Fender's 3/4 Scale Guitars:
Below an article only interesting for hard boiled guitar
nerds and people addicted to short scale Fenders. IÕm one those geeks. Also the
Fender Swinger is in this story. The
Bronco is a later short scale IÕm not very fond of, because the Mustang bridge
is replaced by some kind of a Stratocaster bridge. The Jaguar is also a short
scale of course, but twice as much in price. The ones mentioned here are called
student guitars and were rather cheap at that time.
If you like the guitar sound of the Smells Like Teen Spirit or
BlurÕs Song #2, this is the guitar you want. All of these guitars sound exactly,
even unplugged, like the introÕs you hear at those songs. Of all Fender
instruments the short scales are my absolute favorite. The Mustangs I have,
sounds better than every other Fender type of guitar IÕve ever played, except
for the Jaguar Valentijn owns perhapsÉ But not even sure about that and the Jag
costs about twice as much as a Mustang. A big price for a small difference. The
only thing I find cool about the Jaguar is the tailed bridge construction, but
since IÕve developed the Springtime and the Twister, which are much better on this
field, the Jaguar has lost my interest a bit.
Short scale Fenders are neat and the big pro is you can
employ them with 0.13 strings and have 4 wound strings + 2 plain ones.
Everybody whoÕs a bit trained knows about the annoying too loudly yangling
plain G-string on regular guitars. A wound one solves this, but on long scale
guitars the tension becomes pretty high. ThatÕs the main reason I prefer 3/4
scaled instruments.
Replicas made in the ninties might look the same as the old
ones, but differ very much in sound. IÕve only heard people complaining about
those instruments as well as the Jaguar and Jazzmaster re-issues. If you like
to buy an original vintage short scale, the article below is very handy to read
first.
Also the Mustang Bass and the Musicmaster Bass exist and are
short scale basses. I like them for their small shape, but some people have
problems with the E string dropping off while playing too wild. Because of the
shorter scale the tension is lower, causing this problem. But it looks good to
play on one, so who cares.
The brief history of the 22.5 inch scale-length
Musicmaster & Duo-Sonic, the descendant Mustang, and the swan song Swinger.
By Tim Pershing
(This article originally appeared, in a somewhat different
form, as a two-part article in 20th Century Guitar Magazine, December 1996 and
January 1997)
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
To understand Fender's introduction of the 3/4 scale
Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic guitars in the mid 1950s it is necessary to look at
the aggressive development and marketing strategy of Fender Electric
Instruments at the time. Fender established their presence in the electric
(solid) guitar field at the start of the decade with the relatives of the
Telecaster. They next released the Precision Bass, and followed that up with
the Stratocaster. While all this was going on, Fender refined and added to
their amplifier and steel guitar line as well. And right around the corner
would be an update project for the P-Bass, the introduction of their electric
Mandolin, and the development of the successor to the Strat, the radical
Jazzmaster.
They were certainly one busy little company in the mid 1950s
when, surveying their electric guitar line-up, they decided to add a low-end
instrument to accompany their mid-priced workhorse Telecaster guitar and the
high-end Stratocaster.
By all accounts the research and development of Fender's 3/4
size guitars (the one pickup Musicmaster and the two pickup Duo-Sonic) went
very quickly. Unfortunately, extensive interviews with, and even full-length
books from the key players involved (Messers Fender, Hyatt, Randall, Tavares,
White and Fullerton) fail to shed much light on the inception of these guitars.
Even Richard Smith’s astonishing "Fender: The Sound Heard ‘round the
World" spares only a few paragraphs to the student guitars. Of course,
given the astounding success of the three previous guitars (the Tele, P-Bass
and Strat) it's understandable that the less prominent 3/4 scale instruments
would receive little mention, but it is maddening that so little is known about
the R & D side.
What is known is that the 3/4 scale Fender guitars were
conceptually conceived in the latter part of 1955 as a result of a request from
the Sales Department to produce an instrument for this niche. After a few prototypes
were made in early 1956, Fender began advertising their 3/4 size guitars, and
the first production runs for the Musicmaster were initiated in late April of
1956. The Duo-Sonic started rolling off the assembly line just a little more
than two months later.
Why create a 3/4 scale length guitar? The Sales Department
probably had three reasons:
0. To place a Fender instrument within economic reach of
more customers.
0. To truly target the student or entry-level guitar buyer,
who would likely be a child or young adult, or anyone (male or female, young or
old) with smaller hands. As these players advanced, they would be more inclined
to move up to (read: purchase) a full-sized Fender.
