How'd I do? ('75 Bronco)

Dice · Post by **Dice** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:18 pm

Hey Shortscalers! I haven't been around much lately, but life is crazy busy.

I stopped by a pawn shop today to check out an old 22.5" scale MusicMaster that they had listed on eBay. Turns out he wanted $500 for it, which was reasonable, but I don't need yet another 22.5" MusicMaster unless it is for stupid cheap. This guy has got some great stuff, though. 2 pre-CBS Jaguars, an early 60's Jazzmaster, a 70s sunburst Mustang - just a bunch of cool stuff from his personal collection which he is selling off since he is getting near retirement.

Anyway, I ask if he's got anything else that he's thinking about selling (I don't want the MM, but I can't afford the old Jazzmaster... I felt like getting something to add to the vintage collection, though). He says "Gee, I think I have one of those Brocos in the back." I did my best not to

. He brought it out in a nice TKL case (not the original, oh well). Sure enough, it was a pretty clean old Bronco. "What do you want for it?" "Well, I never really thought about it... How about... Five and a half?" (Again, trying not to

). "Sure, I'll give you $550."

So, here it is. Sitting in the back of my car at the moment. I don't think there is a trem arm, but I don't use the trem anyway.

I think I got a good deal - but figured that you guys would know better. How'd I do at $550?

Post by **dots** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:22 pm

you done good!

at making me HATE YOU.

srsly, though, nice grab. that thing is near perfect.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:27 pm

That is good considering how clean the guitar is. Nice snag.

Dice · Post by **Dice** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:33 pm

Excellent - thanks for the verification, guys!

It is stupid clean with exception of those scrapes on the upper horn, and that one missing pickguard corner.

I'm not much of a trem user, so I'm not too worried about the trem arm. In fact, I converted my '65 Mustang to a hard tail as well!

I haven't even plugged this guitar in, nor really played it at all yet... And, I've got to get in the car in a couple of hours and drive 500 miles as well for my (very last) National Guard drill. (3 years active, 4 years guard, 2 days to go! I can't wait to be done...)

I called my luthier and made an appointment to get this in for a fret end dress since they are a bit sharp. I'll get some lemon oil on it tonight when I get to my brother's house, and may snap a couple of better photos of it at that point.

I'm excited though, I figured I'd never find a Bronco - particularly one that I could afford.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:41 pm

DICE!!!!1

fucking way mega. shit is awesome, and i'm way jealous.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:44 pm

love it!!!! welcome to the bronco club !!!

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:55 pm

That thing looks great! Good score, looks so clean.

Dice · Post by **Dice** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 6:00 pm

I'll get some better photos up by Monday for sure - possibly sooner.

Good to "be back." I'll try and keep my posting up a bit more.

I'm also working on refinishing a body for one of my MusicMasters (re-ranch Daphne w/ tinted clear). I've never done a refinish before - so hopefully it will come out alright. I'll start stripping that body in a week or two and will spray when it gets warm out.

Thanks again for the comments fellas. I thought it was a good find and didn't want to give him any time to "research" what it was worth and then jack the price up. I try to stay mildly informed so that I am ready to buy when a deal presents itself... and the discussion of Broncos has been so hot around this place that I figured I couldn't do wrong at $550.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 9:09 pm

... that's really really nice !! Jealous !!!!

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 11:17 pm

Awesome! That was Buddy Holly's first guitar.

[youtube][/youtube]

tomin8r · Post by **tomin8r** » Sat Mar 06, 2010 12:46 am

The guitars used by Gary Busey in the movie are inaccurate from a historical point of view. Holly is known as the first prominent Fender Stratocaster player. In the movie, the Stratocaster appears toward the end, but seems to be an early 1970s model. The first guitar shown in the movie is a Bronco, launched for the first time by Fender in 1968. The actual guitar seems to be from the early 1970s. The main guitar in the movie is a Fender Telecaster. Even though the Telecaster was launched in the early 1950s, the guitar used in the movie is most likely an early 1970s model as well. But more importantly, as far as is known, Buddy Holly never played a Telecaster on stage.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Sat Mar 06, 2010 1:54 am

i was gonna say, dude played a strat afaik. busey is a non-period correct douche.

also while trying to find him playing anything but a strat, i found this asshoel:

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Sat Mar 06, 2010 3:47 am

pretty sure the buddy holly/bronco thing was a joke.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Sat Mar 06, 2010 3:49 am

THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM ROBERT, YOU THINK EVERYTHING IS A JOKE

Dice · Post by **Dice** » Sat Mar 06, 2010 5:20 am

Thanks guys!

I swear, Buddy Holly did not influence this purchase!!

I got to plug it in a few minutes ago - sounds good, and the tone knob is a god send to take the edge off for rhythm. Should be a fun guitar - kind of the polar opposite of my MusicMaster. I'll be getting it in to my luthier for a good setup and to have a fret replaced.

I didn't notice in the shop, but some jackass had milled fret one down so low that I'd have to lose a good 1/4 of the tops of the rest of my frets to get them "level." There is virtually zero fret wear on the rest of the guitar, so I'll just have the one replaced methinks.

I love me some 24" scale student models. They're the best kept secret out there. All of my other "professional" guitars just feel like big clunkers in comparison.

The downside is that I'm a pretty large dude, so I look kind of ridiculous with a lil' guitar. (I look ridiculous all the time though, to be honest).

Dice · Post by **Dice** » Sat Mar 06, 2010 6:55 am

Also - trem arm was in the case pocket. So... bonus on the trem arm, and the opposite of bonus on the dicked up fret.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Sat Mar 06, 2010 8:46 am

good score, but it looks like to me that the nut is a replacement, could just be the pic, but it looks like an amatuer job.

James · Post by **James** » Sat Mar 06, 2010 8:53 am

If the trem arm is original it is probably worth more than a replaced fret is going to cost you, so that's not a bad state of affairs at all. The arms for these are quite rare, most of them you see for sale don't include them.

DaveB · Post by **DaveB** » Sat Mar 06, 2010 12:05 pm

It should be fun. Welcome to the Bronco club.

Dice · Post by **Dice** » Sun Mar 07, 2010 1:48 am

Yup - nut is looking like a replacement with some sloppy filing done on it and a couple of minor fretboard gouges.

The wire for the string ground is missing.

That fret needs replaced.

The tone pot is scratchy - hopefully just dirty.

And, I was thinking the same thing regarding the trem arm - worth more than the one fret.

Is there any reason that I should NOT run 11's on this guitar like I do on the rest of my short scales?

Dave - thanks for the "welcome." I'll need to find a '67 sometime as well. I really love the feel of Nitro as opposed to Poly - but even w/ the old Poly finish on this guy, I'm loving it. I'm sure that after I get a pro setup done I'll be loving it even more. It sounds great - not nearly as thin as I was suspecting a lone single coil in the bridge position to be.