Fender Musicmaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1958)
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Item # 11154
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Fender Musicmaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1958), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 023094, desert sand lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck, original brown hard shell case.
This is a lightly worn-in but completely original early example of Fender's first student guitar: the unassuming but very functional Musicmaster. Built to expand the company's hold on the teaching studio/young student market, these guitars were many 1950s and '60s players' first electric, far more playable than most and stylish in an understated way. They were designed to be good enough to get kids hooked on playing electric, but not so flashy as to stop them still lusting after a new Stratocaster down the road!
The Musicmaster features a very short-scale maple neck on a plain double cutaway body that looks unsurprisingly like a juvenile Stratocaster. It mounts a single pickup in the neck position with standard volume and tone controls. The one-piece maple neck on this guitar showed no inclination to move when the screws were loosened so we have not removed it but the pots are coded to the 7th week of 1958. Combined with the "0" prefix serial number the assembly of this guitar was likely in the first part of 1958. The neat, comfortable little neck has a rounder profile than the classic '57 Fender "V" with just the slight vestigial hint of a spine. The original anodized metal pickguard has less strum wear than most and still looks cool as ever!
The Musicmaster is not Fender's most versatile guitar but a super handy and good sounding one, with a surprising warmth and depth through the right amp. This example has had some use over the decades but not been stripped of its more valuable parts (knobs, neckplate, pots, and wiring) as so many have and remains a very cool and relatively affordable genuine 1950s Fender guitar, complete in the original hard case.
Overall length is 37 5/8 in. (95.6 cm.), 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 22 1/2 in. (572 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a completely original example of the first-generation Musicmaster showing some light general wear and tear but no repairs or alterations for its nearly 65 years on the planet. The body finish is scuffed in spots with typical dings, dents, and chips, and a couple of long scratches in the top above the pickguard. The neck finish shows typical '58 fine checking with some dents and chips, especially as usual on the fingerboard. The Fender logo decal is nicely preserved.
The metal pickguard has comparatively little of the common picking wear, just some minor loss to the lacquer overcoat. The Unfortunate tendency to show pick marks fairly quickly was why Fender discontinued this attractive feature in mid-'59! The plastic pickup cover has some pick wear and a couple of small stains, and the metal parts show some minor wear but nothing tragic.
Internally the pickup, pots and electronics remain completely original and untouched. The original Kluson tuners are intact, the plastic buttons have survived and even the original snap-on bridge cover is still present. The original small frets have some wear, but playability is still quite good. It still lives in the original brown Fender case that is pretty well worn on the lower end but still fully functional. Excellent - Condition.
This is a lightly worn-in but completely original early example of Fender's first student guitar: the unassuming but very functional Musicmaster. Built to expand the company's hold on the teaching studio/young student market, these guitars were many 1950s and '60s players' first electric, far more playable than most and stylish in an understated way. They were designed to be good enough to get kids hooked on playing electric, but not so flashy as to stop them still lusting after a new Stratocaster down the road!
The Musicmaster features a very short-scale maple neck on a plain double cutaway body that looks unsurprisingly like a juvenile Stratocaster. It mounts a single pickup in the neck position with standard volume and tone controls. The one-piece maple neck on this guitar showed no inclination to move when the screws were loosened so we have not removed it but the pots are coded to the 7th week of 1958. Combined with the "0" prefix serial number the assembly of this guitar was likely in the first part of 1958. The neat, comfortable little neck has a rounder profile than the classic '57 Fender "V" with just the slight vestigial hint of a spine. The original anodized metal pickguard has less strum wear than most and still looks cool as ever!
The Musicmaster is not Fender's most versatile guitar but a super handy and good sounding one, with a surprising warmth and depth through the right amp. This example has had some use over the decades but not been stripped of its more valuable parts (knobs, neckplate, pots, and wiring) as so many have and remains a very cool and relatively affordable genuine 1950s Fender guitar, complete in the original hard case.
Overall length is 37 5/8 in. (95.6 cm.), 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 22 1/2 in. (572 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a completely original example of the first-generation Musicmaster showing some light general wear and tear but no repairs or alterations for its nearly 65 years on the planet. The body finish is scuffed in spots with typical dings, dents, and chips, and a couple of long scratches in the top above the pickguard. The neck finish shows typical '58 fine checking with some dents and chips, especially as usual on the fingerboard. The Fender logo decal is nicely preserved.
The metal pickguard has comparatively little of the common picking wear, just some minor loss to the lacquer overcoat. The Unfortunate tendency to show pick marks fairly quickly was why Fender discontinued this attractive feature in mid-'59! The plastic pickup cover has some pick wear and a couple of small stains, and the metal parts show some minor wear but nothing tragic.
Internally the pickup, pots and electronics remain completely original and untouched. The original Kluson tuners are intact, the plastic buttons have survived and even the original snap-on bridge cover is still present. The original small frets have some wear, but playability is still quite good. It still lives in the original brown Fender case that is pretty well worn on the lower end but still fully functional. Excellent - Condition.