1960s Fender Twin 8 Lap Steel & ~1972 Deluxe Reverb Amp

Brian Fairweather · From: Maryland, USA

(I have updated this to reflect info provided by other members on the blog - my initial guess was that the equipment dated from around 1965, when my grandfather started playing steel guitar - the serial numbers indicate more like 1972. Condition remains near perfect, but probably 40 years old instead of 45...)

This vintage lap steel and amplifier were purchased as a set by my grandfather and he gave it to me about 30 years ago before he passed away. I have kept it in my parents' basement for all that time, and both look like brand new. I have lived overseas for the past fifteen years and will not be able to take either with me when finish my visit home and go back to Australia next week.

The guitar is a double-neck 8-string (16 strings total) with a blond finish and serial number 4277. It has a plaque saying "Fender Fullerton, California" - it also comes with a collection of vintage 1960's Hawaiian sheet music, the original finger picks, one steel slide and one that looks to be ceramic (?!?), and is in the original case, which does not have a scratch on it. This is seriously museum quality, as it was originally owned by a gentle older man who played it for his own enjoyment, and would not have probably taken it out of the house until he gave it to me all those years ago.

The amplifier is an original Fender Deluxe Reverb that is in the same condition as the day it was purchased. The front does not have a mark, and the fabric is bright and clean, without and marks or tears, the dials and faceplates are totally clean and unscratched and the top and sides have no dents or scrapes. The only exception being that my grandfather had his drivers license number etched into the back to help identify it if it were ever stolen. It does work great and sounds clean without any dead spots, no hissing and no popping.

I have taken both the amp and lap steel to the Guitar Center here in Rockville, Maryland and they said it was the best presented vintage equipment they had ever seen - the lap steel is almost mint condition, without marks or scratches, as it has been barely been played. We plugged it all in and turned it on for the first time in at least a decade and it works perfectly. I note that it was unstrung, so I took a couple of the strings from the original 1960's packaging and strung them on each neck to test the pickups - all good.

This forum came up on a google search and I thought that it would be perhaps the best place to find someone who would see the value in this equipment and hopefully use it with some respect for its heritage, but also get great enjoyment from it. If you are interested in purchasing, please let me know by posting on this forum.

I have read the notes about how to sell and I think that the fairest way to do it is to say that I will sell it to the person who posts the highest price on the forum in a reasonable timeframe. (It's only $5 to join and i though it was a good investment in selling, so if you want to bid, then i think its a reasonable cost to join and post your offer - they got me signed up in a couple hours!) Since I will be leaving on the 8th October, I suggest that anyone with interest please post an offer by (UPDATE:) Tuesday 2 October at 12 noon - I have brought this forward to Tuesday because there's no point dragging it out...

You can make an offer for either the lap steel or the amp, or both - I would prefer to sell them together, but I recognize that individuals may have specific interest in one but not the other. I'll reserve the right to make a decision at the end on how I want to sell them, because I have some sentimental feeling that I'd like to keep them together if I can.

The buyer will have to make their own arrangements to pick up the equipment from Rockville, Maryland or have it delivered to them. If we organise something by October 5, I will gladly wrap it all securely in bubble wrap and you can send a courier company to pick it up and have it delivered to you. I would also consider keeping it in the basement for someone for a while, so that you could pick it up at a later date, but you'd have to make full payment right away.

I have three small girls who never met their great-grandfather, so I'm going to give them the money as an "inheritance" from him into their college fund - I hope that everyone will appreciate that I want to do this fairly and in a friendly manner, but I also want to do the best for them that I can...

Looking forward to see if there's any interest here.

Thanks, Brian

Ronald Lee White · From: Richmond, VA, USA

Brian, I am very interested in these items. Let me know your email address and I will forward an offer.

