Fender Quad Stringmaster (4 necks)

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 7 Mar 2014 8:12 pm

Yes, that's the one, but I got it for less than the asking price in that ad. The owner didn't want to ship it so I had to drive 2 1/2 hrs. one way to pick it up. He gave me a break in the price for that reason. That made my day. The guitar spent it's entire life in Newburgh, NY.

Edward Pilcer · Post by **Edward Pilcer** » 8 Mar 2014 5:00 am

Doug - I am very happy that someone is going to use it, bought it. It looks like the steel has really low mileage.

All the best. Looking forward to hearing a few tunes on it.

BTW: What tunings are you going to Use?

Peter den Hartogh · Post by **Peter den Hartogh** » 8 Mar 2014 6:00 am

Great aquisition Doug!
Just one question:
Do Stringmaster leg-flanges (leg sockets) take standard threaded PSG legs?
Sorry about the topic drift.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 8 Mar 2014 6:43 am

Edward, I plan to use C6, E13, B11, and some kind of a bass tuning, possibly A6. I need to decide which tuning goes on which neck though. For now the guitar is sitting in the case until I get some time to figure it out.

Peter, no, the threads (and the sockets) on the old Fender steels are wider than modern PSG leg threads.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 16 Mar 2014 7:39 am

This picture just popped up on Facebook today. It was taken the day I bought the Quad. I had just gotten back from a long drive to New York to pick up the guitar and I stopped in at the music store where I teach, Downtown Sounds. One of the guys at the store snapped this picture. It's posted on the store's facebook page now and generating some buzz. The caption should read... OMG, what do I do with all these strings?!

Steven Cummings · Post by **Steven Cummings** » 21 Mar 2014 3:17 pm

Too cool for words

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 21 Mar 2014 3:23 pm

What a beautiful picture. Doug, if you send me the pic, I will have it reproduced to an 8 X 10, frame and mount it on my studio wall.

Regards,

Lenny

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 21 Mar 2014 3:44 pm

Len, I sent you the picture via email. I'm not if sure the quality is good enough to enlarge though. thanks

Bob Gibler · Post by **Bob Gibler** » 22 Mar 2014 11:28 am

Doug Beaumier wrote:This picture just popped up on Facebook today. It was taken the day I bought the Quad. I had just gotten back from a long drive to New York to pick up the guitar and I stopped in at the music store where I teach, Downtown Sounds. One of the guys at the store snapped this picture. It's posted on the store's facebook page now and generating some buzz. The caption should read... OMG, what do I do with all these strings?!

Pretty Cool Quad.. Try 40 strings sometime. It can be overwhelming sometimes.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 2 May 2014 8:17 am

Someone asked about the bass neck (the front neck) and how could the tuners on that neck accommodate such thick strings? The holes in the tuner shafts have been drilled out larger. All eight of them on that neck. And the nut on that neck has extra wide string slots.

[tab]
From an old Fender catalog. Fender recommended what they called "A6 Major & Minor" tuning on the baritone neck.

E .032
C# .038
A .044
F# .048
E .055
C# .071
A .087
F .110[/tab]

Bishop Ronnie P Hall · Post by **Bishop Ronnie P Hall** » 3 May 2014 3:10 am

Hi ya Doug!

One word. "Magnificent"
Ron

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 3 May 2014 5:46 am

Hi Ron, thanks for checking in. This guitar should come with two roadies!

Bishop Ronnie P Hall · Post by **Bishop Ronnie P Hall** » 3 May 2014 4:06 pm

And an overhead crain???

It is still Magnificent!!! Take caution my dear friend. It is truly a beautiful, (but heavy)instrument. I`ll will be saying a prayer,

Ron

Rose Sinclair · Post by **Rose Sinclair** » 4 May 2014 10:34 am

Doug--Congratulations on that beautiful QUAD! Where do you get a huge .110 string? Is that an electric bass string?

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 4 May 2014 10:44 am

Hi Rose! That thick string was on the bass neck of the quad. I think .110 would be a low E on a bass guitar. I can probably buy one at my local music store, Downtown Sounds. You'll remember that place from a few years ago. I'm still teaching guitar and steel there.
I haven't had time to put new strings on the quad yet... still trying to decide which tunings to put on which neck. I'll probably go with C6, A6, E13, and either low C6 or A6 on the baritone neck.

Stephen Cowell · Post by **Stephen Cowell** » 4 May 2014 5:52 pm

You'll have to change the ball-end in order to use a bass guitar string... the end-plate won't take bass string ball ends.

I used a pair of needle-nose pliers to work the big end out... then insert a normal ball-end and bend the loop to retain the end. Once you get it tensioned it will hold.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 4 May 2014 5:57 pm

Thanks Stephen, that info will come in handy.

Eric Philippsen · Post by **Eric Philippsen** » 6 May 2014 1:49 pm

Very, very nice. Congratulations! There's something about opening a case and seeing a 110% all-original guitar. One that's never been modified, altered, changed, or "made better." When that occurs, one of two phrases always escape my lips:

"Lord help me, take a look at this" or "Whoa, where's my wallet?"

Your tab books are great, Doug. How 'bout a jazz standards one?

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 6 May 2014 2:58 pm

Thanks Eric, I'm not much of a jazz player, but I do have a new book/CD in the works. I'm glad you like the Quad. I know what you mean about a "closet classic" guitar. It's like a "time machine" back to the 50s and very exciting. This one came with a lot of case candy, including some beginner Oahu sheet music and basic instruction graded by a teacher. I can't imagine how or why a beginner would ever be in possession of a behemoth guitar like this! The amp he had was a tweed Fender Twin, 1950s, but that was sold before I got there. This is more gear than a beginner would need IMO. I was thinking that he may have inherited it from a family member who was a professional musician, but there is so little wear on the instrument, it seems like it was not played much.