sunburst fender 2000

[Leah Petro]

Does anyone have any idea of what this would be worth if it was in fair condition. All original, ten pedals, no knee levers.

Also, can anyone tell me the main difference between this guitar and other pedal steels?

I'm a newbie, and want to learn how to play.
any info would be greatly appreciated.

I have a teacher possibly lined up, but need to have a steel that he is more familiar with.

Thanks!

[Chuck Snider]

As a newbie (began a couple of months ago)to pedal steel guitar(PSG),my 2 cents would be not to get that Fender as a first PSG. It might be a nice guitar for someone collecting ones. However, I think you should spend some time searching through this forum for advice on your initial PSG. I wish I had known about this forum before I got my first. There are a number of entry level new, as well as many "pro" level used which would be better suited as your first guitar. Basically my suggestion is get something with slightly more modern technology built into it so that you aren't having to get things repaired or adjusted, just so you can learn to play. You should be able to find either new or used for around $1000-1500 and be set for a while. Of course you'll also need amp, tonebar, cables, finger picks, etc. which will also add to the overall price. Ask lots of questions in this forum, you'll get many, many opinions some of which is contradictory, but it all useful in making a better informed decision. Lots of great help in here. I hope that has helped.

-Chuck

[Donny Hinson]

Does anyone have any idea of what this would be worth if it was in fair condition. All original, ten pedals, no knee levers.

Also, can anyone tell me the main difference between this guitar and other pedal steels?

A newer model would have knee levers, and would be far lighter and easier to carry around. As to whether or not it's suitable for what you want to do, that depends on where your interests lie. The music you like and the players you desire to emulate should determine what you want to start with.

There's a lot of good music in a steel with no levers, but not everyone knows how to get it out. A player who has a mindset of using a lot of levers sometimes doesn't want to revert to the style or technique that doesn't use them.

[Errol Rafferty]

I pulled my "2000" out from under the bed about a year ago. It had been resting there for 30 years. I also would suggest you trade it for something more modern. While it is playable, (esp. C6) some knee levers on E9 would make it a lot better!

best of luck,

Errol

[Leah Petro]

thank you for your opinions... all this helps me greatly in making my decision.

[Jack Stoner]

I had a Sunburst Fender 2000 that I started on but quickly learned it couldn't compete with Emmons and Sho-Bud (the big names at the time) with the knee levers, etc. I only had it a little over a year and traded it in (at Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center in Wheaton, MD) on a new 1971 D-10 Emmons with 4 knee levers and was in "hog heaven".

[Ethan Shaw]

My 2000 is my favorite guitar. It sounds amazing, has no cabinet drop, and the changes never need retuning. However, if you haven't fallen in love with it already, it might be worth saving your back by getting something "normal". Also, unless you want to teach yourself, most teachers would probably get frustrated trying to adapt modern teaching materials to work with this steel. That said, you'd have to pry my fender from my cold, dead hands. (You'd probably need a crane to do this.)[/i]

[Leah Petro]

I wish I had the money I would love to be able to get a new one, and not have to part with my beloved fender.

[Leah Petro]

Ethan,

Do you think it is too hard to learn on that guitar because all teaching materials are set up for a "normal" pedal steel with the knee levers? I do absolutely love this guitar. It is so hard to find any information on them. Since I am a newbie, I don't even know what the parts of the guitar are. Is there any material you reccomend for learning on this guitar, or to even teach me the basic parts of this guitar?

What makes this guitar so different from modern pedal steels? Is it just because there are no knee levers?

Thanks!

[Donny Hinson]

Yes, that...and the fact you can only pull two strings with each pedal.

A really good teacher won't have to rely 100% on someone else's learning material, but many today take that approach because it's quicker and easier.

[Lonnie Zsigray]

Leah,
I started out on a non pedal steel and dobro before graduating to the pedal steel.Learned lots of different techniques that way.Nothing wrong with using your bar as well as the pedals and levers.

