Fender Custom Triple Eight
Moderator: Brad Bechtel
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Fender Custom Triple Eight
Can anyone help me with the history of this guitar? Was it ever used in country music? Please note this is not a string master.
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Andy.. This guitar came out before the stringmaster. It has a 22 1/2" scale, single pickups and three legs. It was the same guitar Santo and Johnny used in Sleepwalk. I believe Bobby Black has one and there are a lot of them still around. They were used mainly in country music and had great sound. I had mine for many years. ... Billy
- Brad Bechtel
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According to Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars, this guitar was introduced in 1949 and discontinued by 1958. They were basically replaced by the Stringmaster series, although both the Stringmaster and Custom were available during an overlapping time period.
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Brad's Page of Steel:
www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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Brad's Page of Steel:
www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars
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- Earnest Bovine
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- Michael Johnstone
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Andy,
I hae one that is non-working at this time as I am waiting for a head and tuning gear assembly from Ed Naylor. I gave him my snail mail address to send it to and the pony express rider has not yet made it to the Mason Dixon line. As soon as I receive it I will complete the restoration. I plan on putting E13, C6 and A6 on it.. There were more double 8's than triples of this style. Also, Fender made a double 6 which I also have one, in need of a complete pickup. It also has the clam shell strings through pickup just like the 8's but its slightly narrower. The guitar I have-- one of the pickups has been modified to hold a pull piece type pickup --would like to put it back original.
Troy Cody
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I hae one that is non-working at this time as I am waiting for a head and tuning gear assembly from Ed Naylor. I gave him my snail mail address to send it to and the pony express rider has not yet made it to the Mason Dixon line. As soon as I receive it I will complete the restoration. I plan on putting E13, C6 and A6 on it.. There were more double 8's than triples of this style. Also, Fender made a double 6 which I also have one, in need of a complete pickup. It also has the clam shell strings through pickup just like the 8's but its slightly narrower. The guitar I have-- one of the pickups has been modified to hold a pull piece type pickup --would like to put it back original.
Troy Cody
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- Mark van Allen
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Hi Andy, just got hold of a triple 8 custom myself, seems like a fine guitar. I can't figure out what the switch next to the pickup selector is supposed to do, looks like maybe add in the other necks when neck three is selected, but doesn't do anything. Also mine has gear problems on two of the heads, maybe you guys that have dealt with that can help me out... someone once drilled four holes down through the tuner pan on the center neck, I'm sure to add pedals back in the 50's sometime. I'd sure love to know the stories this guitar could tell. I'd love to hear back from you, Andy, or anyone who has one of these. Just saw a refinished one on ebay, I think it brought around $800. I traded a recent cheesy bass for mine!
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Mark van Allen-"Blueground Undergrass" Mullen D-10, Triple 8 Stringmaster, Dobro
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Mark van Allen-"Blueground Undergrass" Mullen D-10, Triple 8 Stringmaster, Dobro
Look what they done to my guitar, maw.
There was a tuner pan on ebay the other day. You could check and see if it is the right one for you. There are a bunch of different styles for different years and models. Someone a while ago posted about someone doing a great solder repair on the bad gears (the problem is a part of the worm assembly breaking off, not gears stripping, usually). Does anyone remember who that was?
The above guitar, BTW, is a Dual Pro, the two neck cousin of the Triple neck Custom, neither of which is a Stringmaster. I'm now uncertain which guitar you have, Mark, but I'll trade you a crappy bass for it. <p ALIGN=CENTER><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b">[This message was edited by Jon Light on 10-03-99]</FONT></P>
There was a tuner pan on ebay the other day. You could check and see if it is the right one for you. There are a bunch of different styles for different years and models. Someone a while ago posted about someone doing a great solder repair on the bad gears (the problem is a part of the worm assembly breaking off, not gears stripping, usually). Does anyone remember who that was?
The above guitar, BTW, is a Dual Pro, the two neck cousin of the Triple neck Custom, neither of which is a Stringmaster. I'm now uncertain which guitar you have, Mark, but I'll trade you a crappy bass for it. <p ALIGN=CENTER><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b">[This message was edited by Jon Light on 10-03-99]</FONT></P>
- Ray Montee
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- Chris Schlotzhauer
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Use tuner cleaner, its for televisions and you can get it at radio shack or WD 40 will work in a pinch. Dont use contact cleaner you can freeze the pot up! The tuner cleaner has a lubricant in it. Spay a little into the opening on the pot and turn the knob a few dozen times, if it still sounds scratchy re-place it probably a 250K audio (log) taper.
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- Jim Saunders
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- Lynn Kasdorf
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I have a '53 blond Fender Custom triple 8, and a '51 single 8, just like it. Short scale, over the string, trapezoidal pickups.
