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Topic: Fender vs. Fender |
Tony Harris
From:
England
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Posted 16 May 2001 3:56 am |
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Any of you experienced non-peddlers able to tell me the difference in tone between the various Fender models? I'm after a six-string on legs. Is the two-pickup model (Stringmaster?) better-sounding than the single-pickup one?
Thanks. |
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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 16 May 2001 8:33 am
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Yes Tony. The Stringmaster does sound better than the "thru the strings" single pick-up. The double pick-ups allow a wider range in tone and these models also have heavier nuts and bridges.
Rick |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 16 May 2001 9:25 am
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I would agree with Rick that the double pickup Stringmasters have a wider range of tones, but I would disagree about the overall tone of the trapezoidal "string-thru" pickup. I find that the tone of my Deluxe 8 guitar is better than my Stringmaster. Of course, that could be just me instead of the guitar.
------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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Adam
From:
Seattle,WA
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Posted 16 May 2001 9:31 am
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I beg to differ!I much prefer the string-through sound for playing western swing.I've bought a couple Stringmaster-type models and ended up selling them both eventually because I didn't like the tone as much as the older models.Remember,by the time the Stringmaster model came out,western swing had already fallen out of favor so if you hear a guy playing a Fender on an old swing record,it's a string-through not a Stringmaster.In fact,by the time Fender switched to the two-pickup Stringmaster style,the era of pedal steel had already begun.
In the end it boils down to a matter of personal preference.I realize most people prefer the dual pickup design. |
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Mark Davis
From:
Bakersfield, Ca
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Posted 17 May 2001 12:53 am
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I like the Stringmaster pickups because of the blend knob and they seem to have a real unique sound I can spot one a mile away. The older string thru trapezoid pickups are a little hotter and thicker sounding to my ears. Both great pickups!!!
You can get a sort of humbucker effect with the blend knob on the Stringmaster pickups. The front pickup is northbound wound and the rear pickup is southbound wound so when you get the blend knob which is under the bridge cover right in the middle you can actually hear when its exactly in the middle the tone changes. I think this blend knob and the 2 pickups wound backwards from each other is what gives the Stringmaster its unique sounds. |
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Dave Mayes
From:
Oakland, Ca.
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Posted 17 May 2001 6:29 am
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| A Fender single six string WITH legs ? I think that narrows the field down to the Stringmaster type and a budget model strings - over a single pickup. Am I wrong ? |
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Adam
From:
Seattle,WA
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Posted 17 May 2001 8:21 pm
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| By golly Dave,I think you're right! |
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Ian McLatchie
From:
Sechelt, British Columbia
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Posted 18 May 2001 2:55 am
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Yes, the only single-neck six string Deluxe with legs is the dual-pickup (Stringmaster) style. The earlier Deluxe 6's and 8's don't have legs, but the double-neck Dual Professional models from the same period do.
As far as the respective sounds, as Adam says, it's a matter of preference; both are great sounding guitars. The string-through (Direct Contact) pickup has a much hotter, more piercing high end, and to my ears a stronger bass than the dual pickups. On the other hand, the two pickups produce an incomparably fat, rich sound quite unlike any other steel. I have both styles, and to tell the truth, I prefer whichever I happen to be playing at the time. |
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