Fender Musicmaster

The Fender Musicmaster is a solid body electric guitar produced by Fender. It was the first 3/4 scale student-model guitar Fender produced. A Musicmaster Bass model was also put on the market

History

1955–1963

Design work on the Musicmaster-and its two-pickup variant Duo-Sonic-began in late 1955 following a request from Fender Sales. Prototypes were made in early 1956, followed by sales literature announcing both models. Production of the Musicmaster began in late April of that year, using a body routed for two pickups to be common to the Duo-Sonic, which followed a little more than two months later. The Duo-Sonic and Musicmaster also shared a single-piece maple neck and fingerboard, with a 22.5 inch scale length and 21 frets.

There was one major redesign of these two Musicmaster-bodied guitars, in 1959 when the entire Fender catalog was updated. At this time, the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic both received a plastic pickguard in place of the previous anodized aluminum one, and a two-piece maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard.

1964–1982

In 1964, following the release of the Fender Mustang, both the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic were redesigned using Mustang neck and body blanks. The Mustang body was larger and slightly offset, and was fitted with a plastic pickguard but with the volume and tone controls mounted on a separate metal plate. The headstock was also enlarged. All three models were offered with the option of a 24-inch scale and 22-fret neck or a 22.5-inch scale and 21-fret neck; all three models were also offered with the choice of "round-lam," or veneered, rosewood or maple fingerboard. The 24 inch scale proved to be the most popular of these options. The redesigned Musicmaster was named the Musicmaster II and its stablemate the Duo-Sonic II, both using the Bronco body and pickguard shapes, although decals with and without the II designation were used without any real meaning.

Certain models of the Musicmaster, especially from between 1978 and 1980, were finished with a coat that reacted negatively with the base coat. This causes many modern surviving Musicmasters from this period to suffer from paint flaking off the body.

The Musicmaster was produced until 1982 when both it and the Mustang were dropped in favor of the newer Fender Lead models.

The Fender Swinger, another 22.5 inch scale guitar, was produced using the Musicmaster bridge, electrics and scratchplate but with a modified Fender Bass V body.

See also

• Fender Duo-Sonic
• Fender Mustang
• Fender Bronco
• Fender Swinger

References

• "Fender's 3/4 Scale Guitars", a two-part article by Tim Pershing in 20th Century Guitar, December 1996 and January 1997.
• "Little Brothers Turn 50", an article by Terry Foster and Tim Pershing in Vintage Guitar, July 2006.
• Fender: The Golden Age, 1946–1970, a book by Martin Kelly, Terry Foster, Paul Kelly. London & New York: Cassell ISBN 1-84403-666-9

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fender Musicmaster.

• Inside a pre-production 1956 Fender Musicmaster
• Fender's 3/4 Scale Guitars
• Little Brothers Turn 50
• The Golden Age of Fender