The pickup is not a Strat pickup but a Mustang guitar pickup (I have a 1975 Musicmaster bass that has been taken apart and everything checked - it is very definitely a Mustang pickup). These basses are generally well made, particularly the neck with very well finished frets and, in that era, proper rosewood fretboard). Thankfully, mine does not have the "shelf" you showed in the video. It needed a respray and general restoration so I am currently having it refinished with a matching headstock and changing both the bridge (making it 'string through' while I'm about it) and the pickup and using a Mustang pick guard and control plate. It will end up similar to some of the modern Fender Mustang basses with different pickup and bridge but based on a real vintage and, for a student model, extremely high quality bass (the body and neck are identical to the original Mustang body and neck although by the time the Musicmaster came out the Mustang had been upgraded with a contoured body like its big brothers - the current modded re-issue Mustangs do not have a contoured body so Musicmaster bodies and necks are identical to them). These vintage Musicmaster basses make a really good platform if you are lucky enough to pick one up for very little money that needs a lot of work so it doesn't seem like sarilege to mod it as the value has been lost anyway. They are not that great as a semi-pro instrument with the original pickup and pick guard so if restoration is needed then doing it to the original low spec doesn't make sense.
I own a 72 Musicmaster Bass with flat wounds. I replaced the capacitor in the electronics as the original was well past its life span. I also swapped out the pickup for a DiMarzio Fast Track pickup. I've kept all the original electronics and fittings so they can be put back on if required. It sounds fantastic. Very happy with this version of the Bass.
Who said that a disc or mylar capacitor has a lifespan? Electrolytic caps in amps eventually dry up and need replacing, but that is a different situation.
@@larryn2682 probably just meant that it was no longer functioning properly (caps are tough, but I'm pretty sure they're not invulnerable to wear and tear)
A friend of mine from junior high just gave me for free his uncle's fender bass musicmaster (it was totally wrecked and i restored it) back in 2001, back then i was and edgy kid and used it to play a lot of nu metal and punk rock. 21 years later i still have this bass and use it to record a lot.
Great vid. Very interesting. I like the fact that you so often think of reviewing things that are underrepresented on TH-cam. Just bought that surf green Squier mustang you reviewed a few weeks back. Lovely bass.
Marcus Parnell thank you for the kind words! I think my attitude to it is that there’s always someone out there gonna be looking for a review of something, no matter how niche, and if I can help them be more informed and educated, I will! I spent a lot of years searching for niche things that had no reviews only to find they totally didn’t work for me once I finally got to try them, so hopefully I’m saving people some time too! Glad you’re enjoying that mustang, great, fun basses! T
@@TylerSpicer You're doing a great job -, keep up the good work and enjoy your new position at NAM. I used to work near there in Box. Rehearsed at Real World Studios a couple of times in the mid 90's. Loved it up there.
Great video, really interesting. I’ve owned two Musicmasters, a black one - bought new from a music shop on Kilburn High Road in the late 70s and a cream one from a guitarist (in a moderately successful band - I can’t remember the name!) who used it live on occasion, in the late 80s. I can’t remember what happened to the black one, but the cream one was PX’d for a Japanese Silver Series Squier Precision at the behest of my bass tutor in ‘92! I think I got 70 quid for it! I like short scale basses, in fact I’ve just bought a Squier Bronco which I imagine is very similar to my Musicmasters. I’m going to give some flat wounds a try I think. Cheers.
flats 50% tone 8:31 tapes 50% tone 8:50 Both string sounds are good, but I prefer how the tapewounds sound because I love their “woody” (somebody calls it “gummy”) sound
musicmaster is a great vintage bass. cheap to buy... i've installed an aero musicmasterer pickup on mine and i use it with labella shortscale flats. awesome vintage shortscale sound if you don't mind a little 60 cycle hum from the single coil pickup. i use it with an aguilar tone hammer pre with ags circuit on and gain at noon... a little bass and treble boost... instant svt sound and grind. love it!!!
One caveat, there was a Bronco bass as well, that had different placement of the pickup to the Mustang and the Musicmaster Bass. Actually, it seems it was in the works in promotional flyers, which show an example, but never came to market, apparently. My fault, normally I don't spread misinformation of any kind.
The cream and the modern Fender Buttercream colors look gorgeous to me. I also love Seafoam Green. As a man who likes a lot of "manly" things, I really can't explain my color preferences. I currently own a Mustang PJ bass with a pearl green pickguard and cream colored DiMarzio pickups. Yep, I made it that way on purpose.
