Orginal Pull String

Hi Everyone, I'm Dave Evans,

I'm very new to the world of computer forums so please bear with me. A long, long time ago, and I believe, in another galaxy, I built the Pull String guitar with the permission and blessings of Clarence and Gene. If any of you still have any of those guitars (rescued from burning fireplaces) I would love to hear from you. Also, any stories that you can share. Look forward to hearing from you.

never owned one, but welcome to the party! =jason

Hello Dave...

Welcome!

theres at least one thread in here about the guitars you built...and at least one member has one...and, in the course of these discussions is the question "what ever happened to...?"If I recall the stories you built benders for several of the original country rock guys..Al Perkins, Bernie Leadon, Albert Lee...We all love the stories from "those days"...so bring 'em on..

Wow! Dave Evans! I've been looking for an Evans bender forever... I recently saw a thread on the clarence white forum (http://www.bbenderguitars.com/CWforum/forum/viewtopic.php?t=237&highlight=bernie+leadon) about Bernies old tele that had recently been reworked... Any chance you'll ever start selling/making your bender again?

Hey Dave! Welcome to the Tele page! I'm a big fan of your benders! Great to have you aboard!

Johnny Isaacs

Yes, I built guitars for Al, Bernie, and Albert. It would be more correct to say that I modified their existing guitars or substituted one of my bodies that encluded the Pull String.

Wow! Dave Evans! I've been looking for an Evans bender forever... I recently saw a thread on the clarence white forum (http://www.bbenderguitars.com/CWforum/forum/viewtopic.php?t=237&highlight=bernie+leadon) about Bernies old tele that had recently been reworked... Any chance you'll ever start selling/making your bender again?

I haven't any plans at the moment to build anymore Pull Strings. When Clarence got killed it kinda took the wind out of my sails. Then Gene decided that he wanted to go into business building them and asked me not to build anymore. So I have honored his request up to now. I have been informed that his patient rights have expired. I have also tried to contact him with no respose. So who knows? If there is enough interest, perhaps I might!

Hey Dave! Welcome to the Tele page! I'm a big fan of your benders! Great to have you aboard!

Johnny Isaacs

Thanks Johnny, I never really had a fan before....thanks!

Thanks Johnny, I never really had a fan before....thanks! Well, you have some now!! I'll post some detailed pics of your device later, when I can find a 10 year old to show me the intricasies of my scanner. Most pullstring builders took their ques, in one way or another, from Gene, or yourself. Your devices are legendary as well. Great to have you here!!

Hello Dave; Here are some pics of your device. In 2000 or so, these pics were sent to me by a very nice gentleman from Louisiana, Michael J. Rouillier.....great player too!! He named his rig: "Carol Jean"....obviously very proud of it!!

Hi Dave:

Welcome. Please check in at the Clarence White Forum, hosted by Brian Friend, who posts here as well. I have distinct recollections of seeing Al Perkins 'breadboard' bender with Manassas in 1972 and Souther-Hillman-Furay in 1974. Saw Clarence only once live and that was from too far away to see the guitar.

Hi Dave.... Were Evans Benders the earliest Benders built into the guitar body itself?

Hello Dave; Here are some pics of your device. In 2000 or so, these pics were sent to me by a very nice gentleman from Louisiana, Michael J. Rouillier.....great player too!! He named his rig: "Carol Jean"....obviously very proud of it!!

Wow! That brings back some memories! This was a very early version of the Pull String conversion. Also, a "thumb screw" has been substitued for the original alan set screw. Thanks for sharing the pics.

Hi Dave.... Were Evans Benders the earliest Benders built into the guitar body itself?

I guess I must have been the first to bury all the bits inside the body. As soon as I find some time, I post the story of how I became involved in all this and the developement of the Pull String.

Hi Dave:

Welcome. Please check in at the Clarence White Forum, hosted by Brian Friend, who posts here as well. I have distinct recollections of seeing Al Perkins 'breadboard' bender with Manassas in 1972 and Souther-Hillman-Furay in 1974. Saw Clarence only once live and that was from too far away to see the guitar.

