Legit '77 Fender?

[organworthyplayer337]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]


What do you think? I've never looked at a "MusicMaster" but I would think this is mighty cheap right?

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Looks legit and they aren't worth a fortune, seems about right but maybe a little low.

 

[Gorn]

I've played a few of those that sounded terrible. I don't think musicmasters age as well as jazzes and precisions. You'll definately want to check it out thoroughly. The price is on the high side of average.

 

[godofthunder59]

Looks correct to me. I paid 495 for a nice white / rosewood '78 with ohsc. So 600 without case seems a little high to me.

 

[Son of Wobble]

Looks correct to me. I paid 495 for a nice white / rosewood '78 with ohsc. So 600 without case seems a little high to me.

Agree that it looks correct, and that the pricing is (slightly) on the high end. However, if you wanted to buy one today from California Vintage Guitars, a collector's shop near my house, you'd pay a premium $950-1,000. Believe it or not! So $600 ain't so bad.

 

[Son of Wobble]

...Looked at the photo again and saw the damage to the pickguard near the pickup jack. Very common on this model (a real structural flaw, actually). For the reason of this damage, I'd be a buyer at $450 but no more.

 

[reddesert]

OP - you know the Musicmaster is a short scale bass, right?

 

[bassbully]

I had a sweet 74 that was $450 so to me that to high. They are fun basses and to get the tone I wanted I wired in a P bass wiring harness and got rid of the two cap setup.

 

[Son of Wobble]

Here's my black '78 Musicmaster, pictured with friends.

 

[Humbled]

Looks legit to me. Here's my 1975 with markers put on for my daughter long enough ago that i should probably pull 'em off...

 

[EastCoastThump]

Prices on Musicmasters vary, and there's less demand than for the Jazz or P. If you're looking for an instrument that will keep its somewhat soft vintage value, I'd be wary of that black CL '77 on a few fronts: having to score a period replacement pickguard, control knob (and maybe pot, if the shaft is damaged). The paint detail also looks janky by the bridge—can't tell whether that's just a bad cover-up or a bad refin. A refin would likely hurt value more.

If the "vintage" aspect of the bass isn't that important to you, you might try out some of the modern Musicmasters.

In contrast, check out the deal this guy scored on a '78 Musicmaster: "$20 at a yard sale in Kansas." That deal's gone, but here's a "restored early 70s" ebay buy-it-now Musicmaster for $495. It's in Charlotte, NC—which I gather from the CL in the OP is near you. Maybe you could arrange to check it out in person.

 

[REMBO]

Yeah....It's Real!! grab it!

 

[PortlandBass77]

That's definitely legit and I think the finish is original. I sold a refinished one of those (same color but obvious refin) for $500, so I think $600 is a good to fair deal for one of them. They are short scale and have a, for lack of a better word, 'shallow' sound that isn't for everyone. Very comfortable and easy to play basses though.

 

[Sixgunn]

They were basically Fender's "First Act". No offense.

 

[MIMike]

Musicmasters were the very "entry level" instrument that Fender made. Back then people thought Mustangs were beginner instruments, and they were a cut above the Musicmasters.
People question the quality of Fender at that time anyway, so unless you really want a short scale, entry level bass and have some real reason to own a bass made in 77, I would think you could do better.
A P-Bass from the same period for twice the price would be more than twice the instrument IMHO.

 

[Lownote38]

That's legit, and the price is about as high as anyone should pay for one. They have a Strat pickup in them. Yes... a guitar pickup. You can get a drop in replacement from Aero Pickups out of Hawaii if you want a real bass pickup with 4 pole pieces, though.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

I've played a few of those that sounded terrible. I don't think musicmasters age as well as jazzes and precisions. You'll definately want to check it out thoroughly. The price is on the high side of average.

I will be flamed - but these are NOT good stock instruments. They were Fender's bottom of the line piece, meant for students. "Vintage". Feh.

 

[jamro217]

The first question you should ask when you see a "real" vintage instrument is whether or not anybody in their right mind would copy it. You don't see many copies of student models, poor sellers or duds. Since vintage values don't seem to overinflate on these items, the only considerations you should give it is how well it's aged and how serviceable an instrument it is. If you like it, buy it. $600 for a Musicmaster seems a little steep to me, but if you like short scale basses, hey...

 

[Son of Wobble]

I will be flamed - but these are NOT good stock instruments. They were Fender's bottom of the line piece, meant for students. "Vintage". Feh.

The jack input and pickguards are a real weak point on this model. Basically, if you don't spot the pickguard as you pull out the chord, you are likely to rip the pickguard half off the guitar. Many of the old Musicmasters you'll find today have either a broken pickguard or a washer utilized to hold the sucker together.

That being said, I saw the bassist for Icarus Line play a Musicmaster through an Ampeg 8x10 at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles and the sound was HUGE.
Granted, it was being pumped through the mains ... but with amplification and plug-ins available to today, the inherent volume and voicing of an instrument is arguably less important than ever -- those things can be fixed later in the signal chain. So if you just want fundamental, and aren't concerned with nuanced tones, this bass could well do the trick for you -- student model or not.

 

[TyBo]

I have a mid 70's Musicmaster ... nice bass, swapped out the pickup for better sound (kept the old one, of course). They're nice instruments if you like a short scale, which I sometimes do.