The Steel Guitar Forum

What is a fair price for this Fender 6 string lap steel? I think it is a Champ. Blond, Kluson Deluxe tuners in pan with black plastic knobs, single Stringmaster style pickup, small fret numbers on fret board, excellent+ condition, tweed case in very good condition, all original but for replaced tuner buttons.

Thanks
Jim

Photos would be very helpful in guessing a value. Currently I see them going for between $400 and $800 USD.

You can search eBay for completed auctions to get an idea of what similar guitars have sold for recently.

It seems that a lot if not most of those Fender lap steels I've been seeing on eBay have been robbed of their original pickups and swapped out for Seymour Duncan Antiquity pickups. I myself really can't tell the difference in looks but thankfully most of the dealers are honest about it and mention it in the listing. I get suspicious when they get elusive about details like that or can't answer the question because they're "selling it for their cousin" or something. Just something to be aware of when pricing. I would value one with the original pickup at quite a bit higher than one without.

I've got two Champs... they're going for 4-600$, depending... the high end of that would include original case.

I'm not that fond of their original pickups... a Musicmaster/Duo-Sonic/Mustang style of pickup, pretty zingy sounding. The one of mine I'm playing these days is tuned to open E and has a Seymour Duncan single-size humbucker in it.

Here are some pics. I am confident the pickup is original.

That's a very clean example of a late 50's Champ... I'd expect you could command $650 for it, with case. You won't get much more... its big brother goes for around $1000, and it's got two pickups, 8 strings, and three legs. Two necks, $1200... three necks, $1500... more, in clean condition.

That is just like the one I played...
Just a few years ago!

Stephen Cowell wrote:That's a very clean example of a late 50's Champ... I'd expect you could command $650 for it, with case. You won't get much more... its big brother goes for around $1000, and it's got two pickups, 8 strings, and three legs. Two necks, $1200... three necks, $1500... more, in clean condition.

Don't forget the 2 pickup 6 string 3 leg in between. D6

John RJ Wilson wrote:

Stephen Cowell wrote:That's a very clean example of a late 50's Champ... I'd expect you could command $650 for it, with case. You won't get much more... its big brother goes for around $1000, and it's got two pickups, 8 strings, and three legs. Two necks, $1200... three necks, $1500... more, in clean condition.

Don't forget the 2 pickup 6 string 3 leg in between. D6

... and there's another six-string with single white pickup and legs in between too. And speaking of White...