Fender Duo-Sonic

The Fender Duo-Sonic guitar was launched by Fender as a "student" model guitar. The "Duo-Sonic" features two single-coil pick-ups and a vertical (as opposed to Fender's standard blade-style) switch on the lower horn of the body to select bridge, neck or both pickups in a humbucking style configuration. The Duo-Sonic features typical Fender construction techniques with a bolt-on maple neck, attached to a solid body. The bridge is fixed and the line has a shorter scale neck than standard models as a concession to younger, beginner guitarists and other players with smaller hands.

Original design (1956–1959)


The Fender Duo-Sonic was introduced in 1956. Like the Musicmaster introduced a few months earlier, it featured basic but effective construction and a 22.5 inch scale length (standard Fender guitars feature a 25.5 inch scale) and cost $149.50. The original model was only available in a light tan color called Desert Sand and had a maple fingerboard with 21 frets and a neck with a soft-V profile. The original model Duo-Sonics also sport a gold-colored, anodized pickguard that helps in screening the single-coil pickups and electronics from interference.

Second version (1959–1964)
In 1959 the Duo-Sonic went through a face lift. The most significant change was a switch from a maple fingerboard to a rosewood one in keeping with changes to other Fender models at this time. These fretboards were originally in the slab-style but switched to the veneer style after approximately a year. The other significant change was a switch from anodized aluminum to plastic pickguards.

Third version – Duo-Sonic II (1964–1968)
In 1964 the Duo-Sonic was redesigned based on the Fender Mustang that had recently been added to the student model line but without the vibrato tail-piece. The student guitars now all featured larger and slightly offset bodies, necks with larger headstocks and rosewood fingerboards and plastic pickguards with the volume and tone controls mounted on a separate metal plate. Pickup selection was moved above the pickups on both the Duo-Sonic and the Mustang and utilized two 3-position on-off-on switches that allowed for in and out-of-phase sounds. The pickups were also reverse-wound/reverse-polarity, which made them into a functional humbucker when both pickups were used simultaneously. Also added in this redesign was the option of a 24 inch scale neck in addition to the 22.5 inch scale. This re-designed model was renamed Duo-Sonic II although decals with and without the II designation were used occasionally. In addition to white, Daphne Blue and Dakota Red colors added.

The Duo-Sonic lasted until 1969 when it was dropped most likely because the Mustang with its tremolo tail piece was far more popular.

The Duo-Sonic I and II are both considered rare and have displayed growing collector value. The Duo-Sonic II in particular is often seen as a desirable alternative to the more popular Mustang, since it lacks the difficult-to-maintain tremolo bridge.

Reissues
In 1993 Fender released a Mexican-made reissue Duo-Sonic in a 22.7" scale. It was available in Black, Torino Red and Arctic White. It was dropped from the Fender line in 1997 but was then launched again as a Chinese made Squier Affinity model in 1998 only to be dropped in 1999.

Duo-Sonic was re-released by Fender's Squier brand in the Classic Vibe series of guitars from 2008 to 2011. It was intended to be closely modeled after the model released in the 1950s and looked very similar with a maple fretboard, gold anodized pickguard and Desert Sand finish. Differences included the material used for the body was basswood, the neck was a 24" scale and was C-shaped with more modern medium jumbo frets. Also, the treble pickup location is 3/4" further from the bridge than the original 50's design.

In 2016 Fender re-introduced the Duo-Sonic in two forms: the Duo-Sonic MN (two single coil pickups - in Arctic White, Torino Red and Capri Orange) and the Duo-Sonic HS (a single coil neck and a tappable humbucker bridge pickup - in Daphne Blue, Black and Surf Green), both in a 24" scale. They have a string-through-body hardtail 'Strat' bridge, with vintage-like bent-steel saddles. These guitars, and a re-introduced 'Mustang' range, form the 'Offset Series' and are made in Mexico. The bodies are alder and the necks maple, with maple or rosewood fretboards.

Notable Duo Sonic players

 * Damon Albarn of Blur, a white Duo-Sonic II
 * Walter Becker – of Steely Dan
 * Mike Bloomfield - played a Duo-Sonic with 'The Group' in 1964, at their December 7 Columbia recording session, directed by John Hammond Sr.
 * David Byrne – of Talking Heads early in his career.
 * Rory Gallagher – used a Duo-Sonic guitar with MusicMaster neck that was tuned up one step circa 1982.
 * Jimi Hendrix – played a Duo-Sonic when he backed up The Isley Brothers in the early 1960s and was known as Jimmy James, also in the studio in the mid-1960s, and while gigging with Curtis Knight & the Squires (New York, late 1965).
 * Richard Lloyd of Television
 * John McLaughlin – before switching to a Gibson doubleneck in 1971.
 * Liz Phair – one of her main guitars is a now-faded white '60s Duo-Sonic.
 * Patti Smith – plays a Duo-Sonic and has featured her guitar in song lyrics, for example in "Radio Ethiopia/Abyssinia" from the Radio Ethiopia LP.
 * Dean Ween – Michael "Mickey" Melchiondo, Jr. of Ween plays a cherry-burst '60s MusicMaster with an added Duo-Sonic pickguard and Hot Rails bridge pickup.
 * Tom Verlaine of Television
 * Johnny Winter – used a modified Duo-Sonic during the late 1960s and early 1970s, on his first few albums.
 * Sam Bloor of The Overcast currently plays a custom Duo-Sonic HS
 * Ty Segall -use a fender duo-sonic ii in some of his live performances