Izzy Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Went to a guitar shop today that has vintage stuff and saw a cool small guitar. Musicmaster...hmmm. I played it and it was not bad at all. The price was $799. I ask for the year and it was a 1977. I look for one online (serial # checks out) but it turns out they didn't come with tremolo bridges and they only came with one pup...so this is a musicmaster neck and a mustang body (has switches, trem, same mustang knobs). I call the guy at the shop and at first he sounds insulted that I would dare to mention such a thing. I was cool about it. All I said was, "These only came with this and that and, though yours is nice, I would feel like an idiot paying that kind of money for a half vintage when I could buy an unaltered one for about the same at another shop." The guy took my number and is going to call me back. It pays to come home and do your homework sometimes. I could have been suckered... Ya'll ever have close calls or actually been fooled? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Amen. Way to go. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Hey Izzy I've had both - got fooled when I was younger because...I didn't stop to consider even if I had done the homework, too excited by 'the dream', must have happened a few times. These days I wouldn't do that as I know better but I still have the dreams! There are so many of these 'FrankenFenders' now; I could buy all the parts including neckplate on eBay and make a pretty good Strat that would be a nice guitar to play, but never came out of the factory.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I tend to agree that 800 bones for a Musicmaster OR a Mustang from 1977 seems a high price to me. But, also, I haven't followed them of priced them in quite a long time. '77 isn't a "golden era" for Fenders, to say the least. If you were to line up various years and models by price, a MM or Mustang from '77 would be at or near the very beginning of the row. Having said that, the colors and pickgaurds, the overall guitar always gets me. When ever I would go to a freinds house and there was one, I'd play it. I'd be "if only...it was just a tad bigger". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Bone Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Been fooled, but never spent money on one that fooled me (fortunately!). Check out a Duo-Sonic, that may be just the ticket for you. Oh, and the guy who got the Musicmaster for a hundred bucks a few years ago? He stole it. That is an unheard of low price these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Yep....sometimes and almost....but almost never since I have educated myself and have a lot of reference material and the internet over the last 20 years. Sometimes, quick lust and emotion will be a downfall, but always take your time>>.> The way that I look at it. If its in a store. If its such a great deal. Someone else would have snagged it before I had a chance. I am not Lottery Lucky.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzboy Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Smart move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 They had this one priced as an acoustic electric. I went home and checked it, then went back. I think I ended up giving almost as much for the case as I did the guitar when he was done discounting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Have I ever been fooled??? Hell ya. You don't get to 51 without learning lessons the hard way. Don't just apply to guitars. Applies to everything. And I didn't have the internuts when I was your age so research meant using the phone or driving to a library. As long as one learns from it one can always write it off as training... lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 They had this one priced as an acoustic electric. I went home and checked it, then went back. I think I ended up giving almost as much for the case as I did the guitar when he was done discounting I really like the top on that guitar Chan... looks like that tree was trippin when it was felled.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 The only way to learn is to be fooled. We're lucky to live in an age where we can easily look things up. I didn't have this luxury in my younger days. So I did get fooled. I live close enough to the famous House of Guitars and I know their accountant, so I got to know the owners. They give me great deals (up to 20% off what you see on the lowest internet price). Plus I can actually talk intelligently to their staff. When I wanted to get a PRS I spent well over an hour with their expert of exactly what I wanted. He convinced me that the 25th Anniversary Model would fit all of my needs. Boy did it ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 If you can get or even find a nice original Musicmaster in even moderately good condition for 100 bucks I'd buy 10 and feel blessed. There a solid guitar that plays well and has fairly light weight. My current White 77 only weighs 6 lbs. 5 oz. and has that great yellow patina only age can give them. I used to have two but I sold one about 6 months ago to a good friend that wanted four guitars including of of the Musicmasters I sold it to him for $795 and he was lucky to get it was pristine with original case the works. $800 is probably top price unless it's in amazing shape for a 77 and if it's a mashup it worth less than half even if it's a good mashup but there not cheap throwaways at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzy Posted March 20, 2013 Author Share Posted March 20, 2013 Okay, from everything I've read it seems that the Duo Sonic and Musicmaster are THE SAME body but one has an extra pup. Is this correct, meaning the necks are the same and the bodies are the same...only the pickguard and electronics were adjusted? I am trying a Musicmaster at GC today (1959) so I can have a better idea of what I am buying should I happen to like it and find one online. Also to compare it to a LP Jr, which I've never played before *cough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennis Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I approach guitar shopping as I do relationships; fall in love and jump in head first. So far it's been working out for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Okay, from everything I've read it seems that the Duo Sonic and Musicmaster are THE SAME body but one has an extra pup. Is this correct, meaning the necks are the same and the bodies are the same...only the pickguard and electronics were adjusted? I am trying a Musicmaster at GC today (1959) so I can have a better idea of what I am buying should I happen to like it and find one online. Also to compare it to a LP Jr, which I've never played before *cough Yup...correct. Musicmaster has one pup at the neck, Duo-sonic two pup version. Mustang is 'technically' a Dousonic with a trem. There were, however, some changes to them you might want to consider. Mainly having to do with specs according to age, as they can be very different animals. Origonally, the scale was 22 1/2", thats SHORT. There was also a change in the body- early ones are more of a slab body, and later ones got the back bevel (like on a Strat), as well as the "offset waist", which maens if the guitar is standing stright up like on a stand, the waist is at the same spot, and the offset waist has them, well, offset. Pretty sure about '64 is the change. Also, MOST later ones we see have a 24" scale, which is still short, but more of a "standard" scale. (24" is the same as a Jag). I don't know how many of the earlier body style were made in the 24" scale, or how many later ones with the shorter 22 1/2" scale, but definitely something to be aware of. An easier way to tell the differents body styles, is there are other changes as well. The later ones have the chrome plate for the controls, like a Jag, and the early ones have a one-piece guard. Later ones have a six-saddle bridge, early ones a three adjustable saddles, like a Tele does. Basically, these things (Musicmaster, Duo-sonic) in the older style and the newer style are two different guitars, even though the idea and name is the same. The old ones are cool because they normally have a gold PG, that old pre-CBS quality, and that vibe. But watch out for the scale lenght. And of corse, expect to pay for that genuine spegetti logo. The new ones are cool because they came in great colors, usually a pearl PG or tortiose, and what I think is a great, balanced yet sleek look. One more thing- be aware of different neck widths in addition to the scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Oh Izzy if you haven't tried a Junior and your looking for a small guitar get yourself somewhere and try one there one of the small under appreciated for years great guitars Gibson made. The values are going up but there still some good buys out there for vintage as well some new signature and custom shop models. The Melody Maker is another fun small electric also with some good players picking them down through the the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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