0. To compete with similar instruments offered by the
competition (though in hindsight Gibson never sold too many 3/4 scale Les Paul
Juniors). Still, the market for 3/4 scale electric guitars was largely unknown
in the mid 1950's, and the competition (Gibson, Rickenbacker, etc.) were
readying their entry-level short-scale instruments. Fender was obliged to act.
FIRST VERSION: 1956 to 1959
The first version of 3/4 scale Fender guitars are
characterized by the one-piece maple neck, the gold anodized metal pickguard,
and the conservative beige color. These are classic '50s Fender appointments,
applied to a design that was inspired at least in part by the timeless
Stratocaster.
First version features:
0. A one-piece bolt-on fretted maple neck of 22.5 inch scale
length with 21 frets and 1 5/8 inches wide at the nut. The truss rod was
installed through a channel routed in the back of the neck, and a "skunk
stripe" of darker wood (walnut) was used to fill in the channel. These
necks have a definite "V" profile, in hard and soft variations.
Standard Fender fret wire was installed.
0. The exact headstock dimensions as the Stratocaster. A
single, butterfly string retainer. Six on a side, individual
"single-line" Kluson Deluxe tuning gears with white plastic buttons.
The earliest examples (from the Spring of 1956) are fitted with "blank-line"
Kluson gears.
0. A small, rectangular chrome-plated metal bridge;
top-loading, with three 3-way adjustable solid steel saddles and topped by a
removable chrome-plated bridge cover.
0. A solid, bevel-edged slab body of poplar or similar grade
wood, usually in two or more glued-together pieces. The bodies were always
routed for two pickups, regardless of final configuration. These bodies were
finished in the same beige color (Desert Sand) that was used on Fender's
low-end steel guitars; sort of an opaque "Blonde". Because they were
not sealed with a clear coat of lacquer, they are not as prone to
"yellowing" as other Fender guitars from that era.
0. A gold anodized metal pickguard/control plate, containing
the entire wiring harness: volume & tone potentiometers, the 1/4 inch jack,
and the pickup configuration: a single, angled neck pickup for the Musicmaster,
and an additional bridge pickup and 3 way toggle switch (located on the upper
treble bout) for the Duo-Sonic. These pickups were black bobbin single-coils,
with pole pieces milled flat on the top to accept the solid, white plastic
pickup cover. Traditional chrome barrel knobs finished off the control plate.
0. A silver "spaghetti" logo decal was affixed to
the headstock for the Musicmaster, gold for the Duo. Under the Fender name, and
slightly to the right, appeared the name of the model, in small capital letters
and framed in quotation marks.
A note on assembly-line frugality: the Musicmaster and
Duo-Sonic guitars shared many parts with another Fender product that predates
their introduction, the Champ steel guitar. Among other things, the pickups and
covers, the plastic-tipped Kluson gears, the knobs and even the Desert Sand
finish were applied to both the Champ lap steels and the 3/4 scale student
guitars!
An additional note about the very first production run of
Musicmasters:
Enough examples have surfaced that we now have a pretty
clear picture of the first production run of the Musicmaster. Neck dates have
been noted with both m/yy dates (4-56) and with specific dates from the last
two weeks (4-20-56, for example) of the month of April. The following features
have been noted (for the first production run only):
0. Gun-metal black finished sheet metal pickguards.
0. Ash bodies on some (or most) of the first-run guitars.
0. Very "crude" body routs (perhaps hand routed)
are known on the very earliest examples.
0. Exclusively fitted with single (blank) line Kluson
tuners.
Structural evolution during the 1956 - 1959 period:
During the course of 1958 the necks became narrower at the
nut (1 1/2 inches wide) and more rounded in profile, becoming almost
"oval" by early 1959. The solid steel saddles were replaced with the
threaded style saddles. The anodization became a bit thicker and somewhat more
durable on the pickguard.
Color notes:
A small number of instruments were produced in a color other
than beige. At least a few Red examples (some with black pickup covers) from
circa 1957/1958 are known to exist, but photographs that have circulated of
several other color schemes are not convincing proof, in my humble opinion,
that they are necessarily original.
In particular is a widely distributed photograph of an
(implied) original sunburst Musicmaster that has appeared in many of the
popular GPI books. This infamous instrument is CLEARLY a refin. In the case of
any alleged custom color Fender, believe ONLY what you can see and verify with
your own eyes.
In any event, "custom" colors on the early 3/4
scale Fenders are clearly very, very unusual and quite rare.
