Fender Classic Vibe Duo-Sonic 50's Electric Guitar

It seems that Fender's Squier division is hitting the market with a new Duosonic, the Squier Classic Vibe Duo-Sonic 50's. This replica guitar isn't true to the original 1950's Duo-sonic it attempts to emulate. At first glance, the Desert Sand paint job and gold anodized pickguard makes it appear vintage but, when we look close, the differences become evident.

First of all, the body is basswood. This body wood is often questionable as a tonewood for single coil guitars like the Duosonic. The scale length of the neck is 24 inches, not 22.5, which is a difference although there were 24 inch Duosonics produced. Also, on the neck, there is a gloss maple finish that many players find too sticky. Plus, with a nod to modern playability, the Squier Classic Vibe Duo-Sonic 50's 21 fret neck has a 9.5 radius, a modern C shape and medium jumbo frets. So much for the vintage vibe there.

On the bright side the pickups are AlNiCo V single coils which is certainly a cut above the cheap ceramic single coil pickups found on earlier Squier Duosonic copies. The other electronics seem to fall into line with the vintage layout.

Fender is trying to come out with a new line for Squier, the Classic Vibe Series. The Squier nameplate has been hit or miss, mostly miss, over the years but they're trying their best to compete in an increasingly crowded and better quality lower cost guitar marketplace.

I'd also mention that you still get the classic style Duo-sonic 3 saddle bridge. That means that you should know how to correctly setup the guitar or have someone do it. Otherwise you are likely to have tuning problems with your Squier Classic Vibe Duo-Sonic 50's. Also, don't think of giving this guitar a relic treatment. The paint job is poly so you won't get a relic look, only an ugly look.

I'm not a vintage snob or a purist by any means but this guitar looks like it's trying to please two markets, those who like the vintage look and feel and those who like modern appointments. I suspect that the Squier Classic Vibe Duo-Sonic 50's won't please either side very well.

Vintage Fender Musicmaster and Duosonic

When one begins to look into vintage Fender student guitars it's best to start at the beginning. In this article we'll take a look at the early years, 1956 through 1964, of the Fender Musicmaster and Duosonic.

It was the spring of 1956 when Fender announced and soon begin distributing a pair of student or entry level guitars. Both models had a 22.5 inch scale with 21 frets which was ideal for a young teen getting their first taste of the brand new sensation, rock 'n roll. The Musicmaster, which has a one single coil pickup, had a list price of $119.50. The 2 pickup Duosonic, sometimes called Duo-Sonic, sported a price tag of $149.50. While this may seem cheap to us today, this would be a whopping $915.77 and $1145.66 respectively when adjusted for inflation in 2007 dollars. We are really living in the golden era of cheap guitars today!

Both of these guitars, the Musicmaster and Duosonic, featured anodized gold finished metal pickguards while the pickups' pole pieces were covered with a white plastic pickup cover. They both had a single volume and tone control and used the knurled chrome knobs like those found on the Telecaster as well as the Precision Bass guitar. The Duosonic also feature a pickup selector switch on the lower bout. They were only offered in one body color, Desert Sand. This color was also used on Fender Lap Steel guitars of the same year. The neck was one piece maple.

In 1959, the Duosonic and Musicmaster underwent another change. Like almost all other members of the Fender guitar line a rosewood slab fingerboard was added to the maple neck. The standard finish was changed slightly to a more tan shade from the more blondish Desert Sand color. The anodized metal pickguard was discarded in favor of a dark brown plastic one while the pickup covers went from white to a cream color.

In 1961, a sunburst color was added to the line while the tan color was phased out. This sunburst color was often referred to as a Maroon Burst or Sienna Burst due to the way this finish looked.

Like other Fender models in 1962, the rosewood slab fretboard was replaced with a less expensive curved rosewood one.

1963 marked another color switch as the sunburst gave way to a plain white finish with a tortoise shell pickguard and white pickup colors.

1964 was a year of big changes for the line of Musicmaster and Duosonic  as the Fender Mustang was added to the product line. To match the Mustang, these guitars were available in Red, White and Blue. The Duosonics pickup selector was switched to a pair of slider switches just like the Mustang. Perhaps the biggest change was that the neck scale went from 22.5 inches to 24 inches. Although the shorter scale length was listed as an option for years afterward examples of the shorter scale neck are very rare. The new models were referred to as the Musicmaster II and Duosonic II.

