Is it a Fender delux 8

Doug Freeman · Post by **Doug Freeman** » 4 Aug 2012 10:32 am

Thanks for posting this pic, Hal, as well as the one of your new rhythm guitar.

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 6 Aug 2012 2:42 am

Well I bought the Fender, what should I do with it. Should I sand down and repaint it or keep it as it is,
if I repaint it what would be the best way to remove the fretboard, it is pinned down, and would rechrome the hadrware be wise. any thoughts and advice welcome..

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 6 Aug 2012 7:27 am

The fretboard isn't hard to remove.
Just slip something thin under the fretboard by the little brads and lift up. The brads usually lift out quite easily. Same with the name plate.
I don't think I would do any rechroming but I would refinish. Remove the old paint with some paint remover and get what else you need from www.reranch.com

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 6 Aug 2012 10:37 am

Erv thank you, Is it possible to re paint the fretboard without it looking bad ,,,

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 6 Aug 2012 10:51 am

John,
I wouldn't try that.

Doug Freeman · Post by **Doug Freeman** » 6 Aug 2012 11:02 am

Has the guitar already been refinished? If not, I would strongly advise leaving it original. Better to maintain the mojo and it will ALWAYS be worth more down the road.

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 9 Aug 2012 4:29 am

Thanks Doug and Erv, I will leave it as it is.restrung it and it sounds great. would a stringmaster bridge cover fit the delux?

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 9 Aug 2012 6:43 am

Yes, the bridge bar is pointed and the cover is made to pivot on the ends of the bridge. The covers on the early Stringmasters screwed down so you can't use that type.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 9 Aug 2012 8:28 am

I would leave the finish as is, assuming it is original to the guitar. Refinishing it will severely devalue the guitar.

I can't quite read the numbers on the pots, but I think this guitar was made between 1963 and 1968, assuming that the case is original to the guitar. Fender started using black tolex cases about mid-62. Fender wiring was cloth-coated until 1968. Yours appears to have cloth covered wiring. '68 was a transitional year. My 68 telecaster has a mixture of cloth covered and plastic covered wiring. Also... the Kluson tuner buttons on your Deluxe look like mid-1960s. They had a dull, unpolished finish for a couple of years, not shiny chrome. I had two Fenders with those tuners years ago and at first I thought the buttons were worn dull. Then I realized that they were made that way! You have a nice looking Deluxe-8 with the kind of wear that one would expect to see on a 45 year old instrument. By the way... Fender finishes were "nitro" until 1968. Nitrocellulose will scratch off much easier than today's very thick, hard poly finishes. Those scratches and dings on old Fender guitars are common, normal, and what we expect to see. I would say, put the guitar back together, play it, and love it!

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 9 Aug 2012 9:55 am

Thanks again he Erv and Doug for all the imfo...

Doug Freeman · Post by **Doug Freeman** » 10 Aug 2012 9:46 am

I don't know how hard the bridge covers are to find, but I just noticed this one come up on eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... SS:US:1123

It says Stringmaster but am guessing it's the same one the Deluxe 8 used.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 10 Aug 2012 9:56 am

John,
I would jump on that chrome cover in a heartbeat, they're hard to come by and the price is right.

Doug Freeman · Post by **Doug Freeman** » 10 Aug 2012 10:21 am

That one's $29, and here's another one for $48:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-60s-Stri ... 0835871969

They look a little different in size, though, the more expensive one being a little smaller. And it looks like the one on my Deluxe 8.

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 10 Aug 2012 10:21 am

Thanks guys I bought one yesterday on eBay. .

Chris Scruggs · Post by **Chris Scruggs** » 15 Aug 2012 10:50 pm

Refinishing the original finish will devalue the guitar by 50% and make whoever owns it decades from now curse you, to boot.

Unless a vintage guitar has previously been refinished or has been very damaged, always leave it alone. It will never be as cool (or valuable) as the paint job it left the Fullerton factory with. Period.

That's a nice original walnut Deluxe you have there! I'd be proud of that one. An interesting "transition era" guitar with one black bottom pickup and one grey bottom. Is that common with sixties Deluxes and Stringmasters? Anybody want to chime in here?

-Chris Scruggs

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 16 Aug 2012 6:17 am

I see some indications that this guitar has been refinished in the past.
If you look at the area where the pickups and etc. have been removed, you can see some white spots.
I would suspect that this guitar start life as a blond.

Stephen Cowell · Post by **Stephen Cowell** » 16 Aug 2012 9:56 am

Erv Niehaus wrote:I see some indications that this guitar has been refinished in the past.
If you look at the area where the pickups and etc. have been removed, you can see some white spots.
I would suspect that this guitar start life as a blond.

I was going to argue with Erv... Fender used yellow primer under their Duco lacquer... but it looks like it's missing the aluminum foil shielding ... here's a pic of my '69:

If those spots in the picture are aluminum foil then you probably have an original finish. Here's a pic of my '58 T8:

Looks like the foil was glued down with corona dope... this guitar is missing a front decal, but it has the 'Gloria' tape, so I'm guessing original finish.

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 16 Aug 2012 10:08 am

Erv, I cannot see any under painting at all, the colour is tobacco brown, this was a optional colour you could order from fender.
The foil was still there but was torn,so I had to replace it.
I won't be refinishing it, I keep the guitar as it is.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 16 Aug 2012 11:14 am

Speaking of the Deluxe 8... look what landed on my porch today. The original warrantee card is in the case, dated 1974.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 16 Aug 2012 11:18 am

Here's mine along with some close cousins:

Wally Pfeifer · Post by **Wally Pfeifer** » 16 Aug 2012 2:43 pm

Here's my mint Fender Pro 6. Early 1950s

John Roche · Post by **John Roche** » 20 Sep 2012 6:44 am

Well I found a serial number on the pick-up plate, it reads 2405. would this be 1965 ...

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 20 Sep 2012 7:06 am

The serial number on this one is 0002

Jack Aldrich · Post by **Jack Aldrich** » 20 Sep 2012 2:26 pm

My short scale single 8 with Stringmaster pickups is called a "Deluxe 8". It call it my "mini-me". I use it when I know that I won't be using my B11 neck.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 24 Sep 2012 8:02 am