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Topic: Fender fans.. come, rejoice with me! |
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 5:43 am |
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Remember that from the Bible?.. If someone found a lost goat or lamb, or a son or something or other, they would gather friends and neighbors to rejoice, and maybe have a little party celebrating his good luck and the Lord's blessing.
I have decided my Fender 800 is finished and just wanted to share with everyone[that cares  ] my sense of accomplishment and good fortune.
I looked for one of these for a long time, and when I got it it was an unplayable basket case. I had to study it, work with it for hours, ask lots of questions from friends here that have been there done that.
I got pretty good with all the fine adjustments, because I was forced to. Either that or sell it to someone that could get it to work. At times, I was close to giving up and posting it for sale here to a better steel mechanic than I am.
I no longer fear the dreaded Fender cable mechanism. I, like many others before me, have studied it, learned it, and tamed it!
It plays remarkably well with pedal action as good as most guitars of that era.. Knees are a little stiffer than I like, but certainly well usable. They are a bit wide apart, but will have to stay that way.. I plan on putting something on them to extend each one about 1/2-1 inch closer to each leg. Since the levers are wood on aluminum stock, I'll probably use some strips of wood, and then paint them black, as well as the aluminum panel that was installed for the levers.
The copedent will stay 6 and 3.. Thats enough for anyone.. 123- Standard Emmons..
Pedal 4 lowers string 6 a full tone-
pedal 5 lowers string 5 a full tone
Basically 4 and 5 are a split "Franklin pull".
I have a split 5 and 6 full tone lower on my Carter as well.
Pedal 6 drops string 2 down 1/2 on the first stop,and then down a full tone..
I will say its weird using this change on a pedal.. I have used it on my LKR for 33 years , but its staying where it is and I am able to adjust I have found.
LKL takes string 1 up a full tone..
RKR takes 4 and 8 down 1/2
RKL takes 4 and 8 up a half.
So anyway, thanks to all that have helped and commented on my exploits with my first 10 string Fender..
It sounds otherworldly to my ears.
When I play it I hear a direct cross between Sneaky's tone and Mooneys tone from the early 60's.. To me it sounds like an old Fender console steel with pedals.. Magnificent.
I am going to try to make a few decent short recordings and post them here, if I can coerce one of my musical friends into helping me out recording...
Rods and crosshafts??.. We don't need no stinkin' rods and crosshafts!
Cables and pulleys win the day! bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time......
Last edited by Bob Carlucci on 2 Sep 2009 3:01 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Stan Schober
From:
Cahokia, Illinois, USA
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 7:10 am
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Congratulations, Bob !
It's people like you and Mr. Sliff ( and many others ) around here that make me less reluctant to purchase a classic steel.
I feel just as jubilant about your "taming the beast" as if I had done it myself, and I'm looking forward to hearing it ! |
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Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 7:34 am
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dude, you are gonna sound killer on that thing!
congrats |
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Fred Shannon
From:
Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas, R.I.P.
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 8:13 am
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Bob, I don't know why you waited so long. I can remember a conversation you and and I had on the internet and you were in search of something and never found it. I suggested a Fender and you promised me if you found one reasonable you'd try it. Better late than never. 
phred
_________________
There are only two defining forces that have offered to die for you; Jesus Christ and the American GI!!
Think about it!! |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 9:29 am
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| Fred Shannon wrote: |
Bob, I don't know why you waited so long. I can remember a conversation you and and I had on the internet and you were in search of something and never found it. I suggested a Fender and you promised me if you found one reasonable you'd try it. Better late than never.
phred |
Fred... yes I recall that. Really the reason I waited is the 800 is really tough to find. I had a 400, and didn't get on with the no knees, 4 pulls 8 strings thing. It sounded good, but the 800 sounds much better to me for some reason.
I found a few 800's but they were always priced out of reality, or they were mint showpieces for a lot of money that shouldn't be tampered with, or they were junkers with no underside guts, converted to console steels, pedals, pulleys, cables missing.. etc etc etc.
That, plus the fact I hardly play steel any more,
[no one wants or cares about steel in my part of the world] made me put it on the back burner. This one popped up out of nowhere really. A vintage guitar dealer saw my post here about an 800, and emailed me saying they just bought one from the son of a old honky tonk player that had died, and the rest is history.
