Fender Custom Triple Eight

Andy Alford · Posted 22 Sep 1999 4:05 am

Can anyone help me with the history of this guitar? Was it ever used in country music? Please note this is not a string master.

Billy Jones · From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Andy.. This guitar came out before the stringmaster. It has a 22 1/2" scale, single pickups and three legs. It was the same guitar Santo and Johnny used in Sleepwalk. I believe Bobby Black has one and there are a lot of them still around. They were used mainly in country music and had great sound. I had mine for many years. ... Billy

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

According to Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars, this guitar was introduced in 1949 and discontinued by 1958. They were basically replaced by the Stringmaster series, although both the Stringmaster and Custom were available during an overlapping time period.

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Andy Alford · Posted 24 Sep 1999 4:20 pm

I wish I could see all those Custom Fender Triple Necks.Where are they?There have been two on Ebay.I do see Stringmasters.They are great.

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

I use mine a little in the Jon Wayne band, but mostly I play Zebracaster.

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

Which is? Enlightenment please. -MJ-

Troy Cody · From: MEMPHIS, TN USA

Andy,
I hae one that is non-working at this time as I am waiting for a head and tuning gear assembly from Ed Naylor. I gave him my snail mail address to send it to and the pony express rider has not yet made it to the Mason Dixon line. As soon as I receive it I will complete the restoration. I plan on putting E13, C6 and A6 on it.. There were more double 8's than triples of this style. Also, Fender made a double 6 which I also have one, in need of a complete pickup. It also has the clam shell strings through pickup just like the 8's but its slightly narrower. The guitar I have-- one of the pickups has been modified to hold a pull piece type pickup --would like to put it back original.
Troy Cody

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Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Hi Andy, just got hold of a triple 8 custom myself, seems like a fine guitar. I can't figure out what the switch next to the pickup selector is supposed to do, looks like maybe add in the other necks when neck three is selected, but doesn't do anything. Also mine has gear problems on two of the heads, maybe you guys that have dealt with that can help me out... someone once drilled four holes down through the tuner pan on the center neck, I'm sure to add pedals back in the 50's sometime. I'd sure love to know the stories this guitar could tell. I'd love to hear back from you, Andy, or anyone who has one of these. Just saw a refinished one on ebay, I think it brought around $800. I traded a recent cheesy bass for mine!

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Mark van Allen-"Blueground Undergrass" Mullen D-10, Triple 8 Stringmaster, Dobro

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Look what they done to my guitar, maw.

There was a tuner pan on ebay the other day. You could check and see if it is the right one for you. There are a bunch of different styles for different years and models. Someone a while ago posted about someone doing a great solder repair on the bad gears (the problem is a part of the worm assembly breaking off, not gears stripping, usually). Does anyone remember who that was?

The above guitar, BTW, is a Dual Pro, the two neck cousin of the Triple neck Custom, neither of which is a Stringmaster. I'm now uncertain which guitar you have, Mark, but I'll trade you a crappy bass for it.

[This message was edited by Jon Light on 10-03-99]

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

You musicians are obviously WORLD CLASS. So many questions are answered that I never even the intelligence to ask. Okay then, how many dark finish were mfrd., compared to how many blond? I'm waiting?

Ed Naylor · From: portsmouth.ohio usa, R.I.P.

Troy- Your parts are on the table ready to ship.Please give me a call I have a question. Ed Naylor Steel Guitar Works 1-800-749-3363

Fred Layman · From: Springfield, Missouri USA

Ray:

My double-8 custom is walnut stained.

Chris Schlotzhauer · From: Colleyville, Tx. USA

I've got a Custom T-8 also. I havn't done any work to it yet, I've only played around on it, but what great tone!
Where can I find a replacement tone pot for one of these? I guess I could try to clean the pot. Any suggestions?

Jason Lollar · From: Seattle area

Use tuner cleaner, its for televisions and you can get it at radio shack or WD 40 will work in a pinch. Dont use contact cleaner you can freeze the pot up! The tuner cleaner has a lubricant in it. Spay a little into the opening on the pot and turn the knob a few dozen times, if it still sounds scratchy re-place it probably a 250K audio (log) taper.

