Tuner Pans for Fender Deluxe

Cliff Scholle · From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA

I've got a double-8 Fender Deluxe...at least that's what I think it's called. This steel has the trapazoidal pickups, where the strings go through an oblong hole in the magnet. Anyway, some Einstein tried to mod this guitar into a pedal steel and drilled 1/4" holes into the tuning pans. Bet he or she was surprised when they first tried the pedals....the guitar only has three legs and probably fell right over. A couple of the gears are stripped, too. I believe I read on this forum that someone had tuning pans that would fit this guitar. Was it Joe Naylor? If so, I don't know how to get in touch with Mr. Naylor. Anyone have a recollection of those old posts or a source for replacement tuner pans? Thanks for your help.

Cliff

Bob Stone · From: Gainesville, FL, USA

Cliff,

Sounds like you have a Dual 8 Professional. I doubt you will find any tuner pans. Those holes might not be pretty, but they won't hurt anything. It's a pretty common situation.

If my memory serves me correctly, Don Curtis at Scotty's in St. Louis has devised a succcessful repair for stripped or damaged tuner parts for the Fender steels.

Good luck,

Bob

J D Sauser · From: Wellington, Florida

I'd reckon Ed Nailor of Bobbe Seymore ought'a be able to sell you a fourth leg for it, so it won't tip over with them peddles

... J-D.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Cliff--I've got the exact same deal--yes it is a Dual Professional model. Someone drilled holes in the tuner pans. The more I read the more I discover how common a practice this was. I am certain that there are forum members who have done this but are too embarrassed to come forward. And I can guarantee that if I had been around then I would have done it too, after hearing Bud Isaacs' first pedaled notes.
And yes, that guitar tipped right over, as evidenced by the fact that the owner of my Dual Pro milled out the bottom of the guitar and added a fourth leg--he was way ahead of you, J-D. But he sure didn't do a pretty job.
Ronnie Hiatt urged me to buy this on ebay and when I'm not cursing him I'm making plans on how to restore this into a guitar he would have been proud of.

I tried to replace the tuner pans but couldn't find the right ones. Be aware that there are at least three different styles of pans. I don't know the history or the years
they corresponded to but I have seen the square ones like in the pics above with a straight center bar, I have seen ones with a tapered center bar, I have seen ones that incorporated the nut in a single piece, just an extended bit of bent metal, as opposed to the photo with a separate machined nut---bottom line, you can call around but don't get too excited if someone says 'yeah, I've got one' until you're sure it's the right one (been there, done that).
My advice? Un-bend that coat hanger and hook yourself up a pedal!

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Incidently--my observation is that it is not the worm gear but the pinion gear (I don't know if my terminology is correct) that strips. It may lose a tooth -OR- the whole unit may have broken a weld so that the worm and gear no longer engage. I have read here that re-soldering it is a viable solution. I may try that some day but it is a new chop for me--never done structural soldering before. But on another tuner where the tooth was indeed broken, I exchanged a gear from a cheep-o guitar I had lying around and it was a perfect fit. Before you go turning all those tuners, make sure that the mechanical parts are well cleaned and lubed. The last thing they need, at their age, is to be twisted with all sorts of dirt, dust, grime and all freezing them up. Something will give out, for sure.

I'm no expert. These are just semi-intelligent observations here in Brooklyn. Things may happen differently where you are.

--Luck.

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I just want to say--I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the forum members who have educated me on this subject over the last couple of years. There is a hell of a knowledge base here.

[This message was edited by Jon Light on 24 May 2000 at 02:12 PM.]

Cliff Scholle · From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Jon - Thanks for your input. I recall now that we discussed this issue about a year ago. Since then, the local utility company blasted my computer when they shorted the primary on our street, so I've lost all record of those emails. For your information, a couple of the gears on my steel were loose, and I had them resoldered. I'm not sure that you could do it with any kind of a standard soldering setup. I took my pans to a jeweler friend and he used his little mircro-torch to solder them back onto the turner pans. Those guys have all sorts of fancy fluxes to use so that the solder will make a good, secure joint. I had hoped that when the "wiggles" were taken out of the gears (attached solidly to the pan), they would work better. Nope...they didn't. I have thoroughly cleaned and greased the individual gears, but I couldn't tell whether it was the gear or the worm that was stripped. It only slips back when there is heavy tension on the gear, i.e. when it's put back together and strung up. Ain't that the usual?

Thanks for the info regarding the different types of pans. Mine is the one-piece, where the nut is just an extension of the pan. I'll poke around a bit and see if I get lucky. By the way, it's a beautiful sounding steel. Take care and be well.

Cliff

Eric Stumpf · From: Newbury, NH 03255

Hi Cliff, I'm sorry I never met you when I lived in Santa Barbara (15 years). Do you know Bill Flores at Jensen Music? If not, look him up; a very talented multi-instrumentalist and a prince among men. He plays some fine non-pedal steel and can help you with your guitar. I forget his name, but another fellow at the same store might still have a Fender tuner pan with working tuners that I gave him a few years ago. Good luck.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Cliff--boy, if this isn't a perfect example of one of the flaws of internet communication--we make friends via a few back and forth emails and then we just plain forget. I would be embarrassed except that I have come to recognize it as just the nature of the beast. Yes, I still have our discussions and comparisons of our instruments as we both tried to learn about what it was we had on our hands. Yep, I remember it all now.
Now if I can just remember where I put my glasses....

---and yes, that is a real good idea of bringing the pan to a jeweler. I do have a little torch but why melt down the whole thing when I can bring it to someone with a clue.

Take it easy.

Cliff Scholle · From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Eric - What a small world. Of course, I'm familiar with Jensen's music store and Bill Flores. He can play it all...fiddle, guitar, lap steel, pedal steel, sax, squeeze box. Never thought about asking him about my steel. I'll talk to him later this week. Thanks.

And Jon - There's a couple things that happen when you get older. You lose your memory, and I can't remember the other thing..... Happy trails.

Cliff

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