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Topic: T8 Stringmaster question |
Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2017 3:45 pm |
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Several years ago I bought this T8. It's sat in my shop since then, case unopened, patiently awaiting its turn at restoration along with other amps, guitars and electronics. I was reading about others'work on their Stringmaster today and said to myself, "Well, maybe it's time to do that."
I can see it's totally original, unmodified, and must not have been played much. A few dings but nothing to speak of. SN 3193. 24.5" scale. Tweed case just shy of perfect.
Anyway, about what year might it hail from?
[Added] I pulled the first tuner pan and there's a pencilled date of "2/60" in its cavity. Guess that answers my question! But perhaps some might enjoy the pics.
Thanks.
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Brad Davis
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 22 Jul 2017 8:42 pm
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| Wow that looks like a beauty in great shape! What does it even need done to it? |
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Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
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Posted 23 Jul 2017 4:52 am
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After pulling the tuner pan I checked it out a lot more. It just needs the pots sprayed, tuners oiled, a cleaning and restringing.
Umm, dumb question, but I've always wondered about it. Should it be in the case upside down for easy access to its leg sockets? Or face up in the case? Or does that even matter?
Thanks. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 23 Jul 2017 6:19 am
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| I like to put my Stringmasters in the case upside down then they're in position to screw the legs on. |
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 23 Jul 2017 7:21 am
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| My '59 D8 has a couple of ledges built into the case that keep the strings off the bottom of the case when put in upside down. Because of these ledges, the case won't close if you put the guitar in right side up. For whatever reason, I haven't seen a triple or a quad with these ledges. Maybe too much flex between the necks? Then again, my experience is just with a handful of guitars. I'd be curious as to how typical these ledges are (definately factory) and if they appear in any cases other than D8's. |
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Miles Lang
From:
Venturaloha
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Posted 23 Jul 2017 7:24 am
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| I flip it upright so it doesn't rest on the switch and strings during travel. It's not a big deal to flip it over to fit the legs. |
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Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
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Posted 24 Jul 2017 3:01 am
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Bill,
This T8's case does have two ledges that run lengthwise.
Ok, another question. I have a D8 Stringmaster I tune to C6th & E13th. What do you player/steel history buffs suggest for the third neck? I read that, back in the day, a common choice for the 3rd neck was A6th although, of course, there were others.
Put another way, suppose you stepped up to this T8 at a gig. Again, "back in the day". You find and probably expected to see the C6th (mine with a dropped D on top) and E13th (or some E7th variant) tunings. What 3rd tuning wouldn't you at all be surprised to find then?
Thanks again for your help. |
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 24 Jul 2017 3:49 am
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| Eric Philippsen wrote: |
Bill,
This T8's case does have two ledges that run lengthwise.
Ok, another question. I have a D8 Stringmaster I tune to C6th & E13th. What do you player/steel history buffs suggest for the third neck? I read that, back in the day, a common choice for the 3rd neck was A6th although, of course, there were others.
Put another way, suppose you stepped up to this T8 at a gig. Again, "back in the day". You find and probably expected to see the C6th (mine with a dropped D on top) and E13th (or some E7th variant) tunings. What 3rd tuning wouldn't you at all be surprised to find then?
Thanks again for your help. |
From what I've read, "back in the day" you would be just as likely to find A6 and E13 on a doubleneck - C6 became standard on the D10 pedal steel but A6 was incredibly popular on lap steel and even on some of the early pedal steels including the Fender 8 string cable steels.
To my mind, there is a more logical relationship between A6 and E13 than between C6 and E13.
For me, if I am going to the trouble of lugging a triple neck around, C6 and A6 are too similar, I would want a third neck that gives me more of a different flavour I can use. |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 24 Jul 2017 6:02 am
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If it was mine, I'd do E13th, A6th and G tuning for cajun music.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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David M Brown
From:
California, USA
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Posted 24 Jul 2017 6:08 am
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| Tom Wolverton wrote: |
| If it was mine, I'd do E13th, A6th and G tuning for cajun music. |
I think you just mentioned all my favorite tunings. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 24 Jul 2017 7:31 am
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| On my T-8 Stringmaster, I had A6th, C6th and C#m7th. |
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Joerg Hennig
From:
Bavaria, Germany
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Posted 27 Jul 2017 11:29 am
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I think if I had a triple neck I would tune the middle neck to A6th like Leon McAuliffe's, also used by Cindy Cashdollar and others, which I find the most versatile; on the back neck Kayton Roberts' C6th/A7 with the low A string; and on the front neck either Leon's E13th or maybe Kayton's F13th, because it seems to be good for Speedy West style playing, which I also love. All of these tunings can be seen here:
http://www.steelc6th.com/tunings.htm |
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Andy DePaule
From:
Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
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Posted 27 Jul 2017 12:58 pm On my Fender Duel Pro D-8
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On my Duel Pro D-8 I've been experimenting since I got the Clinesmith.
Once you play the Clinesmith, nothing else satisfies! 
So in getting ready for the T-8 Todd will finish for me next spring it's time to use the Fender for seeing what I like best.
First I like the A6th better than C6th for two reasons;
.1. I get the E on top for the fifth which I miss on C6th.
.2. All the chords are where I'd expect them. Really can't get used to E on the 4th fret.
Any way, I tried the C diatonic for a while and like it a lot. Expect that may be on the front neck of the T-8. May experiment with A Diatonic???
I tried the E13th and see a lot there of the older C&W as well as Western Swing, but felt it was too close to the A6th which I really like to use so that A6th will be on the back neck for sure.
Right now I'm using E7th like this on the Fender front neck and like it a lot.
Works real well for so many things and easy to play;
E B G# D E G# B E
Nice for blues as well as other things too.
Anyway, there is my 2¢ worth and worth what you paid for it!
Open to suggestions?
_________________
Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project. |
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Scott Thomas
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Posted 27 Jul 2017 3:23 pm
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| Eric Philippsen wrote: |
Ok, another question. I have a D8 Stringmaster I tune to C6th & E13th. What do you player/steel history buffs suggest for the third neck? I read that, back in the day, a common choice for the 3rd neck was A6th although, of course, there were others. |
I once had a T-8 and settled on (hi to lo)
C6 E C A G E C Bb C
A6 E C# A F# E C# A F#
E13 E C# B G# E D B E
Folks will decide where to put a particular tuning based on ease of reach and which they use most. There was even some discussion here of which tuning sounded best for thickness of a given neck.
I was always shifting the tunings around and experimenting with the bottom bass strings, but overall I found the above to be the most versatile. There are redundancies, but I found that to be a plus. The tunings are interrelated, but one turn here or there and you have a lot of options. |
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