The Steel Guitar Forum

I just acquired a well-used and abused 1955 (dated by the pots) Stringmaster triple with push button neck selector switches, 22.5" scale. It's pretty rough and has been poorly refinished barn red. Restoring it should make a nice project to help pass the long Florida winter while waiting for a president to be elected.

Besides missing all 4 legs, which I can get from Bobbe Seymour (right?), what scares me is that it is missing a full set of 8 tuning machines on one neck. The drop-in pan is there okay. Also the fretboard on the inside neck has seen considerable wear on the edges from the tone bar. I'd appreciate any help with the following:

1. A source for tuning machines, or a good substitute that will look reasonably close to the originals.

2. A 22.5" fretboard.

3. Advice on re-finishing: surface prep, primers,type of coating, etc. I'm not looking to make it original. In fact, something like one of the custom Stratocaster colors might be cool. I guess to do it right I should disassemble the three necks, eh?

4. The nut on the inside neck has wide and deep string grooves, which I surmise are for the "bass tuning" mentioned in Fender literature. Will that nut work for a normal tuning (E13, A6, etc), or should I seek out a nut with smaller grooves? If so, where? There is always the machine shop option.

5. Has anyone out there ever successfully removed and replaced a fretboard on one of these babies? Any advice?

6. A source for chrome-plated screws. Several are missing and most of the rest are corroded.

I hope to hear from some of y'all before the big Forum shutdown. Seriously, you could always email me direct. Thanks in advance.

All the best,

Bob
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bob Stone on 02 December 2000 at 11:44 AM.]</p></FONT>

Aloha Bob, I've got the exact same model, You might want to give John Tipka a ring, he's pretty knowledgeable about Stringmasters.
:: steelgtr@iway.net
Hope that helps. Isaac.

I would search the web. I have looked the lacquering issue about a year ago and was amased by the number of serious web-sites I found. It's not about lapsteels, for sure. But as they were made of the same woods and using the same lacquers and even colors than so many Telecasters... There is plenty of "How-to" info around.

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The future belongs to culture. jaydee@bellsouth.net

Here's a site for you: http://home.flash.net/~guitars/ .
I remember seeing a entire site dedicated to the "Butterscotch" finish (how to reproduce it)... but as I'm not a Fender-guy ... I didn't keep the link . But you ought'a be able to find it, if it's still around. ... J-D.

I can get you NOS kluson keys.very pricey though.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by kirk allred on 05 December 2000 at 06:37 PM.]</p></FONT>

Thanks guys. I'll be looking into some of these leads and have Emailed John Tipka.

Best,

Bob