50's Fender experts....

AlbertC · December 2020

Ignoring the listed price, what are your thoughts on this Musicmaster listed on Reverb -

https://reverb.com/item/37719567-fender-musicmaster-with-maple-fretboard-1956-1959

It's a far from original guitar naturally, and what's scribbled on the end of the neck is clearly done at a presumably much later date, but what would you normally expect to see there on a Musicmaster neck of this era?
And do the pickup and pots look correct?

CloudNine · December 2020

My thoughts are, never buy a really short scale guitar. It will never feel like a proper instrument . Any vintage goodness that might be present, will be completely overshadowed by the fact that it feels like a child's guitar.

DrCornelius · December 2020

CloudNine said:

My thoughts are, never buy a really short scale guitar. It will never feel like a proper instrument . Any vintage goodness that might be present, will be completely overshadowed by the fact that it feels like a child's guitar.

That would be a 22.5 incher wouldnt it ? I've got a later mustang that I love as its instant Big Star but thats 24"

ICBM · December 2020

The original would have been a pencil date simply reading 9-57, if that's what it was according to what’s written there now. (Which I don’t see any reason to doubt.)

The pots, tone cap and jack look original but the pickup has been rewound by the look of it, although the flatwork and magnets look right.

The pickup cover and the bridge base (but not the saddles) are original, but probably nothing else on it is - the pickguard looks like a crudely gold-painted white plastic, presumably the original aluminium one was hacked out for the humbucker.

So really it’s a refinished neck, a damaged and refinished body, some original electrical parts and an original case... and even those aren’t worth a lot because they only fit these and Duo-Sonics.

Which makes the price very hard to overlook...

AlbertC · December 2020

CloudNine said:

My thoughts are, never buy a really short scale guitar. It will never feel like a proper instrument . Any vintage goodness that might be present, will be completely overshadowed by the fact that it feels like a child's guitar.

Well thanks for that
But I owned a short scale Musicmaster before and liked it a lot. I personally have no issue at all with varying scale lengths in electrics or acoustics.

AlbertC · December 2020

ICBM said:

The original would have been a pencil date simply reading 9-57, if that's what it was according to what’s written there now. (Which I don’t see any reason to doubt.)

The pots, tone cap and jack look original but the pickup has been rewound by the look of it, although the flatwork and magnets look right.

The pickup cover and the bridge base (but not the saddles) are original, but probably nothing else on it is - the pickguard looks like a crudely gold-painted white plastic, presumably the original aluminium one was hacked out for the humbucker.

So really it’s a refinished neck, a damaged and refinished body, some original electrical parts and an original case... and even those aren’t worth a lot because they only fit these and Duo-Sonics.

Which makes the price very hard to overlook...

@ICBM - Thanks, much appreciated.
The back of the scratchplate in the "pots" photo - it looks very much like metal under the chipped paint edge rather than plastic. I'm certainly no expert but can I ask why you think this is not original?
Cheers

ICBM · December 2020

I’m pretty sure it’s plastic if you look at the back of it - and if it was metal, there would be no need for the extra ground wire added between the pots and jack. (I do sometimes add ground wires anyway to ensure a better connection, but most people don’t.) Even if it’s metal, it’s not quite the right shape and original guards are not painted white on the back.

AlbertC · December 2020

ICBM said:

I’m pretty sure it’s plastic if you look at the back of it - and if it was metal, there would be no need for the extra ground wire added between the pots and jack. (I do sometimes add ground wires anyway to ensure a better connection, but most people don’t.) Even if it’s metal, it’s not quite the right shape and original guards are not painted white on the back.

Cheers, really appreciate the advice.
The seller's offering a very substantial reduction but even so, it's all too mucked about with for my liking.

HarrySeven · December 2020

AlbertC said:

The seller's offering a very substantial reduction but even so, it's all too mucked about with for my liking.

Like, 85% of the price? That might be more attractive.

AlbertC · December 2020

HarrySeven said:

AlbertC said:

The seller's offering a very substantial reduction but even so, it's all too mucked about with for my liking.

Like, 85% of the price? That might be more attractive.

sure would, but in this case a mere -30%

Strat54 · December 2020

CloudNine said:

My thoughts are, never buy a really short scale guitar. It will never feel like a proper instrument . Any vintage goodness that might be present, will be completely overshadowed by the fact that it feels like a child's guitar.

Yeah of course....

ICBM · December 2020

I liked my '65 22.5" Musicmaster a lot - I gigged with it with a rock'n'roll band, strung with 12s with a wound 3rd. It sounded great - like a huge Strat neck pickup, and was easy enough to play... but I do have very small hands.

Funkfingers · December 2020

AlbertC said:
… the scratchplate … can I ask why you think this is not original?

Aluminium sheet, fastened by steel screws, in proximity to human sweat, is a recipe for corrosion.

Typically, this will manifest as circular white areas around the screw and jack socket holes. Crusty next to each hole, becoming powdery towards the edge.

ICBM · December 2020

Having looked again on a larger screen, the guard may actually be thin metal - but it's certainly painted white on the back, and appears to be black under the gold on the front. There's also definitely something just slightly off about the shape. Either way I don't think it's an original.

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