1954 Double Neck Stringmaster - Who signed this thing?

[Henry Hibbert]

Hey folks, I'm new to this forum, and wow it is informative and helpful, and I've already taken a few tabs to work on. Thank you for that, I'm grateful.

I saw a thread on here a while back that I can't find now, about the funny markings inside key pockets. I got this Doubleneck recently in my life-long love affair with guitars (and I'm loving on this long scale every day!), and when I got it, I cleaned it up, it was very dirty and yet it works perfectly fine. I found these marks inside the pockets. I wonder if the pencil marked initials are known to anyone, who is it?

[Bill Fisher]

Looks like that'is the first guitar of this type made in
December, 1954.


Bill

[Jon Light]

I've also got the date markings on my SM (10/54) but I discovered more underneath the control plate:

[Henry Hibbert]

Now that's the one and only Gloria Fuentes. That's a piece of history there! I'll check mine and see if I'm as lucky.

[Jon Light]

I knew the name Abigail Ybarra (and was disappointed that she didn't wind my pickups, having started in '56) but I was not familiar with Gloria Fuentes. Cool.

[Henry Hibbert]

There are Steelers here who know more about it, but she was one of Leo's most trusted builders, a long time employee. I read she was disgusted with CBS and quit because of their lack of quality control and pressure to produce. Yeah, you have something special there.

[Erv Niehaus]

I have a long scale T-8 Stringmaster that I bought new in 1954-55.
Erv

[Henry Hibbert]

Forgive me Lord for I am coveting my neighbor's Fender.

[Bill Groner]

Erv, do you remember the price?

[Erv Niehaus]

Bill,
It's been so long ago I don't remember, sorry.
Erv

[Erv Niehaus]

Henry,
About this one?



Or these?

[Henry Hibbert]

Speechless. I'm in your last will, if not, feel free to add a special codicil, "I hereby bequeath yon double neck stringmaster to that nutcase named Henry...." something along those lines, you get my drift?

Those are magnificent. Thank you for sharing.

[Erv Niehaus]

Henry,
Thank you!
I'll remember you in my will: "Hello Henry"
Erv

[Tim Whitlock]

"Lord Almighty its a long scale 1954 Double Neck Stringmaster. Will I set down the D-18 and Telecaster down for a while? Yes... perhaps for quite a while."

I said something similar in 1994. Better make sure you want to go down that rabbit hole. My enabler was a '56 T8

[Scott Thomas]

I had similar markings in my '54 T-8. 11-54 penciled in the neck pockets along with some unintelligible markings which may have been initials. I also had the Gloria masking tape in the control cavity with a December date.

I think the #1 in yours is for the neck order. Can't tell if the other says #2.

Enjoy the guitar!

[Benjamin Franz]

Now that's the one and only Gloria Fuentes. That's a piece of history there! I'll check mine and see if I'm as lucky.

I wonder if one of the women in this video at around 4:32 is Gloria Fuentes?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nswcAPvH0P8

[Bob Stone]

Gloria Fuentes signed the control cavity of my 1953 Dual 8 Pro. Here's a pic that includes her. I doubt that she is any of the women in the video.


Also, I am pretty sure this is her on the left, taken from R. Smith's Fender book--a library copy so I don't have the page number.




I am interested in any opinions, or any additional photos or videos folks can share. I love this stuff.