Still bums me out that I passed one of these up a couple years ago... It was black, and unfortunately had a different pickup. But my mustang pj is rocking right now, and the Vintera Mustang is on the list!.... and so is a musicmaster... too many basses...
@@TylerSpicer Of course! Got lucky and found one of the Orange ones. It's waiting on a pickup swap, but then we'll be good to go. Any suggestions on a PJ set? I've been leaning towards the Aguilar's.
The tapewounds sound very good. I have flats on a P and there's always that kind of anoying mids build up and i hear it here too and i don't ear it on the tapewond... might get me a set just to try. Great review
Very true! I do think it depends on what strings you’re using re:flats, but I know exactly what you mean - particularly as they age! Tapewounds are definitely more open sounding, dare I say almost scooped? T
These basses are fire 🔥 I really want one I can’t decide on these or mustangs Love the tape wounds sound I am yet to play those I’m a huge flats (labella deep talking flats )player What would you say is the difference in feel between flats and tapes
Reviewers keep saying that, but it was actually the same pickup used in the smaller, economy model Fender guitars: Musicmaster guitar, Mustang guitar, Bronco guitar and Duo-Sonic guitar, plus the early (USA made) Bullet and Bullet Deluxe guitars.
Hi! nice review I was looking for fender made in 1976 I'm really happy about your review I have sire p7 and I just change the strings to flat so flat is my fav. How much they cost? I'm interested
Hi! I've got a mustang bass and i want to try tapewounds but im not sure which are the correct ones cause theres no clear info. I worry the gauge of them would be to thick. Could you tell me which are you using or any other recommendations, please?
Thank you for the support! I haven’t tried both, but I’d imagine it will be very similar. The bronco is built to be the same as the music master and also uses the strat pickup, just without that vintage mojo and feel. T
thank you for the comparison!I lve just got short scale bass but it is rare to get those wires in Korea, does roundwound long scale strings still works on short scale bass? and have u tried on 045-105 on shorty? if u did, does it give u deeper bass on 4th string?
You can’t use long scale string on a short scale bass sadly, but you can get 45-105 sets made for short scale and they should give you a bigger bottom end, yes! T
@@jackgreenwood1817 I suppose it would depend on gears of the tuners. Most of the classic snip and insert type vintage ones, those suck to use an improper set with. They often aren't big enough diameter wise to do what your suggesting.
Hey I’m the review u said that the bridge piece was angled to fix the intonation of some of the strings. My music master has the bridge pieces aligned and it causes the third and second strings to buzz. How do I get the bridge piece angled
both sound good, tapewounds have sort of a gutsier midrange and flatwounds sound kinda cleaner
I think they both sound their best with the tone rolled all the way off. Thanks for a very interesting video, I love the channel!
The pickup is not a Strat pickup but a Mustang guitar pickup (I have a 1975 Musicmaster bass that has been taken apart and everything checked - it is very definitely a Mustang pickup). These basses are generally well made, particularly the neck with very well finished frets and, in that era, proper rosewood fretboard). Thankfully, mine does not have the "shelf" you showed in the video. It needed a respray and general restoration so I am currently having it refinished with a matching headstock and changing both the bridge (making it 'string through' while I'm about it) and the pickup and using a Mustang pick guard and control plate. It will end up similar to some of the modern Fender Mustang basses with different pickup and bridge but based on a real vintage and, for a student model, extremely high quality bass (the body and neck are identical to the original Mustang body and neck although by the time the Musicmaster came out the Mustang had been upgraded with a contoured body like its big brothers - the current modded re-issue Mustangs do not have a contoured body so Musicmaster bodies and necks are identical to them). These vintage Musicmaster basses make a really good platform if you are lucky enough to pick one up for very little money that needs a lot of work so it doesn't seem like sarilege to mod it as the value has been lost anyway. They are not that great as a semi-pro instrument with the original pickup and pick guard so if restoration is needed then doing it to the original low spec doesn't make sense.
I own a 72 Musicmaster Bass with flat wounds. I replaced the capacitor in the electronics as the original was well past its life span. I also swapped out the pickup for a DiMarzio Fast Track pickup. I've kept all the original electronics and fittings so they can be put back on if required. It sounds fantastic. Very happy with this version of the Bass.
Who said that a disc or mylar capacitor has a lifespan? Electrolytic caps in amps eventually dry up and need replacing, but that is a different situation.
