Fender Musicmaster Bass Guitar

1971, 19 frets, 1 vol, 1tone, body colour cream white,
Tuners with Fender logo, "play condition" mint, but it look like... terrible horrible awful, how do i say, yes...rock'n roll ;>)

perfect low sustain "soul sound" with ampeg vst tubeamp and 2x15" cabinet
used stage and studio, and studio... many tracks direct to mixer
thumb thumb...

Action!

25 years musician works with guitar and bass,
keep it simple, little bass with big sound ;>)

one pickup, one volume, one tone. All you need in a decent start up bass, I'd give it ten out of ten for features, because bells and whistles do not a great guitar make.

Hmm, the sound never really cuts through that much in a live experience, without a fat lot of compression on it, but recording wise, it is a dream- when you can sit and tweak it in the mix, is sounds great.

I got this second hand in around 95/96, and it was sold as a refin, but recently I took the neck off, and there is a fender sticker in the neck cavity, so I reckon the finish is original. It's a shame, if I'd have known that I wouldn't have stuck pokemon stickers all over it when I was stoned!

A rock, despite the size, this is the heaviest guitar/bass known to man. I don't know what it's made of, but it isn't going to crap out any time soon. The electrics are so simple a child could repair it if anything went wrong.

second hand

Good, but I've just sold it. I was playing with a rock band when I snapped a string, and borrowed someone elses long scale aria . I realised I was fighting a losing battle with a short scale bass. I've got pretty big hands anyway, and decided to move on. A great bass to start on, but, a standard, unmodded musicmaster just doesn't cut through that well in a live setting. Incidentally they started making these in the late sixties or early seventies, so any tales of fifties or early sixties examples are either results of sniffing the sodler, or mustang basses from 64? onwards

The first USA series made with thinner neck and no visible serial number. One pickup, tone and volume - all I want from bass guitar.

I've replaced the original bridge with brass Badass. TYhe guitar still retains the same sound however the sound is stronger - between Musicmastermaster and Precission bass. At the time I owned Febder Precisson and also Jazz but have sold them keep the Musicmaster only since I had no need for the other basses. I use it life and recording and get perfect sound everytime.

It's very old so hjas crackless in the black body paint and the neck finish is warn to the bear timber. It gives it smooth most beutifull feel to the neck of any guitar I've ever played.
On;y think about this guitar is that while reciording, the pickup tends to pickup electronic noise even from far away. That's something to get used to. It is much noisier than Precission.

Negver needed repair in how ever old it is - 30-40 years?

na

If it should get lost I'd be looking for another one but would be hard to fin the one with thin neck I'm affraid.

According to Fender Axe-dater this Musicmaster is a 1971. It has definately seen a lot of use over the years. This bass is your typical 19 fret musicmaster however there have been some significant modifications. The original pickup has been repalced with what I believe to be a Seymour Duncan p-bass pickup. The original pickguard has over the yeard been replaced with some sort of home made pickguard (possibly out of thin drywall as crazy as it sounds. The pickguard is definately home made due to the really lousy routing job around the pickups, and 3rd rate bevel job on the edge of the guard. I had to replace both volume and tone pots as well as the patch cord jack (really bad soldering job when the pickup was repalced). The tuner head for the G string has broken and someone has welded a head from a p-bass onto the machine. Finally, I'm not sure as to the original colour of this bass as it has been re-finished with a black sparkle metallic finish. Despite all of the poorly done modifications this bass is really cool.

This bass does not have a lot of tonal variations, however once the tone is dialed in you can get really fat warm sound. It works well both in the studio and live, a great compliment to my '77 J Bass. The bass sounds great through many different amps. Most noticably the bass was incredable when run through an old Ampeg B-15. The only dislike is that as you move to the higher frets there is a considerable loss on tone ans sustain.

This baby needed a considerable amount of set up to the bridge, neck, nut and pickups when I purchased it. She's a real beauty now.

It seems as if this instrument has had a real tattered past. As it has not been turned into firewood or a canoe paddle by now it is unlikely that this bass will die ever!

A great second bass to add to your collection. Grab once cheap while you still can.

