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Topic: Excited about getting Fender 400 ! |
Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 20 Dec 2015 6:10 pm |
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I made a deal on great Fender 400, and ironically I am probably more excited about getting this steel than any I have ever owned, and over the years I have had plenty of them and all brands. My first pedal steel I bought was in 1969 from a store in Tulsa and it was a new Fender 400. my guitar and steel guitar teacher, the late Bill Pruitt, had just purchased Jeff Newman's first instruction vinyl record with all those great tunes tabbed out. He showed it to me and said, dang, i had to figure all of this out myself and here you have it all laid out for you ! Anyway, I worked hard learning Crazy Arms first thing and then followed those with all the rest in the album. I traded my Fender quad in to Bill, (he made a Rickenbacker electric guitar trade to that store in Tulsa), The quad was Bills originally, and i wish I would have kept that one too ! Again, as usual, no point in my post just sharing my excitement to be getting a Fender 400 back after all of these years ! (sorry for the long post !) I will post pics when I get it !
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Zum Encore, Remington D8 non pedal, Hallmark Mosrite clone, Gretsch 6120 DSW, Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet Two 90,1976 Ibanez L5, Eastman archtop, Taylor Dreadnaught, Telonics pedal, Squire Tele, Squire Strat, Fender Tonemaster, Gold Tone 5 string banjo, Little Wonder tenor banjo, 3 Roland cubes 30s and 80, Carvin combo bass amp |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2015 7:01 pm
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If you're on Facebook make sure you pop by the Fender Pedal Steel Group - we have all sorts of stuff going on, from conventional E9 adaptations to my 3rd Sneaky Pete inspired (he actually helped me a bit with my first one) B6 , two-pickup, 8+2, effects loaded monster. Also a goo source for parts swapping.
And if you Google "Fender Steel Forum" you'll find links to a free-hosted forum (does not have a "name" URL) that's been up for several years. There's not a ton of activity, but it probably has the most concentrated amount of information on the crazy things on the web.
Have fun! They are addictive, sound great, play fantastic (be sure to read the initial maintenance that's almost always required) and are the easiest pedal steels on the planet to change copedents on - you can change tunings and pedal setups in a matter of minutes!
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No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 20 Dec 2015 7:14 pm
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Thanks Jim and i am not on facebook, but I have been on that Fender forum you mentioned...some interesting stuff there, but not real active, as you mentioned, but I learned a lot by nosing thru it anyway !
Thanks for your encouragement about my craziness ! haha
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Zum Encore, Remington D8 non pedal, Hallmark Mosrite clone, Gretsch 6120 DSW, Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet Two 90,1976 Ibanez L5, Eastman archtop, Taylor Dreadnaught, Telonics pedal, Squire Tele, Squire Strat, Fender Tonemaster, Gold Tone 5 string banjo, Little Wonder tenor banjo, 3 Roland cubes 30s and 80, Carvin combo bass amp |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 23 Dec 2015 4:28 am
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The old Fenders are a lot of fun, nostalgia at its best! The 1000 I used to own had two knee levers (one on each neck) and I played that for many years. I now have a 400 with no levers added, and it's really a neat change of pace to play with no levers at all. It makes you think and learn...real fast...the ways to "get the most from the least". 
A lot of really great classic country records back in the late '50s and early '60s were cut on Fender, Bigsby, and Wright guitars that had no knee levers.  |
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Bob Russell
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2015 7:10 am
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I play in an old-school country band, and my Fenders (400 and 800) have the perfect sound for the job. No knee levers, but most of the stuff we play was done without knee levers. I own a nice 4x4 BMI, but I hardly ever play it.
I love the sound, the ease of maintenance and the easy "tweakability" of the Fenders. You can change copedents in a few minutes. And there's no "cabinet drop" - these things are solid as a rock. 
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Lots of stringy things, many of them slidey. |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2015 7:25 am
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yep.. Love those old Fender cable jobs.. I have a VERY nice, pristine 800 on the line as I write this. Still has the pickup cover and original string mute on it!,,, Will be going to pick it up within a week or two... bob
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I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 23 Dec 2015 2:33 pm
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Thanks for all the input guys...you are making me really excited to get mine next wed....can hardly wait !
