The Fender Musicmaster electric guitar, stripped of any frills, played an important role in Fender's history: it was one of the first student models Fender ever produced. At a smaller 22.5" scale length, the Musicmaster had one single pickup and two knobs. Though it was one of the lower-end, more inexpensive models, it served its purpose well and remains relatively inexpensive today.

In mid-1959, along with the rest of the Fender line, the Musicmaster was redesigned to use a 2-piece maple neck with rosewood fretboard and a plastic pickguard. Starting 1961, both the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic models were available in a Sunburst finish.