Fender Duo-Sonic Solid Body Electric Guitar (1959)
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Item # 10564
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Fender Duo-Sonic Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1959), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 35171, desert sand lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck, black chipboard case.
This is a very nice 1959 example of Fender's first two pickup student guitar: the unjustly obscure Duo-Sonic. Christened with one of Fender's coolest names ever, this little package of electric goodness was designed to expand the company's position the teaching studio/young student market. By the late '50s interest in the Hawaiian steel guitar was on the wane, and the kids coming in for guitar lessons wanted to rock'n'roll. A two-pickup version of the very basic Musicmaster seemed like an easy solution, so The Duo-Sonic was duly introduced in the second half of 1956.
The Duo-Sonic is built from the same components as the Musicmaster but with a second pickup at the bridge, an attendant selector switch and the same single volume and tone controls. It features the same short 22 1/2" scale maple neck and smaller alder body, finished in a tawny shade Fender called "Desert Sand". The three-saddle bridge uses the same components as the Telecaster with a smaller baseplate stringing from the back edge. The pickups are the same basic forms as Stratocaster units, in white plastic covers without exposed polepieces.
This guitar has undisturbed electronics with pots from the 16th week of 1959 and beautiful untouched wiring. The original anodized metal pickguard has less wear than many and looks really sharp! The guitar has survived in original condition without being stripped of its more valuable parts (knobs, neckplate, pots, and wiring) as so many have. The neat, comfortable little neck is dated 4-59 and has the classic rounded '59 Fender profile.
These guitars were many 1950s and '60s players' first electric, far more playable than most other options and stylish in an understated way. They were designed to be good enough to get kids hooked on playing electric, but not so flashy as to stop them still lusting after a new Stratocaster down the road! The short scale is not what many modern players are used to but nonetheless this is a very cool genuine 1950s Fender guitar that plays and sounds great. As the prices of other Fender guitars have risen the Duo-Sonic has remained the best relative bargain in a genuine Fender guitar from the first Fullerton epoch.
Overall length is 37 5/8 in. (95.6 cm.), 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 22 1/2 in. (572 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This guitar remains in nicely original condition, played in with some wear to the finish but not abused. The body shows dings, dents and chips, most notably on the edges which are fairly heavily worn. The top and back are comparatively clean. The neck finish is fairly heavily worn down on the fingerboard ; someone played this one in well more than juts the "cowboy chord" position. The back of the neck is also down to the wood over a good portion of its length with that classic "worn in Fender" feel. There is a faintly visible mark on the headstock face from an old sticker, possibly a Letraset name tag.
The guitar retains the original parts and hardware, including the plastic-button Kluson tuners in excellent working condition. The neck pickup cover has some fairly heavy old strum wear through the plastic down to the coil at the bottom tip but is still solid; the bridge pickup cover has less serious wear. The anodized pickguard retains excellent color with a few very small dinks but without the common strumwear down to the metal so many exhibit. The chrome is worn off the top of the tone knob, while the volume is still relatively clean.
The neck has been neatly refretted with wire just a bit larger than the original. Playability is excellent; these guitars prefer heavier stringing due to the short scale and when so equipped can really sing. The pickups are loud and strong, and this is a far better sounding guitar than many give these credit for. This Duo-Sonic is a super cool piece of Fender history and a really fun guitar to play, in an older chipboard case that looks correct for the early '70s. Excellent - Condition.
This is a very nice 1959 example of Fender's first two pickup student guitar: the unjustly obscure Duo-Sonic. Christened with one of Fender's coolest names ever, this little package of electric goodness was designed to expand the company's position the teaching studio/young student market. By the late '50s interest in the Hawaiian steel guitar was on the wane, and the kids coming in for guitar lessons wanted to rock'n'roll. A two-pickup version of the very basic Musicmaster seemed like an easy solution, so The Duo-Sonic was duly introduced in the second half of 1956.
The Duo-Sonic is built from the same components as the Musicmaster but with a second pickup at the bridge, an attendant selector switch and the same single volume and tone controls. It features the same short 22 1/2" scale maple neck and smaller alder body, finished in a tawny shade Fender called "Desert Sand". The three-saddle bridge uses the same components as the Telecaster with a smaller baseplate stringing from the back edge. The pickups are the same basic forms as Stratocaster units, in white plastic covers without exposed polepieces.
This guitar has undisturbed electronics with pots from the 16th week of 1959 and beautiful untouched wiring. The original anodized metal pickguard has less wear than many and looks really sharp! The guitar has survived in original condition without being stripped of its more valuable parts (knobs, neckplate, pots, and wiring) as so many have. The neat, comfortable little neck is dated 4-59 and has the classic rounded '59 Fender profile.
These guitars were many 1950s and '60s players' first electric, far more playable than most other options and stylish in an understated way. They were designed to be good enough to get kids hooked on playing electric, but not so flashy as to stop them still lusting after a new Stratocaster down the road! The short scale is not what many modern players are used to but nonetheless this is a very cool genuine 1950s Fender guitar that plays and sounds great. As the prices of other Fender guitars have risen the Duo-Sonic has remained the best relative bargain in a genuine Fender guitar from the first Fullerton epoch.
Overall length is 37 5/8 in. (95.6 cm.), 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 22 1/2 in. (572 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This guitar remains in nicely original condition, played in with some wear to the finish but not abused. The body shows dings, dents and chips, most notably on the edges which are fairly heavily worn. The top and back are comparatively clean. The neck finish is fairly heavily worn down on the fingerboard ; someone played this one in well more than juts the "cowboy chord" position. The back of the neck is also down to the wood over a good portion of its length with that classic "worn in Fender" feel. There is a faintly visible mark on the headstock face from an old sticker, possibly a Letraset name tag.
The guitar retains the original parts and hardware, including the plastic-button Kluson tuners in excellent working condition. The neck pickup cover has some fairly heavy old strum wear through the plastic down to the coil at the bottom tip but is still solid; the bridge pickup cover has less serious wear. The anodized pickguard retains excellent color with a few very small dinks but without the common strumwear down to the metal so many exhibit. The chrome is worn off the top of the tone knob, while the volume is still relatively clean.
The neck has been neatly refretted with wire just a bit larger than the original. Playability is excellent; these guitars prefer heavier stringing due to the short scale and when so equipped can really sing. The pickups are loud and strong, and this is a far better sounding guitar than many give these credit for. This Duo-Sonic is a super cool piece of Fender history and a really fun guitar to play, in an older chipboard case that looks correct for the early '70s. Excellent - Condition.