Fender Duosonic Reissue

While the classic Duosonic was discontinued in 1969, it did reemerge briefly in the 1990's as a reissue. The Fender Musical Instrument Corporation (FMIC) decided to recreate their student series guitars in their newly constructed Mexican facilities in 1993.

The reissue Fender Duosonic was close to the original late 1950's/early 1960's models. The body, which was either alder or poplar depending on what was available, was available in white, black or sunburst. The fingerboard was maple. The pickups were quite similar to the Tex-Mex pickups used on early Mexican made (MIM) models. They produce a brasher sound than the vintage pickups.

These reissue Duo-sonics weren't quite as good as the original due to the typical cost cutting in today's guitar manufacturing process. Since they were made in the newly opened Mexican factory they often suffered from manufacturing errors just like their full sized cousins. However, this varies from guitar to guitar. The most common problems included bad wiring, improperly cut and/or placed nuts and uneven fret work. A decent guitar technician can easily fix these problems though.

The MIM reissue Duosonic guitar was discontinued in 1997. It was replaced in the Fender line-up by a Chinese made model issued under the Squier name in 1998. This model was almost identical to the Mexican made model although there tended to be more quality problems associated with it. It often sold for about $100 new in stores at the time. This version of the Duosonic was discontinued in late 1999 but stayed in the distribution pipeline for a while afterward.

These reissues are a great way to get your hands on a student, 3/4 scale, style guitar very inexpensively. This is great for someone who doesn't want to lay down 4 figures for a vintage Duosonic. Often you can find a reissue Duosonic for about $100, sometimes even less for the Squier Duosonic model.

Pre-CBS Fender Duosonic

The Fender Duosonic was introduced in the summer of 1956 along with it's single pickup cousin, the Fender Musicmaster. This was during Leo Fender's ownership of the company, prior to him selling it to CBS due to illness in 1964. This era is known as the Pre-CBS period for Fender Guitars and the guitars that were made during this time are known for their high quality.

In spite of it being a short scale student guitar the Duo-sonic was no exception. Like the more expensive Strat and Tele it was made from high quality materials and was subject to the same high quality standards that Leo Fender insisted upon. Unlike many student guitars of the late 1950's and early 1960's you will find that the pre-CBS Fender Duosonics are very well constructed.

The collector value of these guitars was typically very reasonable up until the vintage guitar market went crazy in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Now it is difficult to find a Duosonic at a reasonable price or one that hasn't been parted out to help a scammer build a fake vintage Stratocaster or Telecaster.

The original 1956 Fender Duosonic had a Desert Sand brown finish on an ash slab 3/4 sized body although this was switched to alder in late 1956. An ash Duosonic from 1956 is a rare find indeed.

The pickguard was anodized aluminum on both the Duosonic and Musicmaster during these years. You can find the serial number on the neckplate. The 22.5 inch short scale neck was made from one piece of maple and featured a 1 5/8 inch nut.

In 1959, Fender added a sunburst finish Duosonic to their product line. Some people refer to this as a 'maroon burst' since the center was a yellow/peach shade while the edges faded more toward a maroon color rather than a very dark red or black. As was often the case at the Fender factory, the sunburst was painted over a Desert Sand paint job due to production run changes.

There were two other big changes in 1959. The first was that the single piece maple neck was replaced with a slab rosewood fingerboard glued onto a maple neck. This change was nearly across the board with all Fender guitar models that year. Another big change, probably done as a cost cutting measure, was switching to a single layer white pickguard.

In 1961, the original Desert Sand color was dropped from the Fender line-up, making the guitar only available with the sunburst finish. Also, about this time the nut was reduced 1/8 of an inch to 1 1/2 inches.

In 1963, as Leo Fender was negotiating the sale of the company to CBS, the Duosonic line was changed again. This time the sunburst finish was dropped and the white finish became the only color the guitar was available in. Due to some production variations, some 1963 Fender Duosonics have a brown plastic pickguard.

