Stringtone" devices on eBay steel

Cartwright Thompson · Post by **Cartwright Thompson** » 19 Aug 2002 2:09 am

Does anyone know what the "Stringtone" devices are on this steel? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=900088328
They look like vibrato units(whammy bars), I've never seen them before.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 19 Aug 2002 5:24 am

Clean looking horn, fer sure!

Those things look like they're pitch changing devices for selected strings. Probably the string attaches to a cam-like affair on an axle, and when the lever to the right is moved to a different position, the string gets raised or lowered to a different note. I recall some Magnatones had a device like that years ago... like in the 1950's.

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Marty Pollard · Post by **Marty Pollard** » 19 Aug 2002 6:26 am

I wonder if the dials are different pull settings. The one on the back neck clearly says 'A'. That would be cool.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 19 Aug 2002 6:54 am

The Stringtone was used to provide an easy way for nonpedal players to have multiple tunings by flipping a lever. Typically they were used with open E (E B E G# B E), open A (E A E A C# E) and C#m (E C# E G# C# E) as the default tunings.

I've never seen one installed on an eight string guitar before, only on six stringers. They seem to have chosen some of the most used strings and extended them back to the Stringtone.

If you search for "Stringtone" in the No Peddlers forum, you'll find a few discussions of this device.

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Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 19 Aug 2002 7:53 am

Carvin had a device like that, too. In the '60s, their "Change-O-Matic" bridge would give 3 different tunings at the flip of a lever. Trouble was, the lever got in the way of your right hand in 2 out of 3 of its positions. These devices just never caught on, probably because of the accuracy (tuning repeatability) when a device like this is used on a Hawaiian-type steel (with no roller nut).[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 19 August 2002 at 08:56 AM.]

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 19 Aug 2002 9:52 am

I took a close look at Tom Morrell's 10 string non-pedal guitar last year at St Louis and he has 4 or 5 such levers on there.The basic changer and mechanisims are straight off of a pedal steel except w/locking hand levers instead of pedals.He told me he never uses them - and with a 10 string E13 and his unfathomable depth of musicianship,why would he need to?

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 19 Aug 2002 6:32 pm

A couple of years ago I had an Oahu Iolana (D-6) with Stringtone changers on each neck. The devices were kind of flimsy and not very accurate.

The Stringtone mechanism is (was) similar to the setup used on the National Triplex Chord Changer lap steel, except that it's totally external and can be removed from the steel. The Triplex had internal linkage that was not readily accessible nor adjustable, and the cams were pre-set to only work on certain strings... much like the Sho-Bud "Permanent" that was discussed on the Forum recently.

Whenever I used the Stringtone to change the open tuning, I had to fine-tune the new tuning with the pegs because the Stringtone was not accurate IMHO (and the Stringtones that I had were in like-new condition). I ended up just using the pegs to retune, and not using the Stringtone at all. It looks very cool, but it doesn't work all that well in my opinion.

The Stringtone company was located in Toledo OH. I believe that they were somehow tied in with Valco, but I'm not sure about that.

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[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 19 August 2002 at 07:36 PM.]