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Topic: Just bought my first Stringmaster |
Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 10 Jan 2013 12:42 pm |
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| The thing I liked about it is that he said it has the original strings on it ! |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 10 Jan 2013 1:37 pm
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I'm worried about trying to lift it and losing my mojo.  |
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Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 10 Jan 2013 1:39 pm
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although i'm sure the guy will enjoy the money, i like how he says it should go to a home where it will be played and enjoyed instead of under a bed.
thats a mighty fine steel.
_________________
'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 10 Jan 2013 1:49 pm
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Doug,
I hope that doesn't happen but assume that is a fixable problem? or no? |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 10 Jan 2013 2:12 pm
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Very nice deal on a super nice steel. Don't know how this one got away from me... I search eBay regularly.
Maintain those buttons and they'll last a long time. Lube the action with machine oil, and the contacts with ProGold... and never set a beer up there!
_________________
Too much junk to list... always getting more. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 10 Jan 2013 4:27 pm
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| Switches and volume controls which crackle through non-use can often be fixed by just rotating the knob back and forth for a while, and moving the switch back and forth. |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 10 Jan 2013 5:52 pm
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I'll definitely report back after I receive it. And to look for some advice on restoring it if need be.
I'm already wondering if there is anything I should do about the pickups. Is there anything that time alone, and/or non use that could affect the pickups for the Quad? |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 10 Jan 2013 6:38 pm
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Bill, I would advise against "restoring" this Quad in any way... it does not need any cosmetic restoring, from what I can see in the pictures. It looks great. You certainly don't want to touch the finish. Refinishing cuts the value in half, as you probably know, and there is no reason to even consider it with this guitar. A few scuff in the finish are expected and normal for a guitar like this with a nitro finish.
Chances are the pickups are fine, especially considering that the guitar has not been played much or abused. When you get it, just set it up, patch it into an amp and try all four necks, the pushbuttons, the pickup blend control (under each bridge cover), the volume and tone controls. If you're concerned about the pickups you can test the resistance with an ohm meter. That's the first thing I do when I get a used steel guitar in. As long as all four necks produce a balance sound (no weak pickups) it should be fine.
All in all, I'd say you're a very lucky man! I envy you. I regret selling my walnut Quad. I played it on a few gigs, including one steel show, and I enjoyed watching the reaction of the other musicians when I set that behemoth on stage!
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 10 Jan 2013 7:02 pm
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Thanks Doug!
I don't worry: wasn't thinking anything cosmetic, I was just worried about the pickups.
But I'll know soon enough. I'm clearing a space for it right now. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 10 Jan 2013 7:22 pm
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That thing is going to be killer. Just plug and play. It probably has a bass neck on it. Yup--looking at the pic zoomed in, the front neck has some thick bass strings on it. Good purchase!
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 10 Jan 2013 7:46 pm
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Tell me about the bass neck, Mike.
I've read that elsewhere as I was doing research on the forum on whether I should buy this thing or not.
The back neck was specifically designed for bass strings? What tuning would people use? |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 10 Jan 2013 8:03 pm
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Andy Volk may know--I'm not sure what tunings others have used, but I think I'd try a tuning using a low A (.068). Might make a good experimental neck.
The bass neck would be the front neck and the back neck is neck closest to you.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Stephen Cowell
From:
Round Rock, Texas, USA
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Posted 10 Jan 2013 9:33 pm
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| Bill McCloskey wrote: |
The back neck was specifically designed for bass strings? What tuning would people use? |
The only thing 'bass' about the back neck is the nut... and you can use regular strings, you'll just have the bar hitting the nut when you slide past it (if you do that). The pickups, etc are all the same otherwise.
I set my third neck up for bass... '57 SM T8. I used a 6th tuning... 6 1 3 5 6 1 3 5, Bb6th, ends up Gmin7. This works well since the 4 up from G is C... so your home position is 2nd fret 7th string Cmaj. The 6th tuning works very well for boogie-woogie, and major/minor shifts are very intuitive.
You can use bass guitar strings if you work the ball-ends out with needlenose pliers and substitute regular ball ends. Individual strings get expensive for bass ($8!) so try to buy two sets that intersperse. My low string is around .095... normal for the bass neck is .085, I'd like mine better there I think. There was another thread on bass neck recently...
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=238361
_________________
Too much junk to list... always getting more.
Last edited by Stephen Cowell on 11 Jan 2013 5:27 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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John Limbach
From:
Billings, Montana, USA
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Posted 11 Jan 2013 10:31 am
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Congrats. I bought my first Stringmaster, a D8, a couple months ago and the back neck didn't work. Fortunately for me, the inside was pristine when I opened it up. One shot of De-Oxit and the problem was solved.
Probaly the easiest way to keep all the necks working, for those of us with pushbuttons, it to actually push each of them a couple times a week. That will wipe off the oxidation before it has a chance to build up where it requires a shot of contact cleaner. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 11 Jan 2013 3:35 pm
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| The nuts could easily be swapped around if you wanted the bass neck to be closest to you or in the middle, and previous owners could have done likewise. |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 16 Jan 2013 10:01 am
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Well, it arrived.
Man, is this thing clean. I little dirt around the edges but beautiful. It has the original 60 year old strings on it. I'll measure the strings before I replace them but I can tell already it is going to be beautiful.
It is actually smaller than I was expecting. It isn't hard at all to reach the back neck. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 16 Jan 2013 4:17 pm
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We're all envious.  |
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Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2013 5:06 pm
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Bill - I assume you've seen that Buddy Merrill video from the Lawrence Welk sow. He uses all 4 necks, including the bass neck.
_________________
'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 17 Jan 2013 6:31 am
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A few pictures.
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