In the middle of 1959 the entire Fender line of guitars went
through an overhaul, and the 3/4 scale guitars were no different.
SECOND VERSION: 1959 TO 1964
The second version of the 3/4 scale Fenders are
distinguished, like all Fender guitars of that period, by the transition from
maple necks to rosewood fretboards; by the introduction of new colors, and by
terrific quality control and attention to detail. All the instruments produced
by Fender during this era are highly prized by collectors and players.
Second version features:
0. The maple necks were fitted with a "slab"
rosewood fingerboard (milled flat on the bottom) with "clay" dot
position markers. The truss rod could be installed through the top of the neck,
prior to gluing on the separate fingerboard, so the "skunk stripe"
route was no longer necessary. Since the rosewood board significantly
strengthened the neck, thinner neck profiles were possible
(this was and is a more popular profile for electric
guitars) and the "oval" profile necks appeared immediately.
0. The neck pocket routing was changed slightly to accept
the marginally thinner necks, and the routing and screw pattern for the
pickguard was altered; 4 additional screws were affixed along with the original
8. The standard color scheme was changed from Desert Sand to a tan color, the
name of which was evidently never heavily promoted by Fender, and is not known
to the author.
0. The metal pickguard, its gold anodization being prone to
"wear through" to bare metal, was replaced with a creme-colored, one
piece plastic guard with beveled edges. A thin metal shielding plate was placed
underneath the guard to help shield the pickup assembly from electronic
interference. The white plastic pickup covers were changed to a dark brown.
During the summer of 1959, when the transition was made from
the first to the second version of the 3/4 scale guitars, overlaps of materials
were certainly possible, due to the assembly-line nature of the construction of
the instruments. Parts in stock were always used up by Fender!
A few rosewood board guitars with metal pickguards, for
example, would not be surprising. It is certain that Fender had an excess of
the "old" bodies that were fitted to the "new" rosewood
necks. These are easy to spot as they have only 11 securing screws holding the
plastic pickguard to the body (the screw located roughly between the tone knob
& the jack is missing; there's nothing underneath to screw into!).
Structural evolution during the 1959 - 1964 period:
Around the middle of 1962, the slab rosewood fretboard was
replaced by a thinner curved "veneer" rosewood board. In the course
of 1963 the spacing of the two position dots at the 12th fret became narrower.
The profile of the neck gradually became fuller and more rounded, most noticeably
towards the end of 1963. Headstocks became thicker. The Fender label on the
headstock gained a patent number (PAT 2,573,254) in the middle of 1961. The
Duo-Sonic began sporting the thicker gold "transition" logo in the
Spring of 1964. The threading on the steel saddles became a bit coarser during
1963 as well.
Color notes:
By late 1961 (or possibly early 1962) a sunburst color
option was added, and in at least one Fender publication it was referred to as
"Shaded Sunburst". The 3/4 scale 'burst was different than the
regular Fender style in that it ran, from the inside out, yellow to red to
maroon; no black on the outer edge, and the center yellow area was fairly
opaque (compared to the "normal" Fender sunburst). The sunburst
guitars were fitted with a white one-piece plastic pickguard with beveled
edges, and the same brown pickup covers. The tan color was dropped by early ‘62
and Sunburst became the standard trim. Most (or all?) of these early ‘burst
guitars have been found with the sunburst finish sprayed over a tan finish.
Left over tan paint was evidently used as an undercoat for some time to come.
White was offered as a color option by mid 1963. The white guitars were fitted
with a "nitro" tortoise (b/w/t) pickguard and stark white pickup
covers. Sunburst was phased at this time. Another noteworthy color option
appeared roughly at this time: "Red Mahogany", Fender's answer to
cherry red (a see-through red finish that appeared sporadically in '63 and
'64). Red Mahogany was initially offered on mahogany-bodied guitars, but by
mid-'64 it was applied to the normal wood (poplar, etc) as well. Red Mahogany
instruments were not produced in large quantities (by Fender standards) and the
properties of the paint made it more susceptible to checking and cracking, so
finding a guitar with the finish intact is difficult, though not impossible.
The use of mahogany (as a body wood) was uncommon at Fender but examples have
turned up on most models. At any rate, the Red Mahogany guitars were normally
fitted with white guards and black covers, although tortoise guards could have
been applied to some of the non-white instruments.
Caution: since the entire electronic assembly can be
literally lifted off the guitar by simply unscrewing the pickguard, it would be
a simple matter for anyone to install an assembly from one (color) guitar to
another. Whether Fender actually produced (for example) white painted guitars
with white pickguards is anyone's guess. In the booming, assembly-line world of
Fender in the mid-1960's, anything was possible. However, in assessing the
originality of a 30 year-old instrument today, it is best to be guided by what
was probable.
