What to do with an old Stringmaster

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 31 Jul 2014 8:59 am

Jeff Mead wrote:... One question I still have though is, if I refinished it properly (or got it refinished) what effect would that have on the value? ...

A refinish would certainly add to the value, but how much more depends on the quality of the job and local market conditions / demand. My best guess is that unless you are doing the work yourself, its probably going to be a break even proposition.

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 31 Jul 2014 9:02 am

There no book value per se for a refinished Stringmaster.
It sells for what you can get for it. UK would probably be £1,250 tops. (On a GOOD day, downhill with the wind behind you) !!

And as you said the pickups and other parts would PROBABLY sell for more individually, so collectively isn't the best financial proposition. My spin would be, because it's a 1957(ish) 24.5" scale length it's in the middle bracket regarding desirability. (The short scale or long scale both have their followings but the mid length one is debatable.) I'd part it out on E-Bay and other sites and Steel Guitar/Americana related pages..
Sad to say that, but that's the logical thing to do..

The legs and sockets are also worth $250-300 and the fretboards sell over here for £60 easy (For home constructors of Blues style guitars.)
The case (Being original Tweed) would be of interest to the Fender guitar fraternity and could realise $125 or so.
Even split up into 3 separate Lap steels would probably accrue more than if sold as a triple..

It's NOT as collectable as a Mk1, or a Mk2 22.5" or 26" that you can be sure of.

Now I await with bated breath for the aficionados and gurus to take me to task regarding the electability factor..!!

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 31 Jul 2014 9:23 am

If money were the only criterion many works of art would have disappeared years ago. Would you part out a Da Vinci painting if you thought that the frame was worth more than the picture?

This instrument should be restored and put back into working condition. Anything else is vandalism.

I'm surprised at you, Basil. Even if what you say is right, it's that sort of thinking that causes corporations to send work abroad and pay lower wages, for financiers to buy works of art as investments and lock them away in vaults, never to be seen again.

If things were only worth their market value the museums would be empty.

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 31 Jul 2014 9:33 am

Alan, it's not my own personal take, but my opinion is based on what I perceive to be the mindset of Jeff, based upon personal correspondence. I'm advising what would best suit his observed standpoint, taking all into consideration. It would appear the he may wish to keep it with the view to it increasing in value. That I can't see happening in the near future.

If it was mine I would leave it EXACTLY as is. But that would be the standpoint of an old man nearing retirement and just wishing to be nice to the "Old Gal"...
But It's Jeff's, and as such I'm assessing it that way..
And when I get comments like "I need to get my mate to look at it" .... then it seems to me that OUR opinions are superfluous anyway..

There's obviously a Fender Steel Guitar expert somewhere in London that has been kept surreptitiously secreted..unbeknownst to all of us..

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 31 Jul 2014 10:50 am

Yes, part it out IF money is the only consideration. I think most of us here wouldn't do that with a guitar that is basically fine other than a bad refinish and a broken tuner. But it's your guitar, so have at it.

I still say that there is no guarantee that the sum of the parts will be greater than the whole.

A guitar dealer I spoke to said I could probably get about Â£750 ($1300) for it in its current condition - about half of what it would have been in original condition

That guitar dealer doesn't know much about vintage steel guitars. He thinks that T-8 would sell for $2600 in original condition? I don't think so.

I see pickup assemblies going for $375 (got 3 of those) Tuner pans $200 (again, I have 3 - minus one strip of 4 tuners), even the little chrome bridge covers go for $48

Are those ASKING prices or Selling prices? I see those auctions too. Asking is one thing.... Getting is another. Bookmark those auctions and check them after the auctions end and see if the items sold for those high prices. You will probably have to start your auctions much lower to entice bidders and you'll probably end up getting less than you expected. It seems like a lot of work, a lot of boxing and shipping, and you may end up making Less than you would selling the guitar complete.

Go back to that guitar dealer and tell him you'll take the $1300!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 31 Jul 2014 11:15 am

Jeff... There is a new thread today in the Amps and Accessories section selling "all the hardware" from a T-8 pushbutton Stringmaster. He may have original pushbuttons you need for your T-8. Maybe tuners too?

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 31 Jul 2014 11:36 am

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=269452

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 31 Jul 2014 2:51 pm

Basil, those parts are just what you need to put together the quad you're working on.