[Russ Little]

Leah,
I you have any desire to the fender 2000
can be made to do what you want it to.
Do a search on them.
It's not that difficult to add knee levers,
and extra pulls.
Its a simple cable pull design.
Mine is setup with four pulls.
I also have Zb and a bmi and love them all.
I learned on a fender 1000 so the 2000 is
more comfortable to me.
I find what you spend the most time with will
be your favorite.
JMHO

[Pat Comeau]

I would suggest to buy a Student model or a used Pro model with no-less than 3 pedals and 4 knee levers has it is a standard if you want to learn the right way, and almost all todays E9 instruction CD are for a 3x4 setup up.

[Leah Petro]

Thank you everyone!!! All of your input is so awesome! I'm so happy I found the sgf.

[Jim Sliff]

Yes, that...and the fact you can only pull two strings with each pedal.

Something easily modified.

It depends on what you want to play IMO. IF you're into modern pedals steel sounds and styles, a newer guitar would be a better choice. IF you like classic country, western swing, country rock or things more outside the "norm it may be just fine...or even a better guitar than a new one. The knee lever issue is a fairly minor one - a good steel tech can add knee levers easily. II'm a BAD steel tech and I've done it to 4 Fenders! Same with adding double raises and lowers.

The other advantage is that on a Fender the whole compedent can be changed in a matter of minutes, while it might take a weekend...or more...on many modern steels.

It really just boils down to whether or not you like the sound and what kind of music you want to play.

[Leah Petro]

Thanks Jim,

I'm into all types of music, which is why I don't want to give up the option of the double neck on this guitar... because I certainly could not afford even a used double neck.

So, my real dilema is do I purchase a used starter guitar I can afford just to learn, and then go back to the Fender when I'm ready, or how do I go about learning on a guitar with no pertinent teaching materials?

Does anyone know where I might be able to find a good pedal steel mechanic around Michigan?

Also, what makes changing the copedent on other steels more difficult?

sorry... maybe I should post these questions in the newbie section.

[Chuck Snider]

There are likely other psg mechanics around, but you might want to try the folks at Elderly's Music in Flint. You could google their name and find their website. They do sell used PSG's, not sure if they sell new ones or not. But they do perform repairs on other instruments. I've talked to them in the past about something very different than this, but they were very friendly and helpful.

[Leah Petro]

Thanks Chuck,

I'm planning a trip there this Saturday... good advice, I'll definitely ask!

[Ben Jones]

Thanks Jim,

I'm into all types of music, which is why I don't want to give up the option of the double neck on this guitar... because I certainly could not afford even a used double neck.

So, my real dilema is do I purchase a used starter guitar I can afford just to learn, and then go back to the Fender when I'm ready, or how do I go about learning on a guitar with no pertinent teaching materials?

Does anyone know where I might be able to find a good pedal steel mechanic around Michigan?

Also, what makes changing the copedent on other steels more difficult?

sorry... maybe I should post these questions in the newbie section.

Your questions are fine here in this thread. This is a good thread. Couple things. Dont worry about the instructional materials. Most of the standard istructional material can be applied to these old fenders just fine. There is (i think) some instructional material offred with these old fenders specifically in mind as well....I think Al Brisco offers some?

Im coming from the opposite or reverse angle you are Leah. I started on a modern psg and am now looking to buy an old fender to have in addition to my modern guitar. I want the old fender because they have a distinctive and unique tonal quality, because i want to experiment with another tuning without abandoning the E9th on my modern guitar, and because they are COOL

I dont think i would have wanted to start on one tho. As a beginner i just wanted something that worked and had the standard changes on it right away. Not something i would have to learn to fix, modify, find parts etc for before i could even begin learning.

Finally, I think you can play a fairly wide variety of styles on an E9th tuning without feeling the need for a doubleneck. So many players with double necks rarely even touch their C6th necks it seems like to me. A single E9th neck can keep you busy for a long long time and you can wrench out almost any style of music from it, tho certainly it is better suited to some than others.

Anyway, you mentioned you had a teacher lined up. Perhpas you could ask him if hye thinks an old fender would be good for a beginner and for what he might be teaching you.

best of luck , and enjoy your new guitar whatever you choose!

