Stringmaster questions

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 17 Jun 2000 12:33 pm

I have two Stringmasters. One is blonde and one is brunette (now if only I could find a redhead!

) I have not removed the tuning assembly from the blonde yet to look at the manufacturing dates but I believe the blonde is 1954 and the brown is definitely 1959. But they're different, and I wonder what y'all can tell me about the differences. Here they are in a nutshell:

Blonde:
polished aluminum twin pickups on each neck

2 position toggle switch for neck selector but with no high-hat AND a 3-position toggle that I believe puts one p/u, the other, or both "on" (and works on both necks).

Each neck has a separate volume and tone control knob, but the covers behind the pickup do not lift up to reveal a 'blend control' (I thought all SM's had blend controls, no??)

Fender logo on the front uses a cursive (script) "F", but the logo on the metal plate between the necks has a regular (non-cursive) "F"

Tuning pegs are white plastic

Brunette:.

BLACK twin pickups on each neck

3 position toggle switch for neck selector WITH HIGH HAT

There's only ONE VOLUME AND ONE TONE control knob (and they work on both necks), AND the covers behind the pickup DO lift up to reveal a 'blend control'

Fender logo on BOTH the front AND on the metal plate between the necks uses a cursive (script) "F"

Tuning pegs are aluminum

So... can anyone enlighten me a bit more on what I've got here? Thanks!
jc
[This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 17 June 2000 at 01:36 PM.][This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 17 June 2000 at 03:17 PM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 17 Jun 2000 1:14 pm

Jim, my Stringmaster is a blonde 1968 and it matches your brunette.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 17 Jun 2000 2:19 pm

I have updated the dates in the original post above; sorry 'bout that!
jc

Jim Landers · Post by **Jim Landers** » 17 Jun 2000 2:59 pm

Jim, I have a 1956 T-8 Stringmaster that is identical to your brunette from the description you gave. Even the color is the same.

They are great sounding guitars are'nt they?

Jim

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 17 Jun 2000 3:26 pm

Jim,
I think the old blonde hussy has had her tuning gear facelifted. Measure the scale. Is it 26 inches?

In my opinion, the scale was changed in the redesign to better faclitate slant positions on a shorter scale. The other changes were for both better sound and quicker assembly.

Rick

Troy Cody · Post by **Troy Cody** » 17 Jun 2000 7:30 pm

I have 1954 Stringmaster the person that I got it from bought new it has twin chrome pu and no blind knob it works off the tone. One tone and one volum and no name plate between the necks, only a logo on the front. The three Deluxe I have all have a name plate between the necks 1&2.

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[This message was edited by Troy Cody on 17 June 2000 at 08:32 PM.]

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 17 Jun 2000 7:51 pm

Boy it gets confusing. I have a '54 SM. 26" scale. Chrome pickup covers. No blend control. Two pots on the back neck. Two black slider switches on the front neck--neck 1 on/off, neck 2 on/off.
non-script name plate between necks--script on front. I have never heard of plastic tuner buttons--I'm with Rick. I suspect they are not original.
But what were these dudes in Fullerton smoking? It's like there's no two SMs alike.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 18 Jun 2000 9:16 am

L.A. picker Marty Rifkin has a 26" D-8 w/chrome pickups,"spagetti" logo,little black slider switches and no blender pot and he says it's a '54.My D-8 SM is a '65 w/black pickups,modern logo,blender,Tele-style switch - 24" scale.Sometime after the mid 50s they started putting the blender pot on there.I'm not so sure about the art deco push button models-they seem to pop up(no pun intended)in no particular time line.Somebody should write a book about Stringmasters or at least about lap/non-pedal steels w/a long chapter on Stringmasters....or would that be too arcane? -MJ-

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 18 Jun 2000 12:41 pm

Pull the tuners Jim, then you'll know!!!
Mike

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 18 Jun 2000 12:47 pm

Oh, okay, already. I guess I gotta go do it... stay tuned...

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 18 Jun 2000 1:06 pm

OK, I pulled 'em both. The blonde was born in Feb '54 and the brunette in Jan '59.

So was the pickup blender a late model addition?

Richard Vogh · Post by **Richard Vogh** » 18 Jun 2000 6:54 pm

Here are two Stringmaster schematics.

Early Fender Stringmaster Schematic.

Later Fender Stringmaster With Blend Control(s) Schematic.
Note: I'm conviced that the 0.05 microfarad capacitor of the tone control is not shown with the right hookup. I think the right end of that capacitor should connect to the "busbar", not to the pickup of neck 1. In other words, to the bottom of the #1 switch (as the switch is shown on the schematic), not the top of the switch.[This message was edited by Richard Vogh on 18 June 2000 at 07:56 PM.]

Rich Young · Post by **Rich Young** » 18 Jun 2000 11:52 pm

Check out - http://www.seymourduncan.com/string.html
this is for a single neck, but my (5/57) stingmaster is the same except the output of the pu goes to the selector switch and then to the volume control.

John Tipka · Post by **John Tipka** » 19 Jun 2000 4:10 am

Richard,

The diagram with the proper connection is at my web page:
http://www.iwaynet.net/~steelgtr/wirediag1.jpg

John

Mark Durante · Post by **Mark Durante** » 19 Jun 2000 5:11 pm

The first Stringmasters had the 26" scale, two metal covered pickups per neck, slider switches, (on/off for each neck), no blend controls but two knobs. The one knob is volume and the other is a tone control. This tone control was unique in that it was wired so that all the way down it is like a normal tone pot with a capacitor cutting the highs, and turned all the way up it actually turns off one pickup per neck giving a thinner more trebly sound. This setup makes it sound almost like a wah pedal when turned up and down quickly. This is similar to the blend controls under the bridge covers on later models.
The first version was 1953 and 1954.
The second version had a shorter scale, the black plastic pickup covers and the blend controls, the different switches etc., starting in 1955.[This message was edited by Mark Durante on 19 June 2000 at 06:17 PM.][This message was edited by Mark Durante on 19 June 2000 at 06:20 PM.]

Hill Phillips · Post by **Hill Phillips** » 19 Jun 2000 6:13 pm

My 1955 T8 Stringmaster has 3 push button
switches on the center neck tone and volume
on near side neck. A 26" scale. There is the name Mike signed on it under the tuners.
My other T8 has a 3 position knife switch on the center neck and tone and volume on the nearside neck. A 22" scale.I don't know when it was made.
They both have blend pots.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 19 Jun 2000 8:10 pm

Mark, thanks for that concise description. It certainly fits what I've got here. (By the way, if anyone's interested, I plan to offer at least one of these for sale soon)
[This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 19 June 2000 at 09:11 PM.]

Rich Young · Post by **Rich Young** » 19 Jun 2000 8:23 pm

John, thanks, I will use your schematic.