I only hope that before long I can play this thing for people that want to hear it!
Its ungodly heavy... Heavy as a D-10, probably due to all the added weight of the levers, pull parts, and especially the big piece of aluminum stock bolted on to handle all the levers and actuators..
Breakdown is a bear, because each lever is held on by a large wingnut. They don't collapse. You have to take the nut off, and remove each one. Not a big problem but time consuming.. If it ever gets to a gig, it goes assembled!... anyway Fred, thanks for the comments!... I spoke to Bobby B yesterday, it was great to hear his voice. I miss the guys on the chatroom, and if I ever get my ass in gear, I hope to re-up and join in once again, and shamelessly make everyone listen to my mediocre stylings sans any accompaniment.... best to you and yours! bob
_________________
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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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 9:39 am
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| Pictures? |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 10:08 am
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here are a few
"before" pics Kevin... It looks better now that its cleaned up, and will look much better when I paint the aluminum plate and knee levers black.. I'll post better ones when I get them up. bob
_________________
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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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 11:55 am
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Congrats Bob! That's a rare beauty.
Lookin forward to hearin it!
Why did you mount hot dogs on the levers?  |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 12:46 pm
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| Joey Ace wrote: |
Congrats Bob! That's a rare beauty.
Lookin forward to hearin it!
Why did you mount hot dogs on the levers? |
They do look awful in that pic   .. They don't look near that bad in person.
Actually they are form fit to the aluminum stock used to fabricate the levers. Old school but very well done, curves and all. Whoever made this lever setup was really a very good mechanic. Those pics look dreadful, I'll get some better ones after I paint the aluminum plate and levers.. bob
_________________
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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Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 12:47 pm
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yeah those knee levers are calling out to "pass the mustard!"
"I hardly play steel any more" 
im gonna pretend i didnt hear that |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 1:38 pm
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| Bob, paint "Oscar Mayer" on the front. Better yet, "Hebrew National". |
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Billy Tonnesen
From:
R.I.P., Buena Park, California
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 2:25 pm
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I still have my Fender 1000 from the early 60's even though I don't play anymore. When I was playing it back in the 60's I never had to sneak a peek at the pedals to see where I was at. It was automatic andI did not have to worry about it. When I got my do uble Sierra in the 70's many times I was not sure of where my feet were, I finally got to where I put the changes I used most on the knee levers.
The original finish on the 1000 finally got pretty beat up and my picks wore out the painting on the upper Frets. I stripped it down, got new fret boards from Blackie Taylor and refinished it in Antique Green. It made a nice lookig guitar but it is no longer considered
original. |
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Kelly Hydorn
From:
Spokane
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 2:41 pm FENDER Fans
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| BOY, JUST WHEN YOU START TO THINK EVERYTHING IN PEDAL STEEL GUITAR IS GOING TO THE NEW GUITARS, THAT CARLUCCI KID GOES AND HITS THE HOME RUN!!! Way to go Bob, can't think of how many Fender steels I've seen and heard from that era that just made the songs that much better, even had a 800 myself, and like a dummy sold it off for something I thought I needed at the time. Hope to hear some of your work soon!!! |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 2 Sep 2009 3:12 pm Re: FENDER Fans
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| Kelly Hydorn wrote: |
| BOY, JUST WHEN YOU START TO THINK EVERYTHING IN PEDAL STEEL GUITAR IS GOING TO THE NEW GUITARS, THAT CARLUCCI KID GOES AND HITS THE HOME RUN!!! Way to go Bob, can't think of how many Fender steels I've seen and heard from that era that just made the songs that much better, even had a 800 myself, and like a dummy sold it off for something I thought I needed at the time. Hope to hear some of your work soon!!! |
Well Kelly to be honest, its all about the sound.. Those old steels were something special as far as tone was concerned.. The engineering of the mechanicals was in its infancy, so we have to deal with playability issues that are not a problem with modern steels.
I have a Carter as my "modern" guitar, but even on that I have one coil of the pickup wound to Fender specs.. It gets me much of the way to that sound, but not 100%.. Something about that massive wood body, big cast aluminum frame, and that Jaguar like pickup [ Jazzmaster like on the older steels].
I will enjoy this old clunker, and REALLY hope to find some use for it other than playing it by myself in my musty basement... alone. bob
_________________
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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