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Post subject: Artists who use the Fender Musicmaster?
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 3:40 pm
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Greetings!

So there's something I've had on my mind for a while but but never brought it up, not too sure why. :lol: So I've seen one is my local music store, and also see them pop up quite often on ebay, I've played them before and they're quite awesome basses! They have a really nice feel, it's super comfortable, and the short scale is a nice touch! Sound was great, even with the strat pick-up! Although the one I played had weird wiring, I believe it may have been faulty, the tone effected the volume, not like an normal bass, it almost completely shut it off. Is that normal? I think I may have came off topic a bit, so back to why you clicked this to begin with, are there any artists who use the Fender Musicmaster? What about the Squier one? Have any of you ever played it? I know the Squier version has the 4-pole piece pick-up instead of the 6-pole piece strat, much like the 50's Squier bass. Does it compare to the original? So are there any artists that use either the Fender or Squier Musicmaster? Sorry for the other irrelevant questions, but I also had to get those off my mind too :lol:

Keep Rockin'! :D :D


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Post subject: Re: Artists who use the Fender Musicmaster?
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 10:00 pm
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Those are beginner basses OR at least that is what they were when I was a kid. Technically the sound of one stock is no compare to a Jazz or a P. The girl who played one Tina ? in the one big time band that played "Burning Down The House" is the only one I've ever seen on the big stage. She was small and I guess the P and J' were just to big for her. I would think hers was modified somewhat .


It's late and I'm going to kick myself later for not remembering the name of that band . It's been a long time since I've heard anything about them. :D


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Post subject: Re: Artists who use the Fender Musicmaster?
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 8:42 am
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I've heard something about them being student basses, and that they're the least collectable. Oh well, I think owing one would be totally awesome, I'd definitely use it on stage and recording, it definitely has a different sound :lol: :D


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Post subject: Re: Artists who use the Fender Musicmaster?
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 9:26 am
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The Wikipedia article Fender Musicmaster Bass lists several artists who use the guitar.


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Post subject: Re: Artists who use the Fender Musicmaster?
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 5:58 pm
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stroker vance wrote:
Those are beginner basses OR at least that is what they were when I was a kid. Technically the sound of one stock is no compare to a Jazz or a P. The girl who played one Tina ? in the one big time band that played "Burning Down The House" is the only one I've ever seen on the big stage. She was small and I guess the P and J' were just to big for her. I would think hers was modified somewhat .


It's late and I'm going to kick myself later for not remembering the name of that band . It's been a long time since I've heard anything about them. :D


Talking Heads is the band you are thinking of maybe? Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads played a short scale Fender but I think it was a Mustang with an added single coil in the neck position which sort of made it look like a Musicmaster but the competition stripe gives it away. She later switched to a Fender Jazz and went off the reservation for a Steinberger at one point. During the Talking Heads days she also had a Fender Swinger she played sometimes in "Stop Making Sense." She apparently likes oddball Fender shorties. David Byrne also favored a shortscale Fender Duosonic.


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Post subject: Re: Artists who use the Fender Musicmaster?
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 6:03 pm
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Found this photo of Tina Weymouth with her modified Mustang!

Image


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Post subject: Re: Artists who use the Fender Musicmaster?
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 7:05 pm
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wow, that pup is right up to the neck. cool pic. Never saw a black control plate on a Mustang before, either. Nice pic..thanks.

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Post subject: Re: Artists who use the Fender Musicmaster?
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 7:39 am
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brotherdave wrote:
stroker vance wrote:
Those are beginner basses OR at least that is what they were when I was a kid. Technically the sound of one stock is no compare to a Jazz or a P. The girl who played one Tina ? in the one big time band that played "Burning Down The House" is the only one I've ever seen on the big stage. She was small and I guess the P and J' were just to big for her. I would think hers was modified somewhat .


It's late and I'm going to kick myself later for not remembering the name of that band . It's been a long time since I've heard anything about them. :D


Talking Heads is the band you are thinking of maybe? Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads played a short scale Fender but I think it was a Mustang with an added single coil in the neck position which sort of made it look like a Musicmaster but the competition stripe gives it away. She later switched to a Fender Jazz and went off the reservation for a Steinberger at one point. During the Talking Heads days she also had a Fender Swinger she played sometimes in "Stop Making Sense." She apparently likes oddball Fender shorties. David Byrne also favored a shortscale Fender Duosonic.



Okay Talking Heads- I remember now.


