Stringmaster Colors

Jim Dickinson · Post by **Jim Dickinson** » 27 May 2009 9:28 am

Just got the dead Stringmaster delivered by UPS. I must say that it's really beat up and needs quite a bit of wood work. But, I am determined to bring it back. It has a 26 inch scale and was made in February of 1954. The exterior is currently sporting a yellowed Ivory paint which appears to be the original color, however, the finish is so beat and by the time I repair the wood, there is no way. I would leave it the way it is. Do any of you know if there were any other factory finishes or colors available in 1954 and is there somewhere I can buy the appropriate paint?

Thank you, Jim

Lynn Oliver · Post by **Lynn Oliver** » 27 May 2009 9:42 am

Fender Custom Colors

Jim Dickinson · Post by **Jim Dickinson** » 27 May 2009 9:57 am

Looked at the Reranch site, none quite match, would that paint have been called Vintage Cream? I wonder if they came in any other colors?
Jim

Lynn Oliver · Post by **Lynn Oliver** » 27 May 2009 10:20 am

I would have said Blonde except that the years don't match.

Scott Thomas · Post by **Scott Thomas** » 27 May 2009 10:29 am

Look at the "Butterscotch blonde" sample at the Reranch website. A period correct refin would be in that color, or a subtle two tone burst as similar to the Stratocaster of that period.

I had a '54 Stringmaster 26" that had the burst finish. From the sides and bottom, it just looked very dark brown, with a small area of lightening to amber around the pickups. I would think that would be tougher to match.

But those were the only two options for colors at that time on Stringmasters.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 27 May 2009 10:37 am

Do any of you know if there were any other factory finishes or colors available in 1954

According to Jody Carver, who was a Fender steel guitar rep in the 50s and 60s, there were never any factory custom finishes on Stringmasters, just blonde and walnut (and black in the mid 70s). He has stated that many times here. For a refin, I would go with ReRanch blonde.

Jim Dickinson · Post by **Jim Dickinson** » 27 May 2009 10:37 am

Do you know where I can find any photos of the sunburst? Maybe I just ought to find a nice black?and paint it, or? Any suggestions? Jim

Lynn Oliver · Post by **Lynn Oliver** » 27 May 2009 10:51 am

I did mine ('56) in blonde and made no attempt to age the finish. You are welcome to stop by and take a look at it.

Scott Thomas · Post by **Scott Thomas** » 27 May 2009 11:58 am

I only have this picture, which is rather dark and isn't the best example the effect I described. It is subtle but in "real life" the light to dark around the pickups was a little more pronounced.

I think the darker parts of this finish are more in keeping with the Dual Pros and Customs of the time. I think this finish went out on stringmasters when the 26" scale was discontinued the next year. It is translucent enough to easily see the ash grain.

To my eye, the walnut finishes on the Stringmasters afterward are of a more opaque chocolate brown color.

Jim Dickinson · Post by **Jim Dickinson** » 27 May 2009 12:11 pm

The darker finish is really pretty, mine would never clean up well enough to pull that off. I guess it's up to the paint, I don't have to decide today. I guess I'll pull it apart and start fixing the wood first.

Lyn, I just might come visit you, I'll let you know when I can, I think you are about the closest person to me on the forum.

Thanks everyone. Jim

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 May 2009 8:24 am

I have refinished a few Stringmasters over the years.
I have used the paint from ReRanch with excellent results. I use their Fender Blonde and followed up with the tinted clear coat to "age" the finish somewhat.
Here is an example:

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 28 May 2009 9:10 am

So far as I can ascertain Fender originally used a custom color lacquer formulated by Sherwin-Williams.
It was not completely opaque. It allowed some of the grain of the wood show through.

It still amazes me how some of these Fender steel guitars became so abused.
I have a violin made in Genoa, Italy in 1907 (102 years old). This violin is almost like new, except for the expected wear of the varnish on the back of the neck.

Jim Dickinson · Post by **Jim Dickinson** » 28 May 2009 10:13 am

It amazes me in the short time I have been looking, how badly these instruments have been abused. I think some of it has been because they were "old and outdated", therefore no good and just junk no one wanted. It may be also true that the wear and tear of a working musician takes a toll of things. Over the years I have seen amazingly beat audio equipment, especially that used by Rock and Rollers. Maybe they thought that they were going to hit it so big, have so much money, that it wouldn't matter. I have also seen the same with vintage proffessional and home audio equipment, expensive things that are just trashed. Perhaps our country just has too much abundance and some do not seem to understand how amazing the products thay use everyday, I guess we live in a throw away society.

