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Topic: What is a Fender "White" |
Craig Hawks
From:
North Ridgeville, Ohio, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 5:26 pm |
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Hey Folks, what the heck is a Fender White. This is the second time I've seen one on eBay in a week and I can't find any info here on them. Here's the eBay auction number 7312138421
One of these days I'm gonig to have to learn how to post links and photos.
Thanks!!
Craig |
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Jody Carver
From:
KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 5:33 pm
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Craig
The name White was that of Leo's plant manager and sometimes design engineer. His name was Forrest White and Leo had Forrest make up a line of steel guitars using his
name.They didnt fair out well back then but today more collectors are looking for them.
Hope this helps some. |
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Craig Hawks
From:
North Ridgeville, Ohio, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 5:46 pm
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Thanks Jody! You always know the details!!
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 5:55 pm
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Were they offered as a "student model"?
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55" Fender Stringmaster T8, 54" Fender Champion, Carter D-10, two Oahu laps, two National laps, and two Resonators
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mike nolan
From:
Forest Hills, NY USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 6:28 pm
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The White is more or less a Champ with a different brand on it. You could buy it in a set with a White amp which is more or less a Princeton. Some real tone hounds like the White amps... The guys in Los Lobos use them a lot and I know that G.E. Smith owns a pair of 'em.
The story that I have always heard about this was that Leo Fender was trying to cut a deal to sell lap steels and amps to public school music programs. The price that the schools were willing to pay was below what the lowest priced Fenders were selling for. Leo was worried about undercutting his retail business, so he released a new line of "cheaper" instruments.... but in fact they were the same as comparable Fender models with different cosmetics and branding. I don't know how much truth there is to this, but I have heard the story more than once.....
I own a White lap steel, and it is cool.... but not one of my "go to" guitars. |
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Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 7:21 pm
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| John Reese, the songwriter I play with, uses a little White amp for his harmonica. Killer tones! |
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Bobby Lee
From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 7:32 pm
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Regarding this one, I had one just like it that someone had stripped the paint from. The wood was real pretty - someone told me it was walnut. The guitar sounded great.
I really liked the tiny fret numbers. Are these the only Fender guitars that used those numbered fretboards?
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 Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra SD-12 (Ext E9), Williams D-12 Crossover, Sierra S-12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, C6, A6) |
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Dan Sawyer
From:
Studio City, California, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 7:44 pm
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| I have two of them. They are really good sounding guitars. Not sure if mine are walnut, but i doubt it. They were made for only a few years in the 1950s. The story i heard, was that Leo Fender decided to call the line White as a surprise to forrest White, who didn't know Leo was planning to do it. |
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Jody Carver
From:
KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 8:07 pm
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The story i heard, was that Leo Fender decided to call the line White as a surprise to forrest White, who didn't know Leo was planning to do it. True....you guys know more than I...bOb...the roman numerals were meant for a student guitar, but Fender had tried putting the roman numerals of the Dual Pro and Custom guitars...I liked the idea. Randall, Leo's partner and a few saleman shot that down..I had a custom with roman numerals and was asked to return it. I posted a story on the Forum a few years ago regarding this very subject...I'll try to find it in the archives..it will be in my book when I get around to finishing it before I buy the farm.
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Jim Phelps
From:
Mexico City, Mexico
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Posted 4 Apr 2005 8:25 pm
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I read somewhere that Leo did it as a surprise for Forrest White's birthday...but you can't trust everything you hear or read... I also heard it was supposed to have been done in '55, and another source said '57.
In Las Vegas around '82 I went into Aal-Jay's pawnshop (anyone remember it?) and saw a little grey amp sitting there for sale for $75 and it said White on the front. I remembered seeing one somewhere... I looked in the back and saw Fullerton, CA on the tube diagram and I knew it was Fender.
I bought it and when I got home I flipped through my copy of The Guitar Book and found it! I used it as a practice amp for many years, then even used it at a huge church (the one that after two years started telling me I was too loud, with this little amp, ha!)
I think it was the best-sounding amp I've ever owned. I sold it a few years ago on Ebay, got about $700 for it and the guy was happy as heck to get it.
[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 08 April 2005 at 05:48 PM.] |
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