Reasonable Price for a D-6 Stringmaster?

Cliff Scholle · From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA

I'm looking for some direction from the non-peddlers out there. I've been playing steel for a few years now, but still coming up the learning curve. I've been on an old Dual-8 Professional (using C6 and E7), which is a real beast to cart around. I don't know...it must weigh 50# with the wooden case. Anyway, I'm finding that I rarely use the two lower strings. I've got a chance to buy a beuatiful D-6 Stringmaster. I believe this guitar would be much lighter and easier to carry around. So...a couple of questions:

1) What is a reasoable price for a 1957 D-6 Stringmaster? It's in really good condition.

2) Should I give up on the 8 strings and go back to 6? I don't really take advantage of the extra 2 strings.

Thanks for your help.

Paul Crawford · From: Orlando, Fl

Chris: From what I've seen, your 8 string is perfect for Western Swing and maybe an E13 tuning along with C6th, (a style where bar slants are more of a theory.) So, if you decide to dump the weight, drop me a line because I love that stuff.

Directly to your question, over the last few months when I've been looking, Dual 6 strings are running closer to $550 give or take $50 depending on condition. At least that seems to be the asking price on Buy & Sell and over at eBay.

I think you'll find any weight difference is due to scale length or the case more than 6 vs. 8 string models.

Cliff Scholle · From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Jeff and Paul - Thanks for your replies. The asking price for this Stringmaster is $750, which, according to your information, is high. The seller contends that it is worth that since it's in such good shape....hardly any scratches or chips.

You're right, the weight issue with the Dual-8 has nothing to do with 8 vs. 6 strings. It's the fact that the Dual-8 is made out of a big ol' chunk of oak. I mean, big....thick and wide. Plus, the old tweed case is toast, so I built a wooden box to haul it around in. I tried to keep the weight of the box down, but at the same time, I had to make it substantial to handle the weight of the guitar.

I'd be interested in any other replies...mostly concerning the 8 vs. 6 string issue. I'm trying to bring the steel into my blues band, so I'm mainly concentrating on the E7 neck,(although I've convinced them to let me play Sleep Walk using the C6 during the fourth set, hee, hee). I just don't seem to use the low strings, even for chords. Something wrong with me?

Oh, and Jeff, what's a bar slant? Just kidding. I still can't pull those off cleanly, and now that I'm doing the blues thing, I haven't figured out any that would work anyway. Take care.

Paul Crawford · From: Orlando, Fl

If you're doing the blues thing, I've got a general 8 string tuning I've been playing with, a variation on Byrd's C6th/A7th. Start with Byrd's 7 string tuning on the lower 7 (ECAGEC#C) to give you the full chord possibilities then go ahead and add the high G for that Western Swing 5th sound. I've got it on a Deluxe 8 and the bar slants should be about the same. Turns out there is actually a ton of things with various notes on top from D like the pedal steel, an F# or even a G# in addition to the G. Use a .011 gauge and get decent sound out of all of them. If you're already use to an E7th, the A7th will come natural just on different strings. The C and the C# on bottom give you full chords either way.

Something to keep you busy on a cold winter's night.

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

Not to get picky

, just for historical correctness, but the guitar in question is technically a Dual Six Professional, not a Stringmaster.

Stringmasters were all multineck 8-stringers with two pickups per neck. The 8-string single neck was called the Deluxe Guitar. The Deluxes were first available with the string-through pickup and later with the SM pickup configuration, beginning in 1957.

The Dual 8 Professional and the Dual 6 Professional both originally had the string through (Direct Contact) pickup. In 1957, the Dual 8 Professional was phased out, and the Dual 6 Professional was changed to Stringmaster features that year as well.

So what you're looking at is a 1957 or later Dual 6 Professional. According to the guitars I've seen change hands lately, on eBay and elsewhere, $500 would be on the low end/bargain buy side. $750 is closer to the median price for such a guitar in very clean shape. Of course, condition and the seller's time need for money enter into any sales equation.

A couple of Triple-8 Stringmasters sold around here lately for $1400-1500, and a very clean walnut finish Custom (triple 8, DC pickups) sold locally for $1600 to a guy in NYC. I think this Fender non-pedal market is starting to heat up in volatility once again. I'm hanging on to my few specimens.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages

mikey · From: New Jersey

my 2 cents...I went from 8 to 6 to save weight....needed 8 so went back...I use high and low on C6 E's my second string, so anyway, bought another 8 and being a later model year Fender than my original, it weighed about 1/2 as much!!! Both D-8 Stringmasters, short scale, so if you want to save weight and need 2 necks, get a late model D-8 stringmaster, they're much lighter than the 50's jobs( and the tone is FINE!!!)...and you'll end up kicking yourself later and missing those 2 strings(I did anyway)...altho I'm lucky enough now to use a Single 8 Stringmaster (Deluxe for all you nitpickers out there) in C6 and can change it to E6/9/13 or whatever Don Helms uses cause I use a G on top of my C6....ok, maybe that's 10 cents worth,
Aloha,
Mike

Cliff Scholle · From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Herb - Thanks for your clarification. I appreciate it. I get a kick out of Leo's quirkiness. Changing the Pro to Stringmaster configuration, but still call it a Pro.....classic.

