Talk me out of buying a 50s Deluxe 8?

[Barry Anderson]

So, I've been working my way through the Byrd course, and just finished book 1. I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. An initial skim of Book 2 makes me think it might be time to get an 8 string. Being an incurable gear addict, I've mostly convinced myself that I'm ultimately going to want a trapezoid pickup Deluxe 8 and that I should Buy Once Cry Once, as they say in the trades. I think I've even found a potential deal on one, but I'm trying to be cool about this. As such, I turn to you, good folk of the non-pedal pages. Any words of wisdom and/or caution for a fool such as I? Any thoughts on a price range to help me gauge whether or not this "deal" I think I've found really is? Thanks in advance.

[Will Houston]

Just go for it, sounds like you want it.

[Michael Kiese]

Aloha Barry,

Glad to hear you're enjoying Jerry's course! It's a great one.

I will most certainly not talk you out of buyiing a 50s D8, because it sounds like a good idea. lol.

I think a Short Scale D8 with Trapezoid pups is likely a really good gigging double neck. Not too heavy. Not too large. 2 necks... More than enough for gigging.

C6 on one, and A6 on the other is a really good idea if you're going to gig a lot. Gives you the keys of C, A, G, E, D, and F in all the comfortable positions on either neck.

A6 is really easy to convert to B11, just raise the bottom 2 strings a whole step each.

Or, if you're more adventurous, do what Jerry did and make the 2nd neck C Diatonic...

Either way, it's a great idea.

Enjoy!

[Glenn Wilde]

I say YES!
I have a 1950 Deluxe 8 and it's one of my favorites, I traded a panda for it, it took me a long time to replace that Bakelite but it was worth it. $1200.00 to 1500.00 seems to be what they bring nowadays, make sure it's got its original stuff for those prices, Tele guys love stealing parts off old steels, make sure the pickup works and it's bobbin isn't collapsing, make sure the tailpiece/ bridge plate isn't cracked, make sure the tuners work well, these are all known issues that can plague these guitars, mine had none of them, so they're out there. Get you one, you won't be disappointed.

[Glenn Wilde]

Meet Vern!

IMG_20250802_095530769.jpg

[Barry Anderson]

Wowsers, that's a beauty!

Man, you guys are not helping my GAS. Although, I started in to the Book 2 Byrd Course material this weekend and it looks like I can still get by using my 6 string. So I should probably stick to the promise I made myself that I wouldn't upgrade until I've completed the course.

But yeah, the responses so far aren't helping me stay on track.

[Michael Kiese]

Man, you guys are not helping my GAS. Although, I started in to the Book 2 Byrd Course material this weekend and it looks like I can still get by using my 6 string. So I should probably stick to the promise I made myself that I wouldn't upgrade until I've completed the course.

But yeah, the responses so far aren't helping me stay on track.

Aloha Barry,

I mean, it just makes sense. There's another thread on here about a guy complaining about the weight of a D8 Stringmaster.

Getting a short scale Fender D8 seems like the most pragmatic option for a double neck. Short scale means smaller body and less wood, so lower weight.

Honestly, I more than get by on my Hawaiian Band gigs with just one 6 string. I bring my Rickenbacher ACE, or A25 Frypan. That's all I need. C6 all the way. I'm familiar and comfortable with A6 and B11 as well, but when I'm busy entertaining the crowd as the Band leader and lead singer, it's just not practical to change tuning.

The main thing is that I sing and play guitar as well as steel, so it's nice to have the steel on a stand or for it to have its own legs for efficient and quick transitions. I switch to steel mid tune sometimes, and I also share the singing spotlight with my hula dancer who also sings lead. My ukulele player can also sing lead and harmony as well. So when they sing, I can jump behind the steel as primary.

In a real live music context with vocals, steel is the cherry on top of the cake. If you only play instrumentals for an entire gig, that's a surefire way to go from live entertainment to background music.

My best piece of advice for all this vintage gear is to NOT seek it out. Just wait. It will come to you. People kick the bucket and their heirs sell stuff all the time. Right now there's an estate sale going on somewhere, and a great steel is getting sold at a great price. Then it gets resold on eBay or Reverb.

All the professional resellers travel around the country and hunt for estate sale auctions. That's how the vintage market works. You rarely buy an instrument directly from the last player, or a family member of the previous owner.

The key is to have money when people need money. A motivated seller is the only thing you need to get a great price on a steel.

So don't pressure yourself to get your next steel right away.

I resigned myself to believe that I'd never own a Frypan, and then BOOM, an A25 popped up on Reverb December 2024. It started at $5,000 and kept dropping. I ended up getting it for $3,000 including shipping. The seller just wanted money for Christmas. I had money.

Just because this stuff lists at $6K-$7K, it doesn't mean it sells at that price. Most of the time it just sits there for months and years. A motivated seller knows what price it will really sell for if they want it to move quickly.

So moral of the story is: you're doing FINE. Keep practicing. Keep getting better. A good 6 string lap steel is ALL YOU NEED. Anything else is a WANT, and that's totally OK. Research the steel you want. Know the prices. Eventually one will pop up and it will be yours.

Glad you're loving Jerry's methodology! It warms my heart that even in 2025, he is still having a positive impact. What a wonderful legacy. Jerry was a true steward of his profession. He's done more for steel guitar than any other individual.

Enjoy!

[Barry Anderson]

Right on! Mahalo for the words of advice.

[Michael Kiese]

Right on! Mahalo for the words of advice.

My pleasure! So glad another Steel player is amongst the ranks! And a Hawaiian Steeler too!

[Andy Volk]

Fender Deluxe, Dual-Pro, and Customs are terrific steels and they were the work horses of their day. I personally prefer the sound of the trap pickups to that of the Stringmaster but the trapezoids do hinder right hand blocking to some degree and are noisier in terms of 60 cycle hum. That said, it comes down to the style you want to play and how you play. For a lot of slant technique, a 22.5” scale is optimum yet there is nothing like harmonics on a 24” Stringmaster. It’s all a can of worms but in a good way. Most of us have owned and sold many guitars. Buying and trying is the best way to nail down your personal preferences and, as you progress, those may change. But jump in, the water is fine!

[Glenn Wilde]

And there's a nice Dual Professional for sale on this very forum