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Topic: Long Scale Stringmasters |
Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 29 Oct 2007 9:48 am |
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To those of you who have disassembled the long scale Stringmasters (I have a triple 26"): When I changed the nearly vertical leg sockets to the 18 degree leg spread, I had to do a lot of cutting and grinding because the rod holding the necks together are exposed in the socket cutouts. I finally got them to fit.
Was this a design flaw? And, was this ever changed by the Fender company? The two holes in the wood bodies are on about 23" centers. It looks as if they could be moved slightly to make the fitting of the leg sockets easier.
My guitar is an early 1953. Johnny Sibert's was too. He had a center leg socket installed at the keyhead end to accommodate another leg. You always saw him using only three legs. He also had the guitar fitted with the wide-spread leg sockets. |
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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 31 Oct 2007 7:47 am
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Well?  |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 31 Oct 2007 8:03 am
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Are you asking if Fender had a design flaw in their steel guitars because your modification required more work than you thought it would? Or are you asking if Fender changed the number of sockets and legs on their steel guitars to make them more stable? I'm not sure what you're asking about as a "design flaw".
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Jody Carver
From:
KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED
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Posted 1 Nov 2007 9:43 am 26 Scale Stringmaster
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| The Stringmaster 26 in length was designed by Noel Boggs and Leo Fender, It was intended as such as it was Noels choice. |
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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 1 Nov 2007 9:44 am
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Brad, the original leg sockets were also ground-down in a few places, so they would fit into the cutouts in the wood body. This is because the rods holding the necks together are exposed in the socket recess and take up some of the space where the sockets sit.
The sockets I installed had to be gound to fit like the originals. The holes drilled in the wood bodies to accomadate the rods holding the necks together would have to be relocated only about 3/8" to prevent the misfit of the sockets.
Since I have an early 1953 Stringmaster, I'm asking if anyone knows if this was changed on later 26" guitars.
Many thanks, Rick |
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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 1 Nov 2007 9:51 am
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Jody, thanks for that.
The "assembled" design of the 26" is near perfect. I love the sound. My question would apply only to ease of assembly from a manufacturing point of view only.
Rick |
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Jody Carver
From:
KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED
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Posted 1 Nov 2007 1:26 pm Yup.
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| Rick sure would. |
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Mark Durante
From:
St. Pete Beach FL
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Posted 1 Nov 2007 4:38 pm
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| Looking thru old catalogs it becomes clear that Fender did indeed change leg sockets at some point in 1953 or 1954 from straight up type to sockets with more of an angle,(for whatever reason), on the triple eight and quad eight 26" scale stringmasters. My 1954 26" T-8 has angled legs and although the rods do go thru the side of the socket routs they do not interfere with the fit of the socket itself. |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 15 Nov 2007 7:37 pm
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The front legs on my 53 Quad don't angle forward at all, just ever so slightly to the side.
The back legs angle backward slightly, but it doesn't look like they angle to the side at all.
I don't have a problem with that, even at standing height. It may move a little, but that's okay.
I've played a few Stringmasters of various years and scale lengths, and in my mind there's no question about it -
The 53 26" Stringmasters are the best sounding, the longest sustaining and the chimiest of all the Stringmasters.
They're a bit noisy and you have to baby those lollipops, but what a tone.
There's a 53 26" T-8 on eBay right now.
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BIG STEEL |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 16 Nov 2007 8:04 am
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Rick,
What do you think those screw holes are from located by the pickups on the back and middle neck?
BTW: My quad Stringmaster has serial number #0002. |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 16 Nov 2007 9:39 am
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Erv, it's hard to say. They're definitely not supposed to be there.
Maybe the guy had an ashtray and drink holder bolted on to his guitar . .  |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 16 Nov 2007 10:04 am
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Maybe it held a tip jar.  |
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