The Steel Guitar Forum

I was amazed to see a Deluxe 8 just like mine sell for for more than 2 grand on eBay...I had no idea they had increased in value so much....I guess the pristine condition had something to do with it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Lap-Steel-Ha ... 4cf8cd9f3b

Actually, that ebay sale was posted here - http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=208979

I wonder if a forum member bought it => forum donation.

Jeremy - Somebody got a nice looking guitar, but I think they got caught up in a bidding frenzy. That guitar has a CBS warranty, so it's post-1964, although the seller's posting said it was manufactured "between 1950-69". Earlier this year I purchased a 1954 or '55 Deluxe Eight (#000324). It's in very good condition (just a couple of dings)and I bought it for $1,100. If you look at the bidding history on this one, the high bidder on Wednesday was $1,000 and a day later, it sold for $2025. Go figure.

When I clicked on the completed auction, I took a double take!!!!! I wonder how many watchers it had?

ron

That one is definitely poly, so it's a 68 or later.

I have one that's got the older logo name plate, and is lacquer, with a date of 4-67.

My Deluxe 6 has the later logo (like that one), and is poly, cant remember the date but I'm almost certain it's a 68.

It's weird, the old poly they used back then really yellows, the blond almost turns into a "TV Yellow".

It costs money when getting caught up in a bidding contest ! For 2 grand it should have been a T-8 !

How about this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1955-Fender-Stringm ... 2a1256ff1a

?!

That triple sold for $800.

ron

Cartwright Thompson wrote:How about this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1955-Fender-Stringm ... 2a1256ff1a
?!

It sold for $3,250 plus $40.10 shipping.

No wonder--the metal parts are shinny.

Watch to see if it comes up for auction again....I have seen some auctions be driven up by an inside bidder only to have the insider win and have it posted again a week or so later. If you watch some of these ebay guys for awhile you can see that happen now and then.

That one is definitely poly, so it's a 68 or later.

I have one that's got the older logo name plate, and is lacquer, with a date of 4-67.

My Deluxe 6 has the later logo (like that one), and is poly, cant remember the date but I'm almost certain it's a 68.

It's weird, the old poly they used back then really yellows, the blond almost turns into a "TV Yellow".

I'm not an expert, but I disagree here. I have a Deluxe 8 dated 12/62 and an earlier '59/'60 Champ which has the same "Spaghetti" logo.

The seller said it was found as part of her grandmother's music store inventory, so it could simply be "that" clean. Nitrocellulose lacquer only yellows if it's exposed to UV light; and, not all instruments had clear lacquer topcoats. Actually, not all Fenders finishes were nitro, some were acrylic (different from the later poly) which did not yellow in the same way. Also, I don't think the pictures are detailed enough to show the texture of the finish.

Further clues suggest that it's from 1966: the logo on the case and the CBS warranty both place it after '65 (the sale to CBS) and before '67 (logo with tail). So that's my steel guitar CSI moment. this is a really goud resource for dating fenders: http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html#cases

On the other hand, Gruhns has their D-8s at around 2500.00 so, what do I know?

Neither of those logos I speak of are "spaghetti" logos.
Both my 67's cases have no tail on the logo either.
Of course the only way to be sure of the date is the pencil date, which on my 67's they were NOT in the tuner pan pocket on the Deluxe models, it is on the pickup bobbins.

Can you still get parts for the vintage Fenders? Is there anything problematic on the old Fenders?

No, you can't get old parts easily. The only problematic part might be the tuners, if they haven't been maintained.