'71 Musicmaster pickguard/scratchplate - help!

Painting? Routing? Set-up tips? Or just straight-up making a guitar from scratch? Post here, and post pics!

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Spiked Lunch
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'71 Musicmaster pickguard/scratchplate - help!

Post by Spiked Lunch »

Hi all,

New to the forum but not new to short scale gtrs :-)

I was hoping you might be able to help me.
I have recently acquired a '71 Musicmaster which is in need of a little work - pickups, rewire and a new scratchplate.

I've been in touch with a guy on Ebay (Jeannie's) who has musicmaster plates, late 60's or mid/late 70's but not '71 and therefore can't guarantee that the screw holes will line up. Looking at the picture he has on Ebay, all the screws appear to be in the correct place. Does anyone know if they changed over the years, and if so, when?

The plate I've got is majorly warped and has also shrank so I can't use it as a template.

Also, I want my new guard routed for 2 single coils but without the switches at the top (D-sonic II/mustang) as I'm replacing the tone control with a 3-way rotary switch.

So any help will be very much appreciated!

Mike
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robert(original)
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Post by robert(original) »

do you actually have a musicmaster II? or is it a standard musicmaster with a single pickup? im willing to bet that a mid 70's based pickguard will fit just fine. obviously you don't want to get one based off of a 59 or something like that.
also, i can't imagine the pickguard has shrunk so badly that you can't use it as a template. i know i have used a 63 jaguar pickguard for a template and it had shrunk pretty severely but it still fit just fine.
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Post by Spiked Lunch »

It's a musicmaster II - so like a mustang but with a hard tale bridge and just a pickup in the neck position. All musicmasters just have the one pickup in the neck...

Yeah, I guess I could probably send my shrunk plate and the guy could compare. I'm based in the UK though and this guy is in the US - it seems like a bit of a shame to send my plate if what he's got will already fit?
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robert(original)
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Post by robert(original) »

if he has one based off of any year musicmaster II then it will fit, i don't believe that they ever changed those guards. they were intro'd in 64 i believe and stayed the same the entire time, minus the addition of f-tuners later on, and different decals. i don't even think they were ever offered with a maple fretboard. and if you are uk based, then in reality i know for a fact that there are folks on your side of the pond that can make a new plate for you, and perhaps there is a fellow on these boards who already has a template to fit. I would ask hurb or fran. i believe fran has or had a mustang template. and perhaps hurb as well, maybe one of them will be stopping in momentarily to correct me.
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Pens
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Post by Pens »

Yeah I think rob is right on this, as long as it's a MM II guard they should all be the same. They changed between the original Musicmaster and the Musicmaster II, but I believe they remained constant after that.
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Post by Spiked Lunch »

Pens wrote:Yeah I think rob is right on this, as long as it's a MM II guard they should all be the same. They changed between the original Musicmaster and the Musicmaster II, but I believe they remained constant after that.
Yeah, my thoughts too. I guess the guy is just being cautious because he doesn't have a template for the same year...

Would love some recommendations of where I could get a good one made up in the UK/EU?
If anyone on here can, I'd love to hear from you!
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robert(original)
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Post by robert(original) »

if i were you i would send fran or hurb a pm. atm i can't easily think of any other uk'ers that have the "skillz" but im sure theres at least 1 or 2 more.
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Post by Spiked Lunch »

Ace! I'll hit them both up with a PM either tonight if I get chance or tomorrow after work.
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Post by Fran »

Addaminsane is the man in the UK these days, scratchplates, bodies...
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Spiked Lunch
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Post by Spiked Lunch »

I've dropped him a PM.

Cheers,
Mike
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Post by Spiked Lunch »

Or should I just f@ck it and whack a mustang plate on it and convert it to a Duo II.

Just worried about those switches getting in the way.... they did when I had a Jag-Stang.......
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plopswagon
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Post by plopswagon »

does it have the metal plate for the volume, tone and input or are they mounted to the pickguard?
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ekwatts wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:53 pm The word "moisty" has made me irrationally angry.
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Post by Spiked Lunch »

Yeah, metal plate ala Mustang/duo-sonic II
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DGNR8
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Post by DGNR8 »

+1 RobOG. The only change after that was all plastic all the time.

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Post by Pens »

Musicmaster II also had the metal control plate like a stang.
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Post by Spiked Lunch »

In my mind, there are 4 variations of the musicmaster...

The late 50's early 60's type
The mid 60's change to MM II in line with the mustang
Then there seems to be a slight change in headstock style ?late 60's
And then the late 70's change, in line with the Bronco

But mine is like a mustang but with a hardtail bridge and currently just the one pickup.
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Thomas
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Post by Thomas »

In the late 70s ones the routing is slightly different for the pots and jack. I put a Mustang chrome plate on mine (the plastic guard wasn't sturdy enough so the jack was moving and cracking) When the plate was ined up perfectly the pots butted up against the wood in the cavity and I had to route it a wee bit extra.
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Post by plopswagon »

http://www.marcelroy.com/
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ekwatts wrote: ↑Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:53 pm The word "moisty" has made me irrationally angry.
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Post by Spiked Lunch »

Well, I've took the hit on a Mustang plate of a similar age.

I'll let you know how it goes........

Mike
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Post by Spiked Lunch »

Late 60's mustang plate received and thankfully fits very well :-)

Now for the pick-ups.....
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