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Topic: Middle Neck From A 55 Stringmaster |
Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 3 Apr 2005 11:50 pm |
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I recently acquired a middle neck from a 55 Stringmaster. It was slated to be parted out before I latched onto it. It has no volume or tone pot. The blend control wheel is missing, but the partially broken post can still be rotated. It was"refinished" years ago by some house painter and now it has numerous scratches & scrapes . .
It's kind of ugly in a provocative sort of way, and it screams and cries and growls and it just sustains all night long.
Reminds me of a girl I dated a long time ago . .
It's not much to look at, but here it is anyway -
It sounds real good . .
More pics here.
[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 04 April 2005 at 12:55 AM.] |
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 12:36 am
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Hey as long as it's got the sound! Is it a 26" scale?
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55" Fender Stringmaster T8, 54" Fender Champion, Carter D-10, two Oahu laps, two National laps, and two Resonators
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Craig Hawks
From:
North Ridgeville, Ohio, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 1:07 am
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Andy, 3 dots...must be a 24 1/2" scale.
Well done Rick! Was this part of the eBay/Stringmaster scrap sale that was going on a week or so ago? I almost cried when I saw that guy parting out that guitar.
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JCFSC member since 2005
'56 Fender Stringmaster D-8, '52 Fender Deluxe-8, Late 40's Oahu 6
[This message was edited by Craig Hawks on 04 April 2005 at 02:15 AM.] |
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Craig Hawks
From:
North Ridgeville, Ohio, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 1:14 am
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One more follow up question. In the additional photo's, I can see a black T8 on the floor. What is the brown, double neck to the left of the T8?
And on a slightly different note (pun intended) is that a Borg tuner that you're attached to the M-8 (seems like a suitable name for the middle neck guitar  ) and if so, would you comment on it a little. (i.e. your favorite tuner or just one that's handy, stuff like that) |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 1:21 am
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Andy, it's the 24 1/2" scale - which is not my usual preference. I generally much prefer 22 1/2", but this neck just sounds so good and it's fun to play. It sounds like it's on steroids or something, maybe partly because there are no pots. Pots do tend to suck up tone, I guess you could say they're a necessary evil. I was thinking of having tone & volume pots installed, but maybe I'll just leave it as is and use a Hilton VP if need be - and set the tone from the amp(s).
Plus, it's a 55 - swamp ash!
This was unexpected, I was originally just going to get tuners to have an extra set on hand just in case. Then I was offered the whole thing with an SKB case for a nice price. So now there's no way I can bust it up - I just wish I had the whole original T8!
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 1:36 am
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Craig, I got this one from a forumite on Instruments For Sale, but other parts of it may have been on eBay. It was just a week or so ago . .
I know what you mean, I hate to see Stringmasters get parted out. At least I saved part of one . .
That's a Gibson Console Grande.
That little Korg tuner was just handy - I have several of them for just such purposes. They cost $10 each.
But for setup and intonation, I use a Conn Strobotuner. And my main rack tuner is a Korg Toneworks that has 3 modes - cents, hz and strobe. |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 6:07 am
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| Quote: |
| Reminds me of a girl I dated a long time ago |
She says "Hi", Rick...... |
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Bob Hickish
From:
Port Ludlow, Washington, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 4:48 pm
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Rick
Nice find !!
If you have it tuned to C6th try this
chart and see if you like it !
G -- 442.5
E -- 437.5
C -- 441.5
A -- 437.5
G -- 442.5
E -- 437.5
C -- 441.5
A -- 437.5
= 3518 divided by 8 strings = 439.75 overall average
I have been working on this and it works good on my
Stringmaster - C6th all ways felt like its out of tune !
Until Now !!
Bob |
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Jody Carver
From:
KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 5:16 pm
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Reminds me of a girl I dated a long time ago
Rick, did that girl have a 24 1/2 length
there are no pots.
What do you want everything?.many dont have a pot,stop complaining I'm getting tired of your complaining...swamp ash? how do you know
LF owned the swamp he and Sam Ash were partners. [This message was edited by Jody Carver on 04 April 2005 at 06:23 PM.] |
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Denny Turner
From:
Oahu, Hawaii USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 6:23 pm
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| Quote: |
| It's not much to look at, but here it is anyway - |
It's got Soul and speaks Soul; A Treasure IMHO!
If the scale length gets "bothersome", ya might tune it up slide. Hmmmm ....strapping it up spanish for slide might also make the chilluns marvel!
Shades of Jr. Brown; That's Black Betty (from Birmingham) in the making!
Aloha,
DT~
[This message was edited by Denny Turner on 04 April 2005 at 07:28 PM.] |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 6:56 pm
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Bob, this one was strung for A6, and I've been playing it like that, plus I've been experimenting with the A9th tuning I stole from Jody. I stumbled on another tuning by raising the dom7th (G) to a Maj7th (G#) - so that would be (lo 2 hi) E-A-C#-E-G#-B-C#-E. Is that a bona fide tuning? I guess it would be AM7 add 9, or AMaj9th . .
