Fender™ De-Luxe 8

basilh · From: United Kingdom

I have just acquired a Fender™ De-Luxe 8 ser # 251. It's dark brown and has 3 legs and 2 pick-ups with the balance control under the bridge cover.
The condition is VG regarding the chrome work, fretboard and machine heads,but it's paintwork is chipped and generally rather poor.
What colour should I get it re-sprayed, and what type of paint is the best for the job ?
ANY info would be most appreciated.

BTW. what is it's CURRENT value approx?

For those of you who contact me regularly, I have moved house. My NEW address is :-
Basil Henriques
Ballinalack House,
Ballinalack,
County Westmeath,
IRELAND
NB the OLD 'phone # (int+902-36239) is now gone, my 24-7 # is int+(0)879-33-44-20.
More Info on Sammy Mitchell.
He died at 3:00 am July 31st 1999 at the Westcliffe Hospital Stoke on Trent, following complications with a hip replacement and also Emphysema. The funeral was on August 9th.
John Marsden has informed me that a new CD of Felix Mendelssohn's Hawaiian Seranaders has just been compiled and is due for release in both the UK and USA in September.
Sammy Mitchell is featured extensively on this CD.
Also, Ron Whittacker has 3 cassettes available of Sammy Mitchell, that Sammy recorded on a portastudio at home. I believe that his playing on these is some of the best he has ever done.

------------------

Mark Davis · From: Bakersfield, Ca

Its current value is around $500-575

But if you refinish it probably around $250-300.

Dont refinish it unless your sure you wanna keep it the rest of your life. Fender isnt making anymore of these and they can only go up in value if all original.

George Keoki Lake · From: Edmonton, AB., Canada

Hi there Bas...

I found a beat up old Rickenbacher fry pan in Hawai'i a few years ago at an estate sale. Looking at it, you'd swear it had been thrown into the Ala Wai canal or used as an outrigger paddle during its career. "Old ugly", but the sound is all there. I was thinking of refinishing it, but many told me the same advice as above.
DON'T DO IT. Now, (as the song goes), "I've Grown Accustomed to (its) Look". It has a definite character as will your guitar in a few years from now.
It was sad losing Sammy. Ron sent me some of his material a few years ago and I agree, he was an excellent musician....as are you.

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Hey Basilh; judging from the Dark Brown color your talking about; I would also guess it has a Black case(original). Then this would be a Deluxe that was made in the 60's and at that time Fender was using regular Ash wood and "to me"(cause I had one)> didn't even come close to the awesome sound of the 50's models when they used the "Swamp Ash" wood.
Me personally; I would paint the heck out of it; as that particular Fender deluxe from the 60's just didn't mean as much to me as the one I had from the 50's(that I wouldn't touch with a "ten foot pole/brush)ha....LOL.
Yes original is cool and you can count on someone paying a better price for it because it's original(but I know that guitar and I wouldn't pay more than 300.00 for it. But I would pay 700.00 for a 50's model.
I personally would(if you decide to)> get it professionally stripped, paint pearl white; and do a retro> laquer finish to it. Of course, don't listen to me> I've sold all my steels that I was just talking about>so what the "hell" do I know?

Have fun.
Ricky

[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 20 May 2001 at 11:32 PM.]

Jason Lollar · From: Seattle area

I bought a bakelite rick that Ricky had nailed dingleballs to around the bottom edge with upolstery tacks!

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

OH hey Jason you still have that pal???

I figured you have taken off the digleballs by now.
When they really get to swingin'> it just adds sooooooo much to the tone man.

Ricky

Dana Duplan · From: Ramona, CA

Ricky and Bas:
I have had at least three of the dark brown Stringmasters and none '60s era with the black case--two were tweed and one brown. In fact, my main triple neck that I now use is a dark brown from 1956. The brown color definately shows minor flaws more than the blonde. My vote is to keep it original, if you need one a lot cleaner you could always pick up another one--the old upgrade thing.
DD

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Hey Dana; are we talking about a single neck 8-string with stringmaster pickups? If so> that is what I was refering to that in the 60's they came in Black cases and some were brown and some were blonde.
Yes indeed some double and triples were brown in the 50's and most all doubles and triples came in light brown/brown or yellowish cases.
I'm mainly talking about the single deluxe. Did or do you have a single deluxe w/stringmaster pickups that is brown that came in a brown or yellow case??? If so>WOW> I've never seen one and ya learn something new everyday here man.
Cool.
Ricky

Mark Davis · From: Bakersfield, Ca

I've seen single neck brown ones too but not as many as the Blonde ones.

There were 3 different types of cases used thru the years. The original ones are tweed with leather ends then in the late 50's to early 60's they went to brown tolex with leather ends then they switched to all Black Tolex around 65 and stayed that way till they stopped making them. There are even a couple different blk Tolex cases too with minor differences in the F in the Fender logo.

Alot of the early & mid 60's ones were made with old parts laying around from the 50's too so some of those could have the better older woods.

The Fender Custom Shop is really missing the boat by not making these as reissue models.

Steve Honum · From: Oregon, USA

Mark, you are right about the guys at Fender missing the boat. A few months ago I posted a question about Stringmasters from Fender Japan. In the early 90's I had a poster which showed every model Fender guitar available. In the lower right hand corner was a double neck stringmaster and a single 8 Deluxe which was part of the range made in Japan at that time. The only comments from forum members was that 2nd hand ones are out there, fairly plentiful and probably cheaper than a new Japanese one, which is fairly correct. I'm still curious and phoned Fender customer service a while back. The guy on the phone did not know if they were being made in Japan or if they were available. I was at the NAMM show in Anaheim last winter and visited the huge Fender display. When I posed the question about Stringmasters from Japan, or possibly resissuing them in the US to their senior reps they literally laughed in my face and said there would be no demand. They were totally not interested. Too busy with their chromeplated strats and wang bars. Anyway, I've got my single 8 deluxe and dig it the most. Still, it would be nice to see Fender readdress the steel market. They have looked back pretty well with alot of their other products.
haere mai,
Steve H.

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