Switching on a '55 Stringmaster Triple

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 23 Feb 2006 8:20 pm

My Latest acquisition...
The switches on this guitar allow neck 1, 2 or 3, OR any combination of TWO. All Three TOGETHER is VERY difficult to select, as the type of switch unlatches when another is pressed.
Any proven workarounds ?

Stringmaster© serial # 01211

Date under pan 1 = 3-56.
Pot code on vol. control 304541 (304=stackpole-year 5=1955)
Unusual because the nut on the top neck is grooved for BASS strings as per the 'Quad'

------------------

Steel players do it without fretting

Jesse Pearson · Post by **Jesse Pearson** » 23 Feb 2006 8:29 pm

Congratulations Baz, looks like it is in mint condition.

Kris Oka · Post by **Kris Oka** » 23 Feb 2006 9:18 pm

Baz, that is a beauty. Why would you want to play all three at the same time? Still trying to learn to play one. Got the CD today. Thanks, Kris

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 23 Feb 2006 9:42 pm

Hope you enjoy the album Kris, it was your "Contribution" that provided the finance for the trip to collect it.. Thank YOU !! (Sunflower oil works great in a Rover 825 SD)
As for the CD, Swedish Rhapsody and Country Startime are played in the E9 ADDED sixth chopedent as per Early B.E.
Sleepy Lagoon and Analani E/Pua Mana would be good examples of just why I may want the three necks on at one time, they both use E6-A6/B11-C6/D9..

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 23 Feb 2006 10:22 pm

Nice score Basil! What a beauty. I think that all of the T-8 Stringmasters are set up for bass stings on the front neck. My '67 T-8 is like that, and I've seen two others like that.

Activating all three necks at the same time will cause a significant loss of signal and loss of tone. The guitar sounds so much stronger with just one neck activated, so that's how I use mine, and I just switch necks as needed during the song. That might be a little tougher to do with the pushbuttons. I had those on my Quad, and they were always sticking. Maybe it was just that particular guitar. Enjoy your new blonde beauty!

------------------
My Site | My SteelTab

[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 23 February 2006 at 10:26 PM.]

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 23 Feb 2006 10:36 pm

Nice T-8 there Baz, my 55 T-8 also has the far neck setup for bass strings.

Jackiso · Post by **Jackiso** » 24 Feb 2006 1:54 am

Baz,
Welcome to the Stringmaster T8 Club(Is there any of such?). All the Club member have more or less gone through the same problem. The push button switch sometimes fails to engage the neck of your choice because the contact point gets corroded or it gets sticky as Doug mentions. As a precaution, when a T8 comes home, I would take the switch assembly out and clean the contact and moving mechanism first.
To avoid these trouble and hassle, later model has changed to a combination of a toggle switch(to activate all three necks) and a lever switch(to select 1, 2, or 3). Should you play "neck surfin'" on the push button model, I would prefer to engage all necks "on" and compensate the loss of sound by adjusting the amp setting, thereby you may concentrate on your bar and picking.
A wider grooved nut on the front neck is common among T8s and practically it wouldn't have noticeable ill effect to a normal tuning(less sustain perhaps?). That said, I have changed the nut to a normal one to give me some psychological assurance. Enjoy your T8!
Jack Isomura
Yokohama, Japan

Thomas Ludwig · Post by **Thomas Ludwig** » 24 Feb 2006 2:21 am

a dream ...

Thomas

Jeff Au Hoy · Post by **Jeff Au Hoy** » 24 Feb 2006 4:27 am

Wow Baz, stunning short-scale! It's comforting to know it's at home with someone who will play the hell out of it.

Does this mean you'll have some long-scale instruments laying around that you'll want to unload?

Ian Finlay · Post by **Ian Finlay** » 24 Feb 2006 5:06 am

That one looks familiar

If you press both switches at the same time it's easy to get two necks. Not too much loss of signal.

If I didn't have a lovely F 1000 I'd miss it!

Ian

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 24 Feb 2006 5:16 am

Ian, I was waiting for you to surface from the realms of the "Wood-Shed"
Yes it should be a little familiar, be assured it has a good home and will be on my next album..

As for the switching and gain, I know that any two are relatively easy to select, it's getting that third switch to lock along with the other two that's the problem.

I can live with the reduced gain etc. but I really need all three necks 'ON' at the same time.. some of the time..

I may keep the top plate appearance as original but change the mechanical side of the switching to three independent latching types.. and avoid drilling the mounting plate by using "Araldite" or some similar epoxy resin.. [This message was edited by basilh on 24 February 2006 at 05:17 AM.]

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 24 Feb 2006 8:00 am

The Stringmasters prior to this model had slide switches for each neck and they worked flawlessly. I don't know why Leo thought a change was necessary.
Erv

Ian Finlay · Post by **Ian Finlay** » 24 Feb 2006 8:06 am

Yes, I could see putting three mini toggles in the holes. I think the existing mechanism uses the switch going down to release the hold bar for the other two. Pressing 3 at once may work!

