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Topic: Stringmaster blend wheel Question |
Dennis Smith
From:
Covington, Georgia, USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2012 3:01 pm |
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Hi, My T8 Stringmaster just came and I was cleaning it up to put on new strings and when I took the covers off there are no blend wheel's. This is a 54 serial #0514. So when did they add the blend wheel I thought they all had them? 
Thanks Dennis |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 6 Mar 2012 3:04 pm
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Could you post pictures of the bridge assembly (under the bridge cover) where the blend wheel would have been? It's possible the geared wheel is no longer present, but the control is still present. I've only ever seen them with blend controls.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Dennis Smith
From:
Covington, Georgia, USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2012 3:46 pm
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Dennis Smith
From:
Covington, Georgia, USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2012 3:46 pm
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Dennis Smith
From:
Covington, Georgia, USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2012 4:03 pm
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Thanks Doug, It look's all original. Just never seen one without the tone wheel.
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 6 Mar 2012 5:55 pm
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| Doug is correct. The first few years had 26" scale length with "segmented" bridge plates and no blend controls. There's a double neck for sale here, check it out, you'll see there are a few things different. Also, the leg angle is different. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 6 Mar 2012 7:04 pm
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True, no blend controls on the very early Stringmasters, and the legs were nearly straight down, not splayed outward like most Stringmasters (later ones). Early ones also had chrome PU covers, not black plastic ones.
The walnut T-8 in this thread looks really nice. I'm not sure if that finish is original though. Something about it doesn't look right... maybe it's just the lighting.
Here's a 1st year Stringmaster (repainted) that Alan Brookes rebuilt for Basil H. a few years ago. Alan did a great job, and the guitar is once again blonde and beautiful.
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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Dennis Smith
From:
Covington, Georgia, USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2012 8:26 pm
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Hi
The guitar has lots of little dings all over and I don't see any other color but the wood. The front is lighter on both sides of the fender logo looks like there was a name on both sides. There is old glue residue and indentations where the letters were. Looks like it could have had more than one name on in. Took forever to get the first set of strings on her. The nut was backwards and I didn't notice till I almost had it strung. Then I broke two bottom g strings. But now it tuned and It sound great. The strings are a little closer than the 6 strings laps I have and the two extra strings. But I can see now It's going to be fun.  |
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Dennis Smith
From:
Covington, Georgia, USA
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Posted 6 Mar 2012 8:31 pm
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These are what I've been playing on.
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Billy Tonnesen
From:
R.I.P., Buena Park, California
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Posted 6 Mar 2012 10:39 pm
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| Are Blend Wheels, Blend Controls, and the Tone Controls the same thing ? I've been playing Steel Guitar since the Pilgrims landed and can not remember anything called a Blend Wheel ! |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 7 Mar 2012 5:24 am
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2012 8:44 am
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The early Stringmasters did not have blend wheels.
However, they did have chrome covered pickups and lollypop tuners. Maybe some of the REAL early Stringmasters had the straight legs but I have a couple of early Stringmaster that DO have the splayed legs. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 7 Mar 2012 9:41 am
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| Quote: |
| Are Blend Wheels, Blend Controls, and the Tone Controls the same thing ? |
Not really. We all know what a tone control on a guitar is... Stringmasters have a standard tone control, and they have a control that blends the two pickups together, which in effect changes the "tone". Each neck has two pickups and there is a blend control for each neck (under the bridge cover). As I understand it, one of the pickups is always active and the other pickup is added to the mix as the player turns the blend control. The Knob on the blend control looks kinda like a wheel, hence the name "blend wheel".
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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Dennis Smith
From:
Covington, Georgia, USA
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Posted 7 Mar 2012 8:07 pm
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Hi
Thanks for all the info. If you'er lucky you learn something new every day.
Doug, I learned a lot from you videos on youtube. Thanks for posting them.
Dennis |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Billy Tonnesen
From:
R.I.P., Buena Park, California
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Posted 8 Mar 2012 3:22 pm
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| Thanks Crowbear and Doug. I never played any Fender non-pedal Steels. My first Fender was a Fender 1000. Just shows, you're never too old to learn something new. |
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