Erv, Thank you for the excellent suggestions, looks very nice to me. Is your metal bronze paleted, or is it just the lighting?

Jim

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 May 2009 10:54 am

Jim,
No, that is the original chrome.
I bought this guitar new in 1954 and then sold it at a later date. The fellow passed away who bought it and I had the opportunity to buy it back from his widow.
This is how it looked after he got done with it:

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 28 May 2009 11:18 am

Nitro finishes on 1950s guitars were nothing like the rock hard, thick poly finishes on today's guitars. They would fade and wear off more easily. I don't think it's as much a matter of abuse as the finish itself. Wear spots are very common on old Fender guitars. Of course the bar room house band steel guitars got plenty of hard wear, cigarette burns, whiskey stains, and who knows what else.

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 28 May 2009 11:37 am

They saw a lot of use for sure.
But, IMHO, the heavier the rig, the more bumps and bruises along the way.

No matter what they looked like, they always sounded good if everything was workin' like it should.

R2

Mark Roeder · Post by **Mark Roeder** » 28 May 2009 12:10 pm

I used the ReRanch Vintage Cream on my stringmaster project. I'm not sure if it was a Stringmaster color. It seems more like the old Tele light yellow. I like it but I'm not sure it is correct.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 May 2009 12:22 pm

If you go to www.reranch.com and look under the Fender custom colors, you will see "blonde", that is the color for Fender Stringmasters.

Jim Dickinson · Post by **Jim Dickinson** » 22 Jun 2009 2:48 pm

Well, I've got all but the little cosmetic wood repairs done on the Dual 8. It's coming out way better than I expected, I am wondering if any of you have any better pictures of the early Stringmaster
"Walnut Sunburst" finish? I think I just might be able to pull it off, as I would like to put on an original color and don't really like the transparent straw color that's on it now. The Blonde, like Erv and Lynn used, looks really nice, way better than the original color, but isn't quite right vintage wise. I will likely use the Blonde, however, I would like to see a few more pictures of the Sunburst to see if I might like it better.

I would also like to know how thick the wood is on the outside neck of a triple.

Thank You, Jim

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 22 Jun 2009 7:40 pm

Walnut Sunburst? That looks like refinish. I need a little more convincing before I believe that guitar left the factory with that finish.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 23 Jun 2009 6:09 am

I have never seen a Stringmaster with a sunburst finish that was original.

Jim Dickinson · Post by **Jim Dickinson** » 23 Jun 2009 7:15 am

I have never seen a Walnut Stringmaster, either in the flesh of in a picture. Does anyone have a photo of the Walnut finish? I have seen a few Walnut Dual Pros. Seems to me that the Ash wood doesn't take on the Wanut Stain real well, looks sort of washed out.

I know what I'll do, I paint it Olive Drab, it'll be one of those really rare Military Steels. Jim

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 23 Jun 2009 7:39 am

Fender did offer a walnut colored Stringmaster.
I am not sure if the wood was walnut or just the color.

BTW: This is not my guitar.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 23 Jun 2009 8:08 am

WOW! That's my old T-8 above... I took that picture a few years ago!

Yes, there were only two Fender factory finishes for Stringmasters... blonde and walnut. There was no such thing as a "walnut sunburst" done at the factory. That would be an after-market refinish.

In the mid 1970s Fender offered black as an option, but there are few few of those.

Jim, if you want to refinish your Stringmaster, my advice to you is... order the Fender blonde from Guitar ReRanch. They have blonde and butterscotch blonde ---> SAMPLES

There has been a lot of discussion here about refinishing Fender steel guitars over the years. I tend to leave an original finish alone no matter how battered it is, but that's just me.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 23 Jun 2009 8:14 am

Doug,
Yes, I did a search and found the excellent pictures you posted some time back.
That was a beautiful guitar.

This picture will give you some insight into the difference in Fender colors. The T-8 is a refinish.
The S-8 and the D-8 are original Fender. The difference in coloring is due the aging of the finish.

Here is a picture of the quad I refinished:

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