Kind Regards,
Ron

Brian Fairweather · From: Maryland, USA

Wow - this is obviously the right place to talk about steel guitars! I posted about an hour ago and have already had a number of parties contact me with interest. I appreciate this, and want to make sure it's all fair and transparent, so I'd ask anybody with real interest to post their offer (including whether you are offering on the lap steel, the amplifier or both) in the public forum. This way, I won't waste your time if you're not at a competitive level and everybody will see what the rest of the market is saying - this means that you won't pay a silly amount, just need to be better than the last offer. Fairest way possible, I think.

Thanks - Brian

Randy Gilliam · From: San Antonio, Texas, USA

Brian Wants the offers to be seen, $1500.00 For The Pair,Shipped To San Antonio Texas. Thanks Randy G. Very Happy

Brian Fairweather · From: Maryland, USA

Thanks again for the interest - I have had a couple email offers as well - i appreciate all this, but would like everyone to post their offers n the forum so I'm not doing deals behind closed doors - I confirm that we are already at a price where I will be selling to the best offer published by a buyer on the forum. I'll take the best offer by 12noon on Friday 5 October and will make arrangements with that buyer. Please remember that if you can't come to pick up the equipment, any costs for shipping are in addition to the purchase price and would be paid by the buyer - this keeps it fair from my side, too.

Thanks - Brian

Roddy Ring · From: Alexandria, Virginia, USA

I will offer $1800 and come over from Alexandria to pick them up in person.

Brian Fairweather · From: Maryland, USA

Thanks again - I have had an email offer from "Tim" in California for $2000 but at this stage I have not seen that on the forum, so I must honor the most recent offer at $1800 from Roddy unless a higher offer is posted publicly on the forum. This is just to keep it fair, so I hope everyone will understand and be willing to help me find out the real value in the market. I confirm that I will sell at the prices posted so far, and will gladly help someone who wins to have the gear ready for pickup.

It is still early days, so I think that it is good to see so much interest - thanks to Ben Weissen (assuming name from your email address) for your private message with the background info on this equipment - I am so pleased to see people taking active interest in my grandfather's legacy - I think that the person who ends up with this gear will be pleasantly surprised to see it all in person, and I hope that someone who will have some good working knowledge of how to properly use it - unlike myself- will get great satisfaction from playing a part of Fender history.

Good luck and thanks for the warm reception so far - some very genuine and nice people on this forum...

Regards,
Brian

Brian Fairweather · From: Maryland, USA

I should note that I posted a reference to this listing on the amps forum and someone who sounds knowledgable has indicated that they think the amp is circa 1972 - this may be correct, I'm going off the basic research done by me and the guys in the local music store - I'll get some serial numbers off the amp to see if people can look them up to get any more info - the guitar has serial 4277 - anyone an expert with those?

Would like to post as much as possible about the gear so everyone knows what they are buying - all I know is it is in fantastic condition and around 40 years old, so still pretty good vintage!

I also have a 1972 Gibson Midnight Special - not for sale - that I bought as a kid in about 1981 for $120 - they told me its probably worth $1400 now - makes me feel old thinking that something I bought for myself is now "vintage" - at least it's not "antique"!

Brian

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

That Stringmaster looks just like mine! Mr. Green

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Tommy Auldridge · From: Maryland, USA

Brian: I live in Wheaton, Md. and could pick them up when ever you say. My offer is $2000. They would definately be going to a good home. I have quite a collection of steels and amps. all in beatiful condition. Thanks for considering my offer. Tommy Auldridge......

Carl Mesrobian · From: Salem, Massachusetts, USA

SteelBay

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Brian Fairweather · From: Maryland, USA

Tommy - thanks for that - top offer to date is Tommy, so I will agree to sell at $2000 to him unless somebody else posts a higher offer before 12 noon Friday...

Steelbay - very funny...

