Trying to date vintage Fender

Anita Dolliver · From: Texas, USA

Looking to date and find the value of a custom Fender double neck, 8 string, 3 leg with case and serial number D785. The steel's finish is at about 90% with some slight wear on the backside. The keyheads have been removed and lubed and the steel plays perfectly. All in all it is in excellent condition. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

Anita,

Unfortunately you haven't given us enough information to proceed yet. Photos are a must. You cannot date Fender steel guitars based on the serial number. Asking for date and value based on what you've provided so far would be like asking for the date and value of my Toyota Camry - it has four tires and a license plate of ABC123.

(Note: I don't really have a Toyota Camry.)
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Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

[Insert standard request for photos here.] Boxcar pickups (as opposed to trapezoid)? I assume from the D### s/n that it would be boxcars. I have D469 which does not have leg sockets. My take is that boxcar pickups are more interesting collectibly but that trapezoids are a sonic improvement and of more interest to players.

Point of niggling nomenclature: a "Custom" in Fender terms means a triple-neck steel with string-through pickups. (Anyone ever seen a Custom with boxcars?) If "custom" with a small c means someone's custom-ized it, value goes down. I don't recall ever seeing a factory custom steel in this line, although some pro player sometime might have had something made to order.

Without seeing any photos and assuming an original case (I assume an earlier tweed case without leather ends, probably blue-lined), mid-teens, give or take a hundred or two. Date: may not have pencil markings. 1949, 1950-ish?
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Anita Dolliver · From: Texas, USA

Brad,

Thanks for the reply. I am actually posting for my father who is not and will never be online. I have absolutely no knowledge of steel guitars nor do i have any musical talent. To make things more difficult we are in different states. I realize photo's are imperative but until I have one, I wanted to get the ball rolling.
I have learned that dating an early Fender with the serial number is next to impossible because of the variation and duplication of numbers used at that time but I was hoping someone would have some secret knowledge they might be willing to bestow upon me.
Would you be so kind as to let me know what information would be helpful?
btw - I have a Toyota Camry. Kidding.

Anita Dolliver · From: Texas, USA

Ben,
Working on the photo. Please see post above. Thank you for your reply. I will work on getting more information.

Nita

Tyler George · From: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Usually there will be a date underneath one of the tuning pans. Just loosen or take off the strings, unscrew the tuning pan, usually three screws right under the nut and three on the end, and there should be a date penciled in. I have a Fender Dual Pro, and under the first tuning pan in pencil is '11/29/51.' See if that works.

Anita Dolliver · From: Texas, USA

Tyler,
Thanks for you post. Regretfully no penciled in date was located.

Ben,
Horse Shoe pickups. The case is tweed with blue lining. Still unclear with"custom".

Brad,
What kind of gas mileage does your toyota get? Smile

WILL POST PICS AS SOON AS MY FATHER CAN GET THEM TO ME and on his behalf and my own I would like to thank you guys for your time and help.

Mark Moseley · From: Brady,Texas, USA

I have a Fender Dual Pro, box car pickups, Roman numeral fret markers, walnut finish, no legs, no serial numbers anywhere except on plug in jack. I have been told by good authority it is a 1949. Hope that is helpful?

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Danny James · From: Summerfield Florida USA

Anita,

So far I have not seen or heard of a double neck 8 string Fender with "horseshoe pickups".

Are you sure it is a Fender?

Rickenbachers were the first to use the horseshoe pickups that I know of.

If your father's guitar is in fact a Fender the pickups probably have been changed.

I agree that pictures will be most helpful.

Wishing you all the best. Smile

Steve Ahola · From: Concord, California

Anita:

Here are some pictures of Fenders. The first one has the trapezoid pickups, the second has the boxcar pickups:

Perhaps these pictures will help identify it. IMO the actual date is not that important to its value as is its condition. Although the "boxcar" pickups are older and less common I think that most people here would prefer the trapezoid pickups. A ball park price from your description would be around $1200 plus shipping.

Steve Ahola

P.S. I think that the trapezoid pickups kinda look like horseshoes, although not the horseshoe magnets made by Rickenbacher that Danny was referring to.
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Anita Dolliver · From: Texas, USA

Steve Ahola · From: Concord, California

I am no expert on prices or Dual Pro's but that one looks as nice as the ones on eBay right now asking for $1400 and $1700.

On eBay you can end up with a trapezoid pickup that needs to be rewired or repaired and that could cost $150 or more per pickup. Since someone removed and lubed the keyheads I'm sure that they would have told you if there was a problem with the pickups.

That brings up a good reason to buy steels from players here at SGF- its not like they just inherited it from their grandfather- or bought it from an estate sale- and have no idea whether it works properly (with is often the case on eBay, with them being sold as is.)

I assume that your father is a steel guitarist... perhaps someone here is familiar with him (there are 12134 registered members!)

Steve Ahola

P.S. The case might not look very good but I just fixed up one that was in a lot worse shape than that and I think it should be good for another 60 years. (I reglued broken joints, replaced broken latches, used carpenter's glue to resecure the loose tweed and coated it first with sanding sealer and then with Minwax matte polyurethane finish- I think it almost looks like snakeskin now!) Next up is the case for my 1949 Gibson Century...
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Recordings on electric guitar:
http://www.box.net/blue-diamonds
http://www.box.net/the-culprits

Anita Dolliver · From: Texas, USA

Thanks so much Steve. I really appreciate the information. I will forward it to my dad. His name is Daun Suarez and he no doubt knows quite a few of you on here. It's unfortunate he won't go online because I'm sure he would enjoy reconnecting with old friends. I've attached a couple pics. One is from the earlier years. He is second from the left. I think the name of the band was The Sundowners. The other is the most recent band he played with. He is obviously the one behind the steel. ha ha. He's been playing for at least 50 years.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Anita Dolliver · From: Texas, USA

Hi Mike,

You are right. He is indeed a member and has been able to post a few times using my computer when visiting. He has since forgotten his sign in information or from which email address it originated from and since he doesn't have internet access ... I'm trying to help him out a bit.

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