Some years ago I saw Meshell Ndegecello at the Great American Music Hall in SF. I noticed that she was getting and making an incredibly delicious bass sound. Everyone knows she is good down to the bone. Upon moving ip closer I noticed she had another bassist behing her. He was playing a black Music Master bass just as Ilan pictured (with the paint job and crackeld look). What really got me though was his sound and the way he was mashing it up on that tiny bass I always thought perhaps was a toy. I also thought he must have some customized pickups or something in the bass. Coincidentally enough several days later I was in a local repair shop ( Gary Brawers) where some workmwas being done on an old Ampeg Scrolltop of mine. I saw on a table in the back a black messed up painted Music Master. I asked Gary about it and he told me it belonged to Meshell and she was having some pots or something being worked on. I asked if I could give it a try. Isat down and played it for a few minutes and ....I was a believer. There is more to them than meets the eye. (Just like Silvertones!)
Great story, thanks for sharing.
In a band setting they sound even better.
I like the post-'77 ones with the Mustang headstock and tuners (mine actually has a Mustang neck code and Musicmaster decal). I had four over the years, this is the one I kept:
