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Topic: New Member and full of questions! |
Bud Bortner
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 30 Nov 2009 5:34 pm |
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Hello there! My name is Bud Bortner. I am excited to have joined the Forum. I am a bass player and half-way guitar player. Last weekend I was thrilled to purchase a lap steel at our local in-town garage sale. Can't wait to get going with this thing, but it is in poor shape and I intend to fix-er-up before anything else. I will attempt to post a pic, but if a photo doesn't work out, here is the description- Fender of Fullerton Calif on plate tag, 8 tuners,paint is real bad but I believe it was once a dark red-ish brown? Has two PUs; both black, no poles showing, a tone, volume and a 3rd pot on the bridge between the 4th and 5th string. 3 leg holes underneath. I sure want to know the specifics of what I have! I can tell it is missing the 3 knobs on each pot and maybe a bridge cover. Any leads to the missing parts would be appreciated. Searched the internet, but didn't find this exact model of Fender. Also, I caught sight of one Fender that was a beautiful ivory color. What would you guys recommend? Refinish in the dark brown, ivory or will I find some very nice wood underneath? Oh, I searched for a good learning book on the lap steel...would have gone with the Mel Bay book, but it was for 6 string and I want to learn 8. Any suggestions? String suggestions? Last question......I have no ideal of value and it doesn't really matter, I'm keeping this lovely thing, but the old guy at the garage sale had a double Fender that I passed on. Don't think anyone took it and I'm thinkin' of looking him up. Smart, or should I just work this one and let a double alone? Sorry this was so long, but I am quite excited and already am pleased with the sound my Fender puts out even
 though the strings are rusty and probably original. Thanks guys, and again, sorry this is so long.........Bud B |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 30 Nov 2009 5:43 pm
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Bud, what you have is an excellent guitar, a Fender Deluxe 8. These are very highly regarded and are classic steel guitars. The scale length is 22 1/2". Yeah, yours is in a little rough condition, but you can clean it up and if you don't mind the look too much and everything checks out electronically and mechanically (the tuners), you've got a winner. Actually, that would be a good candidate for stripping and refinishing.
The 2 knobs can be replaced with Telecaster knobs. The bridge pickup cover is missing and so is the trim knob for the pickup blend. There is someone selling repro bridge covers in the Buy and Sell area. Check Amps and Accessories, I think. Legs are harder to come by, but someone is still making them--you just have to be sure the threads on the legs match the sockets.
Good luck. Man, I've never found anything as good as that at a garage sale, but I did find my first steel guitar at Englishtown Flea Market for $25--it was an old 1930s Epiphone Model M.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Bud Bortner
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 30 Nov 2009 5:50 pm
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| Thanks Mike! A Deluxe 8! Gosh, I've already got another question! Is there somewhere on the Forum that discusses restoration? I'm mainly concerned with removal of the Fender plate and the fretboard. How tuff is it to remove those nail braids? What would you use? I don't want to damage either the board or the wood......Bud |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 30 Nov 2009 5:56 pm
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This is probably the most commonly restored guitar. Just search Stringmaster restoration or restore. Stringmaster is the name of this guitar in a multi-neck (from 2 up to 4)--a single neck is simply a Deluxe 8. There are many threads here on that topic. I think those are very easily removed.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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Posted 30 Nov 2009 6:57 pm
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Hi Bud and welcome to the forum. Great find, those old Fenders are great!
For string sets, click the Strings link at the top of the page.
How much did the guy want for the double Fender? Some of those are worth a few bucks.
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Some misc pics of my hand crafted steels
Follow me on Facebook here |
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Bud Bortner
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 30 Nov 2009 7:13 pm
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| Hi Tom, I got this one for $50 and the double was going for $75. It wasn't in much better shape than the one I got other than it had it's knobs. Also bought a Les Paul copy off him. He had all this stuff to restore, but decided he probably wouldn't get around to it. Me, I'm going to get right on it. I know how it is if you set something like this over in the corner with intentions of getting at it soon.......end up forgetting about it! Bud |
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Stan Schober
From:
Cahokia, Illinois, USA
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Posted 30 Nov 2009 9:34 pm
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Welcome , Bud !
NIce find.
I'll take the double if you don't want it, as long as it's in as good a condition as yours.