Yes, I built Al's Pull String. Clarence never actually owned on of my guitars. I was in the process of building one for him. It was a very unusual wood pattern. He also wanted it to be extra thick to match his original bender so that he would feel at home with it.

Don't forget Freddy Wellers!!

Don't forget Freddy Wellers!!

No, I haven't forgotten Freddy. I have a list of a number of people who originally ordered them and Freddy is on that list. I suppose I will have to do a post of the Pull String's history and will include that list of names.

Dave, You have a BUNCH of fans! I know we'd love to have you post some more history, memories etc... and I know this forum and the CWF would love to have you hang out some!

this is terrific!

I always felt Pull-String was a more accurate term than StringBender. I have a very early brochure from Gene where he uses the term as well.

Wow..Hey Dave,
remember the one you built for me when I was with Ronstadt in 70???? White Tele...Some guitar collector in Texas now owns it.
How the heck are ya?
John Beland
Flying Burrito Bros
www.johnbeland.com

Wow..Hey Dave,
remember the one you built for me when I was with Ronstadt in 70???? White Tele...Some guitar collector in Texas now owns it.
How the heck are ya?
John Beland
Flying Burrito Bros
www.johnbeland.com

Hi John! I've been trying to get in touch with you but met with dead ends and you're site is under construction. My memory is a bit foggy on the actual guitar, but I do remember you. Seems you've been a pickin' and a grinin' a whole bunch since we last met. I would love to talk with you to help me fill in some of the gaps in my memory so I can tell the story of the Pull String properly. www.davesfab.com for info. Love to hear from you.

Dave and John;
Welcome to the site.
John, I still have one of the FBB albums to this date!
You guys were way ahead of the times.
Looking forward to reading your future posts!

Hi Dave:

Welcome. Please check in at the Clarence White Forum, hosted by Brian Friend, who posts here as well. I have distinct recollections of seeing Al Perkins 'breadboard' bender with Manassas in 1972 and Souther-Hillman-Furay in 1974. Saw Clarence only once live and that was from too far away to see the guitar.


its weird i saw al perkins in bristol last year , great show , he played a regular tele and steel that night.
but you never seem to hear the souther hillman furay band mentioned, my favourite band . :cool:

I don't suppose there is a chance you'd post a string pull diagram if you are not planning to build some any time soon?
I really enjoy tinkering with things like that.

Regardless, great to have you here. You really do have a lot of fans here.

Nuts! I forgot John Beland - Ronstadt's Band. Sorry John a senior moment!

Hey Dave
Tried to up load some pics of the guitar behind Linda.. but can't seem to getthis downloading thing together...Can anyone help?
JB

Wow that would be great, John. Hope you can get some help to post 'em. I'm in the same boat with these stupid computers! Perhaps BrianF could help.

I don't suppose there is a chance you'd post a string pull diagram if you are not planning to build some any time soon?
I really enjoy tinkering with things like that.

Regardless, great to have you here. You really do have a lot of fans here.

Sorry I don't have any diagrams at this time. As to ever building them again.....I don't know. There would be a few things to sort out before that could happen. One of which would be for me to get my hands on one of my original bodies. I'll keep everyone posted.

Hi Dave,
The pic here is Swampwater behind Linda on the Mike Douglas Show in 1970.
Thats my Tele a efw weeks before you installed the bbender.
Some MCA rep in Texas bought it a few years back and tried to sell ittome for a fortune. Although the neck had since been replaced, there was your bbender with my name inscribed on it.
Lots memories that first BBender of mine. Not too many guys had one at the time. Clarence, Bob Warford, Bernie and I were probably the most visible ones.
Lots of memories!
JB

I always felt Pull-String was a more accurate term than StringBender. I have a very early brochure from Gene where he uses the term as well.


Mine has "Parsons-White Pull-String" on the back plate.

It's probably one of Gene Parson's first ones...

Hi Dave

Hey! You did it! Nice picture. Tends to stir the memory cells! Every little bit helps. Thanks for posting it.

