Fender Quad Stringmaster (4 necks)

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 1 Mar 2014 4:16 am

Sweet score

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 1 Mar 2014 6:14 am

Thanks! Eric, thanks for the info on the switches.

Ralph Czitrom · Post by **Ralph Czitrom** » 1 Mar 2014 7:14 am

Wow Doug! Can't wait to hear the Magic Steel Guitarist play that magic steel guitar...Congrats.

Sam White R.I.P. · Post by **Sam White R.I.P.** » 1 Mar 2014 7:37 am

The Body of this lap top looks like a copy of my Dynalap Steel That Mark Vinsbury up in R.I. use to build.He stopped making them as he has to much Cabinet making for his business.I do be leave he has the Patent on this Lap Top.
Sam White

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 1 Mar 2014 7:37 am

You were very fortunate to find a quad in that condition.
Below is a picture of my quad after having refinished it.
When I got it it had been spray painted blue, not once but twice!
The serial number on it is 0002, is is the 26" scale with the slide switches to change necks.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 1 Mar 2014 7:49 am

Erv, your quad is an interesting, early one with some transitional features: lollipop tuners, like the dual pros had, chrome pickup covers, but splayed legs, not straight down legs like the first year Stringmasters had.

Larry Lenhart · Post by **Larry Lenhart** » 1 Mar 2014 10:22 am

Wow, doug, how do you find these wonderful steels....you mentioned that your guyatone is a poormans steel and i am a poor man, so if you want someone to take it off your hands,,,,,i volunteer

. Haha. Great acquisition on that quad!!!! Have fun with it !!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 1 Mar 2014 11:35 am

I saw Leon McAuliffe playing his quad back in the 70's and I was impressed with his demeanor and his approach to the instrument. Of course, he played standing... he would play his part and then step back from the quad and glance at the band while they did their thing. When he was ready to play again he would step back to the quad, address the instrument, and play again. He was not planted to the instrument like a lot of steel guitarists are. I guess that approach would work with any steel guitar on legs, but it looked really cool with the quad.

Larry Lenhart · Post by **Larry Lenhart** » 1 Mar 2014 12:11 pm

Interesting you mentioned that, Doug. I saw Leon in the 60s and observed the same thing...always liked that. Henry Bellmon was running for governor of the state of Oklahoma and brought Leon M.on his campaign tour to my little home town, and my dad and i went down to see Leon....we didnt care anything about the politics of it !! Haha. Good memories....btw i continue to play amd love your two volumes for c6th

Jeff Spencer · Post by **Jeff Spencer** » 2 Mar 2014 1:35 am

One word Mr Beaumier. B%*+#}{d. No, seriously Doug. Great acquisition !!! and it's in great talented hands!! Can't wait to hear it!!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 2 Mar 2014 6:56 am

Jeff, I feel your pain! Here's another irritating picture.

Michael Snellin · Post by **Michael Snellin** » 2 Mar 2014 7:04 am

Well done Doug Congrats!!what a Guitar Beautiful !.
mike.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 2 Mar 2014 9:57 am

FREE Oahu sheet music and Tab. FREE Shipping USA Only -- update -- it's Gone! --

The first forum member to reply here can have all of this old Oahu music for free. USA only.

Outside of the USA will be $20 shipping. Payment through PayPal.

This came with the quad. The sheets are in rough condition, some worn, dirty, pencil marks, etc. The tunings are 6-string E7, A, C#m7, etc. Mostly 1950s. Some of the workbooks were graded by a teacher...

James Nottage · Post by **James Nottage** » 2 Mar 2014 10:22 am

Really? I will take it.

James

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 2 Mar 2014 10:25 am

You got it, James. I just need your shipping address. click below and send me an email.

James Nottage · Post by **James Nottage** » 2 Mar 2014 10:29 am

Well, this is my lucky day. Now if I could just find a great Stringmaster like the one you just got!

Thanks so much.

James Nottage

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 2 Mar 2014 1:08 pm

I got the address, James, thanks. I'll ship this tomorrow, Monday. I'm glad you can use this material.

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 2 Mar 2014 5:58 pm

Congrats Doug on the Fender Quad. Beautiful looking instrument.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 2 Mar 2014 6:04 pm

Thanks Len, my music room is starting to look like yours! Full of steel guitars, amps, and more guitars...

Stephen Cowell · Post by **Stephen Cowell** » 3 Mar 2014 7:12 am

Eric Stumpf wrote:(snip) After liberating the switch/control assembly from the guitar body, simply run a piece of emery paper (snip)

True emery paper (matchbook striker, brown nail file, etc) is not recommended for electronic contacts. Use a GC burnishing tool or business card stock with Caig DeOxit, then follow with DeOxit Gold.

And Doug, you now own *two* Quads? What are you, Squidward?

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 3 Mar 2014 7:27 am

Thanks for that info. Stephen, I sold that other quad about 10 years ago. In my post I should have called it my "earlier" quad, not my "other" quad.
I hope to get some time later this week to change the strings (all 32 of them) on this Fender. I need to decide which tuning will go on which neck. With multi-neck steels, sometimes one neck sounds stronger or thinner than another, so I need to check that out and decide what tuning will go where. I'm going with C6, E13, B11, and some kind of a bass tuning... possibly a bass version of C6 or E13 since I know those tunings pretty well.

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 3 Mar 2014 4:05 pm

Doug:
The first neck has a volume and tone control and the second neck looks like 4 controls. It doesn't look like neck 3 & 4 have controls so I assume the controls on the first two necks are interactive with necks 3 & 4?

Beautiful condition and a closet classic for sure.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 3 Mar 2014 4:29 pm

Len, the first neck has two controls, volume and tone. Those are master controls for all the necks. The four pushbuttons on the second neck are neck selector buttons. Any number of necks, 1, 2, 3, or 4 can be activated at any time. Just push the button(s) down. And each neck has a blend control knob on the end under the little chrome bridge cover. The blend control mixes the two pickups on each neck for different tones. As I understand it, one pickup (on each neck) is always active and the blend knob mixes in the other pickup. I like to describe the blend sound as "thin to thinner"! Stringmasters don't have a lot of Lows IMO. I've read that Leo designed them to cut though on a bandstand, and that they certainly do!

Stephen Cowell · Post by **Stephen Cowell** » 3 Mar 2014 9:40 pm

The 'secret' to multi-neck sound with the pushbuttons is to push them down at the same time. Pushing any button will release the others. I think all Quads have the pushbutton setup... unless they're the first year Stringmaster with the slide switches... the Tele switch setup (with the bat-style 'all three' switch) won't work for a Quad.

The blend wheel shorts out the neck pickup... leaving the bridge pickup alone. I've often wondered how the guitar would sound with the neck pickup only... probably like the middle pickup of a Strat. Some folks lower one pickup so that the other predominates... but you still have the humbucking effect. I'd love to have a three-pickup Stringmaster, I really love the neck pickup on a Strat.

Edward Pilcer · Post by **Edward Pilcer** » 7 Mar 2014 7:20 pm

Hey Doug - Did you pick up this one http://newjersey.craigslist.org/msg/4309079072.html
I was in contact with the owner about purchasing it, but came to my senses that I do not need 2 quads.

Ed

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Fender Quad Stringmaster (4 necks)

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