This old 1960s Stringmaster (26" scale) just came my way. Although I play PSG, I mentioned to my guitar picking buddy that I was looking for a lap steel and he said he had one I could have. This is it. He picked it up 40 some years ago at an estate sale. I offered to pay him but he said that all he wanted was to hear it being played. I'll square up with him somehow but in the meantime...this is it.
It has some wear and tear but better shape than some I've seen. Since I feel that old instruments are like people, their age shows character, I don't plan to do much more than get it in playing shape. That's where the fun begins I guess. The selector switch is busted and the previous owner (I don't think it was my guitar picking buddy) tried to put in a toggle switch. For some reason the blending pots are missing as well. In it's current state it doesn't work. Parts are on order and it will soon be a player (I hope).
BTW: Thanks to you folks on the forum who share your knowledge regarding these old instruments. I spent hours going through any and all posts I could find on these old Stringmasters. Without your encyclopedic knowledge I would be lost on this project.
Thanks Brad. I was going by the number of frets past the 24th, didn’t know that year would factor in. Is there a way to measure? Say from nut to bridge?
Just measure the distance from the top of the nut to the top of the bridge.
And I agree, there were no 26" scale Stringmasters built past approx. 1954.
Somebody maybe put the wrong scale replacement fretboards on the guitar.
Last edited by Erv Niehaus on 2 Oct 2018 11:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
Two markers past the 24th fret is 22.5" scale
Three markers is 24.5" scale
Four markers is 26" scale
Making yours the 24.5" scale. Nice score! I like the "character" too. Sounds like you're just the guy to put it back in action. You might have to lose the mailbox numbers on the fretboard though.
Measures 24.5†so is this close enough to be a 24†scale? I assumed it was a 1960 model from number under the key pan - same on both necks. Here is a pic of the fretboard past the 24th fret.
Yes, just measure from the center of the nut to the center of the bridge.
I just got done taking apart and cleaning up a '55 Version 2 Stringmaster Quad with push-button neck selector switch, 24.5". Mine is same color as yours, has some moderate wear, but in a bit better cosmetic shape than yours. Pickups were all working, only things I had to do was re-wire the main rear pickup wire to the neck selector switch; clean and lightly polish the body, tuners and tuner pan, and other metal bits up; lube the tuners; clean/lube all the pots and push-button switches; tighten the body screws - it was pretty loose and floppy; and then just put it back together.
I used naptha (Ronsonol from the ciggy counter at Wal-Mart) to clean everything, Formby's Lemon-oil wood polish for the body, De-Oxit D5 for all the electronics and actually found it useful to get some of the heavier oxidation off the metal parts too. I also am happy to leave the mojo on the guitar - it looks like a nice '55 Fender with honest wear now.
The body screws are behind the diamond plates on the front and back of the body - just unscrew the screws holding the plates on, and the body screws took a 3/16" hex wrench.
One other thing you should be aware of, or at least check out, is that the ground circuit, on mine at least, is completed by contact of the ground wires to the bridge/pickup plates. They all had to be cleaned up and the screwed down tight to the body to contact the ground wires, which went in series from one neck to the other. Kinda' bizarre, and I thought about just hooking up individual neck ground wires to a star-ground, but I decided not to change it from stock. So far, it seems to be OK.
I would probably dump the mailbox numbers on the fretboard. But overall, the guitar looks like it will clean up OK.
Just saw your last post - 24.5" is 24.5". That's the correct value for the medium-scale version. And yes, 2/60 under tuning pans is the neck date.
Dean Owen wrote:Measures 24.5†so is this close enough to be a 24†scale? I assumed it was a 1960 model from number under the key pan - same on both necks. Here is a pic of the fretboard past the 24th fret.
Yeah ignore my earlier typo, 24.5 is correct.
That light brown case also dates it early 60s I believe. But the numbers under the pan are considered reliable.
A couple of other things on my cleanup operation - after unscrewing and removing the tuning pans from the body, I removed each set of strip tuners from the pans. This is necessary if you really want to get in and clean them up - I think any set of 50s Kluson tuners really need to be cleaned up and lubed, and it sure looks better to get the tuning pans fully cleaned also. That was 8 strips for me, and some of them were a bit intransigent in coming out. So I VERY GENTLY pried those out of the pan with a wide, thin flathead screwdriver. It didn't take much force, but I sure didn't want to mess them up by prying hard. When putting them back in, there was a variably-gentle "click" when they got there.
The tuners on mine were single-line, no-logo Klusons, which were standard through the mid-50s. I assume yours should be single-line logo Klusons, standard by 1960. As you probably know, these are not the greatest tuners on the planet by modern standards, and a few of mine turned a bit hard. I flushed them all with naptha, and then in the oiling hole, put a drop of machine oil and then with the narrow plastic applicator squeezed in some Tri-Flow "Superior Lubricant" in the 2 oz. bottle. I only suggest this version of Tri-Flow, the others have gummed up anything I touched them with. The tuners turn a lot better now, but are never gonna be great.
"It has some wear and tear". . . But it's a great instrument any way. Sure that you'll turn it back to life and enjoy it. If only I could get such an excellent project . . .
I just assumed that the toggle switch was a user add on but the 3way switch location was offset and didn’t seem right. After further research (google/bing and this forum) it looks like this guitar was originally a triple neck. The T8’s from this era had that toggle/blade switch on the middle neck. The case is big enough for a T8 as well. The Fender decal looks original on the front and the back neck has the recessed plug socket. Now the mystery is “where is the middle neck� Nothing like a good head scratcher to keep a guy busy.
Dean Owen wrote: it looks like this guitar was originally a triple neck.
I think you're right. The "trough" between the necks should be at the same level and yours is stepped. Maybe the owner had no use for the third neck or he needed it for parts to keep the other two going!
The parts are installed and this is now a working guitar. A couple of things: I pulled out the toggle switch thinking I don’t need it. Might put a momentary switch in there as mentioned on the forum. The blend pots are too high for the bridge covers so that needs to be corrected, but the blend works now.
The front neck is tuned to A6 and thinking E13 for the back neck. The old volume and tone pots sound clean, no crackle. I really like the sound of this guitar. Very thick and warm. The old Sho~Bud might be sitting in the case for a few months while I tinker with this Fender.
A question... do you prefer playing standing or sitting? Since I’m used to sitting that might be the first choice for me.
The parts are installed and this is now a working guitar. A couple of things: I pulled out the toggle switch thinking I don’t need it. Might put a momentary switch in there as mentioned on the forum. The blend pots are too high for the bridge covers so that needs to be corrected, but the blend works now.
The front neck is tuned to A6 and thinking E13 for the back neck. The old volume and tone pots sound clean, no crackle. I really like the sound of this guitar. Very thick and warm. The old Sho~Bud might be sitting in the case for a few months while I tinker with this Fender.
A question... do you prefer playing standing or sitting? Since I’m used to sitting that might be the first choice for me.
. . .