Fender FS-52

Kyle Everson · Post by **Kyle Everson** » 3 Jun 2007 3:48 pm

Has anyone played one of these? I saw one on Elderly Instruments' site. Looked cool but the chrome fingerboard might be a problem under stage lights. Any thoughts?

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 3 Jun 2007 3:54 pm

REMOVED

Gerard Ventura · Post by **Gerard Ventura** » 3 Jun 2007 7:54 pm

If you already have tried/liked lap or console steels, then skip it. I bought mine at the beginning of this year locally, as there were no other laps anywhere, and for me it was a "try outer" before moving up to a D8 style.

It's fairly well made, but shrill sounding...using stock fender parts meant for other things (like a cheapo strat PU). It's also kind of overpriced for what it is.

I think it would be OK to take to a gig where you're doing just a few tunes as a novelty. But if you already have a steel, you're not missing anything.
(my 2 cents).

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 4 Jun 2007 5:01 am

Kyle, I bought an FS-52 and it sucks. The Artisan has a better sound.
For the same money you could get a Supro Supreme or clone, a much better playing and sounding guitar.

Gary Lynch · Post by **Gary Lynch** » 4 Jun 2007 8:27 am

They would make a great prop for a western movie. When the bad guys come in to the barn dance and punch the lap steel player, the steel flies into the air and hits the ground and no one cares.

Kyle Everson · Post by **Kyle Everson** » 4 Jun 2007 8:51 am

Gary Lynch wrote:They would make a great prop for a western movie. When the bad guys come in to the barn dance and punch the lap steel player, the steel flies into the air and hits the ground and no one cares.

. After reading a couple of reviews, I kinda figured it was a cheapo. I have a couple steels already, so I'll pass. Thanks for the honest opinions.

John Dahms · Post by **John Dahms** » 4 Jun 2007 9:32 am

All show, no go.
Not a direct string pickup like the old ones.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 4 Jun 2007 3:43 pm

Anyone know what kind of wood was used for those? Rick?
Has anyone tried a different pickup?
Of course the guitar would have to be in-expensive enough to justify investing in another pickup, but they do look pretty good.

Regards BILL

John Dahms · Post by **John Dahms** » 4 Jun 2007 6:31 pm

Bill, you (like me) are a sucker for any old Fender design.
I am not bothered as much by the reflection off the fingerboard as that the corner of the boxcar sometimes pokes my right hand. I must like them though as I still have 2 old Princeton's and 1 old Deluxe to play with.

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 4 Jun 2007 6:53 pm

the corner of the boxcar sometimes pokes my right hand.

Okay, that's another problem I have with this guitar.
That's not a boxcar pickup - not even close.
It's a squier strat pickup with a metal thing around it that's meant to look like a boxcar.

That's just an insult to our intelligence.

Anyone know what kind of wood was used for those? Rick?

It ain't swamp ash . .

RA
BIG STEEL

Chris Scruggs · Post by **Chris Scruggs** » 5 Jun 2007 12:15 pm

On a positive note, the case perfectly fits a vintage single neck Fender, and my 1950 Deluxe 8 is very happy.

Gerard Ventura · Post by **Gerard Ventura** » 5 Jun 2007 6:24 pm

Mine has a few open string buzzes emanating from the nut (which is just a bent up piece of metal)....what's a good way to dampen that? A piece of felt under the string..?

Gary Lynch · Post by **Gary Lynch** » 5 Jun 2007 7:12 pm

There a is possibility that the gauge strings you are using are different from what FENDER had in mind. So the nut grooves may not be the right fit. They could be too small or too large depending. Too small is an easy fix with a nut file. Too large? Better ask someone else as I do not know the proper way to correct that issue.

Bert ten Hove · Post by **Bert ten Hove** » 8 Jun 2007 2:29 pm

Here in the Netherlands, there are not to many lap-steels available. Last year I was able to buy this Chinese lap. I'm very happy with it. As a guitarist it's not that easy to play lap-steel, but it's getting better . . .
I really would like to own and play a Pedal-steel some day . . .

And now you guys tell me that I bought a very poor lap-steel? Is it really that bad? I did my first jam-session with it, didn't sound that bad I think.