Or perhaps invert the existing wiring so the switch being up turns the neck on?

Ian

Don Kona Woods · Post by **Don Kona Woods** » 24 Feb 2006 9:14 am

Baz,

May I take just a moment to be envious.

Now that my moment of envy is over, how does one come about getting such mint guitars? Some people seem to have all of the luck or is it just persistence?

Some of us need you and Rick Alexander to give us a seminar on Steel Guitar Acquistion.

Aloha,
Don

Kevin Bullat · Post by **Kevin Bullat** » 24 Feb 2006 9:20 am

Sweet T8 Stringmaster! I can only choose to have 2 of my 3 necks live on my '51 Fender T8.

I've seen Duke Ching move between 3 necks with ease during a given tune. I find that sometimes, when I have 2 necks live, the neck I'm not playing will pick of vibrations and start to hum at bit.

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 24 Feb 2006 10:55 am

Sweeeeeeeet... looks identical to my '56, except I have the longer scale. My only complaint with the push-buttons is the 'clank!' they make when you press 'em. Otherwise, they seem to work fine, though.

Nice guitar.

------------------
Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, A6, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Regal resonator (C6)

Ian Finlay · Post by **Ian Finlay** » 24 Feb 2006 12:22 pm

I can tell you a little about how this one came to the UK...

I bought it, oh, 8 or 10 years ago in Santa Clara, CA. I was working out in San Jose and every time I went to the area I'd stop in at the Starving Musician in Santa Clara. I'd bought a very cheap Tele once for $160 - it was a '78 with a great neck but chopped for humbuckers. Anyway, that visit I asked them if they had any steel guitars in. The guy thought they had one at their storage facility, and that they were having a "yard clearout" that day only.

So, off we went rather rapidly, and they had the Stringmaster you see in the pics. Insanely cheap then, and ludicrously cheap now. Of course, I bought it on the spot. I passed on the tube Echoplex which was broken (wish I hadn't..) and my buddy thought I was crazy buying the Stringmaster.

I brought it back to the UK as hand luggage - nice to fly business class

Oh, I sold the Tele last year after refinishing it and adding a '53 repro bridge and pickups for about $1000!

Ian

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 24 Feb 2006 3:05 pm

OK, all you Purists, l©©k the other way and plug your ears, because; I have a solution! This is what I would do, if the guitar were mine! Remove the neck~selector switches completely and in each of the (3)-holes, install an ON/OFF Mini~Toggle switch to each of the (3)-Leads. I did this to my Fender T–8 Custom by making a new plate for just the (3)-switches. In the case of the Stringmaster, a new plate is not necessary! Just replace the Push~Buttons with Mini~Toggles and keep the Original Buttons for the future! (3)-Toggles will give you any combination of ON~Necks that you want/need. IMHO, it's as simple as you could get, without marring the guitar! {[OK, Puritians, you can proceed now!]} I should have worked with Fender Designing in my other life, but; it's too late now! BTW: You can find ¼” mount SPST Mini~Toggles at Radio Shack at a reasonable price.

------------------
“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
’05 D–10 Derby
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15”
Current Equipment

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 24 Feb 2006 8:19 pm

whooa… you had me worried for a minute John. ...no cutting, no drilling allowed!

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 24 Feb 2006 9:31 pm

Oh, contrare! You'll have to enlarge the (3)-holes where the push~buttons are located, but; only to a ¼” dia. which will not effect the replacement on the buttons in the future. They are only slightly under ¼” now! And the slight increase in dia. will not be noticeable at all! I would install the toggles so that ‘towards’ the bridge is ON and ‘away’ from the bridge is OFF.

------------------
“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
’05 D–10 Derby
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15”
Current Equipment

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 24 Feb 2006 9:35 pm

Or, you can just thread the existing holes with the same thread as the mini-toggles and then just lock them in place with the nuts that come with the switches.

------------------
“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
’05 D–10 Derby
’65 Re-Issue Fender Twin–Reverb Custom™ 15”
Current Equipment

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 25 Feb 2006 2:34 am

Or, as in my case, use European components that are METRIC Sizes... I've found a sub-miniature switch that fits with no drilling required !.

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 25 Feb 2006 2:45 am

What I need to do now is mount three DPDT ( Centre off) switches, and wire them with no resistors in the centre off mode and something like a 6 or 7 K-Ohm resistor in the second throw position. That way the output level stays constant no matter what number of necks are on !! or alternatively with the switch in the off position I'll get the FULL output power of the other individual necks.
Does that make sense ?
If it does, and YOU had one of these guitars, would YOU do it ?

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 25 Feb 2006 2:55 am

I've posted the above question in the 'Electronix" section as I think I'm straying a little...
(as has been my wont in the past)
Now there's a nice 'Olde Middle English' word for you.. Wont ?
It's also Old High German 'wonEn' to dwell, be used to, Sanskrit 'vanoti'
After I used it I just HAD to look it up !!

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 25 Feb 2006 2:58 am

.[This message was edited by basilh on 28 February 2006 at 01:39 PM.]