Nothing like a 100% original pre-CBS guitar! This one is a 1961 Fender Musicmaster in Desert Sand finish. It is really nice and clean. It was made at the original Fender factory in Fullerton, California U.S.A. in January 1961. It shows little to no signs of actually being played-the Brazilian fingerboard and frets are very fresh. It is all set up and ready to play-it needs nothing.
The body is the familiar pre-CBS 'slab' style and the original Desert Sand finish is in excellent condition. It shows minimal signs of handling evidence and a light checking that is really only visible in reflections-see photos. The finish has toned slightly darker than when it was when new-best shown with the pickguard removed-see photos. The color is absolutely killer! The neck slot is clean without issues. The neck fitment is excellent.
The neck is straight and smooth as glass. It has a factory employee inspection letter "R" on the backside of the heel along with 3 inspection-impressions. The pencil date is "1-61" and clear as a bell. The neck has the vintage soft-C profile and measures .770" at the 1st fret and .960" at the 12th fret. If you want to call it a slim C-profile-I won't argue with that. The nut measures 1.54" wide. The tuners all function and the guitar stays in tune. The headstock and "spaghetti logo" both display excellent with a touch of patina. The Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard is the desirable "slab' version-extra thick and easily recognizable due to the convex shape of the fingerboard where it meets the headstock. The fingerboard is really clean and has a cool grain and contrast in the wood. It is nice and smooth like velvet. The frets have been cleaned and polished and exhibit ZERO signs of any wear. They are incredibly crisp and clean-see photos. The action is set low for a fast and easy playing experience. The string height is set at .010" at the 1st fret and .040" at the 12th fret. It plays like butter with the softest touch. It is really easy to play.
The pickup has an excellent signal; it measures 5.46 ohms. It has that vintage Fender brilliance and chime along with the quintessential "bell" tone we all know and love. The pickup is clean and it is an early black-bobbin unit with cloth leads. The entire wiring harness is clean and in excellent shape-check out that original paper can capacitor-see phots! The controls function smoothly and quietly. The volume potentiometer dates to the 18th week of 1960 and the tone potentiometer dates to the 36th week of 1960. The pickguard is crack-free and super clean. It is flat as a pancake with no issues. There is a Fender Employee signature on the middle piece of tape that holds the wiring harness to the original metal shielding plate. The name is "Mel" written in cursive. The routes are al clean and the original nail holes are perfect and easy to see. The bridge is clean as are the saddles and adjustment screws. Original bridge cover is included (+20 style points)
The guitar is ridiculously lightweight-it only weighs 6.25 lbs. It is very comfortable to play and you can forget all about neck fatigue or sore shoulders-you can play this baby all night long and feel as fresh as silk. Or something like that. Comes with original Fender tan hardcase with gold interior! This guitar would make an absolutely KILLER gift for that special someone that needs a vintage pre-CBS Fender in their life...that could be YOU!
