Stringmaster Tuners

[Jim Dickinson]

I just bought a project Dual Stringmaster. I have not got it yet, but from the picture, it looks like it needs at least one left hand and possibly one right hand tuner. What is the proper type to use on the Fender ashtray?

As it only has one ashtray, and I am told they are hard to find, I will make one for the other neck, not perfectly cosmetic, but I am confidant it will work. I do not have to use the same type of tuner on it as the original, do any of you have any suggestions. I see many kinds on strips of three, none on strips of four, individuals?

I have put a post on the WTB forum for these and the other parts I need.

Thank You in advance, Jim

[Brad Bechtel]

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tuners.html would be a good place to start.

[Martin Curnan]

BASIL has good info on replacing tuners. Search Steel Without Padals "Fender 1000 Group Project 2"

[Mark Roeder]

I have wondered if a strip for a twelve string is the right spacing for late stringmasters.I know they are not for the early lollipop design. You could then cut the two extra tuners off the strip.

[Andy Sandoval]

I had a 70's Fender Deluxe 8 that had Fender "F" style individual tuners instead of the "four on a strip". They fit along side each other perfectly and were held in place by the snug fit between the pan and cavity.

[Tom Wolverton]

I have a 1974 D-8 SM and it has the F-tuners. The paraellelogram shape of the tuner bases make them lock in place quite nicely. You can still buy NOS and repro F-tuners. It might be worth a try if you don't mind the shape of the tuner buttons. Finding an extra pan will be the tough nut to crack.

[Jim Dickinson]

Thanks Andy and Tom, do either of you know of a good place to find any. I have been looking at tuners on the internet for a few days, the ones I think would work best are for slotted peg heads as they have shafts with straight ends. Those intended for solid pegheads usually have a concave string "capstan" near the end of the shaft that would not bear well on the center divider of the pan. Unfortunately, the ones I have found at several places, that look like they would work, seem to have plastic knobs. You are right, in my searches, I cannot seem to find a pan put there anywhere, I would like to buy one if anyone has one they don't need.

On another matter, does any one out there have a pan and/or body that they could measure? I would like to know the following measurements so I can start ordering parts before the Stringmaster arrives in the mail, so I can get working on it asap once it's here:

1. Width and length of pan outside dimensions of flange.
2. Bulk width and length of the pan, inside the flange.
3. With and length of the pan cavity in the guitar body.

Thanks to everyone here who is helping me out.

Jim

[Martin Curnan]

Stringmaster pans are hard to come by. Keep searching ebay, I found one last year on ebay without tuners for $50 for a steel I am going to build.

Here are the measurements for the 8 string Fender "PAT. PEND" tuner.

Top width after taper 3"
Widest point on bottom before taper 3.5"
Bottom 3"
Length 5.25"
Depth of pan .75"
Tuner slots 1" on center
Tuner slot and peg hole 5/16" on center

[Mark Roeder]

Stewart-MacDonald has very detailed measurements of the tuners in their catalog. Alot of tuners can be bought with either post, but sometimes you have to check the fine print for options.

[Alan Brookes]

I too need a Stringmaster tuner pan. To match the one I have it has to be the later type with the taper.

[Mark Roeder]

Has anyone checked with Stevens Guitars. Since he makes the Guit-steel he must get pans from somewhere.
www.stevensguitars.com