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Topic: Fender Studio Deluxe -- when were they made? |
Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 17 Apr 2018 5:19 am |
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Trying to put an approximate date on my Studio Deluxe. The usual methods of searching under the tuning pan and checking the date codes on the pots won't work, because the instrument was refinished and sold stripped of all its electronic components.
Knowing that it's virtually useless, the number stamped on the mounting plate is -05037. The seller claimed it was a 1959 or 1960. Any ideas?
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J Fletcher
From:
London,Ont,Canada
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Posted 17 Apr 2018 5:55 am
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Hi Jack
I believe that serial numbers that start with "-" date to 1957. When the plate was installed might be later than that though. |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 17 Apr 2018 6:10 pm
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| J Fletcher wrote: |
Hi Jack
I believe that serial numbers that start with "-" date to 1957. When the plate was installed might be later than that though. |
Thanks for the info, J. If that's the case, '59 or '60 may be a fairly accurate estimate. Doesn't appear that the Studio Deluxe went through too many changes through the years. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2018 5:35 am
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| Thanks, Doug. Yes indeed, it has single-line Kluson Deluxes. And the white plastic buttons are about as nice as I've seen on a vintage instrument, which leads me to believe they probably are replacements. It's beginning to seem more and more that the seller's estimate of 1959-1960 was likely correct. |
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Bryan Martin
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 18 Apr 2018 3:43 pm
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Jack, according to the book: Fender, the golden age, the studio deluxe was manufactured from 1955, and was unchanged throughout its entire production. White plastic tuners distinguished it from the Champ. So it seems it may be difficult to pin down the exact year.
Still old and still cool whatever the year.
Cheers, Bryan |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 18 Apr 2018 4:17 pm
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I agree that it would be hard to pinpoint the exact year the guitar was made. Regarding the serial number, it’s not completely useless. I think each Fender steel guitar model had its own sequence of numbers. So you could compare your number to other Studio Deluxe serial numbers to find out which ones were made earlier or later. Some owners may know the exact year from pencil dates or pot codes. If I owned that guitar I would put in a good pickup and new electronics and just call it a 1950s Studio Deluxe with new electronics.
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2018 5:08 pm
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| Doug Beaumier wrote: |
| If I owned that guitar I would put in a good pickup and new electronics and just call it a 1950s Studio Deluxe with new electronics. |
And that's exactly what I did after I got it, Doug. It has a Strat-style Alnico V pickup with a special unradiused blade-type polepiece from Vintage Vibe in Hawaii. Fits the mounting plate perfectly. Sounds way, way better than any Champ I've ever played (which ain't sayin' a whole lot, I know).
I really do like the instrument. My only nitpick is its relatively narrow string spacing, especially in comparison to the 6-string Gibsons that I usually play. Since it's a refin with little if any collector value, it usually resides in the back of the van with a Roland Micro Cube for those impromptu jams in the park or whatever. |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 18 Apr 2018 5:26 pm
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| Bryan, I was unaware they went back as far as '55, but it stands to reason they would be manufactured concurrently with the Champs. With the exception of the leg sockets, tuner buttons, and possibly the control knobs, the two models are virtually identical. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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