Stringmaster Lust !!!

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 23 Mar 2007 11:01 am

Some more eye candy.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 23 Mar 2007 11:09 am

Erv, That's a good looking family!

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 24 Mar 2007 6:49 am

Doug,
I am just finishing up this one. I bought some parts off e-bay and the fellow said he had the body if I wanted it. I said sure and what I got was 1/2 of a D-8 Stringmaster. I routed out the back for a 3rd leg and assembled all the necessary parts to turn it into a single 8. It is further along that what the picture shows and all I have to do is wire in the electronics and it will be ready to go. It is the 26" model.

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 24 Mar 2007 11:54 am

Very nice, Erv! Those 26" scale guitars sustain into next week.

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 24 Mar 2007 12:10 pm

A Stringmaster is a thing of beauty!!!!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 24 Mar 2007 2:06 pm

Erv,
That's excellent! It's good to see that you're keeping that guitar alive.

Terry,
You have two D-6 Stringmasters? or do the pictures show the same guitar refinished? The D-6 Stringmaster is a rare bird. D-8 was standard and D-6 was optional.

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 24 Mar 2007 5:14 pm

Hi Doug...Yeah, I am lucky enough to have two Stringmasters (D6's), I never thought that I would ever own one, & was lucky to come across two. A six string lap is what I play, so I had to grab these when I got the chance. Found both here on this forum

...one is a 1959, & the other is a late 60's, or maybe a 1970. I think I heard that there were only around 400 or less D6's ever made by Fender...does any one know for sure out there???

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 24 Mar 2007 5:48 pm

If that black finish is original the guitar would be 1976-80. Those are the only years that Fender produced black Stringmasters. Black ones are very rare, and a black D-6 is as rare as hen's teeth IMHO.
I had a walnut D-6 a few years ago. Wish I had kept it!

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 25 Mar 2007 6:03 am

Hi Doug, my black Stringmaster is a 1959 that has been refinished & it has a great history. I hope Ron Brennan doesn't mind if I share, Ron bought it a Manny's in NYC in '59 & had it painted black a few years later. Ron played the Stringmaster in the band "The Five Coachmen"...

Ron played the lap steel on the 20th Century Fox single "Hawaiian Hanky Panky"...

I bought the beauty from him in April of '06, & bought my 2nd one about 6 months later....Terry V.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 25 Mar 2007 9:05 am

Great history and a cool picture! Thanks for sharing that.

Scott Thomas · Post by **Scott Thomas** » 25 Mar 2007 11:15 am

THREAD HIJACK!!!!!!

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 25 Mar 2007 11:51 am

Back on task

All original ... Black (aka Ebony)

Hey Scott ... wanna trade

Ron Brennan · Post by **Ron Brennan** » 26 Mar 2007 11:42 am

Terry,

Thanks for posting my old reliable D6 Stringmaster.

I was a little chagrined

when I saw the official picture of us in our "uniform" of the time.

A nice thing about your Fender D6 is, you have the history of it. It was No. 18 out of the factory.
It had a Walnut (Dark) finish. What did I know back then when I had it refinished, circa 1963?? The Walnut finish marked up very easiliy. It was done in Ebony (Black) by a Professional in Cincinatti, Ohio, when I was on the road. We had several days off before the next gig, so I had it refinished. Back then, playing a marked up guitar like Stevie Ray Vaughn was not considered good form.

I made a decent living with it, in my young years. That Steelguitar was played by me, on the road throughout the East Coast, Mid-West and Sourthern cities. From "Hole in the Wall Bars" up to and including nice places, like the "Copa-Cabana" in NYC.

It, and I for that matter, took a tough beating out there. I never, ever had a problem with it or the Fender Concert Amp I used and still use. That Steelguitar was transported in U-haul It trailers, buses, airplanes, etc and held up wonderfully. They don't make "em" like this anymore!

In re: the band picture, I was about 21 years old at the time. (Still have the hair, longer, different color, silver, who cares!).

BTW: It was our manager who had the idea to put us in "Tails" for this official band photo. This was on or about the "Beatles" era in time. Back then, all bands had a uniform, suit (so did the Beatles), etc. of some sort to identify you as a band member (for show). Saw some wierd stuff out there, believe me!!

