Noel Boggs

Kevin Ruddell · Post by **Kevin Ruddell** » 22 Jun 2005 2:11 am

I got a cd reissue of Noel Boggs Shasta label material that has some cool music on it along with a picture on the cover of Noel with what looks like a 4 neck Rickenbacker . I.ve read where he used an E13 tuning but was wondering if anyone knows what his other 3 necks were usually tuned to ?
thanks

Jeff Au Hoy · Post by **Jeff Au Hoy** » 22 Jun 2005 2:40 am

That's a four-neck Fender Stringmaster.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 22 Jun 2005 6:22 am

I invited Noel to my home for dinner and the evening about one year prior to his passing. He was such a nice person. Foolishly, in my intense awe and admiration for him, I failed to write down his tunings even though he showed me on my brand new triple neck Fender. I just recall one of his tunings had a non-wound string in the mid-section of his bass strings. I think, if you listen carefully, you will hear that tuning in his beautiful rendition of "Tenderly". I have b/w prints of Noel and myself playing, (jamming), which I will always cherish.
BTW: Jeff is correct. Noel had a 4 neck Stringmaster, (black) with his name scrolled across the front in white. (Serial 0001). He offered to swap it with me, plus $100.00 and my brand new Custom which was only 2 months old at the time. $100.00 in those days (circa 1954), is akin to almost $800.00 + today and was very hard to come by. In retrospect, I kick myself for not making the trade as I would have had a real collector's item. However, in later years corresponding with Jody, he feels I did the right thing by keeping my Triple Custom...(for the tone I like, I agree)

[This message was edited by George Keoki Lake on 22 June 2005 at 07:31 AM.][This message was edited by George Keoki Lake on 22 June 2005 at 07:32 AM.]

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 22 Jun 2005 6:41 am

George,
My 4 neck Stringmaster has serial number 0002.

Erv

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 22 Jun 2005 9:00 am

Wow! Hang on to that one ! I wonder where old 0001 is today and if it still has Noel's name scrolled on the front ? Anyone know ? It should really be encased in the Hall of Fame !

Kevin Ruddell · Post by **Kevin Ruddell** » 24 Jun 2005 4:05 pm

Yes , it's a Fender pictured on the cd picture , you can see Leo's " Double Diamonds ". Thanks for sharing the information on his tuning and mentioning Noels version of " Tenderly " .I just worked out Santo Farina's version in the key of C on the A6 neck and when I put on Noel's I was a little lost soundwise other than it seemed three frets up. Noel has such a nice arrangement and ending for that tune

Dan Sawyer · Post by **Dan Sawyer** » 25 Jun 2005 10:37 am

So, Noel preferred the Fender Custom to the Stringmaster. (So do i.) Maybe somebody here knows what tuning you're talking about with the unwound string.

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 25 Jun 2005 7:22 pm

Dan
I beleive Noel used an A6th tuning on his bass neck and the plain string was a 028 plain guage string.That is as far as I can remember.

Dan Sawyer · Post by **Dan Sawyer** » 25 Jun 2005 10:39 pm

Thanks Jody! So, maybe the unwound string was a E or F#.

Jody Carver · Post by **Jody Carver** » 26 Jun 2005 2:26 am

Kevin
More likley than not F#

Thanks

Jody