A major re-working of the "Student Guitar" line
was afoot in 1964, and in August of that year the Fender Mustang debuted
(essentially a Duo-Sonic with tremolo). The Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic received
extensive face-lifts (matching them in appearance with the Mustang), and all
three guitars were offered in "full" and "short" scale
versions. Thus, the 3/4 scale Fender guitar began its descent into oblivion.
THIRD VERSION: 1964 TO 1967
The so-called "II" series guitars featured
redesigned appointments and changes to the classic headstock shape. Although
the outline of the body remained relatively stable (the waist of the body was
slightly offset) other features of the instruments were substantially altered.
The versatility of optional scale lengths, a design feature of the II series,
ultimately doomed the 3/4 scale neck, as most players evidently preferred the
longer 24" scale length (at no additional cost). The Mustang was an
instant hit, and ironically its popularity would shortly allow Fender to
discontinue the Duo-Sonic.
Third version features:
0. The headstock, for so many years the twin of the
Stratocaster, was enlarged in the bout below the tuning gears, where the label
was affixed. The new shape was unique to the 3/4 scale necks, putting it
somewhere between the Jazzmaster and the (soon to be) re-styled Stratocaster.
With this change came an alteration in the spacing of the two position markers
at the 12th fret. Oddly, they were pushed further apart to almost their
original wide spacing.
0. The bridge plate for the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic was
noticeably enlarged and modified in such a way that it would no longer receive
a chrome cover. The guitars remained top-loading, however, with the same three
saddle arrangement. The redesigned bridge size and placement could
(economically) accommodate intonation for either short or long scale length
necks.
0. The Mustang received a completely new "DYNAMIC
VIBRATO" bridge/tailpiece unit. The bridge was essentially Fender's crude
interpretation of a floating "tune-o-matic"; the inertia bar studs
were affixed to springs (under the plate) that counteracted the pull of string
tension. A simple arm, attached to the bar, allowed vibrato between string and
spring tension.
0. Body routings were changed to accept the redesigned
pickup and control layout (and the Mustang's vibrato contraption), though the
body shape was not terribly different. A total of 15 screws held the
pickguard/control plates in place, 12 and 3 respectively.
0. The bridge pickup was slanted (to align the pole pieces
with the strings) and the neck pickup was moved slightly towards the neck. This
may have been another concession for the long scale neck option. The pickguard
was separated from the control plate, and it received an outward-rounding curve
on the top (low E) side. White colored guitars still came with tortoise guards,
but the pickup covers were initially changed to an off-white, slightly
translucent plastic. Red colored instruments came equipped with "crushed
pearl" (w/b/p) guards, and black plastic pickup covers. The thin metal
shielding plate was discarded in favor of 4 metal shielding/ground plates that were
inserted into the bottom of the body routings.
0. The 2-pickup instruments received a pair of slider
switches in the rounded top (low E side) of the pickguard. Controlling each
pickup separately, the switch turned the pickup "off" in the middle
position, and would change the "phasing" of the pickup by moving the
switch to the left or right of the off position. Several combinations of
pickups and phasing were possible.
0. The separate control plate was chrome-plated metal, and
housed the volume & tone pots, as well as the 1/4 inch jack. The knobs were
changed to a skirted, seven-sided hard black plastic style.
0. As soon as the previous labels held in stock were used
up, a new label was applied to the headstocks of the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic.
Both received the thicker gold "transition" Fender logo, with the
model name (MUSICMASTER II or DUO-SONIC II) in slightly bolder print. Two
patent numbers (PAT. 2,573,254 3,143,028) were initially included; they were
shortly replaced by three numbers. The Mustang label had the same gold Fender
logo, but the model name followed in flowing bold "motion" block
letters, and a string of patent numbers (DES. 186,826 PAT. 2.960,900 2,741,146
& PAT. PEND.) rode underneath for a short time; five numbers would soon
follow. A separate "OFFSET Contour Body" decal was affixed to the end
of the headstock of the 3/4 necked Mustangs, though contouring was not offered
on any Mustang until the "Competition" colors were introduced circa
1967.
Note: the transition from the original to the "II"
series guitars appears to be quite definite, with no overlap of parts (necks,
pickguards, routed bodies) evident from the previous series.
Another note: all the newly redesigned Duos and MMs are
considered "II" series guitars, regardless of scale length or label
applied to the headstock. It is a common misconception to refer to only long
scale examples as "II" series, a distinction Fender never made.
