The Steel Guitar Forum

Well, I just replaced my old Fender D8 that I let go in the past.. with this one from Jimmie H.

It has had some kind of refinish in the past, so I am not worried about doing another one/originality, but would like to keep it historically accurate. I have a couple of questions I hope you experts could help out on.. when I figure out the exact year of the guitar (it is one the way) I want to at least keep it to a “stock” Fender color.

All the information I can find tells me Fender actually sold D8’s with a myriad of colors including Fiesta Red, Sonic Blue, Sea Foam, etc in addition to the usual blond, black, walnut.

Has anyone ever come across one of these colors in the wild? I would really like to see one in Fiesta Red or sea foam if they actually painted some from the factory. (Heck.. I might paint it one of those anyway, but my gut says stay with stock colors.

Second question. Those of you that have done refinishes, what did you use to remove the paint that was easiest/safest?

And final question, is anyone selling the Fender logo waterslide?

Thanks everyone.

You need to take the guitar all apart and then use regular paint remover.
Gob it on, leave it for a while and then scrape off the old paint.
In the past, I have done this and if the guitar has had several coats of paint, you may need to reapply the paint remover a few extra times.
www.reranch.com has all the paint and supplies you might need.
Erv

Thanks Erv, I was hoping you saw this..

Any idea on stock colors in the years 55-59 or so?

PS, did you pull the two necks apart?

Hal,
Yes, you need to completely disassemble the guitar to do a good job. Just remove the diamonds on the front and back and you'll find a couple of rods holding the necks together. Unto those and separate the necks.
If you pull up the site I referenced, you'll find a section showing Fender colors.
I refinished my Stringmasters in Fender Blonde.
I added some tinted clear coat at the end to take away some of the whiteness and make them look vintage.
Here is an example of my refinishing work:

Wow.. at that point it looks like rechroming the metal and new fretboards are in order.. in for a penny, in for a pound.

Beautiful.

Hal,
I wouldn't do any rechroming.
Erv

Citristrip works to remove old finish about as well as anything. You still need good ventilation, but it won't make brain cells pop like the bubbles in your beer like good old methylchloride. As Erv said, apply it liberally and allow plenty of time to work. And multiple applications will be needed to remove that 60 yr old lacquer. Ideally, you'll want to get all of the old finish off before the new goes on. Be prepared for a long process before your SM is back together. Good Luck!
Joe

Yeah, I wouldn't rechrome either. In fact, if it were mine, I wouldn't even refinish it. I'd buy a can of the ReRanch Fender Blonde nitrocellulose lacquer, remove the diamonds, tape off and cover the top of the guitar to prevent overspray and then see if I could paint over the bare spot on the front with very light coats, blending with the surrounding paint. Maybe even trying a very light coat of the tinted lacquer that Erv mentioned to match the yellowed lacquer. If it doesn't work, you can still use that lacquer for your refinish job so you're not out much. You should probably wait a couple of weeks before applying the decal.

That's just me. You might not like the slightly worn look as much as I do.

Check out the vendor that Jeff Au Hoy linked in this thread for a decal. I ordered one for a Stringmaster project and although I haven't applied it yet, it looks right.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... ster+decal

Edit: I just noticed that you said that it had already been refinished so that might compel you to do a nicer job.

By the looks of how the paint is coming off, I don't think the surface was prepared correctly.
Spraying the paint on is the easy part, getting it ready is what takes the time.
Here's another one I did:

Hal Braun wrote: All the information I can find tells me Fender actually sold D8’s with a myriad of colors including Fiesta Red, Sonic Blue, Sea Foam, etc in addition to the usual blond, black, walnut.

Really? What information is that. As far as I am aware they only sold a very few custom order guitars in colours other than the standard blond or "walnut" (and, later, black).

But as you're refinishing yours, why not go for something a bit more interesting than the standard colours - there are already plenty of those around.

This is my refinished D8...

I believe ReRanch has some of those Fender colors listed on their site.
Erv

Jeff Mead wrote:

Hal Braun wrote: All the information I can find tells me Fender actually sold D8’s with a myriad of colors including Fiesta Red, Sonic Blue, Sea Foam, etc in addition to the usual blond, black, walnut.

Really? What information is that. As far as I am aware they only sold a very few custom order guitars in colours other than the standard blond or "walnut" (and, later, black).

But as you're refinishing yours, why not go for something a bit more interesting than the standard colours - there are already plenty of those around.

This is my refinished D8...

Now that’s what I’m talking about.. I am feeling that Fiesta Red.. period correct for strats.. who knows if anyone special ordered a SM with it..

Bill Sinclair wrote:Yeah, I wouldn't rechrome either. In fact, if it were mine, I wouldn't even refinish it. I'd buy a can of the ReRanch Fender Blonde nitrocellulose lacquer, remove the diamonds, tape off and cover the top of the guitar to prevent overspray and then see if I could paint over the bare spot on the front with very light coats, blending with the surrounding paint. Maybe even trying a very light coat of the tinted lacquer that Erv mentioned to match the yellowed lacquer. If it doesn't work, you can still use that lacquer for your refinish job so you're not out much. You should probably wait a couple of weeks before applying the decal.

That's just me. You might not like the slightly worn look as much as I do.

Check out the vendor that Jeff Au Hoy linked in this thread for a decal. I ordered one for a Stringmaster project and although I haven't applied it yet, it looks right.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... ster+decal

Edit: I just noticed that you said that it had already been refinished so that might compel you to do a nicer job.

Bill, thanks for that!

Hal Braun wrote:I am feeling that Fiesta Red.. period correct for strats.. who knows if anyone special ordered a SM with it..

Yes, I went with red for my quad refinish (not sure if it's Fiesta or not).

Jeff! You are an animal! That turned out really well, and certainly adds a bit of “wow” factor.. I am definitely going to consider the full list of period correct Fender colors..

My Lake Placid Blue metallic Deluxe 8 clone, using Reranch lacquer.

They are all coming out now.. let’s see those SM’s in color! Nice guitar Bill!

I resurrected from the wood pile a 56 Stringmaster Q8 outboard neck that had been converted to a pedal steel at one point.
Paired it with a inboard neck from a 64 T8.
The 56 was walnut.
The 64 was blond.
Finished them in their original colors.
The blond came out a little more yellow than I wanted, but I’ve seen very close to this color on originals.
I used a quart of seagrave per neck.

Resurrected and living in style again! The love child of a blond and a tall dark stranger

After doing a D8 basket case conversion to lefty using Re-Ranch paints (vintage cream), I completed a second D8 conversion in the ultra rare "cimmaron red" (aka colonial red at Home Depot). I also just completed a single neck stringmaster orphan as a lefty lap steel in warm yellow (also Home Depot). This "grab and go" steel is with me on vacation at OC MD as I write this.

Yow! All of those look great!

Plus there's always the "strip it down to bare wood and a few coats of Tru-Oil" solution...

That bare wood looks great! I love the single necks. I'm surprised Leo went to the trouble to make a separate single 6 & 8 design when the Stringmaster design works perfectly as a single, double, triple and quad!

I made a single neck Stringmaster:
It wasn't quite completed when this picture was taken.

Any words or cautions on removing the fretboard before refinishing? It doesn’t look all that thin, but I would hate to bend it. Thin putty knife all around under the edges and then pry carefully?