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Topic: Price on Fender 800.. thoughts??... |
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 15 Dec 2007 11:07 am |
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A local music store owner has one.. Its been nicely refinished[so he says], it has 4 pedals and an added knee,.. He knows nothing at all about it.. I have not seen it.. Has a tweed case so I imagine it is an early 800.. He says it has 10 strings so I don't think it can be anything else.. He is asking $700, which seems just a tad steep for a refin,but I can swap in some gear that I have sitting around...
Worth it if its in sound condition mechanically??..I had a 400 but could not deal with an 8 string neck and sold it off...
also, can I get a raise and lower from each string??... maybe 2?... will it lower a full tone?.... My 400 pedals were as stiff as hell.. shouldn't it play easily as some guys tell me they can?? I would appreciate a bit of help... Russ?, Jim?,... anyone????....... bob |
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 15 Dec 2007 2:04 pm
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| I paid around $650 for a nice original finish 800 off e-bay about 4 years ago with six pedals and a case that was a bit ragged.And yes it does have double raise/double lower. I commenced to spend around a grand and a whole summer's worth of spare time scrounging up cables,pulleys and other Fender parts and adding 6 knee levers to it,having two 10 string Stringmaster pickups custom made for me and new top plates made to accept them which looked like stock Fender parts. When I got done I figured I had every West Coast players wet dream - a 10 string Stringmaster with 6&6. What I ended up with was a real big heavy,clunky 23" scale steel guitar with pedals that felt like truck clutches - especially on lowers. Lowers on those things require long tough strokes which on knee levers were ridiculous.There's no way around that problem because there's really not much to adjust as far as leverage options like a modern steel. When I sat down and dialed in my tone it didn't sound that much like a Stringmaster - in fact,it sounded a lot like my 28 pound Excel 12 string with 8&9 and butter-smooth pedal action. I gigged out with the 800 only once and then sold it to a gentleman down south for $2000 and took the money and bought a real nice mandolin.... |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 15 Dec 2007 6:48 pm
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| A Fender 800 with just four pedals is quite unusual, they came with between 6-10, it MAY not be an 800.. |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 15 Dec 2007 8:28 pm
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| $700 doesn't seen a bad price to me. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 15 Dec 2007 9:45 pm
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| Quote: |
| Has a tweed case so I imagine it is an early 800 |
That part makes no sense either. When 800's came out they were in black tolex cases; some reportedly in brown, but I've never seen one.
The whole pedal layout/case thing has me thinking it's a 400 someone hacked into a 10-string later on.
Bob - what pickup is on it, what type of bridge and what's the scale length? It just sounds really fishy. I'd really like to see pics of it, top and bottom.
_________________
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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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 16 Dec 2007 12:53 am
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| I plan on going to check it out within the week.. If its a hack job, he can keep it... The tweed case throws me, because the 800 series as Jim stated, had black cases, but I guess it could be an aftermarket case of some sort.. I asked him if the pickups were "Jazzmaster" or "Jaguar" looking, but again, he didn't know.. Someone sold it to him, probably for peanuts.... I'll check it out...... I will let you guys know what horrors I uncover.... bob |
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Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
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Posted 16 Dec 2007 2:09 am
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I would also say $700. is a fair price for a Fender 800 in good condition. I believe a Fender 800 came stock with 6 pedals, with 7--10 pedals available.
Mike, you should have changed the lowering springs. The wire on the stock springs was way too thick. A lighter spring would have made the pedal action much easier.
Does anyone know why Fender went to a 23 inch scale?
Roger |
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basilh
From:
United Kingdom
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Posted 16 Dec 2007 3:31 am
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| .011" POP !! |
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William Fraser
From:
New York, USA
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Posted 16 Dec 2007 4:18 am Fender
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I think that it can ONLY go up in value,& might be fun. 5 years from now you will either be regretting not going for it,or happy to have made the move,is it mostly complete ?  Billy Lee Fraser
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Billy Lee ,Pro-II,, Session 400,Session 500 , Supro , National, SpeedDemons,& too many Archtops & Stratotones.Lots of vintage parts for Kay ! etc. |
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Michael Lee Allen
From:
Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 16 Dec 2007 10:56 am
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Removed.
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"Wisdom does not always come with age. Many times age arrives alone."
Last edited by Michael Lee Allen on 26 Feb 2011 11:15 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 16 Dec 2007 1:09 pm
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Yes I forgot about the old Carvin cable jobs.. Many times they are mistaken for Fenders by the uninformed.I have seen them on PeeBay for sale as Fenders...
The seller knows nothing about the steel.. He may be assuming its a Fender because of the cables.. I will check it out this week.. $700 is too high any way for a refin.. unless it is in VERY good mechanical and playing shape...and has had a very good refin.. I have owned a 400 and know what everything looks like on a Fender...If its non original, not a Fender or has been hacked, I'll know and pass on it....bob |
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