These are fantastic sounding guitars, but kinda hard to play- the pickup gets in the way of my hand. For that reason, I generaly play a stringmaster double 8. I think these have more sustain (especially for harmonics) than my stringmaster.
One unfortunate thing is that the customs have three legs rather than 4. So, my triple is real wobbly!
One of my favorite non-pedal players is Bobby Koeffer- he plays a triple 8 custom just like mine, except dark finish (what's left of it!). The man is a total wizard- plays with a flat bar and only a thumbpick.
The pickup doesn't seem to get in his way- he doesn't damp the way most of us do, by resting our hands on the strings at the bridge.
Koeffer wraps his right leg around the steel leg to stabilize it!
These are fantastic sounding guitars, but kinda hard to play- the pickup gets in the way of my hand. For that reason, I generaly play a stringmaster double 8. I think these have more sustain (especially for harmonics) than my stringmaster.
One unfortunate thing is that the customs have three legs rather than 4. So, my triple is real wobbly!
One of my favorite non-pedal players is Bobby Koeffer- he plays a triple 8 custom just like mine, except dark finish (what's left of it!). The man is a total wizard- plays with a flat bar and only a thumbpick.
The pickup doesn't seem to get in his way- he doesn't damp the way most of us do, by resting our hands on the strings at the bridge.
Koeffer wraps his right leg around the steel leg to stabilize it!
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Lynn,
You feel your Custom has better sustain than your Stringmaster? Does your Custom have separate nut and tuner pans or the one piece stamped combo nut/tuner pan? The reason I ask is that I have a Deluxe 8 with the stamped combo nut/tuner pan. It's my favorite sound but seems to lack sustain and was wondering if this may have something to do with it. Or is this just due to the lesser mass of the single neck body?
Any input is appreciated,
Brett
You feel your Custom has better sustain than your Stringmaster? Does your Custom have separate nut and tuner pans or the one piece stamped combo nut/tuner pan? The reason I ask is that I have a Deluxe 8 with the stamped combo nut/tuner pan. It's my favorite sound but seems to lack sustain and was wondering if this may have something to do with it. Or is this just due to the lesser mass of the single neck body?
Any input is appreciated,
Brett
- Mark Durante
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In my experience many things affect tone:
1. Wood size, weight, and density, etc
2. Hardware
3. Construction
4. Type of pickup and proximity to the strings
5. The tuning and gauge of strings
6. Scale length
7. The player's technique
Not necessasarily in that order. All these things contribute to make a guitar sound the way it does.
Stringmasters are seperate pieces of wood for each neck which are bolted together, (the bolts can be found by taking off the metal diamond plates), and this affects the the tone differently for each neck. For instance, the middle neck on my 3-neck Stringmaster is louder and fuller sounding than the outside necks regardless of the tuning, I think because there is a neck on either side vibrating with it, while the outside necks only have one other adjacent neck.
All pieces of wood are individual and sound different also, which is why every guitar sounds different to some degree.
There is no better or worse, just preference when it comes to these different Fenders. I personally think string-thru pickups do sound better, but can get in the way.
1. Wood size, weight, and density, etc
2. Hardware
3. Construction
4. Type of pickup and proximity to the strings
5. The tuning and gauge of strings
6. Scale length
7. The player's technique
Not necessasarily in that order. All these things contribute to make a guitar sound the way it does.
Stringmasters are seperate pieces of wood for each neck which are bolted together, (the bolts can be found by taking off the metal diamond plates), and this affects the the tone differently for each neck. For instance, the middle neck on my 3-neck Stringmaster is louder and fuller sounding than the outside necks regardless of the tuning, I think because there is a neck on either side vibrating with it, while the outside necks only have one other adjacent neck.
All pieces of wood are individual and sound different also, which is why every guitar sounds different to some degree.
There is no better or worse, just preference when it comes to these different Fenders. I personally think string-thru pickups do sound better, but can get in the way.
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- Earnest Bovine
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John Farina came to Honolulu last year on vacation with his wife and gave me a call. He was looking for a double 8 Stringmaster. He got my name from one of the DJ's in town. I told him that I didn't know of any available on the island at the moment. I assumed THE MAN had quite a few already. Don't know what he used for "Sleepwalk" though.Sounds like Stringmaster?? Doc.
- Jody Carver
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Im a little late for this,,,but Santo Farina
played a Fender Triple Neck Custom on the Original Recording of Sleep Walk.
played a Fender Triple Neck Custom on the Original Recording of Sleep Walk.
Last edited by Jody Carver on 2 Sep 2012 6:21 am, edited 2 times in total.
- Alvin Blaine
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