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Topic: Steel guitar? Please help |
Travis Bohn
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 31 May 2012 2:39 pm |
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My grandpa, 83, has this sitting in his basement and told me he bought it around 1945. It's in pretty good condition and has no serial numbers. I called Fender and they directed me here. I hope someone can tell me about it and roughly the value. I don't plan on selling it, buy my grandpa was curious. Thanks for your help!
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Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
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Posted 31 May 2012 2:47 pm
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A "Stringmaster", very nice guitar. Not quite as old as you think. Maybe mid-late 1950's. Others will chime in I am sure.
Very, very nice!
hp
_________________
Howard Parker
03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard
Listowner Resoguit-L |
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Travis Bohn
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 31 May 2012 2:55 pm Thank You
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He told me the date, but his memory is quite what it use to be. He's a great man.
Thank you! |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 31 May 2012 3:00 pm
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It's a very nice looking Fender Stringmaster, long scale, probably from around 1954-1958 if I read Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars correctly. I'd guess around $1300-1500 USD or so based on recent eBay sales. Vintage dealers on gbase.com are asking between $1500 and $2500 for similar guitars, for what that's worth.
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Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 31 May 2012 3:25 pm
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Saw a similar one go a few months back for 1500.00. I'd say that's the low side and 2000.00 is the high.
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Travis Bohn
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 31 May 2012 3:26 pm
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| Thank your for that info! |
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Martin Curnan
From:
Lihue, Kauai
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Posted 31 May 2012 4:54 pm
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| Remove one of the tuner pans, should have the date etched in pencil. |
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Travis Bohn
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 31 May 2012 5:12 pm
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| I'm sorry, I don't know what a tuner pan is. I love the guitar, but don't know much about them. Especially this one. |
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Wayne D. Clark
From:
Montello Wisconsin, USA
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Posted 31 May 2012 8:07 pm
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| It's a Stringmaster. Purchased mine in 1953 at a music store in Vallejo, CA while our ship was being refitted in dry dock. paid $250.00 for it. You have a Clasic there, |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 31 May 2012 9:57 pm
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A tuner pan is the piece of metal at the end of the neck of the guitar that has the tuning buttons on it. Your guitar has two such tuning pans. They call them "pans" because, except for the buttons themselves, they look kinda like pans. The body of the guitar has a cavity cut into it for the bottom of the pan to sit into. You'll need to loosen the strings and then remove the screws holding the pan to the body of the guitar, and then lift the pan out of the body. Usually underneath one of them is a date written in pencil such as 4/54, which would mean the guitar was built in April of 1954. If you get lucky, you'll only need to remove one of the pans to find the date. If it's not there, then you'll need to put it back and repeat the operation on the other tuning pan.
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www.BeatsWalkin.com |
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Travis Bohn
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 1 Jun 2012 3:10 pm Thank You
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Thank you for all your help and time. I appreciate it!
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 1 Jun 2012 6:48 pm
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I wouldn't worry about taking it apart... you have about a 1957/8 guitar, the case is a give-away for that, along with the switch setup.
The serial number is under one of the bridge covers... the middle one, probably.
That looks like a nice guitar. Someone should be playing it! Please come back here when it comes time to sell. |
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Travis Bohn
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 1 Jun 2012 8:02 pm Bridge cover?
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Once again, I'm not sure what the parts are on a guitar. I feel stupid for posting and not knowing responses, but I'm trying. Could you give a little direction?
Thank you. |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 1 Jun 2012 8:12 pm
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| Brad Bechtel wrote: |
| It's a very nice looking Fender Stringmaster, long scale, |
Looks like a 24 1/2" scale to me......three fret markers below the 24th fret...... |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 1 Jun 2012 8:20 pm
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Yes, 24 1/2" scale length.
The serial number is stamped into the bridgeplate, under one of the little chrome bridge covers... but the serial numbers on Fender STEEL guitars won't tell you what year the guitar was made. Each Model had it's own sequence of numbers, so the only thing the number will tell you is if your Stringmaster is older or newer than some other Stringmaster. Yours is mid to late 1950's. The value of Stringmasters is generally the same for all years, so knowing the exact year is not all that important, as relates to value.
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Hugh Holstein
From:
Rohnert Park, California, USA
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Posted 1 Jun 2012 8:24 pm
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Stephen has it nailed, tweed case and switch type puts it in the later 50's.
No need to take it apart.. |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 2 Jun 2012 5:15 am Re: Bridge cover?
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| Travis Bohn wrote: |
Once again, I'm not sure what the parts are on a guitar. I feel stupid for posting and not knowing responses, but I'm trying. Could you give a little direction?
Thank you. |
I'm sorry! You'd mentioned that before...
OK, the bridge is opposite the tuners... you know where the tuners are, so the other end has the bridge assembly. Those streamlined covers where the strings come out can be lifted up from the back side... they're hinged from the front, in a way. If one comes off no big deal, they just clip right back on... but don't lose the piece! You'll see a little control wheel... between that, and the string holes, you'll find the serial number. As mentioned, it's not a super useful number, but it can prove that this guitar is not listed as stolen, so is a useful bit of sales info. |
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Benjamin Kelley
From:
Iowa, USA
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Posted 2 Jun 2012 5:56 am
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IMO That's a very nice looking guitar, $1500 is "fair" market value for sure, but anymore the collector's market seems to be driving those prices up. It may linger a little while but you may find someone to pay up to $1800 for it maybe more.
Cheers,
Benjamin
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If I die trying I will steel the world one honky tonk at a time. |
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