| Author |
Topic: Fender cable guitars. Changer upgrade? |
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 3 Jan 2004 8:35 pm |
|
| I LOVE the sound of the old 60's cable/pedal steel guitars ,but as you know they are virtually unplayable. I think I read somewhere that some guys will put modern changers/rods,levers on these.. I wonder if any of you guys have seen or heard about this. It would probably cost a MINT to buy a clean old Fender and then have it gutted and stuffed full of expensive parts and real expensive labor. It would sound great I bet,but I'll bet an old wood neck Sho Bud with an original Fender pickup would have a similar sound and be a lot cheaper.. I dunno,its always been a dream of mine to play an early 60's sunburst Fender steel loaded down with good modern guts bob |
|
|
|
chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
|
Posted 3 Jan 2004 9:15 pm
|
|
| You might want to look into one of the "Fender-Buds" that pop up every now and then. It's basically a Sho-Bud guitar with a Fender changer and "ash tray" key head with Sho-Bud, hex, mechanicals. They play well and sound like a cross between a Sho-Bud and a Fender, curiously enough. |
|
|
|
Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
|
Posted 3 Jan 2004 10:49 pm
|
|
The old Fender cable guitars are playable. Especially those made in the 1960s and beyond. The mechanics were a little bit bettter than the originals. The pedals were still difficult to push and still had a limitation of two pulls per pedal and no knee levers. By todays standards they are dinosaurs.
Roger |
|
|
|
Roger Edgington
From:
San Antonio, Texas USA
|
Posted 4 Jan 2004 2:43 pm
|
|
| Unplayable? Why? All of the old Fenders were all pull and operated by pull cables. The trick is you have to leave the cables kind of loose and could only have 1 or 2 pulls per pedal. The Fender 1000 was very popular but only 8 strings and no knee levers. The great part is it was easy to change set ups in a day when Sho-Bud was considered permanent. I loved these guitars in their day but now I'm spoiled with D-10 8x5 |
|
|
|
John Drury
From:
Gallatin, Tn USA
|
Posted 4 Jan 2004 3:44 pm
|
|
Bob,
I reassembled one of them for a guy years ago that had bought one that was dis-assembled for some reason. It took me several days. It was a nightmare to get in tune. I finally got it but about halfway through I was ready to take an axe to the thing.
There is no other guitar that I know of that can make that sound. In the right hands they can really honk!
A guy brought me one last winter to set up for him and he offered me a ton of money to do it. I told him to get it the hell out of my workshop.
John Drury
NTSGA #3 |
|
|
|
Herb Steiner
From:
Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064
|
Posted 4 Jan 2004 4:19 pm
|
|
I just redid one of these Fender 1000's for a buddy of mine who's trying to sell it. I too did a complete clean-up as well as disassembling the changers, cleaning the gunk out, relubing and reassembling. Also replaced a couple of heavy springs with lighter ones that accomplished the task and that improved the lowers considerably.
I think the Fender return springs were too strong and that lighter ones vastly improve the playability of the 1000.
And yes, they do have that tone that hasn't been duplicated yet, IMHO.
If anyone's interested... Gear for sale
------------------
Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association
|
|
|
|
Ed Naylor
From:
portsmouth.ohio usa, R.I.P.
|
Posted 5 Jan 2004 5:44 am
|
|
| I have "Converted" several of these over the years, and it really isn't that much of a job. An 'ALL PULL" changer can be dropped in and all you have to do is maks a "HOLE" in the changer end to adjust the pull rods.Practically any type "Belcrank" system will work. Probably the most critical adjustment is the changer stops. Ed Naylor Steel Guitar Works |
|
|
|
Gene Jones
From:
Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)
|
Posted 5 Jan 2004 6:04 am
|
|
I owned two Fender 1000's during my early playing years, and even though the pedals were "somewhat stiffer" than today's guitars they weren't all that much different.
The "stomping" required to play one was actually beneficial in playing the tunings and style of that period. If I owned one today I wouldn't change anything underneath.
www.genejones.com |
|
|
|
Tim Whitlock
From:
Colorado, USA
|
Posted 5 Jan 2004 7:23 am
|
|
I went from playing lap steel to a Fender T8 Stringmaster to a Fender 1000, so I haven't had much experience with modern PSG's. I find my 1000 just right for the type of music I prefer, which is 40's-60's western swing and honky tonk. Mooney managed to sound pretty darn good on those old Buck Owens and Wynn Stewart records with his. Perhaps ignorance is bliss, but I find my 1000 very playable. I wouldn't see the point in modernizing it. You could also drop a modern V-8 power train into '57 Chevy. Maybe Wallace (TrueTone) could wind a pickup to duplicate the Fender sound on a modern PSG. This would be a cheaper solution.
