| Author |
Topic: Fender 800 pics |
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 13 Sep 2009 9:57 am |
|
They are a bit dark but you will get the idea.. It cleaned up well.. I painted the levers and the added aluminum plate black so they didn't stick out so badly. This steel sounds and plays SO nice.. I hope to have a friend record a few seconds of me playing it. It is my idea of the perfect pedal steel tone. The only sound I like this much would be an old rack and barrel round front Bud 6139 S-10 with coil tap switch and volume and tone controls on top. That particular steel sounds even better than an old Fender IMHO.. This will do nicely for the time being  .bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
|
|
 |
b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
|
Posted 13 Sep 2009 10:51 am
|
|
Looks like you really scored on this one, Bob.
Funny that you should mention the Sho-Bud 6139. That was my first real pedal steel. I added a blend pot to it for the center tap. Good tone, fond memories.
_________________
-š¯•“š¯•†š¯•“- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
|
|
|
Russ Tkac
|
Posted 13 Sep 2009 11:01 am
|
|
Looks very cool bob. Get some sound clips if you can. I would like to hear it.
Russ |
|
|
|
Stan Schober
From:
Cahokia, Illinois, USA
|
Posted 13 Sep 2009 11:02 am
|
|
Vurrrrrry Niiizzzzzze !!!!
Can't wait to hear her !
( a 6139 roundfront with R&B just sold on Fleabay for $843  ) |
|
|
|
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 13 Sep 2009 11:02 am
|
|
thanks b0b.. It was a lot of work, but SO worth the effort. I can take this out and play it,and do everything I could do on a 2009 steel, with no major loss of flexibility/playability. I am really surprised at how well it plays.
The only problem I have is that with only 3 knees, I put the 2nd string 2 step lower on pedal 6. I can use it but I have to think about it and remove my foot from the volume pedal. My body doesn't want to respond. I keep trying to hit a LKR that doesn't exist!
Eventually I will install a LKR, but at $150-180 for a few crosshafts and a lever, I will probably buy a small welder and just weld up a few Bud style crosshafts myself. I did it once and it turned out as a well as "factory"...I need to get motivated to do it, but the 2nd string lower on the pedal bugs me. Other than that I am very happy with the way this turned out.. Plays and stays in tune very nicely! bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time......
Last edited by Bob Carlucci on 14 Sep 2009 2:02 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 14 Sep 2009 2:01 pm
|
|
| Bob Carlucci wrote: |
thanks b0b.. It was a lot of work, but SO worth the effort. I can take this out and play it,and do everything I could do on a 2009 steel, with no major loss of flexibility/playability. I am really surprised at how well it plays.
The only problem I have is that with only 3 knees, I put the 2nd string 2 step lower on pedal 6. I can use it but I have to think about it and remove my foot from the volume pedal. My body doesn't want to respond. I keep trying to hit a LKR that doesn't exist!
Eventually I will install a LKR, but at $150-180 for a few crosshafts and a lever, I will probably buy a small welder and just weld up a few Bud style crosshafts myself. I did it once and it turned out as a well as "factory"...I need to get motivated to do it, but the 2nd string lower on the pedal bugs me. Other than that I am very happy with the way this turned out.. Plays and stays in tune very nicely! bob |
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
|
|
|
Ryan Barwin
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
|
Posted 14 Sep 2009 4:38 pm
|
|
Very nice!
I love the sound of those Fenders. Looking forward to hearing it.
Would you mind posting a photo of the underside?
_________________
www.pedalsteel.ca |
|
|
|
Ulric Utsi-Ć…hlin
From:
Sweden
|
Posted 15 Sep 2009 3:16 am
|
|
Great work on a great guitar,Bob...when I received
MY 400 a few months back,I put some time into
reconditioning of it,and whaddya know..?..it turned
out to be a real player...for the last few gigs itĀ´s
been my stage axe...for some trivia:IĀ´m not missing
any levers when playing the 400,the knee levers even
outnumber the floor pedals,4 P & 5 KL...cool.McUtsi |
|
|
|
Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
|
Posted 15 Sep 2009 3:40 am
|
|
| Bob, thats great work. Enjoy it. I'll bet it sounds like a million bucks. |
|
|
|
Fred Glave
From:
McHenry, Illinois, USA
|
Posted 15 Sep 2009 1:37 pm
|
|
Very nice. Would love to hear it.
_________________
Zum Encore, Zum Stage One, Fender 2000, Harlan Bros., Multi-Kord, |
|
|
|
Stephen Calhoun
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 15 Sep 2009 4:39 pm
|
|
Looks beautiful. And we'll hear how it sounds soon enough. But, I know how they sound! Sneaky sweet.
Did you take apart the changer?
They're really unique guitars. And pretty!
Congrats.
_________________
slide avant-gardist, experimentalist, echo surfer
two 1970-ish Fender 400, Fouke Industrial Rail, Allen Melbert 6, Rondo SX -- everything one way or the other through Guitar Rig/Logic/Apple/synthesizers/iPAD. ...sometimes out to a Tech 21 Trademark 60 1x12
recording as Kamelmauz.bandcamp.com |
|
|
|
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 15 Sep 2009 6:25 pm
|
|
| Stephen Calhoun wrote: |
Looks beautiful. And we'll hear how it sounds soon enough. But, I know how they sound! Sneaky sweet.
Did you take apart the changer?
They're really unique guitars. And pretty!
Congrats. |
Never took the changer apart.. Ran lighter fluid, then WD 40, and finally a bit of auto trans fluid through it.
Its nice and free. I did take the rollers out and clean them, but didn't really need to... I used auto trans fluid to lube it, I use it on all my steels, but I would imagine that hi tech hi priced Dyna Flow[whatever its called] stuff would be better.. Yes unique is a good word for it.. Fender cable steels are certainly unique.
