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Topic: My Fender 400 Has Arrived! |
Dennis Montgomery
From:
Western Washington
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Posted 25 Feb 2016 10:39 am |
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Took a whole week to cross the country from Vermont to Washington but it made it undamaged - which is quite an accomplishment since the case is barely held together with duct tape 
40+ years as a musician and I've never bought a used instrument sight-unseen before, so when the seller said it was in "ok shape" I had horrible visions of a scratched, chipped, hardware missing or broken disaster waiting for me inside that case. But No! Hardware all present, intact and undamaged. The black aluminum frame paint is chipped and messed up as are the pedal surfaces but that's easy to repaint. Also I had no idea which finish I would be getting: the early model blonde, more common burst, or some custom disaster I'd have to sand and refinish myself...but since orange is my favorite color and Halloween my favorite holiday, I couldn't be happier with the orange-blackburst! And the body looks much better than I ever hoped for with only a couple rough spots but no chipped, gouged or missing paint.
The hardware underneath looks heavily tarnished but doesn't feel brittle or rusted and the pedal rod mechanism's feel smooth which is good.
Here are some shots...
_________________
Hear my latest album, "Celestial" featuring a combination of Mullen SD12 and Synthesizers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhh6b_xXTx4&list=PLfXm8aXRTFz0x-Sxso0NWw493qAouK
Hear my album, "Armistice" featuring Fender 400 on every song:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfXm8aXRTFz2Pz_GXhvmjne7lPEtsplyW
Hear my Pedal Steel Only playlist featuring Mullen G2 SD12 on covers like Candyman, Wild Horses, Across the Universe & more...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfXm8aXRTFz2f0JOyiXpZyzNrvnJObliA |
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Russ Tkac
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Posted 25 Feb 2016 3:52 pm
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| Have fun with it. They sound real nice. |
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J R Rose
From:
Keota, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 25 Feb 2016 6:05 pm
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You are a lucky man, you must be living right. J.R.
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NOTHING..Sold it all. J.R. Rose |
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Dennis Montgomery
From:
Western Washington
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 26 Feb 2016 8:36 pm
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| You did good! That guitar hasn't been gigged or played out a lot, and the only thing I see wrong with it is that the bridge cover is missing (but some wouldn't care about that, anyway). There's screw-hole evidence of a couple of knee levers having been installed sometime in the past, but at least they didn't screw up the factory cable setup doing it...which some players were wont to do. |
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Dennis Montgomery
From:
Western Washington
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Posted 27 Feb 2016 7:45 am
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| Donny Hinson wrote: |
| You did good! That guitar hasn't been gigged or played out a lot, and the only thing I see wrong with it is that the bridge cover is missing (but some wouldn't care about that, anyway). There's screw-hole evidence of a couple of knee levers having been installed sometime in the past, but at least they didn't screw up the factory cable setup doing it...which some players were wont to do. |
Thanks! I've now been able to estimate it's age from the date stamps on the volume & tone pots, the "F" style tuning pegs and the black pedals. Appears to have been built between '66 and '68. I just look at it's overall condition and think, where have you been hiding all these years? As you mention it sure wasn't gigged or played out much. Maybe this was one of those, "bought it...couldn't play it...put it up in the attic...40 years later someone found it and sold it" pieces. Then again, the case is completely destroyed and held together by duct tape and wood screws so my scenario could be all wrong 
_________________
Hear my latest album, "Celestial" featuring a combination of Mullen SD12 and Synthesizers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhh6b_xXTx4&list=PLfXm8aXRTFz0x-Sxso0NWw493qAouK
Hear my album, "Armistice" featuring Fender 400 on every song:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfXm8aXRTFz2Pz_GXhvmjne7lPEtsplyW
Hear my Pedal Steel Only playlist featuring Mullen G2 SD12 on covers like Candyman, Wild Horses, Across the Universe & more...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfXm8aXRTFz2f0JOyiXpZyzNrvnJObliA |
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Dennis Montgomery
From:
Western Washington
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Dale Rottacker
From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
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Eugene Kindle
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 27 Feb 2016 11:27 pm
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| WOW! The only 'real' PSG I've ever owned is my early '60's 400, very similar to this, but mine must be older 'cause it has a solid round bar style bridge. I was NOT even aware the 400 ever had a roller style (much better!) I'm in process of a rebuild on mine. Hope yours does as good as it looks. Have fun with your 'new' friend! |
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Christopher Adams
From:
Columbus, OH, USA
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Posted 28 Feb 2016 10:06 am RE: My Fender 400 Has Arrived!
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Very nice pictures of a very nice looking guitar, Dennis. Congratulations! I am envious.
I've been contemplating taking apart a Fender 400 to convert it to left-hand play for my next project. Do you have any close up pictures of the pedal cranks and how they were attached to the frame skirt? (I assume they were attached with machine screws instead of rivets.)
Chris
_________________
1980s Marrs SD10 3 x 4 left handed
2006 Chandler RH2 strung left handed
1978 Blanton D10 8 x 4 left handed
1960s Harlin Bros. Kord O Matic 6 string, 4 pedal strung left handed
1966 Fender 400 -6 pedal + 1 lever rebuilt left handed
1974 Sho-Bud Maverick rebuilt left handed |
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Dennis Montgomery
From:
Western Washington
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Posted 28 Feb 2016 10:38 am Re: RE: My Fender 400 Has Arrived!
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| Christopher Adams wrote: |
Very nice pictures of a very nice looking guitar, Dennis. Congratulations! I am envious.
I've been contemplating taking apart a Fender 400 to convert it to left-hand play for my next project. Do you have any close up pictures of the pedal cranks and how they were attached to the frame skirt? (I assume they were attached with machine screws instead of rivets.)
Chris |
Hi Chris,
happy to take and post any pix that could help you. If I understand your request correctly (I'm not very experienced in what the proper descriptions of the parts actually are) these shots might help. If you mean what I think you mean by pedal cranks, each of mine are held on by 2 threaded screws going through the frame to the round tubelike pieces of metal. If these aren't what you're looking for just let me know and I can take some other pix.
Dennis
 [/img]
_________________
Hear my latest album, "Celestial" featuring a combination of Mullen SD12 and Synthesizers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhh6b_xXTx4&list=PLfXm8aXRTFz0x-Sxso0NWw493qAouK
Hear my album, "Armistice" featuring Fender 400 on every song:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfXm8aXRTFz2Pz_GXhvmjne7lPEtsplyW
Hear my Pedal Steel Only playlist featuring Mullen G2 SD12 on covers like Candyman, Wild Horses, Across the Universe & more...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfXm8aXRTFz2f0JOyiXpZyzNrvnJObliA |
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Larry Lenhart
From:
Ponca City, Oklahoma
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Posted 29 Feb 2016 6:55 pm
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Dennis, very nice looking ! Congratulations ! My very first pedal steel I bought new in 1969 was a Fender 400. It was in a store in Tulsa. Just this year, I bought one for old times sake...they are fun to play and I like that sound. Good for you ! Enjoy !
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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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