By the way Herb, really nice looking 1000 on your web page!
------------------
Tim Whitlock
'58 Fender 1000, '56 Fender Stringmaster, '65 Twin Reissue, Niomi lap steel, old Magnatone tube amp.
|
|
|
|
Fred Glave
From:
McHenry, Illinois, USA
|
Posted 5 Jan 2004 7:27 am
|
|
| I recently purchased a 1960's Fender 2000 D-10. Not exactly sure of date until I pop off the tuner tray. It plays very nice, sounds as sweet as can be, and stays in tune. It is easy to tune, as well as change tunings with the double upper and lower changers, just pop the cable loops and switch...presto. The cables do need to be tinkered with to achieve the proper tension, and to keep the loops on the changer hooks. Cables also can wear down over a long period of time. Proper maintenance will be needed. I guess with new guitars there is less labor required by the player. But I personally don't mind. It's kind of fun as it is educating me more about the way these things work. It has two knee levers added post factory, so it does have some limitations. But as a newer player, I think I have a little piece of heaven here. |
|
|
|
Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
|
Posted 5 Jan 2004 4:38 pm
|
|
| Quote: |
| ...but as you know they are virtually unplayable... |
Nope, I don't agree. (I played one for almost 8 years. Jimmy Day did his "Steel and Strings" album on one, too!)
Oh well, do as you like. But remember...it will lower the guitar's value, as well as make it heavier and harder to sell.  |
|
|
|
Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
|
Posted 5 Jan 2004 6:23 pm
|
|
| Donny.. I am not going to buy a Fender and spend a mint to have it turned into a playable modern gutar.. I was just wondering if any guys here have done it,as I heard there have been quite a few retro fitted... If you can play a cable pull Fender as well as you can a good modern gutar,you are certainly a better man than I am!... I have tried and tried,and have yet to play one that didn't feel like a mutt. I dunno maybe because my only real "keeper" guitars for many many years have been MSA or Sho Bud guitars with soft pedal action,but those old Fenders just seem to sound great and play tough... just MHO bob |
|
|
|
Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
|
Posted 5 Jan 2004 9:16 pm
|
|
Easy Bob...it's all P.O.V., and was probably easier for me because that's what I started on (and all I could afford).
I'd never say it was easy, but I'd also never say "It can't be done". 
A project like this is practical...
1. If your Fender was free, or is pretty "ragged out"
2. If you're interested in playing, and not reselling for profit
3. If you can do some (or all) of the work yourself
(I've personally seen 5 or 6 such conversions)
|
|
|
|
Jussi Huhtakangas
From:
Helsinki, Finland
|
Posted 6 Jan 2004 1:46 am
|
|
| I remember reading, that Buddy Emmons recorded Four Wheel Drive on a Fender 1000??? If so, I agree, it's a limited guitar and needs at least eight knee levers!! |
|
|
|
Chris Scruggs
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
|
Posted 6 Jan 2004 2:53 am
|
|
I think one of the tricks to getting light pedal action on a Fender is to only pull one string per pedal. This really makes a big difference. The G# strings can pull together OK though, because the high string is so light.
But on my 400, my first string is an E. There is alot I can't do, but it is amazing how much you actually can do. I like it to, because I am mainly a straight steel guy, and I can get most of my straight tunings, and still get that E to A sound.
----1----2---3---4
E
B--C#
G#-----A
F#
E
D-----------C#
G#---------------A
E
Open I get E9, pedals 1 and 2 gets "the sound", pedal 1 gets E13, and with all four I get A6.
A poor mans universal, so to speak. 
It's never broke a string, either, since I don't have the high string. I get some cool low string stuff most E9 guys can't get.
Chris S.
Edited to clarify copedent
[This message was edited by Chris Scruggs on 06 January 2004 at 02:54 AM.] [This message was edited by Chris Scruggs on 06 January 2004 at 02:55 AM.] |
|
|
|
Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
|
Posted 6 Jan 2004 9:51 am
|
|
I have a Fender 1000 with nine floor pedals (stamped type) and a polished frame. I've reconditioned it to better than new and have my old Emmons push-pull volume pedal that I mount to the pedal board.
My first string is G#; but I don't pull it. A, B, & C pedals are configured the normal way except for that. Playing Hawaiian so much, I am conditioned to playing slants pretty precisely.
It has limitations of course; but I find it very easy to play and the sound you can only get from a Fender.
Rick |
|
|
|
