Mr. Jody Carver, it's me again!

Rick Collins · From: Claremont , CA USA

Jody (and other Fender gurus and historians), my 26" Fender triple-neck Stringmaster is dated under the inside neck keyhead as 7/54. There is also (#2) penciled in, right after the date (???) It's serial number is 0314; which is stamped on the chrome plate on which the volume and tone controls are located.

Jody, do you know what the meaning of (#2) is?

Another oddity (to me) is that the nut on the outside neck has the wider groves, that were made to accept all bass strings. Jody, were some of the production triple-necks made with these kind of nuts on the outside neck?

Clearly, this guitar is not a broken-up four-neck; because all necks are correct thickness for a triple-neck guitar, with no misplaced holes showing. And the original Fender decal is still on the front of the outside neck. I've seen four-neck Stringmasters (up close) with the thicker outside neck set up for bass strings; but never a triple-neck.

...at you convenience,
Many thanks, Rick

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I have a 1955 T-8 Stringmaster with the deeper grooves cut for bass strings. In fact, I used to put bass strings on the bottom 4 strings on my A tuning neck and play these strings like a bass.
Erv

Karl Oberlander · From: Austin, Texas, USA

MY '57 T-8 Stringmaster has the deeper grooves and the larger tuner holes for bass strings on the outside neck as well. I think that was the established norm for the T-8.

Kobe

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Gibson D-8 Console Grande
Stringmaster T-8
Fender Super Reverb

Rick Collins · From: Claremont , CA USA

Erv and Karl many thanks.

In your opinion is there any need to get a new nut turned with the smaller groves for that neck, if I install strings to be tuned to a conventional tuning like C6th there. I plan to tune the three necks, outside to inside:

C-6th
B-11th
E-13th

Rick

Karl Oberlander · From: Austin, Texas, USA

Rick,

Why don't you move the nut and tuning pan with the larger string grooves/holes to the neck you want to use for B-11? B-11 usually uses a lot larger guage strings than the others. In fact when I got my T-8 it was done that way with the large hole tuner pan in the middle. They didn't move the nut with the large grooves over but I'd do that if I were you. Right now I have mine set up as follows from outter to inner:

B-11 (.014 - .068) John Ely
E-13 (.010 - .036) Scotty's
C-6 (.012 - .042) John Ely

Be careful taking the nut off. It has small phillips head screws and you need to lube them to loosen them so that you don't strip the screw head.

Kobe

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Gibson D-8 Console Grande
Stringmaster T-8. Alkire D-10
Fender Super Reverb

Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

My '56 T8 also has the wide groove nut on the outside neck. Here's a thought: Maybe Fender put this on the fat neck to minimize any warpage that might occur with the heavy guage strings. I experienced a bit of warpage when I was experimenting with tunings on the middle neck and tightened some of the bass strings a bit too much. The fretboard bowed up a bit as a result. I would not move the wide grooved nut to the other necks if you're going to use the heavy strings.

Tim

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Tim Whitlock
'58 Fender 1000, '56 Fender Stringmaster, '65 Twin Reissue

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Rick,
I never had any problem using regular gauge strings on the neck with the deeper string grooves. It's all relative.

Erv

Chris Scruggs · From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Is the #2 under the middle neck? I believe they are all labeled #1, #2, #3, but I'm not sure. I belive Stringmasters have the date written under all the necks, too.

Chris

Rick Collins · From: Claremont , CA USA

Thanks to all for the valuable information.

Chris, that's the perplexing part; #2 is penciled on the inside neck. Two of the necks are dated 7/54, and one (center neck) is dated 6/54.

Of course, this doesn't matter. No parts are missing.

This is an amazing instrument. A master piece of design.

Rick

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

On my recent thread concerning sustain, I meant to ask about this large grooved nut which is likewise on my friends '55 T8. Glad to hear it get some press. I'll assume it is indeed at least semi standard, and for a bass set up. Thus, what tuning/s would have been suggested from the factory?

Ian Finlay · From: Kenton, UK

Someone told me once it was a G6 tuning. My T-8 came with bass strings on the outside neck tuned this way.

Ian

Chris Scruggs · From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

A frind of mine uses an E6 bass tuning. It is the same "shape" as A6, but tuned down to E. He uses all wound strings, too. I believe the gauges are something like .020w to .070w.

1.B
2.G#
3.E
4.C#
5.B
6.G#
7.E
8.C#

I have also been thinking about trying a bass A6 tuning out on my 3rd neck. I would prefer this more than the above mentioned E tuning, because the root for A is much lower. I think this would be low enough, since most country upright bass players rarely go lower than a bass A anyways(there E string is more of a thumb rest).

1.A .022p
2.E .030w
3.C# .036w
4.A .042w
5.F# .054w
6.E .058w
7.C# .064w
8.A .068w

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Those necks back then were numbered so that
those who assembled them would not make a mistake as I have seen before years ago.

I have no idea as to why the first outer neck has #2 on it,unless someone at the factory made the mistake of thinking he was
putting a quad together.

Many strange things happened at Fender back then,,one of them was me

Make your question a bit more specific and if it is that important to you,I can give you a better answer. It may be long,but better.

All outside necks were fitted with the wider spacing for the the bass strings on the outside neck for a four neck guitar and I can assure you it was an error made by the person who assembled your guitar,but I have never seen one from the factory go out that way on a Dual or Triple Neck,,only on Quads

I have seen people change the nut from a triple or dual neck and place the wider grove
nut on one of the necks. But this was done on the outside by players who would order a wider spaced nut to fit the bass strings.

Aw Nuts.

[This message was edited by Jody Carver on 01 September 2003 at 09:07 PM.]

Rick Collins · From: Claremont , CA USA

Jody, (or anyone else) who were the players that used tunings of all bass strings? I've never heard anyone play in such a tuning.

Rick

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