Ummm, now if all these beautiful Stringmasters could talk, what tales would they tell about where they've been and what they have done, eh?

Terry, I'm very pleased I let it go to you. I know you will pass it on, along with some of it's history, to the next "Caretaker" player coming along. Enjoy it, while you have it!! TX

Rgds,

Ron

Joe A. Camacho · Post by **Joe A. Camacho** » 26 Mar 2007 11:44 am

Ok, now I want one... what should I look for in a Stringmaster?

Paul Osbty · Post by **Paul Osbty** » 26 Mar 2007 1:23 pm

Ron Brennan wrote:I was a little chagrined when I saw the official picture of us in our "uniform" of the time.

Great story to go along with the new owner's Fender, Ron.

Sorry to be off-topic, but what do you know of the bass guitar, on the left, in that band photo? It looks like some non-Fender variant of a Stratocaster bass.

The guitar looks to be a matching 6-string by the same company.

Scott Thomas · Post by **Scott Thomas** » 26 Mar 2007 2:17 pm

Paul,

http://users.aol.com/bluemuse/instruments.html

(I want an Ampeg "devil" bass.

)

BTW, I LOVE Stringmasters too!!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 26 Mar 2007 5:53 pm

Ron, Thanks for filling us in on the history of the "black" stringmaster. That's a great picture!

Ron Brennan · Post by **Ron Brennan** » 26 Mar 2007 7:14 pm

Paul,

Scott has a great set of "eyes" !

Scott is absolutely right!! Our lead guitar player worked part time for Ampeg Guitars & Amps in Linden, NJ, where their HDQ was located. The guitar he had was unique as Ampeg set up stereo Pick-up on that unit. Neat sound back then! The Bass player was also from Ampeg. That Ampeg Bass was truly a competetive match for Fender. It had a greenish grain hue to ebony. It was a beauty and well made. We all used Fender Amps (2 Fender Concert Amps and Fender piggy back bassman). Ampeg did not MFG. Steelguitars, ever. I still would not have changed. Back then the Fender Stringmasters were the state of the art....and IMHO, still are!!

FYI: That is a Fantastic "KING" horn the Sax player is holding and the drummer used a Ludwig set. I would say we had good equipment, eh?

Doug, thank you for the compliment!

Your right, it is a great picture, and funny too.

TX

Rgds,

Ron

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 27 Mar 2007 10:02 am

That is a fine photo of Captain Brennan, he plays down the fact that he is a fine steel player and I think he looks much more distinguished today than he did back then. Ron, by any chance, did you buy that Stringmaster from Mannys on West 48th street?.BTW Ron is developing into quite a pedal steel player as well.

Fly em high Captain, and take care and in touch.

Sorry for the edit Captain,high flying aircraft ahead
8)oops can't get my spelling in high gear, sorry buddy.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 27 Mar 2007 9:48 pm

Yes, I think Ron's been holding out on us!

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 27 Mar 2007 10:59 pm

Doug,yup, I do beleive Ron is in hiding,I have to say that you are one of the finest on this Forum and we are lucky to have you. Thanks again for being so kind regarding our private email.

There are many fine people on this Forum and I am pleased to have those of you I call my friends.

Goodnight. It's late back here.

Be well Doug and thanks again.

Jody

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 27 Mar 2007 11:12 pm

Thanks Jody! You're the Main man.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 28 Mar 2007 8:02 am

I purchased one yesterday--a 24" D-8.

Have you noticed how the prices have really dropped on Stringmasters? A Quad went for just $1800 on ebay. I think the hype might be dying down (which is good for players).

Scott Thomas · Post by **Scott Thomas** » 28 Mar 2007 8:57 am

Mike, I think these guys missed the memo:
http://www.guitarandbanjo.com/

I made an offer involving a trade, (no, not the frypan) and suggested an (ahem) "adjusting down" off their price.

I was flatly refused. Go figure, right?

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 28 Mar 2007 4:11 pm

OK doug, enough already!! You get that guitar out of the closet and get with it!!

Where do you live?? I'm gonna come over and play it

PILA

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