A late 1950s Fender Deluxe 8-string lap steel, serial #1500, stripped to natural, owned and played by Randy Bachman, who has sold 40 million records worldwide as a member of The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and as a solo artist.

Fender, though world-famous for its solid body electric guitars, started out by making lap steels in their Fullerton, CA in the 1940s. The company continued to produce lap steels throughout the 1960s, with the steel craze dying down considerably in the 1970s; they weren’t officially discontinued until 1981.

Originally a whitish color, this one has been stripped back to bare wood, then finished natural. 8 strings, two pickups which can be blended via the disc behind the bridge, volume and tone controls. Has been modified for an attached cable with a barrel jack, and an additional ground wire has been added running from the jack cup to the control plate.

Randy tunes this so it’s in an open tuning on four strings, with the other four in a 7th tuning. Includes original hardshell case and legs.

PROVENANCE From The Collection of Randy Bachman

Guitars & Instruments, Randy Bachman