New Bender with a few questions

Hey Guys, I got word from Fender That my american Nashville Bender will be here in 2 weeks.
I got my Forest Lee Jr dvd and lots of time to practice.
I only have a few quesions.
Is it really that heavy? And does it go out of tune easily?
I know you get these questions alot, but I would appreciate some insight from ppl who have been playing them for a while.

If it is a USA b bender it will stay in tune and the weight is about the same as a non bender. Do to the fact that the routing required for the bender is a lot of wood and the bender mechanism is fairly light. I have a 2011 black and the notes are in tune at every single fret. On the back the turn knob will sharpen or flatten the the b string get a good open B then C# with the strap button pulled tight .Drop a drop of 3 in one oil on the roller the b string rides on and you will not brake a string for months. Also use a dab of chap stick under all the string trees there are two of the trees on the neck. Horton

the weight is about the same as a non bender

Not even close with a Fender steel chrome plated bender. A P/W will weigh close to the same and a Hipshot P/G with an aluminum plate will weigh just a little more, but the Fender Nashville benders are quite heavy. Mine was so heavy that I replaced the Fender back plate with a polished Hipshot aluminum one. The Fender Nashville guitar by itself is also no light weight. Get a good wide strap and you will be OK.

Thanks guys Ill post pics as soon as I get it.

Every Nashville/bender I've played has been very heavy.

As far as lubrication, I recommend staying as far away from any oils, Chapstick or anything else that will either/or break down or attract dirt over time as you can. Gummy oil in a bender (or pedal steel) mechanism can cause "hangs" in the throw, make it feel sluggish, and cause all kinds of return-to-pitch issues.

Many steel players and bender players use dry Teflon only (it used to be Triflow's dry version, which was found at bike shops - Now DuPont, who holds the patent, sells it under their own label, usually at Home Depot or Lowes. Blaster is another good brand - but with all make sure you are getting the DRY version. On a new unit (because it will probably have oil in it) I'd flush out all moving parts with a squirt of lighter fluid (will NOT harm the finish) and just a light drop of dry Teflon. The liquid will evaporate and you'll have a smoothly running unit that won't require re-lubing for 6 month to a year - with NO gummy gunk to clean out.

As far as going out of tune - NO. None of the well-built benders go out of tune. If you get accidental bends you may need to increase spring tension - ask here and you'll get good info on how to adjust the tension via spring changes.

Enjoy!

PS - what Dogbear said about the strap is very important; there are actually two considerations: 1) "wide" means 3", especially for a new player, or you'll get sore. A 2 1/2", heavy all-cotton woven one might work ok, but a *soft* 3" strap is a for-sure good choice, and 2) DO NOT use any strap with a plastic back (like the cheap guitar store straps). The whole thing will slip and slide, and you want it stationary on your shoulder.

I also suggest that if you are used to either a very low or very high strap position, change it to somewhere in the middle. It will be far easier to control.

Welcome TeleFan

Benders are always heavier than non-benders. The Forrest Lee DVD is really good.
May I also suggest a guy named Doug Seven. He has a really good bender DVD too.

I own both and each have a different approach to the guitar.
You'll love playing a bender once you get your chops.

Have a plexiglass or plastic plate made for the back of the guitar.

Have a plexiglass or plastic plate made for the back of the guitar.


Cant do that with a Fender Nashville with the parsons green because all the bender parts are mounted on the back plate.

I've not needed any lubricants on either my two Glasers (20 and 17 years) or two Parsons-Whites (9 and 5 years).

I like the thin black vintage straps about 3/4" wide. The Glaser strap is 18 years old; the P-W about 12. No need to replace them yet.

The Glasers hang different and a little higher than the P-W's.