Would a different pick-up be better? Any suggestions?

Mark White · Post by **Mark White** » 8 Jun 2007 4:27 pm

I had one of these before I went to eight strings. My main complaint was the pickup. I had it swapped out for a Seymour Duncan Lil' 59 and it was a big improvement over the original. It comes with very heavy gauge strings and when I went to a lighter gauge I encountered some of the problems with buzz mentioned here. I ended up using a (tiny) piece of aluminum foil folded over under the strings at the nut to correct that problem. I thought it had a nice finish and came with a nice case. Would I recommend it? Not really, although I didn't think it was as bad as everyone is saying after the pickup swap.

John Dahms · Post by **John Dahms** » 8 Jun 2007 5:23 pm

I think the key here is that it says FENDER on it so it better be good. That heritage is hard to live up to. We have to expect that it will be as good as the model it is a copy of but they cut costs by using less than premium parts.
As far as a fix for a buzz at the metal nut, if it fits too loose, try a dab of super glue to build it up. Let it set well and repeat. If it sets well and is hard before you restring, it will last months between repairs.

Gerard Ventura · Post by **Gerard Ventura** » 8 Jun 2007 5:33 pm

Bert ten Hove wrote: And now you guys tell me that I bought a very poor lap-steel? Is it really that bad? I did my first jam-session with it, didn't sound that bad I think.

Would a different pick-up be better? Any suggestions?

I have one, and then I bought a repro D8 stringmaster.
As you said, they're not that bad at all. Don't forget, the guys on this board frequently have vintage nultineck 8 string guitars...
so it's kind of like comparing an Ibanez Pat Metheny model jazz hollowbody to a hand-carved D'Angelico archtop. In a sense, there worlds apart, but the Metheny still sounds great in the right hands.

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 9 Jun 2007 4:08 am

If you like it, you like it. I have a preference for cheapo Supro and Teisco guitars, but part of the appeal is that they cost so little... or used to. The Fender FS52 is an overpriced, poorly designed instrument considering what you can get for the money elsewhere. The fretboard makes it hard to see the lines, the pickup is awful and shouldn't have to be replaced at the price, the tuners are cheap and the bridge has issues; if it were priced at $199, it would be a good guitar for the money.

Mark White · Post by **Mark White** » 9 Jun 2007 4:34 am

It is overpriced, although when you figure in the cost of buying a hardshell case it makes it a little easier to swallow. A six string Gold Tone is about $50 less with no case. The pickup replacement shouldn't have been needed at the price, but it was, and a different pickup made it a palatable instrument. The tuners on mine were Kluson's (which I don't think they're using now, but don't quote me) and stayed in tune.

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 9 Jun 2007 4:40 am

Rick Alexander wrote:
the corner of the boxcar sometimes pokes my right hand.

Okay, that's another problem I have with this guitar.
That's not a boxcar pickup - not even close.
It's a squier strat pickup with a metal thing around it that's meant to look like a boxcar.

Does anyone make a genuine boxcar replacement pickup? Seems if the size and placement of this fake one is the same as the original models, a nice custom made real one stuck on there might really turn the guitar into something.

FWIW, a friend who played PSG, fiddle, guitar, banjo and lap steel out on the road for the last few years with Big and Rich had one of these, and had it modded with new p'up. He said it sounded pretty good for that, but I'm not sure what style of lap he was doing on it. I think it was for a more bluesy/rocky thing. He used the modded FS52 so he didn't have to take his vintage laps on the road, and worry about damage or theft.

I agree with Keith though -- at $199, it would be fine for the money, and with another $100+ for a much better p'up, a actually very usable guitar.

TJW

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 9 Jun 2007 4:45 am

Again, even with the replacement pickup the incredibly poor choice of a chrome fretboard kills it- at least for anyone I know that plays under lights. I tried mine just in the house and various reflections made it very difficult to look at for any length of time. The comparison to the Gold Tone is a case in point- the GT is a VERY playable instrument, if you can overlook the placement of the volume knob; it has a very useable tone for the money and it is actually an attractive instrument. For $50 I can get a small gig bag and have a pretty decent instrument for jams and small gigs.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Fender FS-52

Fender FS-52

"Boxcar" pickup?