Not sure when it was made. It had been heavily modded by the time i got it (1986) with a clear plastic pickguard, Badass bridge, full-size Schaller tuners, small humbucker from a Gibson EB-3, and refnished natural. It had a rosewood fingerboard and Rhodes piano style knobs on it. It didn't have a lot of features but what it did have sounded good.

this was my second bass. I'd played it in rehearsals with my first band but never used it live. I was playing through either a Holmes or Gorilla amp which probably didn't do it justice. We were doing Judas Priest, Ramones, Sex Pistols, and Def Leppard covers. it didn't have a lot of low end punch but that was probably because it was a short-scale bass. When I practiced at home at low volumes it sounded pretty good, though.

Great action. The neck had that worn-in feel to it. It looked like it had been professionally refinished, I don't think Fender made Musicmasters in natural but I could be wrong. I think it probably would've looked better with a black or white pickguard, though.

By the time I got it all the cheap parts had been replaced so i don't think it would've given me any trouble if had played it live. It was a real nice bass for a beginner and definately a step up from the Harmony I had been playing.

Never dealt with Fender. The ground wire for the pickup came loose once and I fixed it myself.

I've been playing for 17 years and this bass would probably sound great through the equipment I got now (Ampeg B2R). I traded it to a guy for a no-name Les Paul copy and a Peavey Studio Pro amp. Sometimes I really wish I'd held onto it though.

1964. 19 Frets, one volume, one tone, one single coil pickup replaced with a Jazzmaster whern I got it. Maple neck, rosewood fretboard. There are 2 saddles for 4 strings.It's a little flat in the upper registers. I like its short scale. It's lack of "features" is a selling point as far as I'm concerned, with a bass. The simpler, the better IMO.

Not lots of diversity. A good bass for country, rock, and r&b. It doesn't lend itself to slap. I've even turned the tone to full bass and used it for bluegrass, it was okay...considering that's all we had.

I Love the short-scale neck, This one's radius is rather smallish. I'm short so I like shoart scale basses. The paint was completely sanded off when I got it... It's a sturdy little bugger, though. It's lasted nearly 40 years.

A truck couldn't hurt this thing. I don't even HAVE a backup. I'd buy a new one and replace the strat p/u with a jazz one--if it were a newer model.

never dealt with them.

See above radings. The overall rating is lower than my personal reaction to the instrument. It's a great beginner's instrument, but given its limitations, a SERIOUS bassist would undoubtedly want to use this as either a backup or a suppliment. I'm a guitarist who occasionally is called upon to play bass, and this fits the bill for what I do.

I purchased this mid 70's Musicmaster in a estate sale of an aquaintance whose father in-law passed away. It was played up until his final months. While the finish & hardware was soiled & tarnished, it is a very stock Black on Black. It had old but usable roundwound strings on it. As for features, it's a 9 for for minimalists, 1 for techno-gearheads. 1

I play pop covers & funk with it. It favors a warm vintage rock / pop sound. More drive / cruise than slap, and does it cruise! Also bumps along great w/ foam under the strings. Very stable tuning to temperature, especially compared to my Jazz ( for those of us/you who occasionally fly into the gig late! ).

Action is FAST. Short scale neck plus low action equals quick. I started decades ago on a short scale but left it years ago. When I got this I was suprised how easy & fun it was to play. With my tiny hands, a P-bass is like driving a Mack truck, the Jazz is a Cadillac while the Musicmaster is a Mini Cooper.

Finish is decent considering it's lack of maintenance. Hey, the guy played it... Black finish has some fine cracks lengthwise along the grain & Headstock varnish is yellowing but otherwise, very good & very stock. Hardware is tarnished but in perfect order. Pickguard is ever so slightly warped ( can't quite comb your hair looking into it ).

Pots are suprisingly in excellent shape; no noise, smooth action.

I haven't had it very long but have gigged with it. Again, very good teperature stabilty, especially in Seattle. Yes,I would send this thing solo on a gig.

Leo built this thing knowing he'd be long gone. Thanx!

I've been playing about 30 years ( very little gigging ) & own a new Jazz Bass and a Yamaha Fretless. I play thru a 2x8 Ampeg combo or just DI with some ( OK, alot of ) compression. I wished I had known about this bass earlier, thanx Rusty. I love the minimalism about it which makes you, and lets you, put more into it... It's not a Dump Truck. It's not a Cadillac. It sure ain't a Ferrari but it's fast & fun.
p.s. I'll take good care of it...

