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Topic: Anyone know what kind of lap steel this is and how old? |
Rick Jackson
From:
Carson City, Nevada
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Posted 26 Sep 2016 5:26 pm |
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I didn't recognize the brand K & F. I see it was manufactured in Fullerton, CA...... |
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Steve Green
From:
Gulfport, MS, USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2016 5:52 pm
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| Wikipedia wrote: |
| K&F Manufacturing Corporation (Kauffman & Fender) was a company started by Clayton Orr Kauffman and Leo Fender in 1945. K&F manufactured amplifiers and electric lap steel guitars. Very few of the K&F instruments have survived. The amps featured an 8" speaker with one input with a volume control or a 10" speaker with two inputs and controls for Volume and Tone. The amps were sprayed with a gray "crinkle" finish with bare wood at the bottom where a bracket held the box during spraying. Kauffman left the company in February 1946. The company then became Fender. |
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Some songs I've written |
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Nathan Laudenbach
From:
Montana
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Posted 26 Sep 2016 6:18 pm
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| Im jealous man that is awesome! That's Fender before Fender! String that puppy up! |
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Frank Agliata
From:
Jersey Shore, USA
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Posted 26 Sep 2016 7:08 pm
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That may well be a showcase piece for Fender Corporate or even the Fullerton Museum. You should have it appraised . . 
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GFI Expo X1, Melbert 8, Rukavina 6
always learning |
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Rick Jackson
From:
Carson City, Nevada
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Posted 27 Sep 2016 7:24 am
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| Thanks to all. It belongs to a friend of mine and he will be happy to hear this info. The guitar belonged to his father....rj |
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Charles Stange
From:
San Francisco, California
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Posted 27 Sep 2016 7:31 am
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Hi Rick, If you dig a little on google there are many links to info on K & F lap steels, as well as earlier threads here on the forum.... 
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Charles 'Skip' Stange |
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Bill Thomson
From:
Ocean City, Maryland, USA
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Posted 9 Oct 2016 6:09 pm
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You are holding a piece of History.
The first electric guitars that Leo Fender built were these K & F Hawaiian steel guitars. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 9 Oct 2016 8:49 pm
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If you do some research in the Vintage Guitar Price Guide, although they're very cool to have they are not museum pieces. There were quite a few made, and full-original ones in excellent condition are valued just under $2k. The corrosion on this one will knock that down a tad, and it needs to be working. Also, the tuner button replacement will devalue it a bit. Really one of those things that a collector might want to complete a set - but there's a far smaller market for these than vintage Fender fretted guitars.
A vintage dealer that handles that type of item should be able to do an appraisal for a fee - Gruhn, Elderly and Mandolin Brothers come to mind off the top of my head. Most vintage guitar dealers aren't familiar with lap steels and over or under value them.
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No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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