1961 Fender Musicmaster, Duo Sonic-Modded, Novak Lipstick & Wide Range, Tahitian Coral w/ Case

Up for sale, a 1961 Fender Musicmaster in excellent condition and in perfect working order with a Tahitian Coral nitro lacquer gloss finish and Curtis Novak hand-wound pickups. Part of a continuing series of customized instruments built on vintage Fender platforms here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, this Musicmaster has effectively been converted to a Duo Sonic.Arriving here at the Guitar Bar stripped of its finish and routed for a humbucker, this Musicmaster was a prime candidate for restoration and a bit of fun. The new pickup complement includes a Danelectro-style Lipstick single coil in the neck position and a Wide Range humbucker at the bridge with coil tapping functionality, both furnished by Curtis Novak. The three-way pickup selector offers a bevy of sparkling, percussive sounds with both bell-like single coil cut and thick humbucker warmth. Featherweight at just 6lbs 3oz, this Duo Sonic has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 12-54 roundwound strings, low action, and accurate intonation.The maple neck has a slender U-shaped profile carve at the nut, with round shoulders in every register and a particularly chunky feel beyond fret 7, measuring .800” deep at the 1st fret and .990” at the 12th. The Brazilian rosewood fretboard is a dark, tight-grained cut with rolled edges and clay dot inlay, retaining the original slender frets which have been leveled and crowned in the guitar’s lifetime, currently only showing light wear on the crowns of frets 1-3, with wear growing fainter and extending beneath the plain strings until fret 7. The guitar plays cleanly up the 22 1/2" scale length with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. This is a true short scale instrument, perfect for players with smaller hands or those looking to comfortably execute chord extensions that might otherwise be out of reach. The original nut measures 1 1/2" in width. On the headstock, the original single line Kluson Deluxe tuning machines are present and turn smoothly, and the original "Fender - Musicmaster" waterslide decal is intact. The neck heel also has its factory grease pencil date from 10/61.All of the electronics function as intended, with the Curtis Novak pickup pair wired to modern potentiometers, including a Push/Pull Volume knob that coil taps the Wide Range humbucker. Topping off the look, the Wide Range pickup even has a genuine Fender-embossed chrome cover. Hardware includes the original bridge base fitted with modern vintage-spec threaded saddles, a pair of flat-topped knurled knobs and a plain four-bolt neck plate. The pickguard was custom made by Pickguardian, matching the contours of the original guard and accommodating the modded pickup pair.The Tahitian Coral gloss nitro lacquer body finish was shot by Copasetic Customs and features very subtle lacquer checking. As the body finish is brand new, the only wear of note is a couple dings beneath the current finish just south of the neck plate. The neck profile retains its original lacquer finish, the majority of which has been worn to the smooth, bare maple through play.The original tan hardshell case is included, featuring brown leather ends and a trio of functional latches. The handle is missing, yet the original handle mounts are intact.