Here's a Fender I've never seen...

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 7 Dec 2005 8:12 am

What is it?
Vintage Fender 8 String Steel Lap Guitar on eBay.

<H6>Edited by Brad Bechtel to shorten the URL.</h6><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Brad Bechtel on 07 December 2005 at 08:52 AM.]</p></FONT>

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 7 Dec 2005 8:28 am

It is just a Fender 400 that has been poorly refinished--you can see the brush marks around the edge of the chrome--and some bogus red crap has been glued to it along with a logo that probably came off a case from the 60s/70s. I emailed the seller about not including all this refin junk in the description and he emailed me back me back and called me a nasty name.

Maybe early 60s right before the cam style 23" scale 400 came out. Does have the rollers on the bridge and nut so it is surely a later version.

Jeff Au Hoy · Post by **Jeff Au Hoy** » 7 Dec 2005 9:00 am

For the stuff I play, I actually think this would sound better than a Stringmaster, though it wouldn't be as versatile.

Joy Wofford · Post by **Joy Wofford** » 7 Dec 2005 9:26 am

Ok. I suppose this is a dumb newbie question, but something in the sellers description I don't understand? First he says it's a lap steel....ok....but then later he talks about (and has pictures)of pedals. I don't understand? Is this a pedal steel, or a lap steel? Or both? I honestly have never heard of this, so want to know if they make something like that? I know you can put legs on a lap steel....but once you put on pedals, isn't it a pedal steel?

Thanks ahead of time for any clarification you can bring to me on this.

Joy

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 7 Dec 2005 9:28 am

This is one of those guitars that someone handy with paint could do something with. Or someone who wanted to learn or practice refinishing with paint. The guitar looks like it's all there, except the bridge cover and the first string wire loop, so I think it's a candidate for restoration.

Take off the red felt, respray the frame with more black, strip and repaint the body, and... you'd have a guitar worth about $500 maybe. Good for the vintage tone, though it'd have to be in D9 tuning.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 7 Dec 2005 10:17 am

Jay. The seller does not know much about this instrument.

Stephan Miller · Post by **Stephan Miller** » 7 Dec 2005 10:20 am

Joy-- it's a pedal steel all right. I guess you could think of it as a "lap" if you played it minus legs and pedals-- but it's incorrect for the seller to call it that.

Joy Wofford · Post by **Joy Wofford** » 7 Dec 2005 10:42 am

Ok, thanks for clearing that up for me Stephan and Bill. Thought I'd missed out somewhere on some vital info.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 7 Dec 2005 10:50 am

Herb, would it still have to be in D9? It does have a roller bridge and nut. I thought the rollers were to prevent the string breakage caused by the previous design.
JB

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 7 Dec 2005 11:57 am

I had one of these, and it took a pretty tight tuning. Don't see why it would have to be D9.

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 7 Dec 2005 3:04 pm

Jeff, why would this be better for the "stuff you play" vs a Stringmaster? Just curious....

Thanks
Bill

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 7 Dec 2005 3:13 pm

Maybe Jeff isn't a stringmaster guy, I'm not after the D8 I had. But I have heard some good sounding ones that didn't seem so treble.

Jeff Au Hoy · Post by **Jeff Au Hoy** » 7 Dec 2005 4:22 pm

I just feel those fat 400/1000 type pickups sound much fuller and richer (whatever those terms mean!) than those of the Stringmaster. Also better balanced throughout high and low.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 12 Dec 2005 7:46 am

It's up to $538.00!!!!!

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 12 Dec 2005 9:58 am

I am not surprised. Mavericks sell for over $500 all the time there.