Follow-Up to my Earlier Review. I have now had a Chance to get it to the Shop and an interesting thing was found. Some "DunceCap" had Soldered a Capacitor to the Volume Pot or something like that. It was, in essence, sucking the life out of this Bass !
The Guitar Tech was dumbfounded needless to say !
The Bass Sounds " Night and Day " Better now. She is an absolute Sweetheart.

Beautiful Sweet Mellow Tone....worth the Turnaround from The Shop.

Action is Superb, Very Low, and Minimal Fret Buzz. Plays like " Greased Butter " !

I adjusted the Pickup upwards to get more Output.

The White Enamel Body Finish is Cracked and Chipped, but the High-Gloss Neck and Headstock are in Excellent Condition. I was considering Refinishing the Body, but it's a Ton of Dough to do so.

Never had a problem with Fender: I have owned Three Fender Basses in the past, but none as Neat as this !

A great little Short-Scale Bass. It will make a Nice Vintage Collectable Companion Bass for my Hagstrom 1973 H 1 B.
I am just about completely away from Long-Scale Basses....these Short-Scales are simply too much fun for an Old Guy like me !

Made in the U.S.A in 1978.
19 Frets.
Solid Body.
One Volume, One Tone.
One Single-Coil Pickup.
Fender Pickup I Guess ?
Passive Electronics.
Alder Body.
Maple Neck.
Rosewood Fingerboard.
Enamel White Finish ( Now Off-White ).
P-Bass Body Style.
Vintage 4-Saddle Bridge.
Fender Tuners.
30 Inch Scale "Fat" Neck.
Came with Nearly-Wrecked Non-Fender Tweed Hard Shell case ( Which I promptly threw in the Garbage ! )

Cannot accurately assess as I just bought the Bass and it needs Pots Replaced, and the a Full Set-Up ( Including a Proper Pickup Adjustment.) From all other Reviewers, however the Sound of these Basses Rates Highly.
Right now, the Sound is kind of "Murky". I am sure after the Bass gets a good " Overhaul" by the Guitar Tech, it will be Fine.

This Bass has that " Sting Precision Bass " look about it ! Body Finish Cracking and Wear abound, and I love it ! The Neck and Headstock, however, are Beautiful, in Excellent Condition. So is the Hardware. I bought this Bass from a Pawn Shop, so God knows where it's been, yet the Neck is straight as an Arrow, the Frets show Minimal Wear, and the Action is Super Low with no Buzz. Plays like Dream !

Already has withstood Live Playing Big Time !
Hardware is Solid.
Finish has already started to fall off.
The Front Strap Button needed tightening.
Should be Dependable...more on that Later.
I don't Gig...but yes, I would say it be usable without a Backup. It is a Seventies U.S.A. Fender Bass, after all !

I have Dealt with Fender on Amps and Basses before...no problem.

Playing Bass 34 Years. I also own a 1973 Vintage Hagstrom Sunburst H 1 B Bass, a New 2002 Gibson Epiphone EB-O Bass, a Hartke Kickback 10 Bass Combo, a Fender BXR 25 Bass Combo, an Epiphone Studio Bass 10S Bass Combo, and a Rolls Mini-Mix 51 System.

About the MusicMaster, I love the Cool Look, the Light Weight, Ease of Playability, the fact that I have a U.S. Made Fender Bass again,( after a long drought!), The " Relic Look ".
I wish I could have assessed the Sound better prior to Purchasing the Bass, but hopefully everything will Pan out after an Overhaul.
Down the Road, I may get the Body of the Bass Re-Finished down to the Natural Alder, and then NitroCellulose Lacquered, but I hear that's costly.

Custom, hand made, American 1971 Fender MusicMaster Bass. Beautiful cool jazzy shape, natural finish , one pickup, volume and tone controls. Custom cedar carved wooden body and fat neck.

Warm deep funky sound. Sounds very cool with chorus and delay pedals.
This guitar gets the chicks.

It looks fine to me.

Very reliable and durable. Its definitely good live and I wouldn't need a backup. Never goes out of tune and has been serving me well for 6 years.

Excellent service.

This guitar has been serving rock and funk bassists for 31 years. I bought it 6 years ago and if the last owner was not desperate for money he would have kept it for himself. Bottom line is : a must have.