A Poor Man's Stringmaster - Guyatone D-8

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 Dec 2008 11:02 am

I thought forum members might be interested in seeing this Guyatone D-8 I recently picked up. It's a 1960's Japanese copy of a Fender Stringmaster. Right now there are no strings on it... I'll probably go with E13 and C6. Or possibly a diatonic tuning. The guitar's workmanship and quality is not Fender, but it's not bad. Anybody out there play one of these or ever owned one?

Edit: I just recorded an audio clip of the Guyatone: "Sand", B11 tuning ----> CLICK

Ray Langley · Post by **Ray Langley** » 12 Dec 2008 11:14 am

When I was 17, I was an Air Force dependant living on Yokota AFB in Japan. My dad bought two of the S-8 for himself and one of my younger brothers. At the time, they cost $15 each!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 Dec 2008 11:34 am

$15! Back in the 1960s "Made in Japan" meant something very different than it does today. I remember hearing the phrase "we can't make it better, but we can make it cheaper!"

Eddie Cunningham · Post by **Eddie Cunningham** » 12 Dec 2008 12:45 pm

Hey Doug !!! That is a real nice looking D-8 !! Can't sound too bad thru a good amp so that is a good deal !! I don't what she cost you but I know you will get a good sound out of her !! I wish we lived closer !! I'd love to hear you on some of those non-pedal steels you play !! Eddie "C" ( the old non-pedal , no reverb , dead string , out of work old geezer ) P.S. = I am working New Years Eve !!!

Ray Langley · Post by **Ray Langley** » 12 Dec 2008 1:02 pm

"Those were the days, my friend. We thought they's never end. We'ed sing and dance forever and a day".

In 1961 the top-of-the-line chrome and black Guyatone electric, with 3-pickups was $35.....

Beer was 10 cents a can.
Gas was 10 cents a gallon.
Cigs were 11 cents a pack.
The "house of ill repute" was $1.38 (500 yen).

So, for a couple of bucks, a high school senior could have a most excellent night on the town.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 Dec 2008 1:07 pm

Thanks Eddie, where are you playing New Year's Eve? I'll be in Millbury MA, playing PSG. Yes, I got a good deal on the Guyatone, just over $300. For that price I Had to buy it.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 Dec 2008 1:13 pm

In 1961 the top-of-the-line chrome and black Guyatone electric, with 3-pickups was $35.....

I hear ya! I paid $40 for my first car in 1966 and drove it for a year. Auto insurance for the entire year was about $32. Of course, my first job paid $1.25 an hour.

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 12 Dec 2008 2:41 pm

Cool guitar there Doug and I think you got an excelent deal on it. What do the three slider switches between the necks do?

Bill Hankey · Post by **Bill Hankey** » 12 Dec 2008 3:14 pm

Doug,

You'd never believe the things from A to Z that I walked away from in past years. I always wonder how you go about finding those classic instruments. Most folks live carefree lives, and are not the least bit concerned with dusty instrument cases in the corners of attics. I know it's a thrill to locate a name brand at a bargain price.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 Dec 2008 3:43 pm

I'm always looking, Bill! Andy, the three switches activate each of the three pickups. They are "on-off" switches for each pickup. When I got the guitar it had old strings on it, and I tried to play it, but the switches kept shorting out. I couldn't figure out if it was the switches, the wiring, or the output jack. So I took off the control plate and sprayed Radio Shack contact cleaner on the underside of the switches and inside of them, and flipped each switch back and forth about 50 times... and now they work like new. I also took off the tuner pans and removed each tuner, oiled the gears, polished each tuner, etc. The tuners are very good quality, but they don't all fit perfectly into the pans. A couple of the screw holes in the tuner pans are a little off. It's not Fender quality, but it's still pretty good for the money. I'm looking forward to stringing it up and playing it, but it won't be a few days. This is a busy time of year.

Rich Hlaves · Post by **Rich Hlaves** » 12 Dec 2008 3:53 pm

There is one of these on eBay right now with $300 "buy it Now" price. Go get em while there hot!

I'd buy it but I just bought a National D8 and got no $$

http://cgi.ebay.com/1960s-GUYATONE-CONQ ... QptZGuitar

Good luck!

RH

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 Dec 2008 4:08 pm

Thanks for the heads up, Rich. That one is missing the legs, but it's still a pretty good deal. Where else can you get a D-8 for $300? The seller says the guitar works well.