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Zum Encore, Remington D8 non pedal, Hallmark Mosrite clone, Gretsch 6120 DSW, Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet Two 90,1976 Ibanez L5, Eastman archtop, Taylor Dreadnaught, Telonics pedal, Squire Tele, Squire Strat, Fender Tonemaster, Gold Tone 5 string banjo, Little Wonder tenor banjo, 3 Roland cubes 30s and 80, Carvin combo bass amp |
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Steve Pawlak
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 23 Dec 2015 3:07 pm
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Good luck Larry
From what I can tell tho, you'll get it on Wednesday and post it for sale on Friday  |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 23 Dec 2015 4:57 pm
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Steve,,,haha,,,,where in the world would you get such an idea!!!! Am i getting a reputation on here ???
Past history doesnt guarantee future results !!
I am picking up two more steels next week. Hey the chase is half the fun dontchaknow !!
I am trying to do my part to keep the economy up and running and to keep those donations to the forum coming in to bob so we can all chat about steels
I think i have rationalized my craziness
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Zum Encore, Remington D8 non pedal, Hallmark Mosrite clone, Gretsch 6120 DSW, Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet Two 90,1976 Ibanez L5, Eastman archtop, Taylor Dreadnaught, Telonics pedal, Squire Tele, Squire Strat, Fender Tonemaster, Gold Tone 5 string banjo, Little Wonder tenor banjo, 3 Roland cubes 30s and 80, Carvin combo bass amp |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 30 Dec 2015 4:40 pm
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Picked this up today...what a hoot to play ! I think its in amazing condition ! Sounds great too.
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Zum Encore, Remington D8 non pedal, Hallmark Mosrite clone, Gretsch 6120 DSW, Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet Two 90,1976 Ibanez L5, Eastman archtop, Taylor Dreadnaught, Telonics pedal, Squire Tele, Squire Strat, Fender Tonemaster, Gold Tone 5 string banjo, Little Wonder tenor banjo, 3 Roland cubes 30s and 80, Carvin combo bass amp |
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Bob Russell
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 30 Dec 2015 5:44 pm
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It looks super-clean! Congrats!
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Lots of stringy things, many of them slidey. |
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Norman Evans
From:
Tennessee
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Posted 31 Dec 2015 8:18 am
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That looks just like one I used to own. Great sounding guitar.
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 31 Dec 2015 10:30 am
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Yes I believe it used to be yours...great steel.
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Zum Encore, Remington D8 non pedal, Hallmark Mosrite clone, Gretsch 6120 DSW, Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet Two 90,1976 Ibanez L5, Eastman archtop, Taylor Dreadnaught, Telonics pedal, Squire Tele, Squire Strat, Fender Tonemaster, Gold Tone 5 string banjo, Little Wonder tenor banjo, 3 Roland cubes 30s and 80, Carvin combo bass amp |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 31 Dec 2015 11:47 am
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| Notice that the sunburst finish was applied by hand, so there are minor variations between instruments with the same finish. It's as though every instrument has its own fingerprints. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 31 Dec 2015 12:05 pm
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| Alan Brookes wrote: |
| Notice that the sunburst finish was applied by hand, so there are minor variations between instruments with the same finish. It's as though every instrument has its own fingerprints. |
Yes, and they also applied the nameplate labels by hand, and (apparently) without using a template! Rarely do you see them on two different guitars in the exact same location.  |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 11 Jan 2016 1:54 pm
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| Steve Pawlak wrote: |
Good luck Larry
From what I can tell tho, you'll get it on Wednesday and post it for sale on Friday |
Hey steve have you noticed it aint for sale yet. . Seriously tho, this old fender and my fender t8 are two of my fav steels that i own. I would have to say that the zum stage one is my fav of all of them,,,easy to play and has great tone...amazing guitar imho... Those three are keepers, the rest of them are possibilities....i would like to get a d10 zum like i used to have...bruce built me one in 1995 and like the dumb okie i am, sold it about 7 years ago...dang me dang me as roger miller said
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Zum Encore, Remington D8 non pedal, Hallmark Mosrite clone, Gretsch 6120 DSW, Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet Two 90,1976 Ibanez L5, Eastman archtop, Taylor Dreadnaught, Telonics pedal, Squire Tele, Squire Strat, Fender Tonemaster, Gold Tone 5 string banjo, Little Wonder tenor banjo, 3 Roland cubes 30s and 80, Carvin combo bass amp |
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