26 inch long scale Stringmasters - your thoughts?
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26 inch long scale Stringmasters - your thoughts?
I'm looking at doing a trade with a forum member on a '53 Stringmaster, and it appears to be one of the early models with a 26 inch scale. My understanding is that this scale length has some positives and negatives, but the one I'd like to learn more about is what bar slants are like on a 26 inch scale?
For reference, I'm mostly a blues player and primarily play squareneck dobro in DADF#AD. The slants I tend to use most are one fret apart on consecutive of adjacent strings. I'll occasionally use a two-fret slant across the top three strings, but I'm not great with them yet.
Can anyone comment with their experience barring at this scale length? Does anyone use a longer bar to get around the stretch? Just curious.
Thanks
Justin
For reference, I'm mostly a blues player and primarily play squareneck dobro in DADF#AD. The slants I tend to use most are one fret apart on consecutive of adjacent strings. I'll occasionally use a two-fret slant across the top three strings, but I'm not great with them yet.
Can anyone comment with their experience barring at this scale length? Does anyone use a longer bar to get around the stretch? Just curious.
Thanks
Justin
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If you have been playing a standard Dobro the scale difference should not present that much of a difference. The lower frets are where the slants will show the most.
There is a certain pride in playing a piece of history that helps to overcome any warts and flaws. Like driving an old sports car, there have been improvements and changes that may make it seem "obsolete" but it is so cool to be a member of the classic guitar club any challenges melt away.
These very early Stringmasters have switches and tuner maintainence issues that every 60 or so years should be adressed but don't freak or replace anything that stops working, it can easily be dealt with.
Good luck.
There is a certain pride in playing a piece of history that helps to overcome any warts and flaws. Like driving an old sports car, there have been improvements and changes that may make it seem "obsolete" but it is so cool to be a member of the classic guitar club any challenges melt away.
These very early Stringmasters have switches and tuner maintainence issues that every 60 or so years should be adressed but don't freak or replace anything that stops working, it can easily be dealt with.
Good luck.
Time flies like an eagle
Fruit flies like a banana.
Fruit flies like a banana.
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I agree with these guys. The longer scale length - even longer than my 24+ inch scale 8 string - is no real problem but will require some adjustment if you want to do 3 fret slants in the very lowest range. You may need a slightly longer bar than the one you use on the Dobro, but maybe not.
Overall that Fender looks like a sweet piece of musical history.
Overall that Fender looks like a sweet piece of musical history.
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It's hard to play slants in tune below fret 5 on a long scale Stringmaster... slants on adjacent strings, that is. The string spacing is fairly tight on a Stringmaster, which doesn't help.
The Stringmaster shown here is an early one... chrome pickup covers, early style of switches, and no blend control. There's something odd about the body... this looks like the inner two necks of a Quad. Possibly refinished too.
The Stringmaster shown here is an early one... chrome pickup covers, early style of switches, and no blend control. There's something odd about the body... this looks like the inner two necks of a Quad. Possibly refinished too.
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I'll agree, maybe your description of "hard" to play slants in tune below fret 5 is more accurate than my optimistic "will require some adjustment" !Doug Beaumier wrote:It's hard to play slants in tune below fret 5 on a long scale Stringmaster... slants on adjacent strings, that is. The string spacing is fairly tight on a Stringmaster, which doesn't help.
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Here's a follow-up question: I've read that 26" long-scale steels sometimes need lighter strings to prevent breakage for some tunings. Can anyone comment on how big of an issue this is? I'm coming from playing open D, open E, or low/high-G. I'm thinking I would like to set up one of the necks for E7 or a step lower for D7, and don't have plans for the other neck yet. Am I likely to run into any issues with these tunings? Just trying to get a feel for what to expect.
What makes you think that?Doug Beaumier wrote:There's something odd about the body... this looks like the inner two necks of a Quad
As far as I know the only way you could work out that the necks were the middle two from a quad would be by looking closely at the leg sockets (which would have been added), the logo on the front and the hole drilled for the wiring to go to the 4th neck etc.
I can't think of any clues you could pick up by looking straight down on the guitar as in that picture.
Last edited by Jeff Mead on 19 Dec 2016 4:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
You can put whatever tunings you want, just make sure you use the correct gauges (buy individual strings, not off the shelf sets).Justin Lee wrote:Here's a follow-up question: I've read that 26" long-scale steels sometimes need lighter strings to prevent breakage for some tunings. Can anyone comment on how big of an issue this is? I'm coming from playing open D, open E, or low/high-G. I'm thinking I would like to set up one of the necks for E7 or a step lower for D7, and don't have plans for the other neck yet. Am I likely to run into any issues with these tunings? Just trying to get a feel for what to expect.
If you used the gauges on this page you wouldn't go far wrong. Use the thinnest recommended string in each instance as you have a long scale guitar.
http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/learning/gauges.php
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As far as the high string goes, I was able to get a high G# on mine if I turned it up to pitch gradually. The G shouldn't be a problem
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The case does look like a triple from the photos
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