Famous Fender Duosonic Players

Who are some famous Fender Duosonic guitar players?

Well, first of all, Jimi Hendrix used one while he was touring with the Isley Brothers when he toured with them in the early 1960's. Of course, later Jimi moved on to the Fender Stratocaster in his solo career but he found the Duosonic affordable and that it worked great for the funky rhythms he played while working as a backing musician with that band.

Indie rocker Liz Phair is another well known Duo-sonic player. Her style of lo-fi rock fits the guitar well. The Duosonic lends itself to making noise and for easy rhythm playing by a guitar player who's also a lead singer. Her main guitar is a white Duosonic that has been featured on her album covers.

Blues musician Johnny Winter occasionally used a Duosonic in his early career. Later he moved on to the Gibson Firebird. Another blues musician who used the Duosonic occasionally was slide guitar great Rory Gallagher. His was modified and he usually tuned it up a half step for slide playing.

Multi-instrumentalist David Byrne of the Talking Heads used a Duosonic from time to time. Once again, the guitar's short scale length and ease of play, plus it's ability to do a good and funky rhythm, made it a logical choice for this band's music.

The Fender Duo-sonic also found it's way into the hands of proto-punk musician Patti Smith. She even mentioned the guitar in her songs, such as Radio Ethiopia/Abyssinia. Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine of seminal punk band Television were also known to use Duosonics from time to time.

Because it works so well in these areas, you'll most often find the Fender Duosonic guitar used by rhythm guitar players and lead singers in the funk, punk or alternative music scenes.

Fender Duosonic Electronics and Pickups

The Fender Duosonic guitar, which was introduced in 1956, typically has 2 single coil pickups with a vertically mounted selector switch located on the lower horn of the body. Unlike other common Fender guitar models like the Stratocaster and Telecaster the Duosonic switch isn't easy to reach while playing. Also, another difference is that the pickups, even on most vintage examples, are reverse-wound/reverse-polarity. This provides a humbucking effect when both pickups are engaged when the switch is in the middle position.

In some models, the pickups were covered with a solid plastic cover that completely covered the pickup's pole pieces. This was different from the standard Strat where the pole pieces were exposed and the Tele where the bridge pickup has exposed poles and the neck pickup's are covered with a metal plate. Newer reissues and some vintage models have the pole pieces exposed much like the Strat.

In fact, pickups that fit the Stratocaster also fit the Duosonic in most cases. Due to the slant of the pickups and the shorter scale length this can impart a different sound to the guitar. I've generally found it more brash and in your face as opposed to the more elegant sound from a Strat. Telecaster pickups will not fit in the Duosonic without major modifications to the guitar.

As for volume and tone pots, the typical Duosonic uses a single 250K pot for the volume and one for the tone. These pots serve both pickups. Wiring a Duosonic is rather simple, much like the Tele.

Overall, the Duosonic's electronics, along with it's unique scale length, combine to produce a unique guitar tone.

Fender Duosonic Scale Length

Did you know that the three guitars offered by Fender with the Mustang style body, the Mustang, the Musicmaster II and the Duo-Sonic II were available with a 21 fret 22.5 inch scale neck or a 22 fret 24 inch scale neck? That's correct. They were offered in both scale lengths when they were originally issued in the 1960's. However, the short 22.5 scale was optional and is now rather rare.

Even the 24 inch scale is short compared to other guitars. It is 3/4 of an inch shorter than the Gibson Les Paul and 1 1/2 inches shorter than the Fender standard used in the Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars.

The short scale neck that was used in these guitars makes it great for people with smaller hands to reach chords and it makes for easy rhythm playing. The short 22.5 inch scale was used again in reissues of the Duosonic and Mustang in the 1990's.

Fender Duosonic - Introduction

The Fender DuoSonic guitar was first produced by Fender Guitars in 1956. It was meant to be a student guitar. It featured a short, 22.5 inch, scale length that was considerably shorter than the 25.5 inch scale used on standard Fender guitars. The DuoSonic, which is sometimes spelled as Duo-Sonic or Duosonic, has two, single coil, pickups and a vertical pickup selector switch that is placed on the lower horn of the body.