This thread is awesome!

Its like sitting at a bar and spotting two b-bender celebrities, and hearing them reminisce.

Cool.:cool:

Mine has "Parsons-White Pull-String" on the back plate.

It's probably one of Gene Parson's first ones...

Mine is #30 and says Stringbender, so yours must be real early!

Hey everyone, I need some help to locate a couple of guitarists that can fill in some blank spaces in Pull String history. Any info would be welcomed.
Auburn Burrell - guitarist &
tele7632 of this forum

Mine is #30 and says Stringbender, so yours must be real early!

#0011

There's a thread in this forum about early PW benders, but it's been kinda slow for awhile.

Hello Dave,
As you are considering going back into the bender/pull-string business again, why not consider a slightly different design as those offered by Mcvay and others?

Best regards,

Ward

Hello Dave,
As you are considering going back into the bender/pull-string business again, why not consider a slightly different design as those offered by Mcvay and others?

Best regards,

Ward

Well Ward, I don't know as I would go back into the Pull String "business". I may build one or two for fun, but there is a lot stuff to resolve first. I've been totally out of it for 35+ years and haven't a clue as to what else is out there. If I did build one it would probably be a duplicate of what I did way back then with an improvement here and there. But like I say, much to be resolved first.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-3/122891/240419199.jpg

Here's an old add from Guitar Player magazine.

Another Evans Pull Sting out there is owned by Vern Gosdin who was turned on to your benders via Clarence White after he played on The Gosdin Brothers early records on Gary Paxton's Bakersfield International label. He still has the guitar in Nashville today. I believe fellow TDPer and heck of a nice guy Tony King has seen it.

Johnny Isaacs

Dave, check your private messages.

Leave it to Johnny Isaacs to pull up Daves ad!!! The keeper of the crypt!
I'm waiting for the Johnny Isaacs Country Rock Museum to open soon! LOL!

By the way Dave, do you remember a studio in Torrence called QUANTUM? I recorded my first album for Ranwood Records there in 68, with Bernie Leadon on banjo..the same one he would use on Take It Easy, 4 years later.
JB

Leave it to Johnny Isaacs to pull up Daves ad!!! The keeper of the crypt!
I'm waiting for the Johnny Isaacs Country Rock Museum to open soon! LOL!

By the way Dave, do you remember a studio in Torrence called QUANTUM? I recorded my first album for Ranwood Records there in 68, with Bernie Leadon on banjo..the same one he would use on Take It Easy, 4 years later.
JB

Oh yeah, I worked there when I left Continental Sound/Producers Work Shop. I Did an album there called Pyramid. A bunch of heavies played on it. Also, I did a couple of songs with Barry White there. They would have been his first hits except the master tape mysteriously disappered. Barry wern't too happy about that!
And that banjo....I did some of the refinish on it when I worked at Westwood music and John Carruthers was restoring it. Amazing all this stuff went on!

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-3/122891/240419199.jpg

Here's an old add from Guitar Player magazine.

Another Evans Pull Sting out there is owned by Vern Gosdin who was turned on to your benders via Clarence White after he played on The Gosdin Brothers early records on Gary Paxton's Bakersfield International label. He still has the guitar in Nashville today. I believe fellow TDPer and heck of a nice guy Tony King has seen it.

Johnny Isaacs

Man that fell out of "The Way Back Machine"!! That picture and ad was done by a friend of mine. An excellent photograper named Ron Raffaelli. He shot just about everybody's album cover late 60's, early 70's...Hendrix, Stones, Jethro Tull, you name 'em, he did 'em! There should have been a page with a bunch of pics on it showing guitar bodies and such included with that info. Also a page for bottle neck guitar slides. By chance do you still have those? I can't believe how many of these Pull Strings are still around!

I can't believe how many of these Pull Strings are still around!

That appears to be a testament to a very fine job you did with those benders (I mean pullers!):lol:

Dave...did you see this CW forum thread?
http://www.bbenderguitars.com/CWforum/forum/viewtopic.php?t=237

Apparently Bernie Leadon recently had his 'string puller' worked on by Joe Glaser in Nashville

Its funny..Now that I've seen this add I remember that back in 1970 we NEVER called them "BBenders." They were always "Pull Strings".
Ha ha ha
JB
www.johnbeland.com

Hey Dave!

