The Steel Guitar Forum

I know this is a stretch, but can anyone help me in tracking down a few replacement "ashtrays" for Fender Stringmasters? Need one for a 1955 D-8, and two for a 1973 triple neck. Neither have the "lollipop" tuners. Thanks!

There was a post a few weeks ago regarding a member who starting making the 8 string covers. I can't recall what section it was in. Hopefully, someone else here can provide that link.

ron

Cindy, here's a link to the post Ron's refering to. Good luck. http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=142976

Hi Cindy, sorry I can't help you with any parts but just wanted to say hello, and thank you for your instructional material. I have just been going over your steel DVD's again, and thay have been a big help to me, and I am sure, many others here on the forum.

So, Thank You!!

Good luck with your search.

Dean.

Aren't these the snap on bridge covers? I think Cindy needs the tuner pans.......or maybe I'm misunderstanding?

She mentions lollipop tuners, so I think she may be looking for the pans.

You guys are right, it's the pans she's lookin for. I should've paid more attention.

Cindy, if it's just the trays you're looking for and not the tuners - I have 2 of them in excellent condition.

Well the "ash tray" was always refered to as the bridge cover as I recall.

Thank you all for the feedback on this. The part(s) I'm looking for would be the whole tuning unit, tuners and all....it appears that you can't just replace/repair the broken and/or stripped tuners, so I would need the whole thing. I've always heard this part referred to as an "ashtray", so sorry for any confusion.
Hope this is more clear now and someone out there can help.

Some of us have asked Fender if they would make these tuner "ashtray" assemblies available again. They seem to ignore our requests. I also sent e-mail to Stewart-MacDonald to see if there was any interest in building (and selling) these. No response from them either....not even a "no thanks".

Cindy, maybe you have more clout. Or if the collective community were to ask for it, maybe Fender or Stu-mac would listen....or at least respond.

I've thought about building new ones, but I think the sheet metal stamping would cost an arm and a leg. I could part with the leg, but still need both arms to play steel with. : )

They don't really have to make the trays, just the tuner assemblies.
Fender refuses to do it.
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/005591.html
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum2/HTML/009378.html
Fender Japan make Stringmasters, but they very politely refuse to sell the tuners.

Cindy, I did some digging through old posts, and apparently Terry Mueller is the man to get ahold of. He's here on the forum, I believe. He can fix and/or replace the tuning machines on the ashtray. There's a few other guys who do it too, maybe someone knows who, and will chime in. I may be wrong, but I think I read somewhere that Herb Remmington can fix them too.

I just found this digging around. Apparently Whit Snell can fix 'em too:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... t=lollipop

Terry Mueller does great work quickly. Strongly recommended.

KP

Here's how they look if anyone needs to know

Hey Ken, I also have a friend who could use Terry Mueller's help with some lollipop tuners on an old stringmaster, but Terry's not on the forum member list. Any suggestions on how to get ahold of him?

I saved Terry's email address just in case:
tkm1957@aol.com

I hope it's still good.

Leave it to the Forum readers to come through; thank you all for the feedback and
information. It's a drag that none of the big companies will make these parts available; I guess it's a matter of not enough demand vs. supply.

I certainly understand the interest in new parts, but a low production of those parts would make them expensive to build , and worse yet, expensive to buy.
Better to get the guys who fix them to do it.

To Ken and Mark; thank you for suggesting Terry Mueller, I had forgotten about his work. Was able to get in touch with him, so things are looking up. Dean, glad the DVD's are helping you out!

Thanks again to all the replys and feedback.

Thanks for the info, Mark.

Glad I could be a little help!

Cindy Cashdollar wrote:...I guess it's a matter of not enough demand vs. supply.

That reminds me of the barman who replied to a customer, "You're the tenth guy I've told so far tonight, we don't keep that brand of whisky because there's no demand for it...."

Probably not the proper place to post this but I just 'discovered' this clip of Cindy tearin' it up with Sonny Landreth.
Ooooweee!!
http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=gESTHVejJTY