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 31 Jul 2014 3:36 pm

Too true Alan, BUT not for me, I have more than enough steel guitars to last me till I retire, so unfortunately I can't save this baby. In the past we HAVE succeeded in resurrecting a few, notably YOUR renovation ---> HERE

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 31 Jul 2014 5:11 pm

A pile of parts like that doesn't come along very often. It's a good find for someone who's willing to spend the money and restore a guitar... some wanna do that, some don't. I've lost interest in restoring guitars and amps of late. Kinda burned out on that.

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 31 Jul 2014 7:52 pm

Only my opinion here but I would keep the guitar together and try to find a buyer like it is or paint it properly and fix any problems and sell it like that.

Jan Viljoen · Post by **Jan Viljoen** » 1 Aug 2014 1:21 am

Guys, I have never seen a double Fender here in South Africa, let alone a triple or quad.

I suppose this must be rare and should be restored.

Keep up the good work.

David Matzenik · Post by **David Matzenik** » 1 Aug 2014 1:34 pm

There are occasions in life when doing something good and worthwhile has unforseen benefits. Its not all about dollars and cents.

Jeff Mead · Post by **Jeff Mead** » 12 Aug 2014 12:21 pm

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Jeff Mead · Post by **Jeff Mead** » 12 Aug 2014 12:22 pm

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Jeff Mead · Post by **Jeff Mead** » 12 Aug 2014 12:22 pm

Thanks again for everyone's input on this and I thought I'd lt you know what I decided and also tell you about a very interesting twist in the tale.

When Doug pointed out that someone was selling the hardware from a pushbutton T-8, I thought that I should at least enquire about it and this could be my opportunity to restore my instrument before selling it (I had already decided for sure that I preferred by Custom Triple to a Stringmaster). So I contacted the seller, making him an offer for the switch and a strip of tuners. He replied that he really wanted to sell all the hardware in one transaction and gave me a very reasonable price, suggesting I could sell on what I didn't need.

Alan's comment about Basil's quad project and Basil's answer set me thinking and I contacted Basil to ask if he really wasn't going to finish it and if he would be interested in selling the quad to me as I now had the hardware for 3 necks.

Basil kindly agreed to this and so I am now starting a quad restoration project!

Not bad considering that a week or so ago I was planning on maybe buying a switch and a strip of tuners!

I will be borrowing some of the hardware (1 neck's worth) from my T-8 for the time being but at the same keeping a lookout for the bits I to replace tham, or possibly selling it to someone who is interested in taking on a T-8 restoration.

Well, the necks arrived a few days ago and I was delighted to find that the quad necks are 22.5" scale - my favourite and the same as my DP and CT.

They came with tie rods - the metal rods that hold the necks together, but these were only long enough for a triple neck and also came with only 2 spacers with each rod (I would need 6 in all). Also, the hex socket on two of the end nuts were a bit stripped (more of a circle than a hex shape). Well, I managed to order two threaded steel rods that will work fine and amongst the hardware that came today was not only the two extra spacers I need but two end nuts as well.

If that isn't a sign that the steel guitar gods are smiling on this project then I don't know what is.

So, I'll need a tuner pan and control plate to get the T-8 back in full working order so if anyone hears of these parts up for sale or has a neck's worth of hardware and fancies a T-8 project please let me know.

The only other thing I'm looking for is a couple of Fender logos, although this isn't a huge problem as I'll just put my name on the front if I can't get a logo.

If anyone is interested, I'll start a new thread documenting the restoration.

John Limbach · Post by **John Limbach** » 12 Aug 2014 12:40 pm

Jeff Mead wrote: If anyone is interested, I'll start a new thread documenting the restoration.

That would be interesting.

Steven Cummings · Post by **Steven Cummings** » 15 Aug 2014 6:25 am

By all means please post some pics of the reconstruction. I for one would find it very interesting.

Glad it's all coming together for you. It's really a wonderful thing when it works out that way!

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 17 Aug 2014 9:53 am

...and I'll post some pictures of where they came from.

steve takacs · Post by **steve takacs** » 26 May 2017 3:10 am

Doug, I am still laughing at that comment:
"David, I think you are in de-Nile!"

Great work on that T -8, Erv.

Glad it turned out so well for you, Jeff. Steve t

Jeff Mead · Post by **Jeff Mead** » 26 May 2017 8:19 am

steve takacs wrote:
Glad it turned out so well for you, Jeff.

Hey Steve,

This is a pretty old thread. Did you see the one about the quad restore?

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=270347

steve takacs · Post by **steve takacs** » 26 May 2017 12:44 pm

WHOOH.... simply amazing, Jefff.. A lot of self-discipline and skill went into giving that Quad a major facelift. Nicely done. Stevet