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Emmons S-8 P/P,DeArmond 40. Slowly drifting back towards sanity. |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 30 Nov 2009 10:18 pm
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Wow ! $50.00 and $75.00 ! How lucky can you get ? Get back there as fast as you can and get that double before someone else grabs it ! You won't be sorry.  |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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Bud Bortner
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 1 Dec 2009 5:54 pm
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| Got the idea......I'll track him down. Bet he still has it as most folks couldn't figure out what either of them were. Bud |
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Bud Bortner
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 1 Dec 2009 6:42 pm
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| I tracked down the farmer that held the garage sale (it was held at our local community building a week ago). Says he still has the double Fender. I'm on top of it tomorrow! Fraid I may have lost the advantage of dickering the price with him. I may have sounded too excited when he said he still had it....oh well. I'll still try to get him down to $50. If it all works out, I'll post a photo soon.....Bud |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 2 Dec 2009 7:20 am
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Give him $100 and a case of beer.
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To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Terry Farmer
From:
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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Posted 2 Dec 2009 9:22 am
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| Give him $100 and a case of beer. |
Good advice!. Slow down a little. Sit down with the man and get the story behind the guitars. Were they his? Did he get them new? Did he purchase them from someone? Did he play professionally? Did he play with a group? Where did they play? Has he got any interesting gig stories? Would he be willing to give you some playing tips?
I suspect the old farmer and his steel guitars has some great stories under his belt. |
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Lynn Oliver
From:
Redmond, Washington USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 2 Dec 2009 10:16 am
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| In addition to the refinishing threads here, take a look at the ReRanch site. ReRanch is also a good source for repro Fender finishes. |
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Bud Bortner
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 2 Dec 2009 2:31 pm
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OK guys, got the Fender and here comes a pic......Sat down with him for quite some time. He's a guitar player (and farmer). Told me the single D8 came out of Crosstimber Missouri and the double somewhere in Oklahoma. He's had them for over 35 years, and just never got around to working on them. Told him I would drop by when I had em in better shape. He just couldn't remember anything else about them. We talked music for bout an hour. Here comes the pic.......
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Stan Schober
From:
Cahokia, Illinois, USA
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Posted 2 Dec 2009 7:09 pm
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You, Sir, are a lucky, lucky man.
Congratulations !
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Emmons S-8 P/P,DeArmond 40. Slowly drifting back towards sanity. |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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Steve Norman
From:
Seattle Washington, USA
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Posted 2 Dec 2009 9:17 pm
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the double is a dual-8 professional 1952-56 with that pickup type (I think). they sell for about $700-800 in beat up playing condition, and $1000 up in fine/restored condition. If you unscrew and remove the pans where the tuners are located you should find the name of the luthier and the year in paint. There are a few rebuilders on here, you can get rebuilt legs, have the pickups rewound etc. They are fully restorable, and worth the time and money
Absolutely brilliant stroke of luck, after restore you may have a couple thousand dollars worth of stuff there, and some of the best sounding things ever made.
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS |
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Dave Mayes
From:
Oakland, Ca.
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Posted 2 Dec 2009 9:47 pm
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| This looks like a Fender Custom (triple neck) that lost it's outside neck somewhere along the way. |
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Bud Bortner
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 2 Dec 2009 10:57 pm
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| Thanks guys. Steve, you mentioned the pickup arrangment.....the single D8 had the PUs just in front of the bridge, in plain sight.I'm confused as to where they are on the double....under the bridge covers? I'll do some taking apart soon and find them. Also, The square plate between the 2 fretboards has a 3 way toggle and a 2 way switch on it.......anyone know if that is original? Thanks, Bud |
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Steve Norman
From:
Seattle Washington, USA
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Posted 2 Dec 2009 11:00 pm
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the trapezoid shape is a pickup and not a hand rest/gaurd, the strings pass through them versus over them. Rickenbacker did a similar thing.
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS |
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Steve Norman
From:
Seattle Washington, USA
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Bud Bortner
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 3 Dec 2009 3:10 pm
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| Yes! 2 Diamond shapes on each side. Still a possibility it is a cut-down triple? Bud |
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Bud Bortner
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 3 Dec 2009 3:19 pm
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| Steve, Thank you for sending me to those 2 sites! I see what you guys are saying.....the switch arrangement I have does seem to belong to a triple. Even with the 4 diamonds, someone along the line could have torn a third off and cut down the rods under the diamonds. Bud |
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Steve Norman
From:
Seattle Washington, USA
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Posted 3 Dec 2009 4:02 pm
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I would start a new thread titled 'vintage fender needs restored" or something to that effect. Get the attention of the right people.
BTW welcome to the forum!
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS |
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