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Author	Topic: Dating my Stringmaster
Rick Garrett Member From: Tyler, Texas	posted 02 April 2002 04:35 AM profile send email edit Ricky Davis mentioned to me at the Dallas show that I could pull the machine head pan on the E9th neck to see the date underneath that my Fender Stringmaster was made. I did that yesterday and it says 10 53. I know the first Stringmasters were for sale in 54 so does this make mine one of the first? Serial number is 0520. It also has the Shot Jackson pedal rig on it and there are some pencil markings there as well that I bet ol Shot wrote in there when he drilled it. Pretty neat. Rick P.S. Forgot to mention that mine is 24 inch scale. [This message was edited by Rick GM on 02 April 2002 at 04:36 AM.]
Steve Honum Member From: LosAngelesCa	posted 02 April 2002 09:09 AM profile edit There's a picture in the Smith Fender book of Shot Jackson playing a Stringmaster with a pedal at the headstock end of the guitar. Could be the same one? Haere mai, Steve H. S8A6
Rick Garrett Member From: Tyler, Texas	posted 02 April 2002 09:36 AM profile send email edit I dont know if its the same guitar or not. This one is blond in finish and came from the Jim Reeves Estate. It was in his museum till they closed it down. Has Bobby Garrett on the front. Wouldnt it be something if this was the very first one they made? Rick
Rick Collins Member From: Claremont , CA USA	posted 02 April 2002 10:10 AM profile send email edit Hey Rick, I dated a Stringmaster once. She had nice slender legs,___trouble is, she had four. Rick
Mike Black Member From: New Mexico, USA	posted 04 April 2002 10:25 AM profile send email edit Rick, The July 53 Fender price list has the Stringmaster listed. The cost of a new triple was $375.00 I assume that they were ready for the Summer NAMM show in 53.Jody Carver might know that for sure. The first advertising I have seen for them is a single sheet advertising the 4 neck guitar and New Bandmaster and Twin amps. The date in the tuner cavity will dial you in to when that particular neck was made. I've seen Smasters with more than 1 date under the tuner pans. Often times there will be a piece of masking tape in the control cavity with the gals name and date she wired the guitar. This is usally later than the body dates. The Pots also have a 6 digit EIC code. The first 3 numbers are the makers code the next number is the last figure of the year it was made and the next 2 figures are the week of that year. Like this, 304342, 304 is Stackpoles EIC#, 3 is 53 and 42 is the 42nd week of that year. It's really only reliable to tell when that particular part was made but it's a good way to find out if the pots are original and helps in the big picture. Hope that helps you some.
Roger Rettig Member From: NAPLES, FL	posted 06 April 2002 07:49 PM profile send email edit Funnily enough, I've just made my first-ever visit to the 'Non Pedal' page to ask about dating Stringmasters - and here's this thread! I just got my blonde triple-8 from a seller on the Forum - it has a tweed case and four legs, but I can't see a serial # anywhere! Do they have them?
Ricky Davis Moderator From: Austin, Texas	posted 07 April 2002 12:21 PM profile send email edit Yeah Roger; read the very first post here on this thread by Rick GM, and you'll find your answer. Ricky [This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 07 April 2002 at 12:22 PM.]
HowardR Member From: N.Y.C.,N.Y.	posted 07 April 2002 07:50 PM profile send email edit Sorry, don't need any help dating my Stringmaster........
Rick Garrett Member From: Tyler, Texas	posted 08 April 2002 04:22 AM profile send email edit With a glass of white wine no less. BAAHAHAHAHA Good one! Anybody gotta smoke? Rick
Jody Carver Member From: The Knight Of Fender Tweed. Dodger Blue Forever	posted 08 April 2002 08:27 AM profile edit Iam my own best critic. When I hit a "clam" Iam the first to admit it. When I say something that may offend some one,it bothers me. I was out of order in my previous post and I wish to apologize to those who I may have offended. What may be humor to some,,is vulgar to others. My intent was to offer humor, not something that can be taken the wrong way. I have had no one take issue with my previous post,,,but in my own conscience. I felt it better to delete. It would have been funny "off line" "Finale" [This message was edited by Jody Carver on 08 April 2002 at 02:21 PM.]
Mike Black Member From: New Mexico, USA	posted 08 April 2002 04:14 PM profile send email edit Howard, you're killing me over here.
Jon Light Member From: Brooklyn, NY	posted 08 April 2002 05:14 PM profile send email edit I'm more of a casual, no-commitment kind of guy so I carry a pair of wire cutters. No strings attached.
Mike Black Member From: New Mexico, USA	posted 08 April 2002 10:15 PM profile send email edit Jody,What a comedian, Where's the drum roll? Your too tough on yourself. We don't want you to go away. We need you to tell us about when the Stringmaster came out. NAMM Show 53? And guess what 4 legs, no middle leg! Hey Ricky how did your dad's steel end up with Jim Reeves? I bet your proud of that one! Who would he have been playing with in 53/54? The early Stringmasters had chrome plated pickup covers.
Rick Garrett Member From: Tyler, Texas	posted 09 April 2002 04:37 AM profile send email edit Hey Mike, I think he was playing for Jim Reeves some back in 53/54. He was also playing wish some local bands during that time frame. Jim would be on the road and then off. Seems I heard he would send the band packing till he needed them again back in those days. Yes I sure am proud of this one. In fact Bobbe Seymore has some pics of Dad playing this very guitar on stage with Jim during their tour of Europe. Hes sending me some of those. Guitars in nice shape too. Got a few bar dings in between the necks and Im proud of those too. Story goes that this is the guitar that ol Jim kicked down a flight of stairs one night in Vegas when he and Dad had a scrap about something. After that was over Jim told Dad to pack his stuff and then left on the bus while he was packing this guitar. Dad had to hitch a ride back home. Gentleman Jim, what a guy. haha Rick P.S. Jim really liked the mellow sound of this particular Fender and he bought it from Dad to use with his band after Dad quit playing for him. It was in the museum till they closed it down. Thats how it ended up in the Jim Reeves Estate. [This message was edited by Rick GM on 09 April 2002 at 04:39 AM.]
Mike Black Member From: New Mexico, USA	posted 09 April 2002 12:07 PM profile send email edit Heck, it's a Fender, it probably was still in tune at the bottom of the stairs! I heard Jr. Brown picked up a D8 Fender and threw it at somebody once! Try doing that with an MSA! Hey Howard if you had a Quad would it be a foursome? HAHAHA Sounds like something Jody would say! LOL
jeffstro unregistered	posted 09 April 2002 04:16 PM edit Howard, can I dance with your date? I always go for the lady in red!
Brad Bechtel Moderator From: San Francisco, CA	posted 09 April 2002 05:46 PM profile send email edit We're drifting a bit too far from the topic, so I'm closing this one. ------------------ Brad's Page of Steel A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

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