Mustang Bass bodies and necks

kidgloves2

Junior Member
Messages
44
I would love to build custom Mustang basses for myseld. With all the options you already offer on other parts. I'm dreaming of a rear routed all figured walnut with gloss finish and p-bass pups.
 
I'll bump an old thread, rather than start a new one.  A Mustang Bass body would make a great addition to the line.  That body doubles as the Musicmaster and the Bronco, and the 30" Warhead neck, while not exactly right, is certainly close enough.
 
I just saw an old Fender Mustang bass at the show i went to last night and it was beautiful. I'm not in the market for a bass now, but I'd definitely have it in mind if I wanted to build a shortscale bass.
 
My wife plays a Squier Bronco I've done some work on.  I have to admit, there's something beautifully simple about a bass with a single pickup.

JMMBass-1.jpg

 
Warmoth already have taken the hardest steps in this idea by adding the Warhead short scale necks, and they already have the Mustang body shape for guitar. Shouldn't be too hard to replicate the Mustang Bass, surely?  :dontknow:
 
WTFisaUberschall? (Aussie Pete) said:
Warmoth already have taken the hardest steps in this idea by adding the Warhead short scale necks, and they already have the Mustang body shape for guitar. Shouldn't be too hard to replicate the Mustang Bass, surely?  :dontknow:

anyone know if the mustang bass body is the same size and dimensions as the guitar body? Perhaps it's a licensing issue? Do licenses have to be acquired per design or is there a blanket license for fender designs?
 
dNA said:
WTFisaUberschall? (Aussie Pete) said:
Warmoth already have taken the hardest steps in this idea by adding the Warhead short scale necks, and they already have the Mustang body shape for guitar. Shouldn't be too hard to replicate the Mustang Bass, surely?  :dontknow:

anyone know if the mustang bass body is the same size and dimensions as the guitar body? Perhaps it's a licensing issue? Do licenses have to be acquired per design or is there a blanket license for fender designs?

I imagine it'd be per design, or we would have a Starcaster by now.
 
NLD09 said:
dNA said:
anyone know if the mustang bass body is the same size and dimensions as the guitar body? Perhaps it's a licensing issue? Do licenses have to be acquired per design or is there a blanket license for fender designs?

I imagine it'd be per design, or we would have a Starcaster by now.

The Fender licenses are for the headstock shape only, and anything with that licensed shape must be Fender compatible.  The short scale Warmoth bass bodies that have the Warhead aren't interchanceable with the Fender stuff, hence no Fender headstock shape.

As far as the Starcaster, Warmoth does do custom body shapes.
 
NLD09 said:
I imagine it'd be per design, or we would have a Starcaster by now.

i think that's not a fair assumption to make. There are costs other than acquiring licensing involved in them making and marketing a new/different body design that could be holding such things back
 
They have the license on the site, it has to do with the headstock shape.  Also, there was a court case where the decision was that Fender doesn't own the body shapes because they waited too long to trademark them.  They own the names too.  Anyone can make a Stratocaster, Telecaster, Starcaster, but they can't call them that.
 
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom Uber-Dangerous said:
They have the license on the site, it has to do with the headstock shape.  Also, there was a court case where the decision was that Fender doesn't own the body shapes because they waited too long to trademark them.  They own the names too.  Anyone can make a Stratocaster, Telecaster, Starcaster, but they can't call them that.

Generally I think you are correct about Fender's body court decision, except where the offset body shapes are concerned. Leo patented that idea.
http://www.google.com/patents?id=x-ZxAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
 
dNA said:
NLD09 said:
I imagine it'd be per design, or we would have a Starcaster by now.

i think that's not a fair assumption to make. There are costs other than acquiring licensing involved in them making and marketing a new/different body design that could be holding such things back

I was more just joking about how much everyone wants a starcaster.  :laughing7:
 
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom Uber-Dangerous said:
Solid said:
My wife plays a Squier Bronco I've done some work on.  I have to admit, there's something beautifully simple about a bass with a single pickup.

JMMBass-1.jpg

2 outputs?

Just saw this.  Yep, it has two outputs.  The guitar has an internal 2w amp that drives a built in speaker.  One of those jacks is an open circuit jack that cuts off the speaker and can run the internal amp either to a passive speaker, or to a regular amp, as it's basically just a juiced up preamp anyway.  The other output is passive.
 
Puh-leeeezz give me Mustang Bass option, W! So much want!

Also, Starcaster.

Also, a $50,000 grant to fund all the projects I can imagine.
 
I'd love to be able to replace the somewhat clunky necks on my Mustangs and Musicmaster with something a bit more like the 30' Warhead neck.  Being able to order a Mustang body with options for different pickups would be very nice too, but I'd prefer (and believe it would make better business sense) a short scale P body first.  I could see myself with three of them; one with a single coil, one with a Telecaster Bass mudbucker and one with a modern split coil.  I love my Warhead J short scale, but it'd be nice to give her a few sisters.

Just a thought.
DW
 
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