Fender Musicmaster
Encyclopedia
The Fender Musicmaster is an electric guitar
by Fender, and was the first of their 3/4 scale
guitars. With a single pickup and no tremolo arm
, it was a basic but functional instrument.
Design work on the Musicmaster and a two-pickup version, the 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.
In 1964, following the release of the Fender Mustang
, both the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic were redesigned using the Mustang necks and body. This 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 their 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.
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
by Fender, and was the first of their 3/4 scale
Scale length
*Length scale, - a significant concept in physics used to define the order of magnitude of a system*Scale height, - a specific parameter in physics denoting the distance over which a quantity decreases by a factor of e...
guitars. With a single pickup and no tremolo arm
Tremolo arm
A whammy bar, tremolo arm/bar, or vibrato arm/bar is a component of a guitar, used to add vibrato to the sound by changing the tension of the strings, typically at the bridge or tailpiece...
, it was a basic but functional instrument.
Design work on the Musicmaster and a two-pickup version, the Duo-Sonic
Fender Duo-Sonic
The Fender Duo-Sonic guitar was launched by Fender as a “student” model guitar. The “Duo-Sonic” features two single-coil pick-ups and a vertical switch on the lower horn of the body to select bridge, neck or both pickups in a humbucking style configuration...
, 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
Scale length
*Length scale, - a significant concept in physics used to define the order of magnitude of a system*Scale height, - a specific parameter in physics denoting the distance over which a quantity decreases by a factor of e...
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.
Fender Mustang
The Fender Mustang is an electric guitar by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, introduced in 1964 as the basis of a major redesign of Fender's student models then consisting of the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic. It was produced until 1982 and reissued in 1990.In the 1960s, it was used in Surf...
, both the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic were redesigned using the Mustang necks and body. This 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
Fender Bronco
The Fender Bronco was an electric guitar model produced by the Fender company from mid 1967 until 1981. It used the body and neck from the Fender Mustang, but had only one pickup and a different tremolo arm mechanism...
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 their 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
Fender Swinger
The Fender Swinger was a short-lived electric guitar model released by Fender in 1969, with few made...
, another 22.5 inch scale guitar, was produced using the Musicmaster bridge, electrics and scratchplate but with a modified Fender Bass V
Fender Bass V
The original Fender Bass V was a quirky and unusual electric bass guitar model produced by Fender between 1965 and 1970. It was the world's first five string bass guitar, a popular concept today....
body.