Well, I'm at it again.. Carved B-bender anyone?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/S7301222.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/S7301224.jpg

Couldn't resist it-

Sometimes inspiration hits me and I just gotta let it fly.. regular throw P/W bender (mechanism by Bill Bores)going in this guy.

Hand wound Rice Custom S pickup in the neck, T in the bridge- solid poplar body.. Proportional to a traditional T, but very different.. So far it is metallic silver, it may go a deep metallic green. I'll shoot some more pics as it unfolds. :grin:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/S7301223.jpg

Nice... I didn't know you did bender installs... Hrm.... ... ...

Nice... I didn't know you did bender installs... Hrm.... ... ...

Thanks! We don't do installs on other peoples/ instruments, but we've scratch built a number of bender guitars.. Some are pretty insane, like this Osage orange/pecan/walnut/mesquite monster.. :mrgreen:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/141%20Glenn%20Osage%20orange/141_2.jpg

Here's a link to a gallery of the Osage guitar- pretty cool axe..
Osage Bender (http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/141%20Glenn%20Osage%20orange/)

Thanks! We don't do installs on other peoples/ instruments, but we've scratch built a number of bender guitars.. Some are pretty insane, like this Osage orange/pecan/walnut/mesquite monster.. :mrgreen:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/141%20Glenn%20Osage%20orange/141_2.jpg

Here's a link to a gallery of the Osage guitar- pretty cool axe..
Osage Bender (http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/141%20Glenn%20Osage%20orange/)

That's cool as all getout!

That's cool as all getout!

+100. Beautiful.

I love that "carved top" bender body you've got there. Are you going to market those anytime in the future? It looks great!....JH in Va.

I love that "carved top" bender body you've got there. Are you going to market those anytime in the future? It looks great!....JH in Va.

Good possibility, but I want to build this one first to work out any "bugs", live with it for a little while to see if it's as good as I hope it will be. I'm doing another one without a carved top so I can compare the two side by side, then I'll know more. So far I'm really liking the carved body, though. :grin:

Looks like some changes are taking place on the carved one- we'll use Rice Custom pickups (T style) in both positions, and I'm now leaning toward a Cherry red transparent nitro over the silver lacquer that's on there now.. Should give it a Candy Apple Red color- I guess it will play hotter with a warm color.. ;)

Nice. Keep us posted!

OK. :)

I built the neck a few weeks ago, but am waiting for the bender mech to arrive. I asked Chris to wind up a set of pickups for it when he gets some time, I'll let him decide everything about the electronics.

I'll probably wait another week to let the silver lacquer cure a little more before I start shooting the red, but at least I already have the paint on hand.

Things are pretty busy here for the time being, but I am getting antsy to try this one out. Once I get the finish done it won't take too long to get it playing.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/S7301227.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/S7301225.jpg

2,000 words worth. It's a bit deeper red than the pix, like a metallic Gibson Heritage Cherry

Nice... I didn't know you did bender installs... Hrm.... ... ...

Just a handful, plus two in the works (including this red beastie).
Rich mentioned RCG141, here are all of the bender builds (click the pictures):
http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/images/141_12.JPG (http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg141)
http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/images/083_1.jpg (http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg083)
http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/images/071_1.jpg (http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg071)
http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/images/064_3.jpg (http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg064)
http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/images/058_11.JPG (http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg058)
http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/images/056_2.jpg (http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg056)

I'll be winding a special set of pickups for the red one, with a hybrid strat/tele neck pickup and matching bridge pickup.

Lighted fret markers!! Are you kidding me? Now that's cool.

Beautiful guitars there, fellas!

You gentlemen are aces... Aces, I tell you... Aces...

BTW - I saw someone comparing their partscasters to your guitars on Ebay once... Ain't no comparison...

Partscaster this! :twisted:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/162%20Matt%20P/IMG_1847.jpg

BTW - I saw someone comparing their partscasters to your guitars on Ebay once... Ain't no comparison...