@@larryn2682 probably just meant that it was no longer functioning properly (caps are tough, but I'm pretty sure they're not invulnerable to wear and tear)
A friend of mine from junior high just gave me for free his uncle's fender bass musicmaster (it was totally wrecked and i restored it) back in 2001, back then i was and edgy kid and used it to play a lot of nu metal and punk rock. 21 years later i still have this bass and use it to record a lot.
Great vid. Very interesting. I like the fact that you so often think of reviewing things that are underrepresented on TH-cam. Just bought that surf green Squier mustang you reviewed a few weeks back. Lovely bass.
Marcus Parnell thank you for the kind words! I think my attitude to it is that there’s always someone out there gonna be looking for a review of something, no matter how niche, and if I can help them be more informed and educated, I will! I spent a lot of years searching for niche things that had no reviews only to find they totally didn’t work for me once I finally got to try them, so hopefully I’m saving people some time too! Glad you’re enjoying that mustang, great, fun basses! T
@@TylerSpicer You're doing a great job -, keep up the good work and enjoy your new position at NAM. I used to work near there in Box. Rehearsed at Real World Studios a couple of times in the mid 90's. Loved it up there.
Just discovered tapewounds. I like them, but my Ernie Ball Cobalts remain my go to. Very bright flats. Great vid 👍
I’ve yet to try the cobalts, but have heard great things! Loved the tapes on these, in a way that I hadn’t usually! T
Great review except you forgot to demo the tapewounds with the pick
The red one, at least the neck, is pre 76, mate. From 76, they started putting the serial on the headstock. 👍
Thank you my man! Great info! Much appreciated! T
@@TylerSpicer no problem dude, good luck with the sale! (the pre 76 models are more desirable).
Nice playing to bro.
Also I’m blown away that these are strat pickups!
Great video, really interesting. I’ve owned two Musicmasters, a black one - bought new from a music shop on Kilburn High Road in the late 70s and a cream one from a guitarist (in a moderately successful band - I can’t remember the name!) who used it live on occasion, in the late 80s. I can’t remember what happened to the black one, but the cream one was PX’d for a Japanese Silver Series Squier Precision at the behest of my bass tutor in ‘92! I think I got 70 quid for it! I like short scale basses, in fact I’ve just bought a Squier Bronco which I imagine is very similar to my Musicmasters. I’m going to give some flat wounds a try I think. Cheers.
Tapewounds sound great.
Faveourite setting is with tone rolled off and volume full.
They both sound great, but the character of the sound with the tapewounds is sweet..
flats 50% tone 8:31
tapes 50% tone 8:50
Both string sounds are good, but I prefer how the tapewounds sound because I love their “woody” (somebody calls it “gummy”) sound
I didn’t think I would, but I dug the tapes too! T
musicmaster is a great vintage bass. cheap to buy... i've installed an aero musicmasterer pickup on mine and i use it with labella shortscale flats. awesome vintage shortscale sound if you don't mind a little 60 cycle hum from the single coil pickup. i use it with an aguilar tone hammer pre with ags circuit on and gain at noon... a little bass and treble boost... instant svt sound and grind. love it!!!
Please reply back. How much difference does the Aero pickup make?
@@Drjackdempsey9644 its a quality pickup. A great upgrade. The sound is in the p bass direction somewhat. Great tone with flats
@@thanasiskaldis3623 So a lot more bass than the original Musicmaster pickup?
@@Drjackdempsey9644 definitely
@@thanasiskaldis3623 Good to know I appreciate you getting back to me. I’m going to order it now thanks again
One caveat, there was a Bronco bass as well, that had different placement of the pickup to the Mustang and the Musicmaster Bass.
Actually, it seems it was in the works in promotional flyers, which show an example, but never came to market, apparently. My fault, normally I don't spread misinformation of any kind.
The cream and the modern Fender Buttercream colors look gorgeous to me. I also love Seafoam Green. As a man who likes a lot of "manly" things, I really can't explain my color preferences. I currently own a Mustang PJ bass with a pearl green pickguard and cream colored DiMarzio pickups. Yep, I made it that way on purpose.
Still bums me out that I passed one of these up a couple years ago... It was black, and unfortunately had a different pickup. But my mustang pj is rocking right now, and the Vintera Mustang is on the list!.... and so is a musicmaster... too many basses...
Ah no, that is sad to hear! Those mustangs are awesome though, so still rocking that short scale goodness! T
@@TylerSpicer Of course! Got lucky and found one of the Orange ones. It's waiting on a pickup swap, but then we'll be good to go. Any suggestions on a PJ set? I've been leaning towards the Aguilar's.
Tyler thank you for everything you do so interesting to watch!!
