Orphan Stringmaster Neck

Mark Roeder · From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

I thought this might be of interest. I rescued this stringmaster neck from the Bay sometime this winter. I couldn't let it go to parts and I have always wanted to try a 26". As you can see by the photo the previous owner sliced the body its length. What a strange thing to do. I spent sometime deciding what to do. To wait for a mate to make double neck might take a while and since I pretty much play one tuning I thought I could live with a single neck.

I wanted to be able to play it standing so I new I would need a wider body for legs. I decided on three legs. So I got a piece of ash and glued it up.

Then I came up with a shape that seemed to work with the stringmaster shape. I got some of the idea from Herb Remingtons single neck design. A nice size ledge for setting stuff on.

Now I have started painting (on my paint-kabob). The photo doesn't show it, but it's an old Fender color. The tuners work great and the pickups too.

I started on a new plate for V and T pots. It came with the switch plate. The question I have been trying to answer is how to rewire a 3-wire setup. And can it be wired to a blend pot. It seems only the older switch models were 3-wire PUs and the blend models had 2-wires. I'm wondering if this is a problem when I try to wire a blend pot. Or should I just wire a switch. Since I have never played a Stringmaster I don't know what is better for the sound I'd get. I'd enjoy reading your coments.

Jon Nygren · From: Wisconsin, USA

Do you have a stringmaster with a blend already? If it were me, i'd wire it up as intended(no blend)and leave it...but thats me. Those 26ers are cool, wish I had one.

BTW where are you at in WI Mark?

PS that creation looks great. you have some talent, for sure.

Mark Roeder · From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Thanks Jon
It is one of the pre blend models and it came with the two switch plate. It may have been an outside neck since there were socket holes under it.

I'm in Madison where I play in a honky tonk trio with my wife and partner under www.kristylarson.com come out to a show if your in the area. I love to talk steels.

Jim Dickinson · From: Washington, USA

Nice to see your rescue of a great vintage istrument. It's amazing what some people have done to vintage items, some quite valuable in their original configration, cars, guns, etc, take a 1000 dollar item, spend a bunch of money on it and end up with something worth 200.

My basket case Dual Stringmaster isn't here yet, it's been hacked too, will put it back to original. I am curious about two things, 1. where did you find the paint, and what is the width of your Stringmaster body at it's widest point at the knob end?

Thanks, Jim

Mark Roeder · From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Thanks Jim
I got the paint from Reranch. Fender Vintage Cream. I think its that old tele color. I'm not sure where you're thinking on the measurement. I'd be happy too.

Mark Roeder · From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

2 13/16" where the fretborad ends and goes to 4 1/8" for the pick cavities. Hope that helps.

Jim Dickinson · From: Washington, USA

Mark,

What a quick response, I was just editing my post to clarify the neck question. I would like the widest width of the body at the control end. I am thinking about making something. I am too impatient to put my thoughts on hold until mine gets here, probably in a week or so.

Thank You, Jim

Jim Dickinson · From: Washington, USA

Mark,

4 1/8 inches wide? Wow, this is much smaller than I thought, one could make one out of a 2X6, of proper wood of course. Jim

Billy Gilbert · From: Texas, USA

My front neck is about 4 and a quarter inches wide and a full 2 inches thick, so you would need full 2 inch thickness wood. A 2x6 is only 1.5" thick. Mine has the 24.5 scale.

Jim Dickinson · From: Washington, USA

I'm from the old school, thinking about a "real" 2X6, I have access to a small sawmill, we can make it any size we like. I also know some old full thickness hardwood boards. Jim

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Here is one I resurrected from the dead.
I bought some parts off of e-bay and the fellow threw in the body.
The body was from a multineck and I routed the bottom for a 3rd leg.
It was midway in reconstruction when the picture was taken.

Robert Tripp · From: Mesa, Arizona, USA

Wow, there is realy talent being displayed here. Beautiful work on everything posted. I wonder what a bick hunk of black walnut would look and sound like?
_________________
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I might be a beginner now, but someday I'm gonna steel the show.

Mark Roeder · From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Nice job Erv. Did you paint it yourself? What did you do for wiring? I need some help on the 3-wire PUs.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Mark,
Yes, I re-finished it myself.
As far as I know, the pickups on the early Stringmasters only had two wires.

Jim Dickinson · From: Washington, USA

Now I am confused, the later pickups have two wires, some of the early ones had three? I wonder what they did with the third wire, was the pickup center tapped, were there separate windings for the three left and three right side magnets? Does anyone know. The schematic I have of the slide switch Stringmasters doesn't show what happens between the two coils per neck.

Jim

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

This might help:

Mark Roeder · From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Here is a wiring diagram I found. I not sure how to iread it since the wires don't go as far as Erv's drawing.

Jim Dickinson · From: Washington, USA

Looks like third wire is a ground, thanks to you both, Jim

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I don't know about the later model Stringmasters, but on mine, there is a brass plate located underneath the pickups that has a ground wire attached to it.

Mark Roeder · From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Here is a photo of the pickups I have. It shows the plate on the bottom. I'm not sure how to deal with the third wire since the diagram I posted doesn't show where all the wires connect. Can you help me out Erv?

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I'm sure that third wire is originating from the brass bottom plate. It is just another ground wire.
You should be able to terminate it along with the rest of the ground wires on the guitar.
Basically put there for a defense against single coil hum.

Mark Roeder · From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Thanks Erv, I'll try it. Do the wires in my diagram that end with the little triangle get terminated together?

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Yes, the idea is to tie everything together and not isolate any portion of the electonics. The control plates should be grounded to each other also.

Jim Dickinson · From: Washington, USA

In electronic schematics, the triangle could be interpreted as a ground connection. The proper symbol is a set of three horizontal lines with the longest length toward the wire, diminishing to a dot, in a triangle shape, like that in Erv's diagram. These symbols are just a time saving measure to make the drawing less cluttered indicating they all go to a ground point somewhere in the wiring. Erv is dead on on the shielding. Now I don't have to worry about separate windings, centertaps, etc. It's just a conventional pickup coil, wired to another in series. This still gives the option of installing a balance pot, in the individual necks, in between the pickups, like later Stringmasters, if one wanted to. Thanks guys, Jim

Mark Roeder · From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Does that mean they terminate on the back of the volume pot?

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