[Bill Moore]

Leah, where in Michigan are you located? Danny Hullihen, in Harrison, sells and repairs pedals steels. He could help you, he also makes Jagwire strings, http://jagwirestrings.tripod.com/

[Al Marcus]

Leah-You could contact Fred Welch, a member of this forum. My good friend lives near Greenville, MI...al

[Donny Hinson]

So many players (I was one of 'em) get hung up on "sounds". To them, the pedal steel is obsolete if it doesn't have at least 5 levers. Now, that's all well and good...for them. But someone who's thinking about playing, or just started playing, may not want to do every Paul Franklin lick. For these few players, the simple sounds and the simple music are just fine. It takes a good while just to learn to pick properly and to control the bar, to tune the instrument, to understand basic chord structures, and most of all, to realize that you don't need gobs of pedals and levers to make good music.

Of course, many beginning players want to get new complex licks out of old guitars, and get easily frustrated. Then they dump the old guitar and get a new one, and they think they're playing better because they have more licks, chords, and moves. But all music isn't like that and doesn't require that. If you listen to the stuff that Bud Isaacs did, the stuff that Don Warden did, and the early Brumley and Mooney stuff, and even the early Emmons stuff, - they didn't have knee levers either, and they played some pretty darn memorable music! I know a boatload of players that have tons of levers, but they still aren't exactly doing a great job on some of the dirt-simple stuff. A lot of the "life" in music is how it's presented, how you express your own ideas and feelings.

I go to car shows a lot, and I see people driving 6-cylinder Dodge Darts and 4 cylinder MG's. They just like the car and they appreciate it for what it is. It has special meaning to them. They don't care that it doesn't have air, GPS, and won't do 0-60 in 5 seconds. Sure, it has limitations compared to the modern cars, but so what? The whole idea for these people is to enjoy something as it is and to make it your own, not try to make it a modern piece of iron. Sure, you can add a lever or two quite easily to that old Fender, and you may decide to do that. But first, I'd try enjoying it as it is. You might even get to like it, as well as the attention you get playing something timeless and "totally cool".

Leah, if you could find the right teacher, you could have a ton of fun with that old Fender, and you could play a lot of good music. If you'd rather keep it and play it, and learn all you can with it...then I'm tellin' you you oughta do it!

[Leah Petro]

Thank you Bill and Al,
I'm south of Flint about 20 miles. I'll check them out. It's close enough for me to drive and drop off, and pick up again.

[Ethan Shaw]

Leah, if you buy Winnie Winston's Pedal Steel Guitar instruction book , you can get through almost the whole thing with just what you have. If you can play all that stuff with ease, you could smoke a lot of steel players out there. Curly Chalker played more complex music than most people could ever dream of on his 2000. Norm Hamlett sounded phenomenol playing one. They are fantastic guitars, and if you get used to one you won't want to get rid of it. You can be taught on one, but a whole lot of steelers have become reliant on at least 3x4. Don't sell it unless you think it's too heavy. Jim Sliff, myself, and some others here on the forum can help you with any mechanical issues, but we can't help you carry it.

[Lonnie Zsigray]

Leah,I believe that Danny Hullihen would be your best choice as far as changing your guitar around or adding on to it.Danny works on and plays pedal steel.He knows the steel guitar inside and out.I've known Dan for quite a few years now and if he were to tell you sorry I can't help then it's serious.But chances are he will be able to help you with whatever changes you are interested in.The music store is close and convienient but they don't specialize in steel guitar.They don't sell steel because it is a specialized instrument and doesn't move out the door like a Taylor or Gibson or the like.Stick with a pro is the best advice I have for you.He's never done me wrong,believe that.If you want to learn pedal steel then learn the basics on what you have.Before all those pedals and levers came along you've got what those guys had.Danny told me once that modern pedal steel is played on modern pedal steels.What you start out on will not dictate what you end up sounding like.The fundamentals are there in your Fender.Have fun with it.