Interestingly, I heard about that fellow when a potential buyer for his auction contacted me with questions about the guitar.. Unfortunately, the ad had been removed before I saw it. The gentleman who called me decided the ad was deceptive (he thought the guitar in the ad was a Rice instrument) and went after the seller. Then he called me a couple of weeks later, and placed an order for a full custom build. It's pictured below. Great outcome for all.. :lol:


gallery RCG 168 (http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg168)

Some build shots (http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/168%20Tom%20M/)

http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/images/168_2.JPG

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/158%20poplar%20bender%20carved/S7301232.jpg

Coming along well. :mrgreen:

Well, I'm waiting for the nitro to cure a little more.. Waiting is the hardest part. In the meantime, I finished up the neck and installed tuners. The bender mech hasn't yet arrived, so nothing really lost..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/158%20poplar%20bender%20carved/S7301246.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/158%20poplar%20bender%20carved/S7301245.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/158%20poplar%20bender%20carved/S7301244.jpg

Neck is quartersawn maple (lightly figured) with Indian rosewood slab board, single action TR, MOP face and side dots. I put a 14" radius on this one. Gotoh tuners, tinted nitro finish. Big frets on there- feels really good so far. :grin:

That's a purty amber on that neck...

1st class!

Thats SWEET

Thanks!

Here's another one we're doing- a little different.. Triple binding (WBW) on the top, bookmatched curly maple top with a poplar body. Alumitone pickup in the neck, T style in the bridge. Regular throw Bill Bores PW b-bender mech going in there.. I haven't decided a color yet. Definitely nitro, but otherwise undecided at this point.. I'm installing the binding today..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/S7301249.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/S7301247.jpg

Halfway there...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/S7301251.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/S7301250.jpg

This is going to be a real stunner.. That top wood is bone dry. :shock:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/S7301253.jpg

Here's a Lace Alumitone pickup.. We've used a few of them, they are very cool pickups. Low impedance, great sound. They work real well with pedals, too.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/S7301258.jpg
I really dig the art-deco vibe! ;)

Mr. Rice- Why do you hurt me so with these pictures?

I sooooooooooooooo want one!!!!!!

Leftys?

Mr. Rice- Why do you hurt me so with these pictures?

I sooooooooooooooo want one!!!!!!

Leftys?

None with B Benders...yet!
http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg167
http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg138
http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg079
http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg066
http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg048

None with B Benders...yet!
http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg167
http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg138
http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg079
http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg066
http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg048

WOW Chris!
HMMMNNN!
Feeling a severe hankering for a new aquisition to join my small but well-loved Tele family!
:idea:

Cool! I've been wanting to do a lefty bender for a few years..:twisted:

I hear our mechanisms should arrive this week, and they are particularly dangerous-
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/colt45benders.jpg
photo courtesy of Bill Bores

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/159%20maple%20poplar%20bender/S7301281.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/159%20maple%20poplar%20bender/S7301282.jpg

Va Voooom!

Well, I built a couple of necks for these two benders.. Chris decided to wind a special bridge pickup to go with the Lace Alumitone (neck pickup) on the sunburst one. Kinda got pushed to the backburner for a while, but these may see some progress soon. The red one is just waiting until I get some time to mess with it. We got busy all of a sudden, so these have to wait a little while. Gonna be great. ;)

Finally getting back to these two- crazy! ;)

Getting closer..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/dabluzeguy/S7302174.jpg

Not too shabby.. ;)

Just a handful, plus two in the works (including this red beastie).
Rich mentioned RCG141, here are all of the bender builds (click the pictures):

http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/images/064_3.jpg (http://ricecustomguitars.com/mid.html?rcg064)


I'll be winding a special set of pickups for the red one, with a hybrid strat/tele neck pickup and matching bridge pickup.


Hey, that one is mine...........and it is "hands-down", the best guitar I've ever owned.

LOL.. Right on, glad to hear you are still liking it!

We finally got around to these benders- turned out really cool. ;) Different from our earlier stuff, for certain..

Red bender (http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/158.html)

Burst bender (http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/159.html)

LOL.. Right on, glad to hear you are still liking it!

We finally got around to these benders- turned out really cool. ;) Different from our earlier stuff, for certain..

Red bender (http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/158.html)

Burst bender (http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/159.html)

Your thread needs photos. :twisted:

http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/images/158_12.JPG (http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/158.html)

http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/images/159_1.JPG (http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/159.html)

Much better.

I kinda didn't think about these bad boys for a while- came across 'em this evening.. Boy oh boy.. :shock:

Masterful work as usual! Kudos to the entire Rice "house" for more stokes of sheer genius!

:shock: :shock: :shock:

WOW... There are some BEAUTIFUL guitars in this thread... The wood-working alone has my admiration let alone the final product.

Cheers

Dave

Well, thanks for the kind words. We're forever trying to do different things. ;)

I'm cooking up some very unusual instruments at the moment. I'll post a few pics when they get a bit farther along.