Brett Habben · From: Spicewood TX USA

Billy,
Anybody know for sure what steel Santo and Johnny used for recording the first album? The album cover pictures him using a Stringmaster, not a Custom. We all know how accurate publicity photos are....
Brett

Jim Saunders · From: Houston, Texas, U.S.A.

You can see the double neck version on the Dave Letterman show almost every week night. They have one on the band stand, but it is seldom played, although I have seen it used once or twice.

Lynn Kasdorf · From: Waterford Virginia, USA

I have a '53 blond Fender Custom triple 8, and a '51 single 8, just like it. Short scale, over the string, trapezoidal pickups.

These are fantastic sounding guitars, but kinda hard to play- the pickup gets in the way of my hand. For that reason, I generaly play a stringmaster double 8. I think these have more sustain (especially for harmonics) than my stringmaster.

One unfortunate thing is that the customs have three legs rather than 4. So, my triple is real wobbly!

One of my favorite non-pedal players is Bobby Koeffer- he plays a triple 8 custom just like mine, except dark finish (what's left of it!). The man is a total wizard- plays with a flat bar and only a thumbpick.

The pickup doesn't seem to get in his way- he doesn't damp the way most of us do, by resting our hands on the strings at the bridge.

Koeffer wraps his right leg around the steel leg to stabilize it!

Brett Habben · From: Spicewood TX USA

Lynn,
You feel your Custom has better sustain than your Stringmaster? Does your Custom have separate nut and tuner pans or the one piece stamped combo nut/tuner pan? The reason I ask is that I have a Deluxe 8 with the stamped combo nut/tuner pan. It's my favorite sound but seems to lack sustain and was wondering if this may have something to do with it. Or is this just due to the lesser mass of the single neck body?
Any input is appreciated,
Brett

Mark Durante · From: St. Pete Beach FL

In my experience many things affect tone:
1. Wood size, weight, and density, etc
2. Hardware
3. Construction
4. Type of pickup and proximity to the strings
5. The tuning and gauge of strings
6. Scale length
7. The player's technique
Not necessasarily in that order. All these things contribute to make a guitar sound the way it does.
Stringmasters are seperate pieces of wood for each neck which are bolted together, (the bolts can be found by taking off the metal diamond plates), and this affects the the tone differently for each neck. For instance, the middle neck on my 3-neck Stringmaster is louder and fuller sounding than the outside necks regardless of the tuning, I think because there is a neck on either side vibrating with it, while the outside necks only have one other adjacent neck.
All pieces of wood are individual and sound different also, which is why every guitar sounds different to some degree.
There is no better or worse, just preference when it comes to these different Fenders. I personally think string-thru pickups do sound better, but can get in the way.

Murray Cullen · From: Irvine, CA

Dickie Harris played one of those and made it sound like there was a small orchestra backing Earnest Tubb. Of course, Billy Byrd was a big part of it too. I've never heard a more musical couple guys anywhere.

Tele · From: Andy W. - Wolfenbuettel, Germany

Hi

there's even a Custom Triple 8 here in Germany. I bought mine just a couple of month ago and started to learn. I really love the sound since I am a huge fan of 1940s/50s Country and Honky-Tonk music. I thinky mine is the only one here, maybe the only one in Europe.

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Heh heh, Murray; now I've got you misspelling Ernest Tubb's name. Earnest is an adjective and Ernest is a name. Und Ernst Pferd ist ein Polkaspieler.

Doc Isaac · From: Kaneohe,Hawaii, USA

John Farina came to Honolulu last year on vacation with his wife and gave me a call. He was looking for a double 8 Stringmaster. He got my name from one of the DJ's in town. I told him that I didn't know of any available on the island at the moment. I assumed THE MAN had quite a few already. Don't know what he used for "Sleepwalk" though.Sounds like Stringmaster?? Doc.

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Im a little late for this,,,but Santo Farina
played a Fender Triple Neck Custom on the Original Recording of Sleep Walk.

Alvin Blaine · From: Picture Rocks, Arizona, USA

Ned Naylor,
I have a 1949 D8 Custom and a 1954 T8 Stingmaster both need work on tuning keys.Could you help me out with these?

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