1956 Stringmaster T8

Bob Hunter · Post by **Bob Hunter** » 17 Aug 2009 6:06 am

I recently aquired a 1956 T8 Stringmaster. The third neck has a Jack and a white push button on the tailpiece. This does not appear to be an aftermarket home improvement but factory installed. How does ths effect the operation of the guitar. Someone has insulated the Jack leaving an open circuit so nothing is happening right now. Any ideas...or wiring diagrams..? Tks

Here's a photo

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 17 Aug 2009 6:43 am

sorry i can't help you much Bob
maybe this can a bit :

http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/graphics/p ... k_1957.pdf

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 17 Aug 2009 8:11 am

This does not appear to be an aftermarket home improvement but factory installed.

That's a new one on me. I've never seen anything like that on a Stringmaster. My guess would be an owner-installed "doo wah" button.

(edited for spelling)

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 17 Aug 2009 9:12 pm

It's a user installed stutter button. Looks like a momentary on/off doorbell button.It should be able to be made to work fine. You push the button and it turns the guitar off as long as you hold the button down. Tap it while doing a gliss and you get the infamous off-on-off-on stutter effect. The button could also be wired so as to put a capacitor in and out of the circuit and you would get a bass-treble-bass-treble so called "do-wah" effect instead although that's better done with a pot - either by hand or with a tone/volume pedal.

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 21 Aug 2009 8:17 pm

I looked at that guitar several weeks ago, before you bought it and although I didn't plug it into an amp., I did assume that it was a stutter~button, but; what I had no idea about was the reason for the extra jack on that plate!!! Perhaps that jack would be a temporary connection to a second amp.! This would make you sound jump from one amp to another amp., but; how would you control the volume on the 2nd. amp.?

Bob Hunter · Post by **Bob Hunter** » 22 Aug 2009 6:06 am

I don't know how the thing works when it's set up properly. I couln't get it to do anything. There was a lot of static and AC interference when plugged in. While tracking down the cause I disconnected the jack and push button and re soldered some frayed switch connections, improved the grounding and consequently eliminated the static and AC problems. The guitar has the very distinct Stringmaster sound without any interference. I just have to get used to playing that 3rd neck. I set the tunings like Rick Alexander (E7, A6, and E13 Don Helms).

Thanks to the members that offered some ideas.