Tuning Help Please

Joe Camacho · Post by **Joe Camacho** » 10 Jan 2000 4:45 pm

Well over the weekend I stumbled onto a brown Fender double-8 stringmaster, couple of problems, A: how do I tune this (I mostly play guitar, but do also play pedal steel E9) and B: How old is this guitar, it's brown with the old spag. logo. Also I want to thank Ricky Davis on all of the tips he showed me last time through San Diego. Thanks again.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 10 Jan 2000 10:56 pm

I like E13th. If you already play E9th pedal steel, you won't be too confused by it.

Click Here

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Bobby Lee

www.b0b.com/products
Sierra Session S-12 E9th, Speedy West D-10, Sierra S-8 Lap

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 10 Jan 2000 11:24 pm

I love b0b's tunings of course. It seems b0b and I have always agreed on tunings and are very similar. I know b0b has used most all of them and I would certainly go with any of those Joe.
My only difference is on my E13th I don't have the Low B on the eigth string; cause I put a F# in-between the lowest E and G#. And on my A6th I have the F#(sixth tone)on the bottom string and I also will tune the bottom string to a G(flat7th tone)for a A13th tuning.
That's the great thing about the Hawaiian Steel is you can experiment with so many different tunings and those that b0b linked to are a Great place to start Joe. Oh and the date of your stringmaster can be found under the tuning pan on the wood>usually the furthest neck from the player. But with just what you have said about the guitar so far> I would guess 1962. Now look under the pan and tell me I'm right>LOL

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Ricky Davis
http://hometown.aol.com/sshawaiian/RickyHomepage.html
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sshawaiian@aol.com <FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 10 January 2000 at 11:28 PM.]</p></FONT>

Joe Camacho · Post by **Joe Camacho** » 12 Jan 2000 12:45 pm

Is the neck closest to you the E13 neck?

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 12 Jan 2000 3:21 pm

Hey Joe; I always have the lowest tunings closest to me and then they go higher as the necks go away from me on how ever many necks one may have. That's just me. You can have them anywhere you want; but most double and triple and quads are set up this way as far as the groves in the nut for string size; so yours is most likely like that. So the neck closest to you should have larger groves in the nut for string size and the groves will be smaller on the necks further away is what I'm guessing. Did I explain myself alright. I think I can be somewhat redondant sometimes; but I hope this helps.
Ricky

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Ricky Davis
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Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 12 Jan 2000 5:40 pm

The E13th is the front neck - the one furthest from me. Just like on a pedal steel, where the high neck is in front and the low neck is in back.

John Tipka · Post by **John Tipka** » 13 Jan 2000 5:14 am

Ricky,
Technically correct except for the quad which, on the thickest or front neck, has a tuner pan with extra large holes in the string shaft and a nut to accept bass sized strings. Noel Boggs and Leon MacAuliffe used tunings here an octave lower than one of their standard tunings to achieve special sound effects. I once heard it was Joaquin Murphey and Speedy West who used that neck with bass strings but they had already gone to Paul Bigsby guitars long before the Stringmaster came out. Buddy Emmons can probably confirm use of that neck for bass tunings as he was one of the earliest users of a quad Stringmaster.

But, then of course, how many players carry around a 50 pound quad Stringmaster?

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

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 13 Jan 2000 11:05 am

Hey John thanks for that info; you know you learn something new everyday here in steel guitar world>"That's too cool for school".

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Ricky Davis
http://hometown.aol.com/sshawaiian/RickyHomepage.html
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Joe Camacho · Post by **Joe Camacho** » 14 Jan 2000 10:11 am

Well Ricky the number under my tuning plate is 4134, you figure it out.

Thanks,
Joe

mikey · Post by **mikey** » 14 Jan 2000 9:58 pm

You date the guitar under the tuner pan...I tuned mine E13 outside C13 inside,
Mike

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 15 Jan 2000 1:55 am

If indeed you looked under both tuning pans where the tuning keys are and that was written under one of them; and it's a brown fender double-8 with stringmaster pick-ups I will go with April 13th,1964. What can you tell me about the case if it's the original?

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Ricky Davis
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sshawaiian@aol.com

Joe Camacho · Post by **Joe Camacho** » 17 Jan 2000 9:16 am

Hey Ricky,
I'm sorry I thought that you meant the stamped number on the plate where the ball end of the string is, I'll check under the tuners when I get home, I still need to put some fresh string on it. Also the case is the original, black tolex wit the the 3-D logo not the flat one.
Joe

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 17 Jan 2000 10:43 am

Hey Joe no prob; but I'll still go 1960somethin' on that one. Let us know what you find out under the tuning pan.
Ricky