Please help ID. Musicmaster bass??

blenin · Post by **blenin** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 9:28 pm

Found this recently for a good deal, advertised as a Fender. It's been painted over but looks like a late 70's Musicmaster to me. Thoughts???

DanHeron · Post by **DanHeron** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 9:33 pm

Looks like a Fender. or maybe a Squier vista series. The pickup without a cover reminds of that.

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 9:56 pm

It looks too old to be a squier... granted the pics aren't the best quality, but it does look like it is aged and yellowed like a vintage musicmaster would look. If it is a vintage musicmaster then the pickup has been changed.

blenin · Post by **blenin** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 10:00 pm

It was actually painted yellow, as was the head stock so there is nothing to identify it. I read that the Vista's string through the back. Did the original Musicmasters??

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 10:19 pm

Does that pickup say vista tone on it? ask the seller, then it is a Squier pickup, so possibly a squier bass.

I have a vista series musicmaster bass, it is strung through, I believe the older fenders were not.

blenin · Post by **blenin** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 10:23 pm

I'll ask him. I was unaware of the Vista series but have been reading up on it. It seems that for $150, it would be a good deal either way.

Lucamo · Post by **Lucamo** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 10:40 pm

YEAH. a Great fucking deal.

The vista musicmaster is fucking good. I love it. Alot of balls for a shortscale.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 12:13 am

Looks like a Vista to me... dude, do it. $150 for a Vista = wow. If it's an old Fender, even wower.

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 12:41 am

Yea, either way at $150 you're getting a hell of a deal!

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 12:52 am

blenin wrote:I read that the Vista's string through the back. Did the original Musicmasters??

nope.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:25 am

Hell of a bass for that money. Great quality, those.

Rox · Post by **Rox** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:53 am

Vista Musicmaster . For $150 it's a no brainer .

Phil O'Keefe · Post by **Phil O'Keefe** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:53 am

Have a look at the neck plate, or have the seller send you a picture of the neck plate. If it has a Fender "F" on it, and a serial number, you can use the S/N to get an approximate date of manufacture. If it has the F but no date, then it was made in 1978 or later, and the serial number would have been on the headstock decal.

If the seller is willing to shoot some pics of the neck heel (requires unbolting the neck) there may be date codes there... they aren't always stamped, but if they are, that can tell you a lot about when the instrument was made.

It MIGHT be a Squier Vista, but I'm leaning more towards Fender Musicmaster. I can't say for certain either way though due to the small size and quality of the pics - I can't tell if the strings are anchoring at the bridge or going through the body.

FWIW, the strings do NOT go through the body on the Fender Musicmaster Bass; they DO go through the body on a Squier Vista Musicmaster Bass.

Here's a couple of Ebay auctions that clearly illustrate that:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Musicmaster- ... 35ade16965

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Fender-Squier- ... 27b6bf905b

plesiosaurus · Post by **plesiosaurus** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 8:19 pm

I see we're in the same area... I would guess vista mm from the uncovered pickup. I emailed the guy. He's clueless.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 8:39 pm

all he has to do is look at the back and see if it's string thru.

astrozombie · Post by **astrozombie** » Thu Nov 25, 2010 12:59 pm

id pick this up regardless.

blenin · Post by **blenin** » Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:20 pm

Well, picked it up last night. What a great little bass! It is a Vista. Glad I got it.

STRATONUCLEAR · Post by **STRATONUCLEAR** » Tue Nov 30, 2010 11:44 pm

Ding, Ding, Ding.....WE HAVE A WINNER!

Now, time for some more pictures??

blenin · Post by **blenin** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:33 am

Here is my daughter Olivia with it. I bought it for her to learn on...and for me to play with! I'll post some more of the bass itself later.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:35 am

definitely leave graffiti yellow. find a squier vista logo for the headstock, and ROCK.