Stringmaster String Height

Steve England · From: Austin, TX

I have a long scale 1954 Fender Stringmaster which I don't play as often as I should. The problem I have with it is that the string hieght is only about 1/4 inch of of the fretboard, this is half the string height of my Rickenbacker and about a third the string height of any of my pedal guitars. As a result i find myself scraping the pick ups or the fretboard with my picks and occasionally with my bar. Does anyone else have this problem? There doesn't seem to be any way of highering the bridge and nut, and I don't know if that would be a good idea. Any ideas would be appreciated as ususl.

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

I know what you mean because I too,have seen a lot of "boogered-up" Stringmaster fretboards.Since both the nut and the bridge are nothing more than 11/32" mild steel round stock with grooves & holes in them(threaded holes in the case of the bridge)it would be fairly easy to reproduce them out of slightly larger stock-I wouldn't go bigger than 1/2".Another,easier way to go and a LOT less work is to put a 1/8"(or thinner)steel or brass shim under the existing nut and/or bridge.On the nut,you might need longer mounting screws.Either way,don't forget to raise the pickups to match.And either way,the bridge cover won't sit quite right.Easier still-and how I handle the problem-Use the heaviest strings your tunings will handle and pick with more finesse.-MJ-

John Tipka · From: Reynoldsburg,OH

Steve,
Here's a couple of things you need to think about: If you do try to raise the bridges and nuts on that guitar, be sure you will be able to raise the pickups the added height you would add. The pickup adjustment screws can raise the pickups only as high as the bottom of the control plates. A simple shim would work under the bridge if you weren't CONSTRAINED by the two tabs on the control plate used to attach the bridge and to permit the bridge's adjustment for intonation of the guitar. I suppose a new bridge could be made with a radius the length of the height of the bridge attachment hole above the surface of the control plate and no more.
If you're bottoming to the fretboard while your playing, maybe you just need to change your attack on the strings and the pressure you apply on the bar on your bar tips when you are playing single string.

Regards,

John
http://www.iwaynet.net/~steelgtr/stringmaster.html

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Hey Steve a couple of things I do when I'm playing my Stringmaster or Deluxe. I now where my fingerpicks all the way on my fingers anyways; to where I am actually playing the strings with my fingertips; but the pick is there in-between my finger and string. This advice was given to my by Tommy Morrell and I have cherished it every since. I also shortened the length of my Thumb pick. I also put heavier guage strings on; so bar slams and hammer-ons won't let the nose of the bar or the bar hit the fret or top of neck. I corrected this with my new design of the "SS HAWAIIAN" which we made small brass feet that fit under the groved nut; and intonation adjustment brackets that the bridge actually sits on and the new height is because of those supports which are still in contact with the body and staying with the same diameter of bridge and nut is very very important; and I didn't want to change that.
You will get to see this guitar soon enough so I won't go on and on like I was fixin' to.
Have fun.
Ricky

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Ricky Davis
http://hometown.aol.com/sshawaiian/RickyHomepage.html
http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html
sshawaiian@aol.com

[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 06 March 2000 at 09:18 PM.]

[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 06 March 2000 at 09:19 PM.]

Jason Lollar · From: Seattle area

The pickups have a rubber tube instead of springs for adjustment, this rubber dries out and becomes rock hard allowing for no further ajustment you could squeek another 1/8" out of it by removing them and repacing with some small rubber o-rings. Dont crank so hard on the adjustment that you warp the pickup bobbins or you can short out the coils then you will need to send them to me to re-wind. I dont suggest taking the covers of either ans you can short the coil out if you are not very careful.
My SM has 5/16" string height and I use very heavy gauge strings, lighten up when you get wild with hammerons!

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Hey Jason I was thinkin' of leaving off the covers to the two 10-string pickup system you made me. What should I watch out for if I do; or are you saying I shouldn't to that at all? I like the look of seeing the poles for some weird reason.
Ricky

Bob Stone · From: Gainesville, FL, USA

This is an interesting exchange. It is comforting to know that others have had a problem with Stringmaster/DeLuxe string height too. Interestingly enough, I arrived at the same solution as Ricky Davis--trim the thumb pick, wear the finger picks high and just don't pick so deep. Seems like picking deep is not the best technique anyhow.

Does anyone have any idea why the Fenders were designed that way? The only advantage I see is minimizing parallax when viewing the bar relative to fret position. Freddie Tavares was in on the design of these steels. He must have had a reason, as all the other design features of these instruments are just great.

[This message was edited by Bob Stone on 09 March 2000 at 07:54 AM.]

Steve England · From: Austin, TX

Boy, I'm glad I'm not the only one that has this problem.. I think it was more pronounced for me because I hadn't played the Stringmaster in a while and had got used to higher (and more) strings. I really don't want to mess with the heights of the strings. Thanks for the suggestion about the picks Ricky I'll give that a try, see ya in Dallas.

Jason Lollar · From: Seattle area

Ricki you can leave the covers off as long as you are not constantly hitting the coils with you picks. Thats why they ar wrapped with cloth tape to help protect the coils unlike the Duncan PU's. The top plates can take some string wear. Those type of pickups shouldnt be adjusted too close to the strings or the magnets can pull the strings causing intonation problems or dead tone. 1/8" away is about right.
I have been too busy to complete my pickup cover making machine so if you want them you will have to wait a while longer.

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Hey Jason that's fine pal. I always play in front of the pick-ups, so never had a prob. with that. Appreciate the advice on the height of pickup also; I am quite familiar with pole mags and the relationship to that magnetic pull; as I learned through trial and error; but that is perfect advice for anyone out there with those type pick-ups. Yeah don't worry about the covers I'm just gunna go with how perfect they look as is; and they are quite perfect pal and you know it

Ricky

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Ricky Davis
http://hometown.aol.com/sshawaiian/RickyHomepage.html
http://users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/steel.html
sshawaiian@aol.com

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