Masters Apprentices (or The Masters to fans) is an Australian rock band fronted by Jim Keays on lead vocals (until his death in 2014), which originally formed as The Mustangs in 1964 in Adelaide, South Australia, relocated to Melbourne, Victoria, in February 1967 and attempted to break into the United Kingdom market from 1970 before initially disbanding in 1972. The band reformed periodically, including in 1987–1988 and again subsequently. Their popular Australian singles include "Undecided", "Living in a Child's Dream", "5:10 Man", "Think About Tomorrow Today", "Turn Up Your Radio" and "Because I Love You". The band pioneered use of distorted chords on rhythm guitar, paving the way for heavy rock. Their raw sound and wild stage act led top Australian radio DJ Stan Rofe to dub them "Australia's Rolling Stones". The band was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame at the ARIA Music Awards of 1998.

Like their contemporaries The Easybeats and The Twilights, they tried unsuccessfully to break into the British music scene, but one of the later members of the band, Glenn Wheatley, learned valuable lessons from their travails, and since moving into artist management in the 1970s he has played a major role in the Australian music industry and the media over the last thirty years.

The Masters were hugely popular throughout Australia, scored a string of hits and were consistently hailed as one of Australia's best live and recording acts. They started out as an instrumental band, rose to prominence during the mid-Sixties "Beat Boom", moved through psychedelia and 'bubblegum' pop, finally becoming one the first and best Australian progressive/hard rock groups of the early Seventies. They went through many lineup changes, with vocalist Jim Keays being the only constant, and their membership also illustrates the intricate interconnections between so many Australian bands of that era.

They played mainly originals. One of their biggest Australian hits, "Undecided" (1967), was revived by Silverchair in 1997, and their best-known song "Because I Love You" has been revived many times, including its use in an Australian jeans commercial in the late 1980s. Swedish progressive metal band Opeth named the track "Master's Apprentices" (from their 2002 album Deliverance) in honour of the band, of which Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt is a fan.

The beginning of the song "Last Post on The Bugle" by The Libertines seems to use the same words, notes and chords than their song "War or hands of time".

The classic Burgess, Ford, Keays and Wheatley line-up reunited in August 1987 for a "Back to the 1960s" special on the popular TV variety show Hey Hey It's Saturday. It marked the first time all four had played together since Wheatley had left in late 1971. They undertook a reunion tour during 1988 and released an album, Do What You Wanna Do, featuring new material and new versions of their earlier songs.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 1998, the Masters Apprentices received formal recognition for their achievements when they were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. The same year they were also honoured in Australia Post's "Rock & Roll" series with a stamp commemorating "Turn Up Your Radio".

The band reunited on subsequent occasions including the Gimme Ted benefit concert on 9 March 2001, and the Long Way to the Top national concert tour during August–September 2002. They appeared at the 9 October 2005 benefit concert in Melbourne for former Rose Tattoo guitarist Lobby Loyde. Another performance was at the 2005 clipsal 500, along with Hoodoo Gurus.

As from 2020, original members Mick Bower, Brian Vaughton, Gavin Webb (died 2024) and Rick Harrison performed as the Masters Apprentices with Bill Harrod on bass guitar and Craig Holden on lead vocals.
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