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Topic: Stringmaster Clean-Up Help Needed |
Chris Bauer
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2015 8:06 am |
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When I've had Stringmasters before, they were always such beaters that I never really bothered to do anything but play them. However, Stringmaster #331 is headed my way and this one is clean enough that it's worth gussying up. I have a few questions about how best to do that.
So:
1. Any recommended ways to polish the parts? I'd assume that Mother's, or the like, and some elbow grease is the way to go. However, I've long ago learned that what seems sensible to me can turn out to be a realllllly bad idea. So, recommendations?
2. Any do's and don'ts as far as taking off parts to clean them up? Anything better than a Q-tip to clean under and around the tuners?
3. All of the lollipop tuners work but a few of them are pretty stiff. What's the recommended technique/material to loosen them up?
With any of these questions, don't be afraid to say what you think is (or should be) obvious. I'm as likely to not know the kindergarten level stuff as anything more technical...
Thanks! |
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K Maul
From:
Hadley, NY/Hobe Sound, FL
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Posted 4 Jul 2015 9:56 am
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| Chris, I'm to the take it that this is the 331st string master you've owned? And lollipop tuners? string master? Did they put those on them ? |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 4 Jul 2015 10:19 am
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re: lollipops---my 10/54 Stringmaster has them.
I pulled the tuner trays and applied white lithium grease to the gears & worms. I would have cleaned them with naphtha but they were actually pretty clean. Just very dry. |
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Chris Bauer
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2015 11:48 am
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Yeah, this is a '53 as far as I can tell. It's pretty much an identical twin of the one that's currently listed in the 'for sale' section. Long scale, lollipop tuners, no blend knobs.
Nothing at all crusty or rusty on it, I'm happy to say. Just a bit dull and there's accumulated junk in the tuner pans.
Anything spray-able for the tuners or should I plan to pull them up to lube them? (If so, any tricks about pulling them out or putting them back in?) |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 4 Jul 2015 12:23 pm
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Nothing tricky about pulling them. Unscrew & pop out. Mine is buried right now & I can't get at it -- you may have to unscrew the nut. I can't remember. Here's an older pic. Easy peasy.
Too messy to try to spray. When you pull the pan you will find no surprises -- very simple exposed-gear tuners. You can find a small tube (toothpaste style) of white lithium grease. More than you will need for years to come. |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 4 Jul 2015 12:38 pm
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I was troubled about some uncertainty so I got at the guitar. Yes, you need to loosen the nut.
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Chris Bauer
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 5 Jul 2015 1:20 pm
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| Thanks all! Hopefully this'll finally be the one I can't screw up. |
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Chris Bauer
From:
Nashville, TN USA
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Posted 28 Jul 2015 6:13 pm
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| Okay - the beast has now landed... The main cleanup will be the tuner pans. Who has do's and dont's regarding what I should (and shouldn't) do to clean them? |
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Keith Barron
From:
British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 28 Jul 2015 9:33 pm
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I used fine steel wool to clean up the tuner pans on my 54 Dual 8. I got a small stick or pen and pushed it under the tuning pegs and scrubbed with the wool, where my fingers would not fit. My tuners looked identical to yours too. I lubed them up with vaseline. I used Mothers California Gold Step 1 Pure Polish, and Step 2 Micro-Polishing Glaze to clean up the wood painted body. I also used this on the neck board. I then buffed everything up with a cloth. Turned out great. Here is the tuner pan and body after I cleaned it up
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 29 Jul 2015 3:26 am
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| Chris Bauer wrote: |
| Okay - the beast has now landed... The main cleanup will be the tuner pans. Who has do's and dont's regarding what I should (and shouldn't) do to clean them? |
If they're the later Kluson-loaded pans, take them off the guitar and pop out the tuners. It will be very easy to really get them cleaned up this way. I'd be careful with the steel wool. If they aren't too rusted, regular polish will work just fine. |
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Jay Fagerlie
From:
Lotus, California, USA
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Posted 30 Jul 2015 8:43 am
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For removing small amounts of rust and cleaning up minor pitting, you just need a few drops of vegetable oil.
I know it sounds crazy, but put some on all of the rust/pits and let it sit overnight.
Take a chopstick or plastic picnic knife and rub the spot the next day, the rust should come right off.
Never use metal of any kind for cleaning, it will mar the finish.
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 30 Jul 2015 9:37 am
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I'd like to know how you "pop out the tuners" on the Stringmasters with the lollypops?  |
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 30 Jul 2015 3:37 pm
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| Erv, if you read my post, you will see that I said " if they are Klusons...". ! |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 31 Jul 2015 8:03 am
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| The lollypop tuning head was soldered on. How do you pop that out? |
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 31 Jul 2015 8:47 am
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| Oops, I see now that I am guilty of not reading the whole post. Lollipops .....never mind. |
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