But, I do use that high C6th tuning on the front neck of my T8s, so I'll try those numbers out on it. Somebody once told me I didn't have enough cents, and now I understand what they meant!
Jody, I'm not sure what her scale was, but she did go to great lengths - and she liked sliding up and down. She said I had the good wood.
Not having a pot is okay - if somebody wants me to turn it down I'll tell 'em, "Can't do it - no pot!"
| Quote: |
| Shades of Jr. Brown; That's Black Betty (from Birmingham) in the making! |
Now that's something to think about! I could glue it to my ol' black strat . . 
The 24 1/2" scale on this baby doesn't bother me at all, which is unusual.
You're absotively right - it's got soul.
and it sure likes Jody's A9th tuning . . .[This message was edited by Rick Alexander on 04 April 2005 at 08:00 PM.] |
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Gary Boyett
From:
Colorado
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 7:26 pm
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That's cool Rick. I'm glad you like the long scale. I played one once and the sustain is incredible.
We are a little too old for "POT" anyway, made me sleepy...
Here is an idea- I know where you can get a great amp to go with that:::::
You are too much fun.
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JCFSGC member since 2005
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 8:15 pm
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OK, Rick; I'm going to stump you with a very~observant Question!!! If that is, as you say; the middle~neck of a Triple~Neck, why are there no holes in the P/U–Bridge~Plate for Neck~Selector Switches?????? The only answer I can come up with is that, if it truely was a Triple~Neck; then that plate came from Neck #3! Those P/U's are unlike I’ve ever seen stansard on a Stringmaster also! OK, I'll wait for you to enlighten me.
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“Big John” Bechtel
’49-’50 Fender T–8 Custom
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15” Eminence
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 10:49 pm
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With the info. you just stated, I’ll go along with “3rd. neck of a Quad”! No more  but rather enlightened! The P/U's are probably replacement also, but; no harm done. If you don't want shiny~magnets, you can paint them Black. [or any color!] Maybe Pewter! Ho~Ho!
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“Big John” Bechtel
’49-’50 Fender T–8 Custom
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15” Eminence
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Harry Sheppard
From:
Kalispell, MT USA
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Posted 5 Apr 2005 7:10 pm
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OK, you guys are worse than the neighborhood sewing circle. Yes, this is the guitar I had listed on the forum a while back and no, I did not tear the guitar apart (not that I need to defend myself).
I bought this guitar off of Ebay minus the pickups and tuning keys. Everything else came as you see it. I have had many Stringmasters including a beater 1955 D8 which was missing a lot of parts. I bought another inclomplete D8 and pulled a few parts off the beater and restored the one guitar to near perfect condition. What does one do with all of the leftover parts of the incomplete guitar? Well, I parted it out and sold most of it on Ebay and made my money back on the beater. Is that a crime? I kept the original 1955 pickups and tuning keys as spares for my personal Stringmasters. I finally ended up selling all of my Stringmasters and still had the tuners and pickups when I saw this guitar on Ebay. I put it all together and as Rick noted, it is an awesome little single 8 with tone as good as any Stringmaster I have heard. I am playing all acoustic music now and didn't really need this anymore so I sold it.
It looks like I took 3 incomplete Stringmasters and made 2 very nice, usable guitars and sold the rest of the parts which went to restore 3 of 4 other guitars. Does this qualify as a Save-the-Stringmaster club action?
By the way, If you have ever taken the "BLACK PLASTIC" covers off of a Stringmaster pickup, you will see that these are indeed original 1955 pickups. The tape on the coil is to protect the coil wire because there are no replacement plastic covers available.
Does this clear things up?
Harry |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 5 Apr 2005 9:11 pm
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Well, Harry emailed me and I emailed him and we're cool 
Now he thinks it probably was the 3rd neck of a Quad.
It's not 2nd neck thick, it's 3rd neck thick - but it has no leg sockets so it can't be an outside neck. It has to be the 3rd neck of a Quad!
As Harry said, he got it on eBay pretty much as is, so whoever originally parted out a Quad is relatively unknown. But in any case, it's a sweet axe just the way it is. And I guarantee - it's never coming apart!
I sure would like to get hold of a Quad - I'd never let that sucker go! |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 6 Apr 2005 7:10 am
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Rick,
My quad is coming along very nicely, Each of the 4 necks got another coat of "Fender Blonde" last nite. It's just about ready to receive a few coats of tinted clear coat.
My wife is gettting jealous of all the time I'm spending with this "blonde". Her neck's a lot shorter too. 
Erv |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 6 Apr 2005 7:16 am
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Erv, I'm jealous of anyone who has a Quad!
Looking forward to seeing pics of yours, when it's finished . . |
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