'51 Fender Custom T8

[Tim Whitlock]

I just received this '51 Custom. I bought it on Reverb.com at what I consider a player grade price. Because guitar and case are both immaculate I hoped I had found a closet queen but on further inspection it looks like a refinish. Still I'm very happy!

The pots are 1950 Stackhouse, so it's possible it was made in 1950. The pickups have that beautiful deep, clear trap voice. They sound glorious through my tweed Vibrolux, though they are not volume balanced. I'll need to sort that out. Two read 10.8k ohms and the other reads 5.4k. One of the 10.8k pickups is twice as loud as the other two. Wondering if it is not wired correctly. I have found the wiring diagrams for the Stringmaster T8 and the Dual Pro, but can't find one for the Custom T8. If anyone can provide a link I'd be grateful.

There are no legs so if anyone has a set I'd love to buy them. The OD for the threads is 3/4".

[Joe A. Roberts]

Only Blonde Customs from 53-55 are ever that pale. The earlier ones are seemingly invariably more yellow, and also have blue grip felt underneath.
Good luck with the guitar!

[Andrew H. Brown]

The legs are the same as the Fender Rhodes electric piano rear legs. They are available from Vintage Vibe, and are available individually on their site. (The front legs in a set are nonadjustable.)

[Tim Whitlock]

The legs are the same as the Fender Rhodes electric piano rear legs. They are available from Vintage Vibe, and are available individually on their site. (The front legs in a set are nonadjustable.)

Thanks for the heads up. I looked at those. About $250 for three of the adjustable legs. Not too bad. I'll call them to confirm it's a 3/4" thread and probably go with them.

Still looking for a wiring diagram if anyone knows of one. I have looked inside and will draw the existing one. Someone clearly re-wired it at some point. The selector switch is backwards and one of the pickups is twice as loud as the other two. I can see where the pickups were grounded to the plate at one time but are now grounded through the switches.

[David Becker]

Forum member Michael Brebes redid the wiring on mine - had also been reworked in interesting ways, but did not have the pickups issue that you have. He did a great job and may be able to help you out with a wiring diagram or description.
Good luck with it!