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Topic: 8 string Fender |
John Walden
From:
Simi Valley, California, USA
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Posted 6 Oct 2008 3:18 pm |
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Hi everyone, I am curious about this little lap steel I picked-up some years ago in Michigan. Looks all original except for the finish. Is the natural finish a stock thing, or did someone before me remove the color. If it is not stock, then I guess I could put a color to it, and it would not hurt its value. Great sounding guitar though. Sn. # is, 00337 Thanks for any insight. J. W.
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http://www.myspace.com/johnmwalden
Rains SD-10
Emmons SD-12 PP
Sho-Bud LDG
Fender Twin w/ JBL's
Mesa Boogie Mark IV x 2
Peavey 112 w/Knob-Guards x 2
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2008 8:42 am
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Chances are, this guitar started out life as a blonde.  |
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 7 Oct 2008 10:03 am
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Erv is right of course, the finish has definitely been removed.
It actually looks kinda cool like that.
John, if you're going to refinish it and you're concerned about holding its value, it would be a good idea to use nitrocellulose finish and try to replicate the original blonde color. It won't be original, but at least it'll be appropriate. Deluxes look odd with red or blue paint jobs . .
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BIG STEEL |
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Chris Walke
From:
St Charles, IL
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Posted 7 Oct 2008 10:07 am
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| Man, that's a beauty with no laquer finish at all. I wouldn't change it, but I like the look of the grain. You won't likely bump into anyone else with a "nekkid" fender like that. Very unique. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2008 10:16 am
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| By the looks of it, I believe the guitar might have a few coats of clear lacquer on it. |
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Chris Walke
From:
St Charles, IL
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Posted 7 Oct 2008 10:18 am
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| Erv Niehaus wrote: |
| By the looks of it, I believe the guitar might have a few coats of clear lacquer on it. |
Yeah, I didn't say that right. I was referring to an opaque colored finish.  |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 7 Oct 2008 10:25 am
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Anyone care to guess what year it is? Seems like a low serial number.
I have the same guitar (in black) and I really love it. Enjoy. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2008 11:01 am
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It doesn't have the lollypop tuners so I'd guess late '50s or early '60s.
What year do you think this one is?
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 7 Oct 2008 11:34 am
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Looks like it has lollipops, so I'd guess 53.
It's not a Deluxe obviously, it must have been part of a T-8 or Quad.
26" scale too - I bet it would sound killer with some strings on it . . |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2008 11:57 am
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The scribbling under the tuner pan says 1954.
Yes, the picture was taken before I had it completed and I think it's a neck from either a D-8 or a T-8.
I had to route out the bottom for a 3rd leg.
And, yes, it is a long scale (26") model.
Here's another one I re-did. It is a 1955 model and also a long scale. It was painted blue when I got it, not once but twice! 
Since this post has turned into a sort of show and tell, here's a few more:
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Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 7 Oct 2008 12:31 pm
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Beautiful!
Why would anyone want to paint a Stringmaster blue?
Is that the original finish on the Deluxe? |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2008 12:41 pm
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Rick,
The finishes are original on the Deluxe and the D-8.
I bought the T-8 new in 1955, sold it later on and then bought it back.
This is what it looked like when I got it back:
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John Walden
From:
Simi Valley, California, USA
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Posted 7 Oct 2008 4:15 pm Thanks
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Thanks guys for the input. Yes Erv, it has a coat or two of what I would call, a satin finish. I like the wood grain too, but it's not original. Seems your's looks just like mine. No finish, or maybe just the lighting. Thanks for the replies my friends.
J. W.
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/johnmwalden
Rains SD-10
Emmons SD-12 PP
Sho-Bud LDG
Fender Twin w/ JBL's
Mesa Boogie Mark IV x 2
Peavey 112 w/Knob-Guards x 2
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 8 Oct 2008 11:48 am
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| John - In case you want to restore it to an original-type finish, I keep hearing about somebody up in Lompoc that is super good at replicating the old Fender opaque finishes. |
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Bill Quinn
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Posted 9 Oct 2008 5:45 am
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| John - I like the look of the lacquered finish on your guitar, usually they are hack jobs when stripped and lacquered. I take it the penciled date under the pan was obliterated? Sometimes the forum sleuths can figure these things out even from just a trace of writing. |
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Brian Doyle
From:
Guisborough, Cleveland, U.K.
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Posted 9 Oct 2008 5:56 am
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i have the same colour fender 8 when i bought it i
thought it was original fender walnut |
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 13 Oct 2008 10:11 pm
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To the original Poster; I think the Deluxe 8 looks fine just as is! I wouldn't change a thing! I had a D-8 Stringmaster back through the ’50's and when I went looking for a touch-up when it acquired a few dings, I found a paint that was nearly a perfect match! It was called ‘Cameo Ivory’, in case you do consider refinishing.
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<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster
Last edited by John Bechtel on 18 Oct 2008 9:04 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 14 Oct 2008 1:10 am
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| I suspect that when steel guitar was at it's low point, (non-pedal) with music stores having them hanging on walls and low priced, a quick and dirty paint job seemed like no big deal.....so let's see, blue is a nice color....... |
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Jonathan Lam
From:
Brooklyn, NY
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Posted 14 Oct 2008 4:06 am
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Mark Jenny does finishes for telecasters and does incredible looking work. He lives in MO, check his website out. I am sure it would be simple for him to refinish the stel if you like, but i think it looks great.
mjtelecaster.com |
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Stephan Miller
From:
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2008 3:47 pm
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| I agree. Looks really sweet as is. |
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