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Fender Champ lap steel

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 12:49 am
by DGNR8
So I got that 1950 lap steel project for $75, right? I just scored a case for it for $22. I couldn't believe my luck. I am such a rat fuck.

The body is painted and curing. THing is--it's never going to be worth anything, since it had a neck split and makeshift parts. I am using a bass bridge cover and tele knobs. I can get a repro Esquire pickup for $60 or use an old Mustang pickup I had laying around. The blonde has to go on pretty opaque to hide patches and stuff, but it's kinda cute. I am also spraying the flat (silkscreened) fret board with clears just to protect it. They used to use nitro on cars, so it should to the trick.

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Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 6:41 am
by Dice
Nice! I'm looking forward to seeing the finished result!

Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:53 pm
by paul_
Whooooooaaa is that a CHAMPION???

Do the Esquire pickup for authenticitizors! $60 ain't too bad and you'll have a restored piece of major Fender history.

Get yourself a matching amp for just as cheap if you can :D

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 1:38 pm
by DGNR8
I git this thing all ready to go, in spite of missing parts. But so far I have had to wire it up three different times and still not right. I am getting a faint signal and feedback. This is what I had to go on, so I may just use a Musicmaster setup, but I still have something wrong in the ground.
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Since I couldn't get this plate, I used a bass bridge cover and a 51 cavity plate. I had to flip it around a few times, and eventually do some bending to get it to work. I will post pics tonight.
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Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 1:50 pm
by paul_
Clever clever