The Steel Guitar Forum

I've got the Fender steel bug again. I don't want a double neck (can't lift it) so I guess it's a 400 but I'm not sure what to go after. What are the pros/cons of the 24-1/2" scale and the 23" scale versions. Also, which pickup version is the better choice; the early wide fat one or the later skinny one? Any and all advice about Fender steels would be appreciated!


Bob M.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bob Metzger on 23 May 2002 at 01:26 PM.]</p></FONT>

There is a 400 on consignment at Charlie's Guitar shop in Dallas.
Absolutely beautiful. Blond Finish. Case is A1.
It has the big fat black pickup.
I have played it as a non-pedal and it sounds great through a tweed amp. The shop does not deal in steels. As a customer, I help them out from time to time.
I can find out more if you are interested.




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Fender Stringmaster T-8
PV N400

Another available on ebay.....

Hi Bob,

You are referring to a Fender 400, which is a pedal steel guitar and as far as I know it only was made in a 23 inch scale. Only the non-pedal lap/console Fender Steel Guitars came in different scale lengths.

Roger

My Fender 400 has 23 in. scale and the wide pickup,im not sure but i think the Fender 1000 has a 24. scale.

My information on Fender tells me that the 400 was made from 1958 thru 1962 as a 24-1/2" scale instrument, 8 string with a wide fat looking pickup, not too unlike a Jazzmaster pickup. The nut and bridge were each a chrome bar, which was changed to a roller nut and bridge for years 1962-1963. Sometime after that (who knows when), Fender moved to the 23" scale for the 400 (and the 1000, too). The roller bridge was changed to an individually cam action bridge. Also, in the period between '63 and '66, (a huge period of change for Fender) a new changer appeared, a new pickup (skinny, with sawtooth metal side, i.e., Jaguar), foot pedals grew smaller and became black and a larger roller nut was fitted. When exactly each appeared with the small run of pedal guitars that Fender made is anybody's guess. I've seen examples of 24-1/2" 400's a with the roller nut and bridge but after that the scale change came.

I was really asking about people's preferences, especially those who have played with the various pickups and feature changes.

Thanks,

Bob M.

The 24 1/2' to 23" scale change was made in '63. This was a year after they added the roller bridge and nut, which was in 1962. The blond to sunburst change was made in 62, also. The blond guitars all had the wide pickup, and only the earliest sunburst guitars had the wide pickup. By late '63, they were all sunburst, short-scale, narrow pickups. (I liked the longer scale, tuned to a D9th, and the C6th with the "E" on top.) Even with the non-roller bridge and nut, string breakage wasn't really bad (I played a '58 for about 7 or 8 years). I think the combination of the long scale and solid bridge/nut gave them superior sustaining quality.

Hi Bob Metzger:

I would recommend that you acquire a Fender 800 instead of the Fender 400.

The Fender 800 came out around 1964 and had certain improments over the Fender 400 (10 string vs 8 string; double sharpen and flatten changer vs single sharpen and flatten changer).

These are significant changes that will probably add to your enjoyment of playing an old Fender pedal steel guitar.

I've been playing my Fender 1000 (which has none of the improvements mentioned above) for over 35 years; but I would really prefer to be playing a 10 string instrument.

Good luck.

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Regards,
Al Gershen
Grants Pass, Oregon. USA
Fender 1000 (1956),
Fender PS 210 (1971) &
Gibson Electraharp EH-820 (1960)
Al's Photos at http://www.alsphotographs.com

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Al Gershen on 24 May 2002 at 12:05 PM.]</p></FONT>

I apologize for the double post; I'm having a Postdata cache problem. (Anybody know the solution to that?)

Bob M.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bob Metzger on 25 May 2002 at 02:49 PM.]</p></FONT>

Al,
I've come to just about the same conclusion about the Fender 800 pedal steel. If I had alot of 'display space' (and alot more disposable income - that's an oxymoron like giant shrimp) then I'd get a 400 just to have around but since I'd like to gig with this and not just use it on a session or two once and awhile, I think the 800 with the 10 strings and double raise/double lower is a better idea for me and my E9th tuning style. I just wish that the 800 came in a 24-1/2" scale with that fat pickup, but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride!

Bob M.

Bob
You said it "twice" but twice as nice,,sounds
good to me .