The Steel Guitar Forum

That's good news that the damage was limited. You *could* dismantle the whole thing to do the Bondo and finish job, clean up the mechanics, etc - but it doesn't look really necessary unless you want it "pretty". The mechanics actually looks pretty solid, just dirty, and that's easily remedied on the guitar. I like the aftermarket "guide rollers" installed for each neck, giving a straighter pull...not a bad concept.

It really looks as if the wood rebuilding and finishing will be the most time-consuming,although neither one is particularly difficult with a few tools and some intermediate-level woodworking/finishing skills.

Keep the progress posted, and as you know, you can always contact me for advice...or good natured ridicule!

I can't believe it !! No, not the guitar, it's Jim Sliff, he's actually slipped up,,

Hello! Hello ! .. Jim ...

I like the aftermarket "guide rollers" installed for each neck, giving a straighter pull...not a bad concept.

Nope, standard fitting on the 2000..

See Al's one here http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=110703

Al, if you need a set of vintage looking split cases for that Fender I make them. Plush interiors. Let me know. Hatton Split Cases (716) 691-6527.

Gad - Baz, I wasn't thinking about the differences on the 2000, not having personally ever seen one. Actually, I think I've only seen pics of the guts of one or two. My brain was thinking "1000"....and come to think of it, I'm not even sure the SS 1000's don't have those. In fact, I'm not sure I've EVER seen a SS 1000.

Just got my SS 400 out today after playing the long-scale 1000 for months, and I'd forgotten how incredibly quick it is with a few spring changes and a couple of other tweaks.

Jim, My 1000 is a Short Scale and it HASN'T got those extra guides, AFAIK only the 2000 had them, Isn't the roller bridge mechanism on the Mk2's pretty good ?.

I've been playing the Fender 1000 since February 1963 and only once had one of the brass/loopy thingies come unsoldered. The only mechanical problem in almost 44 years of playing !!

Is the number of frets/markers different on the two different scale lengths ?

basilh wrote: Is the number of frets/markers different on the two different scale lengths ?

It looks like Alan's has 33 fret markers (per neck), my long scale 400 has 31.

I spent today carving and sawing away the rotted wood. What is becoming more and more apparent is that it would be quicker and more desirable to use the old body as a template and just build a new one. After all, it is just two shaped pieces of wood sandwiched together.



Before I remove the mechanisms, does anyone know whether removing the screws from the top and bottom plates will allow the mechanism to be removed intact, or will I have to dismantle them ?

Alan, do you know what kind of wood it's made from? I know Fender used to use swamp ash that's supposed to really enhance the sound.

I don't know what wood Fender used, but this particular ash has a little too much swamp in it right now

Alan, the mechanism is disassembled by first removing the large springs underneath and then removing the top plate from the body of the guitar (The six small screws) you DON'T need to unscrew the screws on the top plate that hold the metal block/knife edge (The four larger ones). The bridge/scissor assembly just comes out via the extra wide slot at the first string position.
After that it's pretty straightforward.
Be ware that the turnbuckles at the pedal end of the cables have a left hand thread at one end an right hand at the other.
I have lots of the "?Bell crank?" units, the device that's held onto the frame by two machine screws that transfers the pedal rod pull to the turnbuckles.

Did you find any pedals/cables or legs in the "Aladins Cave" ?

Consider this, the mechanism in its basic state is a double raise double lower system that CAN be modified to be more if needed, also, the addition of knee levers isn't a problem, and they can be utilized using RODS and the old ShoBud Barrel tuner system, as opposed to cables.





there are more images here :-
http://www.waikiki-islanders.com/assets ... 1000lever/

And this is who did it for me :-
Bennett Guitars
85 Derwent Road
Babington, Wirral CH63 2LD,
United Kingdom
Fax +44 (0) 151 609 0464
Voice +44 (0) 151 608 4562..
E-Mail :- bennettsteels@btinternet.com

A LONG time ago (1964) I discovered a way to eliminate the spongy feel of the fender pedals and at the same time prevent the unnecessary breakage of the loops at the end of the cables that engage the Bridge scissor assembly.
It gives the pedals a positive stop that is very firm.
No machining or extra parts required, just an adjustment..

I didn't find any Fender-type pedals amongst the spare parts. The fellow whose father's workshop I bought the parts from says he thinks there are some more parts at his cousin's workshop, and I've asked him to keep a look out for a pedal board and pedals. He says he will look at what's left and let me know what he finds. Given that so far he's found four pedal steels in various stages of undress and a lap steel, nothing he found would surprise me. It's quite exciting, really.

Anyone following this thread should check out this...
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=
I'm trying to find out more about these two interesting folks.

Andy Sandoval wrote:Alan, do you know what kind of wood it's made from? I know Fender used to use swamp ash that's supposed to really enhance the sound.

All jokes apart, your comment set me thinking. I don't want to change the sound of the instrument, so I think I'll keep the original wood and work on it. It may take longer, but splicing in more wood to replace the rotted wood will probably be the better course.

So, the next thing I've done is applied sealant to the underneath, where wood is peeling away but not too deep...

THE TOOLS FOR THE JOB


BONDO As referred to earlier. It comes in two parts which you have to mix together to form an epoxy.
WOOD HARDENER This penetrates rotten wood, kills whatever is alive in there, and leaves the wood hard and durable.
PUTTY KNIVES For applying the Bondo.
JACK DANIELS & JIM BEAM ...hey, how did they get there ?

Alan,
Do you apply the Jack Daniels first?
Or does it get applied after you are done for the day?

Jon Moen wrote:Alan,
Do you apply the Jack Daniels first?
Or does it get applied after you are done for the day?

...before, during and after
Notice that the bottles are empty.............

Looks like you might make it, Alan,
If anyone knows where to get a set of tuning keys like the 2000 has, my next door neighbor has a later model Fender, I think it was made by Sho-Bud, but it has the same tuning keys. He's lost the set for the C6th neck, one of the keys got broken and when he sent it to a local shop, the whole set got lost. He would love to get hold of a set. The E 9th neck is fine.
Can't wait to see the "after" pictures.

The pans and tuners have now been cleaned. Replacement of the rotting wood is proceeding.

Alan, did you determine whether the finish (Lake Placid Blue)or (San Marino Blue) is actually a 'factory' job or a hand job ? oops..

My impression is that it's original. The only way to be sure would be to apply paint stripper, which I want to avoid because the wood is in a precarious state. Whatever liquid applied would sink straight into the wood, and I don't want to be faced with having to paint something which is inperviated with paint stripper.

basilh wrote:Alan, did you determine whether the finish (Lake Placid Blue)or (San Marino Blue) is actually a 'factory' job or a hand job ? oops..

Careful there Basil, this is a family forum!

Between Alan's mention of "Stripper" and my faux pas one COULD think that we're discussing something else..If one's mind had that peculiar bent !

P Gleespen wrote: Careful there Basil, this is a family forum!

most of the time.....Addams Family.......

basilh wrote:...that peculiar bent !

Isn't that peculiar bent known as Peroni's Syndrome ?

Well, after over a year in storage in my workshop, during which time I've been working on other projects, I decided to pull it out and see where I was. After removing as much rotten wood on the front neck as I could do without compromising the guitar, and several attempts to fill the gaps and stop further deterioration, I came to the conclusion that it will be easier to build an entire new front neck than fool around with wood filler, so I undid the mechanism, removed the neck, and wire-brushed out the remaining rotten wood. Tomorrow I'll give the frame a repaint. In about a week, when the paint is completely dry, I'll start building a new neck, using the old one as a template.