Musicmaster

[skidmarkbass]

I was given a 1977 Musicmaster with a perfect neck and ratty body. I was going to have it roughted for pbass pickups $100, but the shop owner talked me out of it. My new plan is:

1. Strip body/sand/tung oil
2. New wire harness
3. New pick up (thinking SD QP) with slight enlargement
to the pick guard hole.
4. Modern Bridge

I'm not really a short scale guy, but this seems like a fun project.

 

[phillybass101]

a MusicMaster was my first "real" Fender. I have thought of getting one just to have one. I would recondition it back to original specs and leave it at that. Maybe you can find a better replacement pickup and electronics but on the outside it would look stock.

 

[skidmarkbass]

At first I was thinking about re-painting the body, however unlike most of the musicmasters that i've seen, this one has a one piece body and some nice grain. If I like the bass, I can always spring for the AERO, or Wizzard pickup that is the same size as the original......... or just trade it.

 

[Din Of Win]

Man... i've been looking for a good deal on a Musicmaster for a while. They've gotten to that "overpriced because they're old and say Fender on the head stock" in the area.


I've modded a Squier Bronco and had a stock Squier Vista Musicmaster.

I, personally, prefer the Musicmaster single strat pickup to the Mustang and (in some cases) P bass for the "single pickup in the sweet spot" sound.

There are a TON of strat sized pickups on the market. I have a duncan hot rails on my Bronco, and it's fabulous. I'd recommend to anyone looking to spruce up their Bronco/Musicmaster!

Good luck with the re-finishing!

 

[Pilgrim]

If the paint is original, DO NOT mess with it. It makes me cringe, because I dislike ratty basses, but any original 70's Fender is worth $$ as is.

If you want a bass like that to mod, get a Bronco. They play great and they're a super platform for mods.

 

[48thStreetCustom]

Not sure, but I think the Musicmaster has a smaller string spacing. Changing the bridge might mess with where the strings hit the fingerboards and where the pu poll pieces align. I think the Musicmaster is 2" versus the standard 2.25" so you might want to stick with the stock bridge.

 

[skidmarkbass]

The body does have the original paint, however it is flaking off in chunks. The kid that gave it to me, started to sand some of the paint off before I rescued it. And yes, I will try the stock bridge first, brfore messing with the string spacing.

 

[Spinal Tapper]

That body is TOO cool! To strip it would be a crime. I would put it back together as original as possible if it were me...

 

[dcalde78]

I say do what you want with the body. If it's anything like the one I had to work with (I had to sand it, it had some brutal clear coat that took ages to take off) it'll take some elbow grease.

If you do strip it down, paint it in a proper Fender colour.

 

[skidmarkbass]

Thanks all, I will post my progress.