Dinosaurs were unique too 
Thats what I think of whenever I am near this thing... Its a lot of fun tho' bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
|
|
|
Fred Glave
From:
McHenry, Illinois, USA
|
Posted 16 Sep 2009 8:16 am
|
|
Did you get those knee levers with the guitar, or did you add them?
_________________
Zum Encore, Zum Stage One, Fender 2000, Harlan Bros., Multi-Kord, |
|
|
|
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 16 Sep 2009 2:16 pm
|
|
| Fred Glave wrote: |
| Did you get those knee levers with the guitar, or did you add them? |
Fred, the levers are a work of old time genious.
They came with the guitar.
They use Fender cables and all other original Fender pull parts, same as the pedals.. Whoever installed them really understood these old Fender cable jobs very well. They work perfectly. They look like they were installed many decades ago. I figure probably while the steel was still in production. Otherwise where would they get all Fender cables and pull parts?
The main problem with them is they are fastened with a large wing nut to this large aluminum plate, and attached to the pull mechanism with a big heavy hog ring. You have to remove each levers wing nut and leave it attached to the hog ring. Set up and break down will be time consuming, but doable.. Its really heavy however, so it won't see many gigs in all probability... bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
|
|
|
Fred Glave
From:
McHenry, Illinois, USA
|
Posted 16 Sep 2009 2:41 pm
|
|
My 2000 is heavy. I cannot imagine depending on it for jobbing out. I wish that somehow I could, but moving these things around is very precarious. Things are always coming loose, and need adjustments, cables coming off, or breaking. I'll tell you though, I think the Fender steels sound incredible and the cable system is so versitile! Wouldn't it be great if somehow they were light and dependable?
_________________
Zum Encore, Zum Stage One, Fender 2000, Harlan Bros., Multi-Kord, |
|
|
|
Ryan Barwin
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
|
Posted 16 Sep 2009 2:54 pm
|
|
| Fred Glave wrote: |
| My 2000 is heavy. I cannot imagine depending on it for jobbing out. I wish that somehow I could, but moving these things around is very precarious. Things are always coming loose, and need adjustments, cables coming off, or breaking. I'll tell you though, I think the Fender steels sound incredible and the cable system is so versitile! Wouldn't it be great if somehow they were light and dependable? |
Maybe it would be possible to take the changer, and pickup, and all the hardware, and put it on a much lighter frame....it would make it a lot more dependable and easier to haul around. I wonder if it would still have that Fender sound?
_________________
www.pedalsteel.ca |
|
|
|
Ulric Utsi-Ć…hlin
From:
Sweden
|
Posted 17 Sep 2009 3:53 am
|
|
A well-kept Fender PSG is,indeed,a great instrument ;
about weight...IĀ´ve got two Dekleys,and compared to
them my Fender 400 is clearly in the "light" region
of "light-weight".McUtsi |
|
|
|
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 17 Sep 2009 3:51 pm
|
|
| Fred Glave wrote: |
| My 2000 is heavy. I cannot imagine depending on it for jobbing out. I wish that somehow I could, but moving these things around is very precarious. Things are always coming loose, and need adjustments, cables coming off, or breaking. I'll tell you though, I think the Fender steels sound incredible and the cable system is so versitile! Wouldn't it be great if somehow they were light and dependable? |
Very true Fred,, I am finding this out fast... Moved mine 2 feet and the cable for pedal 3 fell out... had to make adjustments again etc.. PITA!..
I remember deceased member Ed Naylor saying he had done several retrofits on old Fenders, installing modern rod pull systems, and changers, and there was no real tonal loss... It would be a VERY cool mod, making for a much more stable,reliable and gig worthy guitar, but I really don't want to spend $2,000 upgrading a $900 steel... Not only that, but I bet there would be some change in tonal qualities.. bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
|
|
|
Zach Keele
From:
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
|
Posted 17 Sep 2009 11:14 pm
|
|
| I would love to have a Fender like this, capable of all the modern changes. They sound so good. Bobbe has a 1000 at his store that is brand new, he said they found it in some music store when they were cleaning it out, hidden away in the back. It had been there since 1960 or so. It was perfect, but 8 strings. I'd love to hear you play some tunes on it. |
|
|
|
Fred Glave
From:
McHenry, Illinois, USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2009 8:34 am
|
|
One thing that helps a lot with the cables falling off is shrink tubing over the loop and hook. When, and if you want to change your copedent, just razor knife it off, make your change and shrink tube it again.
_________________
Zum Encore, Zum Stage One, Fender 2000, Harlan Bros., Multi-Kord, |
|
|
|
Bob Knetzger
From:
Kirkland, WA USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2009 9:00 am
|
|
If you have two pull clips attached to a single finger hook you can have a problem: when pulled by one cable, the other cable becomes extra slack and call fall off the finger while playing.
My 800 came with clear vinyl sleeves on each finger. Once you complete your copedent hook ups, you slide the sleeves over slightly along the finger to cover up the open notch, trapping the cable loop end onto the finger. Cables can't fall off! |
|
|
|
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 18 Sep 2009 2:47 pm
|
|
Yes guys, I am aware of the shrink tubing trick on the loops/fingers. I had to cut 18 of the damn things off with a razor before I started work on this steel.. I will say this however.. It WORKS!!!!
I may get around to doing it - When I get the ambition... bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
|
|
|
Gary Walker
From:
Morro Bay, CA
|
Posted 20 Sep 2009 9:09 pm
|
|
| This is the little brother of the 2000. You mentioned tone, if you've ever heard Curly Chalker's "Big Hits On Big Steel", the tone was oh so fine from his 2000. But then, he always sounded so great on his 1000. Fender had a sound all it's own. |
|
|
|
