Fender Stringmaster on eBay

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 6 Jan 2007 5:25 pm

Auction on eBay.

I saw this 4-neck model on eBay if anyone is interested.

How are the necks connected on these instruments ? Would it be difficult to separate a 4-neck model into two 2-neck models, without damage ?

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 6 Jan 2007 5:50 pm

Please... don't break up these instruments. there are a lot of these in bits and pieces out there and it is a real shame. The few that are still around need to be protected, as much as possible.

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 6 Jan 2007 6:02 pm

Amen to that Keith!
Breaking up Quads is pure evil.

All it produces is pieces of a once great guitar.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 6 Jan 2007 6:09 pm

Dismember a Quad?! Never! Besides losing thousands of dollars from the value of the instrument, you would be severely castigated by the steel guitar community

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 6 Jan 2007 6:20 pm

If you ever have to dis-assemble one for repair or re-finish, it's held together with rods with nuts on both ends. The nuts are under the diamond plates on front and back. Hopefully it will not be necessary (EVER!)
BILL

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 6 Jan 2007 8:25 pm

It's been refinished. I don't know if they used nitro-cellulose finish or not but it looks like someone did a decent job. I would much rather see the beat up original finish, but what's done is done.
Unfortunately no bridge covers and no case.
Hopefully these things will help keep the price from going too astronumerical.

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 6 Jan 2007 9:45 pm

"The nuts are under the diamond plates on front and back".

That's not the ONLY place...no further comment, but you get the drift.

Bill McRoberts · Post by **Bill McRoberts** » 7 Jan 2007 6:17 am

When I purchased my Q-8 Fender it was in pieces. Someone had put the short scale fret boards on along with moving the nuts. and the body rods were loose where the entire guitar would flex. I was lucky enough to get the original long scale fret boards with the deal and re-mount them along with a total re-wire. It was also refinished in cream or eggshell color with very little prep work done. Now the nooks and cranny areas are peeling to show the original mahogany. I'm thinking of a total re-finish back to the original mahogany. People do some scary things to these fine guitars with no thought of the value. Keep it original! ....Bill

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 7 Jan 2007 8:22 am

I believe that keeping it original (as long as it works) is the way to go. A worn guitar has character, and a Stringmaster is becoming an artifact.
On the other hand, if some idiot has put poopy brown on it,(like the one I had) bringing it back to original color is doing it a service.
Regards BILL

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 7 Jan 2007 8:35 am

No crime in refinishing a refinished instrument; the damage has been done. Might as well make it look good.

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 7 Jan 2007 11:37 am

... you would be severely castigated by the steel guitar community

That's the penalty for Stringmaster dismemberment!!!?? Yikes!!

Oh... castigated... I misread...

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 7 Jan 2007 11:53 am

...you would be severely cast_ated by the steel guitar community

Hey, that could happen too!

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 7 Jan 2007 12:27 pm

I'd be glad to be the one to do it too...

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 7 Jan 2007 1:23 pm

Refinished, no bridge covers, no case AND legs that don't hold.

Seller says "no big deal, really" about the legs. Yeah, right. That's a "big deal" to me, if I were a prospective buyer, which I'm not. But those clutches are probably/possibly repairable if the threads are good and you can find the little brass collars.

Someone's selling reproduction Stringmaster legs on eBay also. $259.00.

Custom made case: 300 on up to as much as you want.

OTOH, GFAO. (on the other hand, go find another one).

I'm interested in seeing at what price this puppy goes home with someone.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 7 Jan 2007 1:25 pm

I have no intention of buying the instrument or dismantling it. I was just curious as to how Stringmasters were put together.

...can I take my bulletproof vest off now ?

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 7 Jan 2007 1:28 pm

Just a heads-up to this:
http://bsgsteelguitars.com/sslegs.htm

I don't believe I've seen Don promoting this in a long time so I don't know if he's still making stuff. But it sure beats Herb's $259 repro legs.

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 7 Jan 2007 1:31 pm

I called off Vito and Mickey, you can stop worrying. But it was a close one...

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 7 Jan 2007 3:49 pm

those clutches are probably/possibly repairable if the threads are good and you can find the little brass collars.

True, and at least the Legs are original. Those collars inside are like the ones on old mic stands. Finding the right size collar would be the ticket. No case... that's a problem in shipping the instrument. I don't see it as a major problem for a buyer though. How many buyers would be hauling this around to gigs anyway? It will probably end up sitting in someone's music room. I had a stringmaster Quad several years ago and I took it out on about 5 gigs, and that was enough for me. Like every guitar and amp I've ever sold... I wish I had it back, but that's how life goes.

BTW, one of my students bought a Gibson BR-9 lap steel from this seller last year, and the guitar had a nearly dead pickup. The resistance was only 2K ohms and the sound was weak and muffled. There was no mention of this in their auction listing. I was quite surprised that they sold the guitar in that condition and said nothing about the pickup. Anyway, they were very good about taking the instrument back and refunding the money quickly. They relisted the lap steel with a revised description mentioning the weak output.

Gary Lynch · Post by **Gary Lynch** » 7 Jan 2007 5:31 pm

I bought custom leg sockets from Don. His work is the best and his prices are great.

http://bsgsteelguitars.com/sslegs.htm

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 7 Jan 2007 5:47 pm

I rebuilt a quad Stringmaster case last summer for a friend. It was a disaster when I got it. Bottom line is, those cases were a piece of crap when they were new. I couldn't believe how lousy they were built. .When I rebuilt it, I used carbon fiber cloth & epoxy in all the corners to help it survive.
When the leather is sewed on the ends, it's done thru the wood also, making a very weak structure.
Regards BILL

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 8 Jan 2007 4:58 am

Don Burrows also makes compression ring and collar sets that will restore seized up legs.
I've restored several sets of legs with them.
It's a lot cheaper than new legs . .

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 8 Jan 2007 5:20 am

Don Burrows also makes compression ring and collar sets that will restore seized up legs. I've restored several sets of legs with them. It's a lot cheaper than new legs . .

I have a 1960 D8 that has a leg on it that just doesn't want to stay tight. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how not fun it is when it starts slipping in the middle of a song!

Do you think replacing these would this fix my problem with that leg?

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 8 Jan 2007 5:31 am

Do you think replacing these would this fix my problem with that leg?

Most likely it would Todd. Leg failure is almost always due to seized up/busted compression rings.
As long as the threads aren't stripped that should do it.

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 9 Jan 2007 5:42 am

Thanks, Rick! I'll get hold of Don about that. I need rubber feet, too, and I see he sells those as well.

TJW

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 9 Jan 2007 7:05 am

The legs on the Stringmaster I had were quite rusted, and I replaced them with a new set from Bob Seymour at Steel Guitar Nashville. The thread size was smaller, so I made some bushings out of stainless steel, with the old size on the outside and the new thread in the inside, and screwed them on the new legs with Locktite. They worked fine.

BILL

The Steel Guitar Forum

Fender Stringmaster on eBay

Fender Stringmaster on eBay

Dismembering a Stringmaster...

compression rings and collars

hmmmmmm