Fender Musicmaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1972)

Fender  Musicmaster Solid Body Electric Guitar  (1972)
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Item # 9644
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Fender Musicmaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1972), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 366559, Dakota Red lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, black gig bag case.

This is a nice example of Fender's perennial student model the Musicmaster, made in the early 1970's but still with a '60s feel about it. This is mostly due to the body finish, which remains the very attractive earlier style Dakota Red lacquer without a heavy clear lacquer or (dreaded) Poly overcoat. The pickguard is the sparkly pearloid used since 1964, also soon to be relegated to history. The neck is finished in clear poly with a lacquer overcoat to the headstock face. By 1975 this model was slightly redesigned and lost most of its cheerful 1960's character, becoming a starker black & white thick-skin product of the 1970s

The neck date is April 72 and the pots date to the 5th week of that year; the guitar was likely assembled and sold in the high summer of 1972, not quite 50 years ago. It features the longer scale 24" neck making for a more player-friendly instrument than the shorter scale 22 1/2" used on many earlier models. The deep red finish is still vibrant and the guitar is completely original, with components unchanged from their later 1960's form. These simpler vintage Fenders have been gaining appreciation in recent decades as great-playing and handy guitars and this is a particularly nice 1970s example.
 
Overall length is 39 3/4 in. (101 cm.), 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 in. (610 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).

This Musicmaster remains nicely all original with some fairly light wear overall. There are some dings and dents to the finish, mostly on the body edges and back but the top is comparatively clean. The red color is excellent with a deep hue showing only minimal fade. All hardware is correct and original; the older 1960's style threaded steel saddles have a little corrosion but nothing that affects function (they were likely leftover stock in 1972!). The pearloid pickguard has shrunken up a bit as is often the case with one crack at a corner screw hole. The frets and fingerboard show just some light wear and playability remains excellent. This is a very nice example of this solidly CBS but still older looking Musicmaster, a neat little guitar with a super friendly vibe. Excellent Condition.