A Near Fine Late Fifties "Slab-Board" Duo-Sonic

This 12-inch three-quarter-size "student" guitar weighs just 6.40 lbs. and has a nut width of just under 1 9/16 inches and a scale length of 22 1/2 inches. Solid alder asymetrical double-cutaway body. One-piece maple neck with Brazilian rosewood "slab-board" fretboard with 21 frets and clay dot position markers. Individual 'single-line' Kluson Deluxe tuners with white plastic oval buttons with "D-169400 / PATENT NO." inside. Headstock with Fender 'Spaghetti' logo in gold with black trim and "Duo-Sonic" below. Two plain-top Bakelite pickups with black bottoms and balanced outputs of 5.74k and 5.85k. Single-layer cream plastic pickguard with twelve screws. Two controls (one volume, one tone) plus three-way selector switch and jack socket, all on the pickguard. Chrome knobs with knurled sides and flat tops. Combined bridge/tailpiece with three adjustable 'threaded' saddles. Serial number "43263" stamped on neckplate. The pots are dated "137 945" (CTS November 1959) and the neck has no pencil date as is usual on 1959 Fender guitars. This guitar is in exceptionally fine (9.00) condition with just the bare minimum of belt-buckle rash on the back (not through to the wood) and a few surface chips on the edges. Housed in its original Fender tan hardshell case with brown leather ends and orange plush lining (9.00).

"First introduced in mid 1956, the original Duosonic (two pickups) and the Musicmaster (one pickup) were Fender's 3/4 size, student model, 22.5" short scale beginners guitars. Master tone, master volume, 3-way pickup selector (switch on Duosonic only; with the switch in the middle position, the two pickups are in series, giving a humbucking pickup type sound). Hence their value is low compared to other models. These short scale student models were made to the same high quality standards and materials that Fender used for its more expensive models. For this reason, pre-1964 Musicmasters and Duo-Sonics are very well made" (www.provide.net).

"Fender's new 'student' guitars, the Duo-Sonic and Musicmaster, first appeared in 1956. They had smaller, lighter bodies, shorter necks and basic appointments...Despite their budget status, the student models were still playable instruments: Fender seemed to have cut the right corners" (Tony Bacon and Paul Day, The Fender Book, p. 29). Although Fender used the term "three-quarter size" in publicizing the new student models, only the neck and the resulting scale-length were smaller, designed for younger hands that were just starting to play guitar.

"These two new instruments -- the Duo-Sonic and the Musicmaster -- had a shorter 22 1/2" (571mm) scale-length as opposed to Fender's customary 25" (635mm) scale. The 'three-quarter size' one-pickup Musicmaster and two-pickup Duo-Sonic were described in the company's ads and catalogs as being 'ideal for students and adults with small hands.' They were clearly designed for players on a tight budget, for those starting out on electric guitars who flocked to the retailers' schools..." (Tony Bacon, 50 Years of Fender, p. 22).