Thank you so much for the support! It's much appreciated! T
Hello! Thanks for your review! I use D'Addario ProSteels on my Yamaha BB 425 guitar. Hi action.
Sincerely, Alexander.
Thank you for watching as always my man! Prosteels are great reliable strings, I’ve always had good luck with them! T
The tapewounds sound very good. I have flats on a P and there's always that kind of anoying mids build up and i hear it here too and i don't ear it on the tapewond... might get me a set just to try. Great review
Very true! I do think it depends on what strings you’re using re:flats, but I know exactly what you mean - particularly as they age! Tapewounds are definitely more open sounding, dare I say almost scooped? T
@@TylerSpicer i think that's something i might like.. scoop mids on a p. Thanks for the reply :)
@J L I tried the tapewounds but after a while i got back to flatwounds. The VERY low tension and the feel weren't for me. They sounded good tho
Thank for making this, your video answer my question. Thank you.
No problem at all! Thank you for watching! T
These basses are fire 🔥 I really want one
I can’t decide on these or mustangs
Love the tape wounds sound I am yet to play those
I’m a huge flats (labella deep talking flats )player
What would you say is the difference in feel between flats and tapes
Let me know your favourite settings and which is your preferred string out of the tapes and flatwounds? T
What brand tapewounds are you using??
Maybe use a pick for an all round comparison, can you slap?
Tape wounds better. The use of a Strat pickup on a Bass is kinda cool. I didn’t know that they did that. Thanks much! 😎
Reviewers keep saying that, but it was actually the same pickup used in the smaller, economy model Fender guitars: Musicmaster guitar, Mustang guitar, Bronco guitar and Duo-Sonic guitar, plus the early (USA made) Bullet and Bullet Deluxe guitars.
which brand and model are the tapewound strings? I can`t find tapewounds strings for short scale
Hi! nice review I was looking for fender made in 1976 I'm really happy about your review I have sire p7 and I just change the strings to flat so flat is my fav.
How much they cost? I'm interested
Thank you! Love flats too! Send me message through my website - I’ll put a link in the description! T
Are the Tapewound strings ever so slightly brighter ?
I wonder if using a sponge mute at the bridge with flatwounds makes them sound more like tapewounds
Brilliant - thanks! Are the tapewounds more 'comfortable' under your fingers than conventional flatwounds?
I prefer flats - I don’t gel too well with the really really low tension of tapes! T
@@TylerSpicer Is it the low tension combined with the high gauge?
Do they both have the (factory) blue capacitor in the electronics? Try to bridge/remove it and wonder what happens soundwise...
Hi! I've got a mustang bass and i want to try tapewounds but im not sure which are the correct ones cause theres no clear info. I worry the gauge of them would be to thick. Could you tell me which are you using or any other recommendations, please?
another great video, cheers from indonesia. Can you describe the difference between this bass to squier bronco, sound wise?
Thank you for the support! I haven’t tried both, but I’d imagine it will be very similar. The bronco is built to be the same as the music master and also uses the strat pickup, just without that vintage mojo and feel. T
were any left handed ones made ?
thank you for the comparison!I lve just got short scale bass but it is rare to get those wires in Korea, does roundwound long scale strings still works on short scale bass? and have u tried on 045-105 on shorty? if u did, does it give u deeper bass on 4th string?
You can’t use long scale string on a short scale bass sadly, but you can get 45-105 sets made for short scale and they should give you a bigger bottom end, yes! T
@@TylerSpicer thank you for really great informationa again, you guide me not to waste time and money. have good day bro!
Yes, you can use regular round strings on a short scale bass. My 73 mustang is currently strung up with regular strings. As was my Gibson 🙏
@@wild_bore I used regular D'Addario strings on my Musicmaster Bass for years
@@jackgreenwood1817 I suppose it would depend on gears of the tuners. Most of the classic snip and insert type vintage ones, those suck to use an improper set with. They often aren't big enough diameter wise to do what your suggesting.
Wow somebody actually playing a bass like a bass on youtube.
Appreciate you watching my non-conformist playing! T
Hey I’m the review u said that the bridge piece was angled to fix the intonation of some of the strings. My music master has the bridge pieces aligned and it causes the third and second strings to buzz. How do I get the bridge piece angled
Bend the screw.
I like the tapewounds better
would you like to sell the yellow one? :)
It was a lot of bang for your buck
Flat wound for me at 50
Stopped talking at 5:34
Sorry, but it's such a mistake to call every old guitar as being "vintage".
Vintage means that the guitar belongs to a fine special year or era.
No