{"product_id":"fender-stringmaster-d8-2-neck-console-steel-guitar","title":"Fender Stringmaster D8 2-Neck Console Steel Guitar","description":"\u003cp\u003e1950s Fender Stringmaster D-8 Twin Neck Steel Guitar — Ebony Refinish\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTonally, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe guitar is supplied with a hard-shell case, a carry bag and a spare set of strings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease study the photographs carefully as they form part of the description.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fender","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57465015566711,"sku":"G5024","price":2099.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0688\/2672\/6709\/files\/G5024_01_0e04ab6f-02f8-42bb-8087-4dcde86ad49a.jpg?v=1791630012","url":"https:\/\/motomusic.co.uk\/products\/fender-stringmaster-d8-2-neck-console-steel-guitar","provider":"MotoMusic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}