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Post subject: Re: Artists who use the Fender Musicmaster?
Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 12:35 pm
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NickSloth182 wrote:
Greetings!

So there's something I've had on my mind for a while but but never brought it up, not too sure why. :lol: So I've seen one is my local music store, and also see them pop up quite often on ebay, I've played them before and they're quite awesome basses! They have a really nice feel, it's super comfortable, and the short scale is a nice touch! Sound was great, even with the strat pick-up! Although the one I played had weird wiring, I believe it may have been faulty, the tone effected the volume, not like an normal bass, it almost completely shut it off. Is that normal? I think I may have came off topic a bit, so back to why you clicked this to begin with, are there any artists who use the Fender Musicmaster? What about the Squier one? Have any of you ever played it? I know the Squier version has the 4-pole piece pick-up instead of the 6-pole piece strat, much like the 50's Squier bass. Does it compare to the original? So are there any artists that use either the Fender or Squier Musicmaster? Sorry for the other irrelevant questions, but I also had to get those off my mind too :lol:

Keep Rockin'! :D :D





I have both a '78 Fender Musicmaster and '96 Squier Musicmaster bass. Love them, whatever they were intended for they are my two workhorses that go to every gig and get played the most.

That being said, the orig '78 def had some issues. I actually got it for free from a friend whose parents found it in a barn of an old run down farm they purchased. It took some time to rehab it, this was about '96 and I had never seen a short scale in person so I was determined to have it working.

As for comparing them the Squier reissue was a much better built bass, heavier, more solid, the bridge had 4 individual saddles rather than 2, also string through the body bridge, and the "vista tone" pickup was a big upgrade over the originals having the strat pickup.

All of those upgrades have been done to my '78 so now they are almost identical except for my son's airbrush work and the weight. And before any purists out there keel over I did keep all the old parts to go back at any time should it be necessary. At this point I'll be buried with these things so I'm not concerned about it.

Since they are short scale basses they are kind of like Rodney Dangerfield's and "don't get no respect" for the most part. I've met a few musicians who regard them with disdain due to their size but to each his own. And maybe it's because they aren't Mustangs but that's ok too.

Rock on!


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Post subject: Re: Artists who use the Fender Musicmaster?
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 1:05 pm
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I favor single coil tone and like the sound of a Musicmaster. But they can get noisy like any single coil in RFI fields. I can understand anyone using one that likes a single coil tone. They are super easy playing also. The Musicmasters, the real vintage ones, lag in value and I think represent the last opportunity to have a real vintage Fender on a tight budget. They were intended as a student instrument, but sounded really good if you stayed away from RFI. Same RFI issue come stock with the first generation P-Bass, the Telecaster Bass single coil and about any single coil Jazz with either pickup soloed. I sure don't mind hearing any of these tones though. I prefer the tone of a Musicmaster to a Mustang myself. There's a lot to be said for a single coil tone over any split coil or humbucker.


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Post subject: Re: Artists who use the Fender Musicmaster?
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 2:31 pm
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I changed out the 6 pole strat for the Vista tone in the interest of getting a better bass tone and staying with the single coil without having to route out the pickguard much.

Those pickups with the DR "black beauty" coated strings sound really nice, at least I think so. I've never even played a Mustang bass or seen one in person. These short scales are such a rare animal.


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Post subject: Re: Artists who use the Fender Musicmaster?
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 3:01 pm
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Funny, I almost never pull out my 78 Musicmaster. No special reason, I just grab a Mustang when I want a short scale. I will probably sell it after the holidays. I did notice at this last practice that my 68 Mustang is a bit wimpy compared with the 52P I was playing along side. Just didn't have enough output to cut through the mix.

Back to the thread, I don't know of a lot of Musicmaster pros, but there are a number that have played Mustangs.

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Post subject: Re: Artists who use the Fender Musicmaster?
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 1:47 pm
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I'm probably jinxing myself by saying this, but I've never had an issue with buzz/noise from my Musicmasters, and I usually play both of them at each gig. That is another reason for duplicating the pickups, minimizes changes that have to be made in the PA when going from one bass to the other by the soundman. And btw, the soundman is me so makes my life easier.

I play through a Line 6 Lowdown 300, love it for the built in tuner I can flip to anytime. I use three settings normally for gigging, all start with the same basic tone, one with a little delay, one with a little flange and one with some distortion. Never use the wah feature but maybe will find a place for it someday. That amp has a ton of sounds that I'll never use too. But Line 6's are finnicky creatures when it comes to power so it's always run through it's own surge protector with a ground lift.


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