Structural evolution during the 1964 - 1967 period:
The clay dot position markers were replaced with pearloid
dots towards the end of 1964. Overlaps do occur where pearl top and clay side
markers appear. The pearl dots were slightly larger than the clay, but the
spacing of the double dots at the 12th fret remained the same. Necks continued
to grow slightly thicker in the headstock, more rounded in profile, and
displayed less-smooth, more squared-off shouldering. Double line Kluson Deluxe
tuners, with white plastic buttons, also appeared at the end of 1964. These
became the standard trim for the remainder of the life of the 3/4 scale guitar
necks.
Nitrate (or celluloid) pickguards also disappeared about
this time (they were prone to shrink, warp, wrinkle, discolor, etc.) and were
replaced by similar styled plastic guards. The earliest examples were slightly
thicker than those produced later in the '60s.
Roughly concurrent with the introduction of the Mustang was
the changeover from black bobbin pickups to a light gray fiber material
(although the top bobbon remained black for a while), and by 1966 the bright
copper formvar winding wire was replaced by a plain enamel wire. Black bobbin
(top & bottom) pickups reappeared in 1967 on all the student guitars; it is
not known to the author why this happened but I would speculate that they were
left-over from an earlier era.
Noticeably heavier bodies began to appear as well, though
"inconsistent" is the best way to describe guitar weight during this
period.
Color notes:
A Daphne blue-like color option was added to the student
guitar line in mid-1964, and a Dakota red-like color was added or in place at
that time as well, making the standard color schemes for the new student guitar
line red, white and blue. Patriotic with a purpose: a reminder to buyers that
these instruments were made in the USA. Blue guitars received the same white
pearloid pickguards and black pickup covers as the red instruments, while white
guitars retained the tortoise guards and off-white covers.
From the latter part of 1963 well into the late 1960s, the
entire Fender line of guitars began to show the negative effects of increased
production. Loss of attention to detail; inconsistency due to an influx of new
workers; a lessening in the quality of base materials; and other factors all
contributed to the overall decline in quality that was witnessed during this
period.
1967 would seem to a rather arbitrary year to signal the
"end" of the regular production of 3/4 scale Fender guitars, since
Fender continued to offer (in its promotional material anyway) the short scale
option for its student guitars well into the early '70s. For the most part,
Fender used a lot of surplus '66 parts to assemble their ’67 guitars anyway,
and the popularity of the long scale neck option (combined with the bottom
falling out of the electric guitar market) contributed to the disappearance of
the 3/4 necks. They would not be seen again until 1969, when the vast majority
of the surplus 3/4 scale necks were used-up on la dolce vita Swinger.
Note: a few 3/4 necks evidently found their on to
Competition Mustangs (of all things) and this has been verified by the author.
This certainly raises the question of whether a few made it out of the factory
attached to a Musicmaster, Duo-Sonic (or even Bronco) body. Since no examples
have as yet turned up, I’ll leave that as an open question.
FINAL VERSION: 1969
The final version of the 3/4 scale Fender guitar is the
infamous Swinger. Swingers are noted for their "chopped off" features
and relative scarcity. They serve as an example of what absurdities CBS Fender
was capable of commiting.
Final version features:
0. Surplus Fender "Bass V" bodies (a slow selling
5-string bass from earlier in the decade) were substantially altered to create
the "Swinger" body: the top horn (at the strap button) was chopped
off at an angle, and the bottom of the body (at the lower strap button) was
radically scooped out into a semi- circle. Contouring was added front and back.
An additional route was made for the placement of the student single-coil
pickup.
0. Left over 3/4 scale neck blanks, most marked with summer
of 1966 dates (neck blanks were and are, very early in their life cycle, date
marked or stamped) were also altered. The familiar Fender headstock design was
sacrificed by cutting right through the circular end (where the "Original
Contour" sticker was placed) and forming an "arrow" shaped
headstock.
0. The pickguard was a stock Musicmaster item, modified by
reducing and re- contouring the lower bout (high E side) of the guard to
conform to the slightly different shape of the Bass V body. It is a subtle, but
measurable, alteration.
0. The electronics, including the pickup, control plate and
knobs, were strictly off the shelf student guitar items.
0. In an effort to spur sales of these bastard guitars,
Fender relented on their "only basic colors for student guitars"
policy and offered the Swinger in a variety of finishes. In addition to the
standard red, white and blue, Swingers were produced in virtually every color
option available at the time.