I have always wondered what happened to you. I have one of the original "butcherblock" Tele's with the pullstring in it. I still gig with it...incredible guitar! Its been to the mountain & back, but never fails to produce, or turn heads from other players. I'm not having any luck posting a pic of it, but I'll get it figured out eventually.

Glad you re-surfaced!

I haven't posted anything in a while, but why does it say i'm a new member? Huh, oh well....

Hey Dave!

I have always wondered what happened to you. I have one of the original "butcherblock" Tele's with the pullstring in it. I still gig with it...incredible guitar! Its been to the mountain & back, but never fails to produce, or turn heads from other players. I'm not having any luck posting a pic of it, but I'll get it figured out eventually.

Glad you re-surfaced!

I'm quite pleased that the guitar is still serving you well. I'd love to see a pic of it as well as it's history and how you came to own it. As you may have read in the forum, I'm trying to put together a history of the Pull String, so this may help. Thanks.

Does anyone have contact info on Billy Ray Latham?

Hi Greemmeanie...Where did you first find the Evans BBender Tele?
JB

Here is a pic of it after Bill Crook finished doing his thing with it. (Hopefully it works...)

I'm afraid I don't have a lot of history with this guitar. I found it at a music store in upstate New York several years ago in need of some work. They had no idea what it was, they just said they had this "butcherblock looking guitar with some kind of bender thing...". Thats all I needed to hear!

As far as pullstrings go, I've had or still have most of the popular styles out there with the original Parsons/White being my personal preference. However, the Evans has been the top of the heap since it joined the clan. Its not a lightweight guitar by any stretch, but I'm not much for light ones anyway.

I haven't posted anything in a while, but why does it say i'm a new member? Huh, oh well....
Howdy Greenmeanie- The "new member" tag is due to number of posts....
Cool photo!! Do you have any of the back? Thanks!

Hi Big Smokey

This is the only pic I have of it right now, but I can take some more. The back of the guitar has a BIG black plastic cover for the bender. I'll try to get a pic up later today.

Also....my earlier email sounds like I was worried about Bill Crook's work on the guitar, but I was referring to my trouble uploading a photo. The work Mr. Crook did was top drawer.

Here is a pic of it after Bill Crook finished doing his thing with it. (Hopefully it works...)

I'm afraid I don't have a lot of history with this guitar. I found it at a music store in upstate New York several years ago in need of some work. They had no idea what it was, they just said they had this "butcherblock looking guitar with some kind of bender thing...". Thats all I needed to hear!

As far as pullstrings go, I've had or still have most of the popular styles out there with the original Parsons/White being my personal preference. However, the Evans has been the top of the heap since it joined the clan. Its not a lightweight guitar by any stretch, but I'm not much for light ones anyway.


Looks like new! Bill did a nice job. I built the Pull String bodies out of hardwood both domestic and exotic (some of which you can't even get any more!) for their beauty and to perhaps get a bit more sustain. That's why they are a bit heavier than some others. Thanks for the very kind words.

Dave....did you have anything to do w/ the little TV Yellow Les Paul Jr. or whatever it was, that Frank Reckard played in Emmylou's Hot Band ?...He replaced Albert.

Dave....did you have anything to do w/ the little TV Yellow Les Paul Jr. or whatever it was, that Frank Reckard played in Emmylou's Hot Band ?...He replaced Albert.

No, the only Les Paul I recall doing was the first (or second?) Pull String and it belonged to Joe Wilson....unless Joe got rid of it and it became yellow!

No, the only Les Paul I recall doing was the first (or second?) Pull String and it belonged to Joe Wilson....unless Joe got rid of it and it became yellow!That TV Yellow LP Jr., had a bender on it made by a guy named Sullivan, and it was called the SullySteel, I think Frank had two made.....not sure.

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=57125