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Post new topic 57 Stringmaster D8 refin
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Author Topic:  57 Stringmaster D8 refin
Hal Braun


From:
Eustis, Florida, USA
Post  Posted 17 Nov 2021 9:09 am    
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I received this a couple of years ago.. it was trans white with a bad rattle can respray. It also had rough gouges, dremeled numbers, etc. all over it.

Since any intrinsic original finish value was long gone, I decided to paint it to my liking. After sitting disassymbled for a year or so.. I saw a post by Dan Campbell over in Clearwater FL and his Caledesi guitars.

Dan agreed to prep and paint my bodies. Well. I picked them up yesterday and they are beautiful.. multiple color coats, several clear coats.. all in beautiful surf green lacquer..

the guitar sounds awesome through the Princeton reverb and now it looks as good as it sounds.

Great job Dan, and great guy to know and work with. I got to see some of his current work in progress, and I think he has some great things coming.





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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 17 Nov 2021 10:15 am    
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Nice.
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Daryl Brooke


From:
Key West, Fl
Post  Posted 17 Nov 2021 12:20 pm    
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Beautiful!
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Glenn Wilde

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 17 Nov 2021 3:43 pm    
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Yeah man. That looks sweet
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Eric Dahlhoff


From:
Point Arena, California
Post  Posted 17 Nov 2021 4:07 pm    
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Super nice!!!
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Joe Elk


From:
Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 17 Nov 2021 7:17 pm    
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Nice Nice NICE!!!!!!
Joe Elk Central Ohio
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Hal Braun


From:
Eustis, Florida, USA
Post  Posted 18 Nov 2021 5:23 am    
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Thanks. Not traditional I know, but a traditional Fender color that really rocks


.
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Bill Sinclair


From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
Post  Posted 18 Nov 2021 6:12 am    
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Love that color. Front decals are available if you're interested. I'd probably just leave it without one. I went with Lake Placid Blue Metallic on my Deluxe 8 knockoff. It is also an original Fender color but not for steels. My garage paint job with ReRanch rattle cans doesn't compare to Dan's expertise but it looks good from 10' back. Smile


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Jeff Mead


From:
London, England
Post  Posted 18 Nov 2021 1:35 pm    
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Almost the same colour as mine...


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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 18 Nov 2021 2:05 pm    
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I like the refins in Fender custom colors. Somewhere along the line, somebody did a crappy Candy Apple Red Metallic repaint on my Studio Deluxe rescue, which may be one reason I was able to procure it as cheaply as I did. Looks better the farther away you get from it, but plays and sounds excellent:
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Jeff Mead


From:
London, England
Post  Posted 18 Nov 2021 3:00 pm    
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One quick question. As yours is a 57, does the serial number start with a - sign?

For some reason most 1957 Fenders (steels as well as guitars) seem to have a dash in front of the serial number and nobody appears to know why. Never seen any other year with this serial number format.
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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 18 Nov 2021 4:59 pm    
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My SD is supposedly a '59 or a '60, but oddly the serial number stamped on the plate begins with a minus sign:
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Hal Braun


From:
Eustis, Florida, USA
Post  Posted 20 Nov 2021 4:54 am    
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No minus sign…. Mine says 5/57 under the tuner pan written in pencil
..
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Hal Braun


From:
Eustis, Florida, USA
Post  Posted 20 Nov 2021 6:08 am    
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I misspoke. Got a flashlight out and there is a minus mark in front of the number.
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Andy Volk


From:
Boston, MA
Post  Posted 20 Nov 2021 8:52 am    
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Sharp lookin' refinish!
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Mike A Holland


From:
United Kingdom
Post  Posted 20 Nov 2021 9:42 am    
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Great colour choice and finish!
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Jeff Mead


From:
London, England
Post  Posted 21 Nov 2021 9:44 am    
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Jack Hanson wrote:
My SD is supposedly a '59 or a '60, but oddly the serial number stamped on the plate begins with a minus sign:


When you say "supposedly", what is that based on? Is there a pencil date anywhere? In the absence of any other evidence, I would venture that your guitar could actually be 57 then.
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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 21 Nov 2021 9:58 am    
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Jeff Mead wrote:
When you say "supposedly", what is this based on? Is there a pencil date anywhere? In the absence of any other evidence, I would venture that your guitar could actually be 57 then.

The eBay seller claimed it was a '59 or '60. No visible pencil dates, since both cavities were oversprayed Candy Apple Red. Not knowing the instrument's history before I obtained it, it's hard to know for certain. The plate may have been scavenged from a different Studio Deluxe, or even a Champ. Or it could indeed be a '57.
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Jeff Mead


From:
London, England
Post  Posted 21 Nov 2021 2:29 pm    
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Jack Hanson wrote:
Jeff Mead wrote:
When you say "supposedly", what is this based on? Is there a pencil date anywhere? In the absence of any other evidence, I would venture that your guitar could actually be 57 then.

The eBay seller claimed it was a '59 or '60. No visible pencil dates, since both cavities were oversprayed Candy Apple Red. Not knowing the instrument's history before I obtained it, it's hard to know for certain. The plate may have been scavenged from a different Studio Deluxe, or even a Champ. Or it could indeed be a '57.


So really, the details are too sketchy to support or refute my "theory". My gut feeling is that the plate, at least, is from 1957 and if the guitar is all original the seller may have got the date from the person who sold it to him who, in turn, had been told the guitar was purchased in 1960 or something like that. But at this point it's all guesswork. And if you tell everyone it's a '57 nobody can prove otherwise.

I'd be very interested in hearing from any owners of pencil dated, all original, guitars if they have serial numbers with dashes. Basil Henriques was collecting info on Stringmasters and serial numbers on another thread a while back but I don't think he got very much data which is a shame as, of course, Fender have no official records of steel guitar stuff.
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