0. A black "CBS" Fender logo was applied on the
headstock, under the finish. The "Swinger" label, in similar script,
was applied over the finish. This sloppy method of application has resulted,
over the years, in the loss or removal of the Swinger label from many of the
guitars. This undoubtedly has contributed to the confusing list of names
(Musiclander, Arrow) that have been misapplied to the model.
The final structural evolution:
Fender was guitar happy in the mid- '60s, producing
instruments as fast as they could. When the market slacked off (circa 1967)
Fender found themselves with an abundance of parts for guitars that were never
assembled and shipped; no one was ordering them.
As a consequence, in 1969 Fender unloaded their inventory of
left-over parts by assembling the Swinger, and performed a similar
disfigurement to create the Fender Custom. However, while the Custom did appear
in Fender advertising literature, the Swinger was never officially promoted,
and by all accounts was produced and then quickly forgotten in just a few
months. It was apparently never Fender's intention to tool up for further runs
of Swingers; it was just a way to profitably jettison parts in stock.
Oddly enough, Fender continued to advertise the 3/4 scale
option for their Musicmaster and Mustang guitars into the 1970s. While it is
certainly possible that Fender may have produced a short scale student guitar
in the early '70s (as a special order perhaps) no example of any such
instrument has surfaced. It appears that the original 3/4 scale Fender guitar
was through.
Reissue Duo-Sonic: 1993 to the present:
It should be noted that Fender Musical Instrument
Corporation reissued a short scale Duo-Sonic in 1993. Though not a faithful
recreation of the original, these instruments do resemble in form the vintage
Duo-Sonics of the '50s and '60s. Manufactured in Mexico, they do not however
approach in any way the quality of the originals. They serve mostly as a
reminder of the difficulties of satisfactorily producing an economical
instrument in today's world economy. This reissue was discontinued at the end
of 1997, only to be replaced by a nearly identical Chinese-built model under
the "Squier" nameplate in 1998. That instrument remains in production
as of the summer of 1999.
DATING
Like other Fender guitars from this period, the age of an
original student Fender guitar can be approximated by the many dated parts that
make up the whole.
Necks:
Necks were consistently dated at the heel end, and offer the
most widely accepted reference when discussing a specific Fender guitar's age.
However, it must be noted that this date was applied fairly early in the neck
construction cycle, and consequently pre-dates by weeks or even months the
actual assembly of the guitar.
Neck dates were initially applied by the worker cutting or
shaping the neck, and were hand-written in pencil as MM-YY. Neck dating was
suspended from the late Spring of 1959 through the early Spring of 1960, but
then returned in the same format and continued until early 1962.
At that point Fender began using an ink stamp that displayed
a neck code, month & year, and neck width (at the nut). The stamp for the
short scale Fender necks appeared, for example, as: 3/4MAY62A, where 3/4 = the
neck code, MAY = the month of production, 62 = the year of production, and A =
the neck width code applied to instruments with a nut width of 1 1/2 inches.
Short scale necks were no longer offered in a standard width (1 5/8", code
B) or any other width at this point.
In 1964, when the student guitar line was overhauled, a new
neck code "9" was applied to the redesigned short scale necks,
replacing the 3/4 code. The rest of the naming convention stayed the same for
the brief remainder of the life of the short scale necks, for example: 9SEP64A.
Thus a neck code of "9" will appear on any 3/4
scale II series guitar regardless of model; short scale Musicmasters,
Duo-Sonics and Mustangs (Swingers too) are all marked the same. Incidentally,
the long scale student guitar necks initially received a neck code of
"8".
Pots:
Volume and tone potentiometers are also date stamped, but
once again this stamp refers to the date the pot was manufactured and has
little to do with the date a guitar is assembled (except that it would, by
necessity, have to precede the assembly date). For many periods of production
Fender was able to move parts through their supply bins quickly, so it is not
unusual to find pot dates within a few weeks or months of neck dates.
During the period in 1959-1960 when neck dating was
suspended, potentiometers are often the only other visibly dated part on Fender
guitars. Original pots can at least tell you the outside maximum potential age
the guitar; unfortunately Fender purchasing and production in the '50s often
led to pots dates trailing neck dates by many months. Beware of the pitfalls of
this method of dating.
Codes are stamped on the top or the side of the pot; there
is usually a long string of numbers. Embedded within this string is a three
digit manufacturer's code (137 and 304 are common on Fender products) followed
by a three or four digit date code, which is read YWW or YYWW (year &
week). The one digit year codes were used in the '50s, two digit year codes in
the '60s and there after. Thus a code of 304-620 would be a Stackpole pot
manufactured in the 20th week of 1956, and a code of 137-6645 would be a CTS
pot manufactured in the 45th week of 1966.