Rich Hlaves · Post by **Rich Hlaves** » 12 Dec 2008 5:16 pm

There are two import steels I would like to own, an Aria and a Jedson. Six string would be fine. They are both Fender knock offs but have a little collectability. I missed the last Aria on ebay because I sniped and I didn't have my PayPal linked to my account. It went cheap too. I haven't seen one in six months now. That's what I get for not bidding live, stupid mistake.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 12 Dec 2008 6:21 pm

I bought this years ago.......cheap enough.....it has microphonic pups......not a great sound, but not terrible either......the neck with the two pups sounds better.....

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 Dec 2008 6:50 pm

I've seen other Guyatones with the rocker switches and the "G" fret markers. Mine has slide switches and stringmaster-like fret markers. I wonder which version is older?

Here's another rocker-switch D-8:

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 12 Dec 2008 8:40 pm

Doug, I have a Guyatone D8. That's the baby that I learned to play on. I played it through a Fender, Princeton Reverb amp. You can also adjust the tone on these things and get a wider range of tones than most non-pedal steels. Play around with it and you will be pleasantly pleased, I am sure.

By the way, mine has four legs.

As for the Guya sounding cheap? I will argue that point quite strenuously. You will find that in the hands of someone who can feel music as well as hear it, along with personal preference amp adjustments, and of course the proper gauge of strings for your tuning, you can make that Guyatone sound almost the same as a fender.

In fact, (this will get the Fender fans ripping at my throat), I don't think a Fender String master sounds better, it just has its own sound.

I have a Remington D10 that sounds like a pedal steel but it doesn't sound like a Zum pedal steel. So, does that mean the Remington is a cheap copy of a real steel guitar?

My Yamaha acoustic jumbo box does not have the same tone as my Gibson acoustic jumbo box so, does that mean the Yamaha is a garbage guitar; or, just has a different sound?

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 Dec 2008 9:35 pm

(this will get the Fender fans ripping at my throat), I don't think a Fender String master sounds better, it just has its own sound.

I tend to agree, Les. I've read some very positive reviews on the Guyatone 6-string lap steels (2 pickups, 2 switches)... written by players who also own Stringmasters. I think almost any adequate instrument will sound good in the hands of a good player. Like you said, it may not be a Fender sound, but it can a good sound. Now I'm getting curious about this guitar... I need to string it up soon and see how it sounds!

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 13 Dec 2008 5:24 am

That looks like a real clean example Doug, nice score.
Anyone know what kind of body wood they used on these?

Casey Lowmiller · Post by **Casey Lowmiller** » 13 Dec 2008 5:03 pm

I have one like HowardR posted pics of and the body is made out of plywood!!!

I'm in the process of refinishing mine. It's going to go from that goldish-green color to a funky redish-orange. It should look super-retro when it is done.

Casey

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 13 Dec 2008 5:12 pm

The body on my Guyatone D-8 looks like one piece of solid wood... I don't know what kind though. It's pretty heavy.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 14 Dec 2008 5:35 am

Doug Beaumier wrote:[quote
I think almost any adequate instrument will sound good in the hands of a good player. Like you said, it may not be a Fender sound, but it can a good sound.

You've proven that with "Valco Swing".......

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 14 Dec 2008 9:16 am

Thanks Howard!

Orville Johnson · Post by **Orville Johnson** » 14 Dec 2008 11:01 am

I've got one of the white, rocker switch versions that I bought 25 years ago for 75 bucks. It's in very good condition and actually sounds pretty darn good.

It's branded as a Bruno Conquerer rather than a Guyatone. did they do contract work for other brands too?

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 14 Dec 2008 11:19 am

The Japanese clone brands that I have seen are Conqueror, Jedson, Aria, Teisco, and Guyatone. There may have been others as well. I don't know if there was a single manufacturer or a few factories making these guitars.

Most of these companies also made copies of regular guitars... clones of Rickenbacker, Gibson, and Fender electric guitars. Some of those guitars became the subject of lawsuits when sold in the USA. I wonder if Fender ever sued any of these Japanese makers/distributors over the Stringmaster clones?

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 14 Dec 2008 11:50 am

My Guya D8 is definitely not made of plywood as some of the posters in here claim: in fact, I would bet 100 - 1 that these claims are being posted by people who have never played or even seen a Guyatone. I have even had a few posters tell me that most Japanese steels were made out of OSB or fiber board. I have a feeling there is a racial overtone to some of the suggestions that I have read.

I repaired a very small indent in mine when I first got it and when considering its weight and not readily taking a stain, I would guess that it is white birch or some other white grained hardwood.

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