Stringmaster & Dickerson steels

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 14 Mar 2000 1:37 pm

This probably belongs in buy & sell but I noticed today that Elderly Instruments has two interesting steels in stock:

DICKERSON LAP STEEL GUITAR (1940's) grey pearloid covering, black and white painted-on fingerboard, volume control on treble side, pickup hidden under pearloid covering, Dickerson banner logo on headstock, all original except new tuners ....$225.00 buy

FENDER STRINGMASTER DOUBLE 8 (1955) dark brown finish, 26" scale, 2 pickups per neck (plastic covers), pickup blend control under each bridge cover, 2 push button (neck selection), master volume and tone, 4 telescoping legs, with tweed OHSC .....$950.00 buy

The Stringmaster looks a bit beat up but the dickerson looks pretty cool - anybody know how their pickups sound?

Here's the URL: Http://www.elderly.com/vintage/185U.htm

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 14 Mar 2000 11:48 pm

I don't know about ALL Dickersons, but mine, with the pickup under the pearloid, is very unbalanced string to string,
Aloha,
Mike

Ian McLatchie · Post by **Ian McLatchie** » 15 Mar 2000 5:34 am

Andy: As Mike says, these bar pickups tend not to have very good balance, and produce a sweet but rather thin sound. In other words, as players, the low-end Dickersons make great wall hangers.

Troy Cody · Post by **Troy Cody** » 15 Mar 2000 6:58 am

Andy I think that the price on both guitars is high. I like the sound of a good guitar be it old or new. But for very little more you can get a new guitar for the price of an useded one. Like a new car I like to put the first dent in it myself. Anew guitar will have the newest pickup and some builders well let you pick the brand of puickup and other acc. ect.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 15 Mar 2000 7:13 am

I'm not interested in either guitar for myself but to some people's ears, a '55 Stringmaster is the unsurpassable holly grail of non-pedal steel tone. Personally, I prefer the tone of the Fender Custom with "Direct Contact" pickups.