Mike - Mahalo, brah. That was the kind of feedback I was looking for. It makes sense, now that you said it, that some of the newer 8's will be much lighter than my old, old Dual-8. What has complicated matters is that the old tweed case is toast, so I built a wooden box to carry it in. I tried to make the box light, but it had to be substantial to handle the weight of the Dual-8. The combination of the oak Dual-8 and the "light" box is a back breaker. I love that old thing, with the weird trapazoidal pickups and all, but I'm getting old too. Thanks again......and sniff the trades for me, would you? Man, I miss the Islands.

mikey · From: New Jersey

You got it, Bruddah!
Shaka da kine,
Mike
Oh & PS...Of course JB can get away with 6...jeez he could do it on 3 strings...but I missed 8, I NEED a Bb and a high G...and you can always leave 2 strings off an 8 but can't put 2 on a 6!!! and it's a heck of a lot easier to find a nice D8 than a D6.....
Aloha

[This message was edited by mikey on 10 January 2001 at 01:08 PM.]

Dave Brophy · From: Miami FL

Hey Cliff,
Regarding the weight of that D-8,they haven't outlawed the use of handtrucks in CA yet,have they?

(about $40 at Home Depot,or splurge and buy a "rock+roll cart" that will hold your amp+guitars,and break down to a very small size-about $80 at a drum shop.)
I never heard of Fender making anything of oak.When I took apart my '58 Doubleneck,though,I found the smaller back neck was denser and much heavier than the larger front neck.
Btw,I'm also planning to use my steel in a blues/r+b format.I haven't brought on a gig yet,still practicing,with E7 on one neck and E6 (easily changed to E13) on the other.
Dave

Cliff Scholle · From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Hey Dave - Yes, in fact I do use a hand cart. The young guys in the band sort of smile and think I'm a wimp. I just smile to myself and think, "just wait, you guys". Actually, I'm trying not to use combos anymore just for the weight issue. I use a variety of heads and cabinets, and it works much better for me. I also got rid of my old heavy guitars...now, I generally go for sub-7# instruments. The problem is, even with the handcart, my "music room" (we call it "adult world" around my house) is upstairs, I've got to load stuff in and out of my car, and there are always stairs or something at the gigs that interfer with proper hand cart protocol. Also, maybe I am a wimp ;o).

My D-8 is oak, I'm pretty sure. Others have posted that some of the old D-8 Professionals are oak, and one of my best buddies is a cabinet maker. He thinks it's oak. Plus (although this is the least important opinion), it looks like oak to me. This guitar is late '40's, I think, or very early 50's at the earliest. Almost as old as me...hee, hee.

Actually, I may look into the "rock and roll cart" that you spoke of. I don't know what it is, but I'll ask my drummer. Take care.

mikey · From: New Jersey

my 56 D8 stringmaster in "dark finish" was definitely oak...don't know if the blonde ones were tho...maybe swamp ash
mike

Tele · From: Andy W. - Wolfenbuettel, Germany

I definately prefer the old trapezoid PUs !! I think they sound great for Western Swing and they would be fine for blues ! I remember that Leo once said that these were his best PUs...
just my 2cents
Andy

John Kavanagh · From: Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada * R.I.P.

try another tuning for blues, it might change your mind about the 8-string: EAc#egac'e'. Or my favourite is Ac#ef#gac'e'
They're both variants of the Byrd A7/C6 tuning, but you can do blues riffing with the guitar player on the lower strings, plus there are lots of slants, bends, and cool 9th chords available, especially on the second one.

Todd Weger · From: Safety Harbor, FLAUSA

Cliff -- I have a D-8 Stringmaster, and have been using it for blues for about 6 months now. I think the main thing with blues playing on these is there is a lot more single note playing, at least in my experience. I find a GREAT tuning for this stuff is the Remington E13, tuned as follows (high to low):

E
C#
B
G#
E
D
B
G#

I believe that Bobby Lee even sells string sets designed specifically for this tuning, if I'm not mistaken.

This is a great alternative to just an open E tuning, and the piquant sound of that 7th against the 13th (C#) is just too delicious! Also, the D can easily be dropped down to a C# for more standard stuff. If you like to get a faux-pedal effect by pulling the G#, I recommend a .024 PLAIN string there, too. A wound string won't pull far enough to raise it a 1/2 step.

Have fun!

TJW

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Todd James Weger/RD/RTD
www.franchise-yourself.com
1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (E13, C6)

Cliff Scholle · From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA

John and Todd - Thanks for the ideas of alternate tunings. I'll give them a try for sure. Right now, my "blues neck" is tuned to E7, with the fifth string tuned to D. I think I picked this tuning up from Brad's board. The D hasn't really done much for me, since it's so easy to slide down two half steps from the E on the fourth string. Now, though, I'll try the D against the C#, as you suggested.

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