A Poor Man's Stringmaster - Guyatone D-8

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 31 Jan 2013 10:51 am

Andy, (it's not an answer to your question, I'll leave that to the electrical whizs out there), but my thoughts are that not all steel guitars have volume or tone controls. When I build lap steels and console steels I never incorporate tone or volume controls: to my mind, that's better controlled at the amplifier. You could just bypass the pots and not use them. The instrument might even sound better.

Andy Henriksen · Post by **Andy Henriksen** » 31 Jan 2013 12:21 pm

Good thoughts, Alan.

But for me, while I don't really do much boo-wah stuff now, I like the idea of it as an option for when the mood strikes.

And for the volume, perhaps....

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 31 Jan 2013 4:08 pm

If you end up rewiring it, consider adding an on/off switch which bypasses the tone and volumes controls, and see if the tone control actually takes away from the sound. Remember, you already have a volume control with the foot pedal, assuming you use one.

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 31 Jan 2013 4:21 pm

You can replace both with 250K pots.
You should use an "audio" taper (LOG) for the volume.
The tone can use a linear pot if you want a short throw of the tone control- perfect for tweaking with the little finger while you are playing.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 8 Sep 2013 7:01 pm

Speaking of Guyatone... a very Generous friend of mine recently gave me this amazing mint condition D-8 from the 1960s. He knows that I like these guitars, so he kindly gave me this beauty. It's in mint condition. Even the Case is like new. Evidently the original owner tried playing it for a while and then packed it away under the bed for 45 years. It's in amazing condition. I'm in Guya-Tone heaven! This guitar is so much fun to play.

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 8 Sep 2013 7:53 pm

Dennis Smith · Post by **Dennis Smith** » 8 Sep 2013 8:30 pm

Would love to here it Doug.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 8 Sep 2013 9:10 pm

I'll probably do some recording with this guitar sometime in the future.

I had another Guyatone exactly like this one about five years ago, and I made a couple of recordings with that one:

Sand ---> CLICK

How D'ya Do ---> CLICK

Webb Kline · Post by **Webb Kline** » 9 Sep 2013 4:27 am

Doug, that's amazing. It' hard to believe one would be that well preserved if it never was taken out of the case.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 9 Sep 2013 6:30 am

Yes, it's like a "time machine" back to the 60s. Here are more pics.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 9 Sep 2013 8:15 am

I actually prefer my Guyatone to a Stringmaster. It sounds better.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 9 Sep 2013 8:27 am

The Stringmaster tone is "thinner" IMO. The Guyatone has a more a more "beefy", raw sound, to my ears anyway. Both sounds are good, but the Guyatone sound always grabs my attention. More so than the Stringmaster. Just my opinion.

PS the string spacing is quite a bit wider on the G'tone than the Stringmaster. That takes some getting used to when switching between the two instruments.

G Strout · Post by **G Strout** » 9 Sep 2013 6:05 pm

Doug, since I purchased the first Guyatone from you a few years back..... you should give me first shot at this one if you get tired of it!!

gary

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 9 Sep 2013 6:10 pm

I'm keeping this one. I regretted selling the last one!

Jan Viljoen · Post by **Jan Viljoen** » 9 Sep 2013 9:53 pm

Doug,

Your axe is brand new, just brilliant. Did'nt know that this quality still exists.

I have two single necks on walkers, I changed the pots and caps though.
I like them too.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 9 Sep 2013 10:22 pm

Yes, every once in a while a "closet classic" is discovered, but they are very few and far between.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 10 Sep 2013 3:00 pm

Doug Beaumier wrote:...the string spacing is quite a bit wider on the G'tone than the Stringmaster...

I have large fingers and prefer the wider spacing. In fact I find the string spacing on pedal steels much too close.

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 11 Sep 2013 10:05 am

I am a staunch Guya fan; (mind you, that could be because I learned to play the steel on a Guya) I also have a D10 Remington that, when set up as such, sounds like a pedal steel; however, I still prefer to sit at the Guya about 5-1 times when I just want to hear and play some good old fashion steel music. ("how is that for a run on sentence?")

The thing that I have never been able to get the hang of when playing the Guya is the little Jerry Byrd bar. I use my D10 bar and a leather sewer's thimble when playing the D8. It could be the wider string spacing of the Guya or the feeling that I am trying to hold onto a piece of macaroni when I try to navigate the fret board with the Jerry Byrd bar.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 11 Sep 2013 10:14 am

Yes, the JB bar is not ideal for the Guyatone because of the extra wide string spacing. When I play the Guyatone I use a custom made bar that a local machinist made for me. It's slightly longer than the JB bar.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 12 Sep 2013 9:32 am

I use the same Tribotone bar on the Guyatone as I do on pedal steel and resonator.

John RJ Wilson · Post by **John RJ Wilson** » 6 Oct 2013 6:12 pm

I'm glad this thread is still going. Despite saying to myself my second lap steel would either be an Asher Jr or a self build, I have bought a Guyatone HG 306-C.

The first link is to another one, not the one I bought but has the best pics I have seen of this model.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141044859482

The second link is the actual guitar.Slightly inferior state to the above.Soft case but has the legs.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200969541269

It cost me Â£201 in the UK $322. Which looking at recent prices is just about the market value, and avoids the usual british premium that happens due to the low number of lap steels coming on the market here. However I do envy you guys that picked them up at bargain prices.
I've read everything I could find on these, the C stands for Conquerer I believe, which might add to the knowledge base.
I have read that it sounds good, does not sound good, is plywood, is not plywood, the rocker switches move around, it does not intonate, it rocks.The build is good, the build is bad.The metal control plate will bend.The sliders will get knocked in play and move.
So after many posts, a lot centering on the D8 of course, what is the concensus? I haven't got it yet BTW.I am looking forward to the 221/2 scale length.
Questions.
I have made contact with a cnc programmer.Who was going to help with my self build. If the body is ply, is it worth having a solid wood body made? and what tone differences will I hear improvedd sustain?? For what is still a cheap lapsteel is it worth it?

If the pots need replacing what rating 250 or 500, and linear or logarithmic?

If the wiring is needing replaced, what guage, and is cloth covered worth it?

I presume there might be an orange drop in there, what should I use a 22 uf?

I'll worry about tone and pickup changes later

If the sliders are a problem I thought to fabricate a small chrome switch protector screwed on by the 2 screws nearest the strings, and still enabeling switching to occur.

Anybody got a wiring diagram?

It might be perfect right out the box, but marshallng thoughts.

comments welcome

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 7 Oct 2013 6:20 am

John, it sounds as if you're prepared for the worst instead of expecting the best. Wait until you have the instrument in hand and have played it a while before deciding whether to upgrade or replace any part of the instrument.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 7 Oct 2013 7:36 am

I agree. Give the guitar a chance, just play it for a while and enjoy it. If it's all original I wouldn't make any changes. Just my opinion. I like Guyatones exactly as they are, cheapo and raw sounding. Perfect.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 7 Oct 2013 7:57 am

I agree with Brad and Doug. There's nothing wrong with the sound of Guyatones as they come. You don't need to change anything.

It's ironic that you should mention how steel guitars cost so much more in England than in the U.S., and I'll go along with that as I lived in England from 1945-1979 and steel guitars were almost impossible to find, but ironically, of the three Guyatones that I have bought over the years, two were bought in England, one of which I had mailed over here to California and the other I gave away to a lifelong friend in Birmingham.

John RJ Wilson · Post by **John RJ Wilson** » 7 Oct 2013 11:01 am

Thanks guys. it did think this would be the response when I was writing, just thinking ahead, based on the rest of the thread.