Body dates:
Penciled body dates, which were fairly common on Fender
guitars of the '50s and early '60s, are not visible on short scale Fenders due
to the opaque nature of the finishes offered on these instruments (during that
period). Body dates were phased out at about the same time the Shaded Sunburst
finish was offered on the student line. Later, as production of all Fender
guitars began to rapidly expand in the mid-'60s, body dates in the form of ink
or impression stamps appear with some frequency.
Pickup dates:
By the beginning of the spring of 1964 Fender started to
mark the bottom (and/or sometimes the top) of the pickup bobbin with a small
yellow manufacture/inspection date stamp. The stamp featured initials, month,
day and year, and read (for example): EP JUN 22 '64. By the end of the summer,
when Fender began to use the light gray fiber bobbins, the stamp was discarded
in favor of a hand-written date and initials, such as: 10-16-64 DM (although
the yellow stamp may still appear on the black, top bobbin - at least into
January of '65) .In the course of 1965 the initials were dropped and just the
date was written, usually in pencil (or sometimes in a thick grease pencil or
felt pen). Again, this date refers to the manufacture or inspection date of the
pickup and is not the assembly date of the guitar.
As a general rule, when manufacturing was moving right
along, the neck, body, pot and pickup dates are all pretty close (say within a
few months of one another). On an original guitar however, the only real
relationship between these dates is that all these disparate parts were pulled
out of their respective holding places and bolted together to form the whole.
The specific date of that procedure is not recorded anywhere on the guitar.
Other markings:
There are many other markings typically found on student
Fenders; markings that generally reveal the assembly-line production and
inspection nature of the beast.
Though often interesting (such as the first name of the
worker assembling the pickup harness, penciled on the bottom of the pickguard)
these markings are not at present useful in accurately dating a Fender guitar.
Serial Numbers:
The subject of serial numbers, as applied to the neck plate
of '50s through '70s Fender guitars, is difficult to do justice to in only a
paragraph or so. Thankfully, James Werner (the noted Fender collector from
Letts, Iowa) has amassed a compendium of Fender guitar serial numbers, which
has understandably become a standard reference on the topic. With his kind
permission I have attached an abridged list of student Fender instruments.
This list is intended to give the reader a general idea of
the progression of serial numbers and neck dates through the life of the 3/4
scale guitar production, though it should be noted that not all instruments
listed after mid-1964 are necessarily short scale.
The list must also include the standard disclaimer that
Fender neck plate serial numbers were not applied in strict numerical order,
period. Groupings are possible and the overall trend is one of numerical
progression, but many inconsistencies exist. Remember that Fender was an
assembly-line manufacturer, and the application of neck plates (stored in no
particular order in parts bins) was simply another step in the process.
Spot dating guide:
As previously detailed, there are structural features that
clearly identify the era of production of the short-scale Fender guitars. As a
quick, general reference:
Maple neck = mid 1956 to mid 1959
Slab-board = mid 1959 to mid 1962 (patent numbers on
headstock by mid 1961)
Curved fingerboard = mid 1962 on
Narrow spacing of 12th fret position markers = mid 1963 to
mid 1964
"II" series configuration = mid 1964 on
Pearl dot markers = very late 1964 on
PERFORMANCE DATA
Sound and feel are subjective items, and the tenor of this
article is one of objective observations. However, a few words on the
performance of the student Fender guitars may be insightful, particularly to
those who have never played them.
There are inherent flaws in the design of the 3/4 scale
Fender that limit its usefulness as a professional or "working"
instrument. To anyone accustomed to the Strat/Tele scale length of 25.5",
the 3/4 neck will feel cramped. By nature, a shorter scale length will cause
changes in tuning (even slight) to be more pronounced. Also, the bridge design
(two strings per saddle) hampers precise intonation. In short, these
instruments are harder to keep in tune than their full-sized brothers.
Having said that, they still exhibit the feel of the era in
which they were produced. Allowing for the difference in fret spacing, a
maple-necked Musicmaster does not "feel" terribly different than a
maple-necked Strat. They certainly do work well for those (either by age or
disposition) with smaller hands, but that does not preclude their value to
others. Stevie Ray Vaughan regularly used an early '60s Musicmaster to warm up
on before gigs in the 1980s. According to the information presented when the
guitar was auctioned off, Vaughan liked the "coarser" feel of the
student Fender; the stage guitar felt all the more refined when he went to
perform. Other players, from notable guitar hero Jimi Hendrix to music
revolutionary David Byrne, have used and performed with 3/4 scale Fender
guitars (at some point in their careers).
