| Shape: | Modern C |
| Thickness: | 1st Fret: 0.82” (20.8mm) – 12th Fret: 0.87” (22.1mm) |
| Frets: | 22 Medium Jumbo |
| Fretboard Radius: | 9.5″ |
| Nut: | Synthetic Bone |
| Nut Width: | 42mm (1.654”) |
| Electronics | |
| Switch: | 3 Way |
| Knobs: | Bell |
| Volume Controls: | 1 |
| Tone Controls: | 0 |
| Bridge Pickup: | Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Mustang (Single Coil / Passive) |
| Neck Pickup: | Fender Vintage-Style Single-Coil Mustang (Single Coil / Passive) |
