Solid koa Stringmaster-style Deluxe

David Nelson · Post by **David Nelson** » 27 Jan 2013 8:41 pm

Before taking Mr. Piburn's entry seriously, consider his vested interest in selling his own solid koa lap steel guitars at prices some might consider insane.

Stephen Cowell · Post by **Stephen Cowell** » 27 Jan 2013 8:44 pm

Peggy Green wrote:My guitar repair guy, w/ gold records on his wall,told me my Fender Deluxe pickup could disintegrate at any moment ;(. I'm 62 playing a 61 year old guitar. I'd be very interested in the Fender instrument. If I don't disintegrate first.

The pickups (*not* the pickup covers!) are the easiest thing to replace on the guitar besides the strings. Search eBay for 'stringmaster' and you'll see the Duncan Antiquities... they're not that expensive, really. Make sure you get a matched set with RWRP so they'll humbuck.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 28 Jan 2013 5:30 am

David Nelson wrote:Before taking Mr. Piburn's entry seriously, consider his vested interest in selling his own solid koa lap steel guitars at prices some might consider insane.

Where'd that come from?

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 Jan 2013 8:29 am

Dennis,
It's neither.

How do you spell: ripoff?

Michael Lee Allen · Post by **Michael Lee Allen** » 28 Jan 2013 9:08 am

deleted

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 28 Jan 2013 9:10 am

If that "re-creation" is worth $12K... my original is worth 24K!

Bosse Engzell · Post by **Bosse Engzell** » 28 Jan 2013 9:21 am

Is the USD12K the price tag??
If so, I continu to build my 8-string.

Bosse in Sweden

Peggy Green · Post by **Peggy Green** » 28 Jan 2013 9:57 am

Michael Lee Allen wrote:IF Ms Green's Fender Deluxe is 61 years old it is the earlier model with the single "trap" trapezoid pickup made before the Stringmaster existed. Those pickups do come apart or collapse in the center over time. Stringmasters came out sometime in 1953 and the single neck Deluxe "with Stringmaster features" wasn't introduced until sometime in 1956.

That's right. But it impressed upon me the need for that sound in a durable package that can withstand travel and all the road vibrations that come with that.

That is way too much money to pay for a new guitar. I do love the short scale. My Allison lap steel is fantastic. I would take it and it alone to any gig and feel I could handle it with just the C6. But I need that sound for my A7/C6 split tuning also, so my Deluxe needs some relief from being the goto axe for that tuning. Allison is 23" scale. I do like the 22 !/2".

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 Jan 2013 10:13 am

Peggy Green · Post by **Peggy Green** » 28 Jan 2013 10:30 am

Hi Erv. I have both those guitars. The Melobar TeleRatt is my 6 string alter ego for my little Champ.

Peggy Green · Post by **Peggy Green** » 28 Jan 2013 11:22 am

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 28 Jan 2013 11:48 am

Very nice!!!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 29 Jan 2013 9:40 am

Custom Shop Deluxe 8 price confirmed... $12,000!!!

George, you were right!

I just got an email from my friend at NAMM:

Hi Doug,

I went to look at both items. The steel is ridiculously expensive: $12,000 list!

The Magnatone amps are also very pricey, though I didn't get a price list.

It appears that the current Fender Corporation is milking the Fender brand for every last drop. I'm reminded of the P.T. Barnum quote... "There's a sucker born every minute". $:\$

Mike Anderson · Post by **Mike Anderson** » 29 Jan 2013 10:17 am

$12K for a single 8...insane. To me that represents a Clinesmith double or triple AND a luthier-built archtop. And a vacation for the family.

I'm disgusted.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 29 Jan 2013 10:25 am

$12K will also buy you 12 nice original Fender Deluxe 8's.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 29 Jan 2013 10:39 am

A couple years ago I was Tele shopping (before I found my Fender American Deluxe Tele here from a Forum member).

I was in a guitar shop in San Francisco. A friend of mine a few years ago bought a Tele-style guitar from Tom Anderson of southern California. It's a fine guitar, and Tom and crew indeed make fine guitars.

In that shop in SF I A/B'd an Anderson vs. a new Fender Custom Shop Telecaster. The Anderson was nice, but all things considered, had I been in buying mode that day, I preferred the Fender Custom Shop guitar. The price? Just under $2500. That's a fairly expensive Tele any way you slice it, but not ridiculous...not everything from the Fender Custom shop is ridiculous.

This koa Fender Custom Shop steel, even if it had a street price of say 25% off making it around nine grand - now that's ridiculous!

Ben Elder · Post by **Ben Elder** » 29 Jan 2013 11:36 am

Dave Mayes · Post by **Dave Mayes** » 29 Jan 2013 12:15 pm

That's a lot of money for a steel who's fretboard doesn't have any fret number position markers above the 24th fret!

Peggy Green · Post by **Peggy Green** » 29 Jan 2013 12:31 pm

What tuning? 5 wound strings out of 8. C6 with E(3rd) on top?

Peggy Green · Post by **Peggy Green** » 29 Jan 2013 9:00 pm

Dave Mayes wrote:That's a lot of money for a steel who's fretboard doesn't have any fret number position markers above the 24th fret!

Very observant Dave! Great catch. Watch out for that 27th fret you'll miss it!

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 29 Jan 2013 9:02 pm

Dave Mayes wrote:That's a lot of money for a steel who's fretboard doesn't have any fret number position markers above the 24th fret!

That'll cost you another $2K.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 30 Jan 2013 1:07 am

Before taking Mr. Piburn's entry seriously, consider his vested interest in selling his own solid koa lap steel guitars at prices some might consider insane.

Totally uncalled for. Besides the fact that he simply listed an accurate fact, George has put his money where his mouth is for years to create fine instruments, instructional materials and help keep the instrument alive and kicking. What have you done?

Jack Aldrich · Post by **Jack Aldrich** » 30 Jan 2013 8:10 am

I use my Deluxe 8 a lot when I don't need the B11 neck on my Stringmaster D8, at kanekapilas, hulau backups, etc. I keep the same tuning on all my lap steel and resonator 8's, so it's easy switching from on to the other (except for different string lengths).

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 2 Feb 2013 9:35 pm

Hey Ben, Great find! You didn't tell me about this at Deke's.

Do you have any more photos of this guitar?

Dennis Smith · Post by **Dennis Smith** » 5 Feb 2013 3:06 pm

Hi, I was looking a video on youtube of the Fender custom shop guitars and they had a Tele that sold for $120,000.00! Makes the Stringmaster seem cheap.