Another limitation of the short scale length is the
reduction in resonance produced: even though thay are tuned to the same pitch
(as a full-scale guitar) the strings are shorter, so they vibrate less and
produce less output. As a consequence, the bridge pickup (where the strings
vibrate the least) on a Duo or Mustang is pretty thin sounding. However, the
neck pickup (where the strings travel further and vibrate more) can produce
plenty of vintage Fender single-coil tone. This is not to suggest that it
sounds "as good as a Strat", but it is very Strat-like.
CONCLUSIONS
Fender's 3/4 scale guitars are still generally held in low
regard by the collecting and retail communities (though that hasn't prevented
some dealers from jacking up their asking prices for vintage Musicmasters, Duos
and Mustangs to unprecedented levels). The pirating of vintage parts from the
little guitars, most notably the neckplates, has sadly become a common
practice.
I am annoyed enough by this prevalent disdain to point out
that these classic Fender instruments were designed by the same (phenomenal)
team that produced the Stratocaster, and were built on the same assembly line,
by the same craftsmen and women (and using many of the same materials) as the
other great Fender guitars. The Stratocaster reference is purposeful, since
that is the guitar the original student Fenders most resemble; hardly an
unflattering comparison!
But I am also relieved that the notoriety (and pricing) that
has been accorded to other Fender models has not been bestowed upon the 3/4
instruments: this means that these wonderful, valid artifacts of the Golden Age
of Fender production are still available to (and within financial reach of) the
common man.
Acknowledgments:
The author wishes to acknowledge the invaluable assistance
of Greg Gagliano, another Fenderholic, who contributed greatly (of his time and
expertise) to the construction of this article, and to thank James Werner for
his input and for the use of his serial number data. This work would never have
materialized were it not for the generous nature and inspiration provided by
these two individuals. Significant contributions have also been provided by
Marcel Roy and James Makishima. I acknowledge their spirit of sharing collected
data and challenging my assumptions!
About the Author:
Tim Pershing lives and works in the San Francisco area. He
is an occasional contributor to the vintage guitar magazine "20th Century
Guitar". He divides his free time between collecting vintage US paper
currency, studying Fender student guitars, and playing bass in a Bay Area band
named Tweak Beach. His own web page dedicated to 3/4 scale Fenders (working
title: Leo Fender’s ‘Student Bodies’) is currently under development. Mr.
Pershing invites comments, correcting information and observations regarding
3/4 scale Fender guitars. He may be reached through e-mail at
duosonic@pacbell.net.
Selected Serial Numbers for Fender Student Guitars:
Number Neck Date Model
-----------------------------------------------
09271 Apr 56 Musicmaster
11467 Jun 56 Musicmaster
12498 Jul 56 Duo-Sonic
14167 Aug 56 Musicmaster
16842 Oct 56 Duo-Sonic
19487 Feb 57 Musicmsater
-21003 Aug 57 Musicmaster
024863 Mar 58 Duo-Sonic
28980 Aug 58 Musicmaster
31988 Jan 59 Duo-Sonic
36844 Apr 59 Duo-Sonic
38240 [blank] Musicmaster
46969 [blank] Duo-Sonic
51337 Jun 60 Duo-Sonic
54297 Sep 60 Musicmaster
61389 Apr 61 Duo-Sonic
66673 Oct 61 Musicmaster
73385 Feb 62 Duo-Sonic
82906 Nov 62 Musicmaster
99155 Mar 63 Duo-Sonic
L00352 Apr 63 Musicmaster
L06289 Apr 63 Duo-Sonic
L22767 Sep 63 Musicmaster
L36994 Mar 64 Duo-Sonic
L43904 Sep 64 Mustang
L46286 Sep 64 Musicmaster
L52225 Oct 64 Duo-Sonic
L60543 Dec 64 Mustang
L74879 Jan 65 Duo-Sonic
L81032 Apr 65 Musicmaster
L88044 Aug 65 Mustang
L97487 Aug 65 Musicmaster
108904 Dec 65 Duo-Sonic
115802 Jan 66 Mustang
129247 Jan 66 Musicmaster
142386 May 66 Duo-Sonic
151646 Jun 66 Musicmaster
264593 May 66 Swinger
267074 Jul 69 Swinger
269750 Jan 67 Swinger
272934 Jun 66 Swinger
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