This strange 8 string has bobbed up at a second hand store. The brand is "Pacific".
The headstock has "String Master" on it. The pickup cover is bakerlite.
There is a mechanism under the pickguard for moving the bridge on the second and third string up and down one semitone. The two levers are provided for this.
The dealer has no idea of a value, Alex. I doubt if he paid much for it. It is in the hands of Twang Central in Adelaide.
His email is terryoriley@bigpond.com if you are interested.
James, I am currently not permitted any further stringed purchases by order of local management.
I don't think the Twangers have listed it on their site. Send Terry an email. I'm sure he would love to deal.
I like the idea of the knurled volume and tone controls. They strike me as they would be much more asthetically pleasing than knobs on our current lap steels.
Guy Cundell wrote:There is a mechanism under the pickguard for moving the bridge on the second and third string up and down one semitone. The two levers are provided for this.
That's very interesting. Were you able to check this feature out? Can you move the pitch levers while playing, or is it for changing tunings between songs?
I dropped by Twang Central yesterday and it is still there. They have not had an offer as yet. I should go back and plug it in. It has a weird Bakelite shrouded jack. Maybe it is only good for an ornament.
Guy Cundell wrote:...There is a mechanism under the pickguard for moving the bridge on the second and third string up and down one semitone. The two levers are provided for this...
I'd like to delve more into this. If the levers moved the position of the bridge it would throw the fret positions out.
Alan,
What if the bridges don't move back and forth, but up and down? Might make right hand a little strange, but how far vertically would a saddle have to move to raiser or lower a string a semi-tone?
If that was a cam, wouldn't it only lower or raise in the one movement? Not both at the one lever shift? Still very versatile if you could do it on the fly.
I have posted in relation to other Australian instruments (Maxim)and they developed similar but different and very interesting instruments over the years before global trade took over.
In fact they still do with features on guitars, electric, acoustic & resonators, also there is the stuff going on in new Zealand which is interesting.
Regards
Lee
Picked this up a good 20 years ago at a second hand tool store of all places. Been sleeping in my wardrobe since then.
Plugged into an amp sounds clear as a bell and no hissing stuff going on. Wish I could say the same for some of my more modern instruments. Not as pretty as her sister above but hey we all know the plain sister is often the better bet.. The bakelite bridge cover was not on it when I found her. The levers raise and lower the pitch by a semitone similar to a whammy bar but stays where you put the lever. Going to be a players guitar. Not me but my guitar player has the touch for the steel. The rub is that Anthony is a lefty , so we will need to string it the other way round. I'm calling the strings 1 -8 going away from you in the top picture. The 1st lever closest move strings 3 & 6. The far lever moves strings 4 & 7. Any suggestions for string gauges and tunings to suit the lefty set up.