Regards,
Brian

Tim Walker · From: Marin County, CA (originally U.K)

Brian, I would do $1200 for the guitar.
Thanks,
Tim

Brian Fairweather · From: Maryland, USA

Tim - thanks for the offer on the guitar alone - I will have to see if anyone makes an offer on the amp alone before I make any further comment... If the sum of the best offers on the individual pieces is better than the best combined offer, I will have to go with that option, even though I think it would be nice if they went together... At this stage, there is a fair bit of time until Friday and I'm guessing that someone will make an offer on just the amp as well. Appreciate everyone's interest and I will make sure to be as fair as possible - still I need to reserve the right to make the final decision based on getting the best outcome in terms of dollars. Thanks to everyone for being very upfront with their interest - I will keep watching and look forward to meeting the eventual winner(s)...

Thanks,
Brian

Tommy Auldridge · From: Maryland, USA

Brian: I will increase my own previous offer to $2200. just to show my sincere interest in getting both pieces, and to help with you college fund. And I think that's getting closer to thier genuine value. Thanks, Tommy.......

Brian Fairweather · From: Maryland, USA

Thanks Tommy - I appreciate your continued interest... Let's see how we end up - I'm definitely selling, so if this is the price I'm fine with that...

Regards - Brian

Carl Mesrobian · From: Salem, Massachusetts, USA

Brian, if I didn't have so many instruments and amps, I'd be making an offer. I think best offer is a good way to go, especially on items of such pristine condition. Their price should exceed the usual cost of used gear. Very Happy

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Brian Fairweather · From: Maryland, USA

Carl,

Thanks for the comments - I really have no idea how much this gear should be worth, but i really do want to sell it, so I agree that the best thing is just to let the market work it out... Whatever it comes to by the end of the week, I'll take it - I can't think of a more fair way - maybe I could stick a silly big price on it and somebody would eventually come close, but I don't really have the time for that. I'm a bit concerned that maybe there is a great buyer out there who is not reading this forum, but hopefully there are enough people who will recognise the value that it will at least be fair value, if not a premium. That's enough for me...

Appreciate your input...

Regards,
Brian

Brian Fairweather · From: Maryland, USA

Here are some serial numbers from inside the amplifier, along with images:

All these we're taken from the back of the amp...

014827
328219
From the edge of the speaker

022640
606-2-12
From a bracket underneath the head

022921
606215
Bracket under the head

Also a paper label with tube info

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Stephen Cowell · From: Round Rock, Texas, USA

The amp appears to be from early 1972. Speaker is a Utah, from 1972 as well. That looks like about the right vintage for the guitar as well.
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Brian Fairweather · From: Maryland, USA

I've updated the post to reflect the info above - so lets assume around 1972 - I assume that buyers are still interested because it's in great condition whether 45 or only 40 years vintage!
Tommy is still on top at $2200 unless somebody makes a great offer on the amp alone - I'll wait to see what happens.
Thanks Brian

Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

Looks like my earlier estimate of 1972 (in the other thread) was right on! Cool

I think the guitar is pre-1968 because of the tuners. Fender changed over to the F-tuners in '68, and those have a different shaped button. This Stringmaster has the earlier Kluson tuners. Fender started using black tolex cases in 1964. So IMO the guitar dates between 1964 and 1967.
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Stephen Cowell · From: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Fender moved to poly finishes in 1968... looks like poly to me. I have a '69 Deluxe 8 with butterbean Klusons and poly finish... pots date to '66, part of that big lot they bought.

I bet the guitar's a '69... and I bet the pots date to '66.

Say, isn't it after Friday noon already?
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Brian Fairweather · From: Maryland, USA

Well, it sounds like the age of the steel is somewhere between mid-1960's and early 1970's - I'll leave it to the experts...

I started this post on Saturday 29 Sept and was going to give it until Friday 5 October just because I thought it might take that long for somebody to notice and make an offer! Looks like I found the right forum to get some good feedback and interest...

Brian

Roddy Ring · From: Alexandria, Virginia, USA

Brian,
I am offering $2250, as that is the number that I originally came up with as my max. If Tommy (or anyone else) chooses to beat that, I may well concede. If he bids $2251, I reserve the right to change my mind, or I might challenge him to ten paces at dawn. In which case, you could sell tickets and put that money towards your college fund as well. Kidding aside, I wish you well.
Roddy

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