Fender Stringmaster D8 2-Neck Console Steel Guitar

1950s Fender Stringmaster D-8 Twin Neck Steel Guitar — Ebony Refinish

A very nice mid-1950s Fender Stringmaster D-8 Twin Neck Steel Guitar, and a particularly handsome example of one of Fender’s classic console steels.

This particular instrument was professionally refinished in Ebony many years ago. The work has aged nicely and the guitar is presented in excellent condition, with just a few light playing marks and signs of use. It has clearly been well cared for and retains all the character and presence you would hope to find in a vintage Stringmaster.

The D-8 was Fender’s two-neck, eight-string console steel, developed during the early 1950s as part of Leo Fender’s expanding range of professional steel guitars. The mid-’50s specification features two 8-string necks, each with its own pair of Fender single-coil pickups, giving four pickups in total. The necks use Fender’s distinctive 24½" scale, with the elevated playing surfaces and block-style position markers that became characteristic of the Stringmaster. Contemporary Fender specifications also describe the adjustable bridge system, precision-machined hardware and telescoping legs that allowed the instrument to be played either seated or standing.

The electronics are a big part of what makes these instruments so special. Each neck has two single-coil pickups with a blend control, allowing the player to mix the pickup positions and find everything from a clear, cutting bridge sound through to a much fuller and more rounded tone. The pickup combinations can also produce the thicker, almost humbucker-like character that these Stringmasters are known for. Depending on the exact mid-’50s configuration, the instruments used either the earlier switching arrangement or the later three-position switching system alongside the pickup blending controls.

Tonally, these are wonderful instruments. The Fender single coils have that unmistakable early Fender steel sound — clear, immediate and glassy, with plenty of sustain and harmonic detail. The two-pickup arrangement gives an enormous amount of tonal variation, from sharp and articulate single-note lines to warm, fat chords and that beautifully vocal, singing quality that makes a good Stringmaster so addictive.

Having two complete necks also makes the D-8 particularly practical. Different tunings can be kept permanently available, allowing the player to move between them without having to retune during a session or performance. It is a design that was made for working musicians, but it has also become hugely desirable among collectors and players who appreciate the sound and engineering of Fender’s early steel-guitar period.

This is a lovely example with the Ebony refinish giving it a distinctive look, while the underlying Stringmaster design remains unmistakably Fender. It is a serious piece of 1950s Fender engineering and a wonderful-sounding instrument with considerably more tonal flexibility than its relatively simple appearance might suggest.

The guitar is supplied with a hard-shell case, a carry bag and a spare set of strings.

A great opportunity to own a very nice mid-1950s Fender Stringmaster D-8 — a genuine piece of Fender history and a superb instrument for recording, playing and collecting.

Please study the photographs carefully as they form part of the description.