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Topic: Bridge Cover for 1950's D8 Stringmaster Steel Guitar |
Thomas Engleman
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2020 8:25 pm |
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Bridge Cover Plate for a 1950’s Fender D8 Stringmaster.
Please see the photos of the model that I need to restore my old Fender Steel.
My folks bought this guitar for me in 1956....bought from Green’s Music Store in Boyertown Pa. It also came with Fender Amp...dual 10†speakers.
The steel serial number is 0213...which is odd since that number is the same as my Birth Month and day.
In 1958...I was in a vocational school studying to eventually become a machinist. I think it was 1957 when Shot Jackson & Buddy Emmons started building pedal Sho-Bud Guitars.
I decided I was going to make up some homemade pedals and install them on this D8 Fender.
My design was corny with levers and stops and push rods and pedals with chains to actuate the tone change. I made and rigged up two pedals and previously was playing an altered E13th on one neck and a C6th on the other.
If my memory serves me right the E13th tuning was E-C#-B-A-G#-F# D-Eb.
By adding the two pedals that actuated the 2nd and 3rd strings, I tuned this neck to:
Pedal1 Pedal2
E
B C#
G# A
F#
E
D
Eb
E
I think this was a part of the Jimmy Day’s pedal setup...pedals 2 & 3...I think Tommy White has a similar???
I have no idea how many players back in the 50’s were adding their own pedals to steels or having other shops add pedals for them. It would be interesting to find some folks that might still have some of these “home made-add on pedals†on those vintage guitars.
If you have any leads for me on the cover or others that have "home made add on's" I would appreciate hearing from you.
Regards.....and Be Well,
Tom Engleman
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 25 Mar 2020 7:13 am
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Tom,
Check out this thread to see some other early pedal mods to consoles:
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=291148&highlight=stringmaster+pedal+modify
You might even add a couple of pics of your guitar to that thread for posterity. I think yours is the most sturdy looking "toilet chain" mod I've seen. If you have any old pictures of you gigging with this guitar that you could post, that would be amazing.
As for the bridge covers, those screw down covers that were used with the older long-scale Stringmasters are very hard to come by. Most of us just get used to the look of the exposed bridge. Forum member Brad Davis had a friend machine some from aluminum for his quad a few years back but that machinist has retired and no longer has access to the equipment. Good luck and thanks for sharing these pictures and history of your special guitar. |
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Thomas Engleman
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 23 May 2020 9:08 am A couple photo of my D8 Fender with home made pedals 1957-19
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One of you Steel Guitar Forum Friends asked me to try to find some photos of this old Fender Stringmaster...used while gigging or performing....see the attached in 1957 I was 15 years old playing with Norm Frey and the Country Cousins. The band was based in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. Back in those days there many near by weekend parks, and Commercial Parks and Church picnics and private picnics and parties that folks would book local Country Bands. There were also lot of square dance and standard dance halls and taverns that we played at. Two favorite were the Lilly Pond Lodge on Saylor's Lake and the Wagon Wheel Tavern on the banks of the Delaware River. Dorney Park had a band shell and an indoor dance hall known as Castle Gardens.
Wow the memories are playing in my mind now.
We also backed up many Nashville acts when they came to Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York areas. Back then the "Country Stars" usually traveled alone and then picked up a local band to back them up. We had two different booking agencies we dealt with to couple us up with these various artists. Some may remember Sunset Park in Oxford PA and New River Ranch in Maryland. The Country Cousins, we backed up a number of Nashville artists at these parks. Justin Tubb, Tommy Cash, Grandpa Jones, Carl Smith, Carl and Pearl Perkins to name a few. I completely quit playing the Steel Guitar in 1968. Didn't touch it again until 1991 when we had a Country Cousin reunion. Today I am the only living member of this "family" known as the Country Cousins.
Hope you are amused. If any of you older folks may have had a similar experience or played steel back during those year 50's ….60's...I'd be interested in hearing from you.
May23, 2020......Be Well
Tom
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Gary S. Lynch
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 23 May 2020 1:29 pm
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Tom, I just sold a D8 bridge cover under the Amp and Accessories last week.
My dad, was Martin dealer and an avid steel player. He owned plenty but His D8 was always his go to... I found it on a shelf, maybe left off after a string change..
I was looking on EBay for a National bridge cover and 3 Fender D8 bridge covers are up for sale.
About $45 but worth it if you consider they aged and look like the real deal.
Hope this helps,
Gary |
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Thomas Engleman
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 28 May 2020 1:03 pm Hi Gary...........
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Thank you for the comment....if you come across any others...let me know. The D8 I have...the bridge covers are the type that are screwed down onto the guitar ...not the flip up type. I have so much "stuff" here...probably if I took some time I might even find the missing cover.
Thanks again.
Be Well,
Tom |
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 28 May 2020 2:05 pm
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Tom,
I think that was me that asked if you had any pictures. Thanks so much for posting them and giving us a little background. I especially love the pictures that show your group in western gear in one picture and Hawaiian getup in the next. I would have loved to have seen and heard you. The only story I have about playing music in the 60's is that I bought my first harmonica in '69.  Seems like it was $2.75 for a Marine Band.
Good luck finding that bridge cover. The one I just bought off Gary was the later flip-up type so it wouldn't help you. Someone suggested modifying a transformer bell as a replacement.
http://www.mableaudio.com/en/productview.asp?sid=501 |
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Garry Vanderlinde
From:
CA
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