I wonder where the old Fender molds are?

Ron Victoria · Post by **Ron Victoria** » 15 Nov 2007 1:15 pm

They had metal molds for stamping the Stringmaster bridge covers. Too bad they didn't surface as they probably could be adapted to a stamping machine and crank out some more. You think Fender just tossed all the production stuff after ending production?

ron

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 15 Nov 2007 6:15 pm

Many of the parts may have been from an outside fabricator, like a stamping plant, etc to make the sheet metal parts like the covers.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 15 Nov 2007 7:23 pm

Fender had their own stamping machines. Jody Carver might know.

Rick Alexander · Post by **Rick Alexander** » 15 Nov 2007 7:42 pm

Jody knows where they are, but he's not telling . .

Roger Shackelton · Post by **Roger Shackelton** » 15 Nov 2007 8:06 pm

What about the Fender copies made in China?

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 15 Nov 2007 8:43 pm

Rick Alexander wrote:Jody knows where they are, but he's not telling . .

He could tell you, but then he'd have to kill you...

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 15 Nov 2007 9:41 pm

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 16 Nov 2007 4:49 am

looks like Bill knows by those smiles.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 16 Nov 2007 10:07 am

they're down in Mexico, along w: the Confederate gold

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 16 Nov 2007 10:44 am

CrowBear Schmitt wrote:they're down in Mexico, along w: the Confederate gold

And I ain't sharing....

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 16 Nov 2007 12:34 pm

It can't be a very hard mold to make, if you have the equipment for stamping out these things.

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 17 Nov 2007 11:41 am

Someone with machine shop and die making knowledge is missing opportunity here. There must be a lot of Fender instruments that need replacement parts.

Al Szwarc · Post by **Al Szwarc** » 17 Nov 2007 11:32 pm

Hi Ron: hope you are doing well and playing plenty.

Easy enough to find out. Plenty of stamping shops around. You hand them a piece and they will quote you a price on a hundred of them. Or you can pay the tooling charge and you own the tools. Then you can make all you want forever. How's that??? al

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 18 Nov 2007 9:33 am

Then you gotta get them chromed.

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 18 Nov 2007 9:44 am

REMOVED

Al Szwarc · Post by **Al Szwarc** » 18 Nov 2007 9:48 am

Chromed is much easier than getting them made. People have car parts chromed without much trouble or outlandish expense. al

Al Szwarc · Post by **Al Szwarc** » 18 Nov 2007 9:59 am

Of course you won't make any money. This endevor would certainly be a labor of love and a service to fellow pickers. A good metal worker might be able to fabricate one or a few without making the tooling. I might be wrong but I think it is a piece of sheet with 4 bends and rounded ends. Does that sound right??? al

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 18 Nov 2007 10:12 am

How many different models are there? Six string is different from eight string, for sure.

How much would people be willing to pay for them, if they look exactly correct? $20 each? $30?

How many people have lost their originals? I still have mine. I think that the total world market for any Stringmaster replacement part is probably less than 100 units/year. Of those, most people want the parts that wear out: tuners, pickups, leg sockets, pots. I don't imagine that there's much of a market for tuner pans, fretboards, nuts or bridges.

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 18 Nov 2007 3:47 pm

REMOVED

Ron Victoria · Post by **Ron Victoria** » 18 Nov 2007 7:09 pm

I was going to try to make some if I didn't get transferred out of the middle school metalshop. My plan was to form copper or tin over a wooden mold. I would have to make relief cuts to get the compound angle. I then planned on filling and shaping with solder. Lastly, get it chromed. It would have been a good match. Having a set of matching dies tooled wouldn't be cheap.

The Steel Guitar Forum

I wonder where the old Fender molds are?

I wonder where the old Fender molds are?

Not hard to find out

Chromed

WOW