The Bender Guitar Shop?

Has anyone had any experience with The Bender Guitar Shop out of Houston Texas? Their web site advertises various types of bender installations. I already have a Parsons-Greene Tele and an American Standard with a McVay bender. I like them both but I have a yen for Parsons-White style bender. I would love to have one of Gene's but hate to spend that much. Just wondering if these people are reputable?

yes bill bores does top notch work and a great guy and a good friend and he will help you through each step of your bender journey he is a good christian guy and he will treat you good. hope this helps you
Bender Guy

The parsons white style that bores put in my guitar was flawless in its machining. Be sure to tell him short throw if you're used to that parsons Greene. My bores bender was a bit longer throw than that. Also mine had a Saddle type (glaser type) G bender . I found that I didnt like the restrained feeling of the lanyard . I didn't adjust well to the longer throw B bender,or the G lanyard and sold it.

Thanks for the info and the pictures. It looks like good work. Glad to know that this is another source for benders. Now I have to decide what type of bridge to go with. Of course my Parsons-Greene has the American style bridge, as does my 1988 with the McVay bender. I know that the purists prefer the ash tray bridge. Frankly, I haven't been playing Teles that long (previously I was just a flatpicker) and haven't had much experience with the traditional bridge. All I know is that my Teles sound good to me and I like the ability to get the intonation dead on. I noticed that the guitar pictured had the american bridge. Any wisdom here?

I have had a dozen or so teles over the last 20 years of playing. My parsons Greene bender tele of course had a USA STD. Bridge. The one pictured I built with that gotoh bridge just so be different from the ashtray guitars that I was also playing at the time. I prefer the look of the ashtray, and with three compensated saddles for intonation purposes.

Again, if you like your Parsons Greene, ask specifically for a short throw ,or the bill bores parsons style will feel like a lot longer to have to push for the same bends.

I have played and owned a bunch of Benders and my favorite is the Mcvay. I have my main tele at mcvays shop now for a short throw b bender. My second favorite type would be bill bores parsons style design, the machining was flawless, I just suggest a short throw.

The parsons Benders can be more finicky as far as squeaky parts, and not nearly as adjustable for spring tension. The adjustment is to remove and replace the screw at a longer or shorter point to change how far the spring is stretched.

Be careful with your decision of having the bridge have a hole drilled for string to pass through or have a notch cut down from the top. It is very easy with the parsons bender to not have enough downward pressure on the saddle. This gets you squeak on the saddle, and sometimes very weak sustain on that string.

Also, brass saddles wear badly with the parsons bender. The string will saw a groove in the saddle quickly. You will probably want a steel saddle of some sort there.

There is a lot to think about with the Parsons.

The more I think about those parsons issues, I am even more excited to get my Mcvay bender back!

As info, my choice....Evans Pull String....infinitely adjustable tension, quickly changes from short, medium, long throw....smooth as silk.

Thanks for the ideas. I'm also eyeballing the Evans String Pull. I like the way it operates. Do you know what he gets to install on of these?

Bill Bores does, indeed, do great work. I noticed some posts above about the "sqeakyness" of a Parsons, but dosen't specify which type. Mr Bores installed a Parsons/White B Bender in one of my guitars and it surely doesn't squeak! It is my #1 player for a few years now! Maybe Chet is speaking of a Parsons/Green. I have another P/W that Gene Parsons installed in another Tele quite a few years ago and I don't get any Squeaks out of either Tele. I also have a Glaser B Bender in another tele which was making a crunching sound when I actuated the bender, which I found that when a string broke, the ball end was stuck inside the thing and thus was making a crunch sound.
I personally prefer the P/W style benders for one, I didn't like the way the guitar hung with the strap connected to the Glaser's little actuator arm connected to the neck plate. It just didn't feel natural to me, as the body has a tendency to lean away from you(the top).
I will never sell any bender guitars though. Hell, I won't sell any guitars I own. Been there.... too much resenting my decision and wishing I never did.

Bill Bores does, indeed, do great work. I noticed some posts above about the "sqeakyness" of a Parsons, but dosen't specify which type. Mr Bores installed a Parsons/White B Bender in one of my guitars and it surely doesn't squeak! It is my #1 player for a few years now! Maybe Chet is speaking of a Parsons/Green. I have another P/W that Gene Parsons installed in another Tele quite a few years ago and I don't get any Squeaks out of either Tele. I also have a Glaser B Bender in another tele which was making a crunching sound when I actuated the bender, which I found that when a string broke, the ball end was stuck inside the thing and thus was making a crunch sound.
I personally prefer the P/W style benders for one, I didn't like the way the guitar hung with the strap connected to the Glaser's little actuator arm connected to the neck plate. It just didn't feel natural to me, as the body has a tendency to lean away from you(the top).
I will never sell any bender guitars though. Hell, I won't sell any guitars I own. Been there.... too much resenting my decision and wishing I never did.

My parsons Greene was unbearably squeaky until I added graphite saddles. I played a squeaky Parsons white once that squeaked under the bender hub and had to be taken apart and lubricated.

The most recent Mcvay that I played didn't seem to hang anything strange to me. I'm not sure how it could tip foreword with the right fore arm on it. It worked fantastic for my playing.

Asat is always going to be an Evans fan, Chet is a McVay guy, and me, a Bill Bores guy....take that to the bank...lol Here are two Bores Long throw( there is a difference between Short throw) and a Glaser stlye Double that Bill did.




http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee239/SammyAmps/SANY0879.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee239/SammyAmps/SANY0718.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee239/SammyAmps/SANY1045.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee239/SammyAmps/SANY1047-1.jpg

The Bill Bores work does look good. Thanks for the photos. I have made inquiries to his shop and to Evans. Haven't heard anything yet.

I have done all sorts of stuff with my Parsons-Green bender. First the spring got tired (it is a 97 model and was 13 years old when I got it). I wanted it to be a little more firm than it was originally so I did a fair amount of research on spring properties (lbs/in and spring rates, etc) and added a couple of exta holes to the backplate. The spring in it now is shorter and stronger than original equipment and it feels good to me. I have all but eliminated string breakage by using a graph tech saddle on the 2nd string and by sliding a short piece of wire insulation over the second string where it contacts the bender tower (sounds a little crazy but it works). The 2nd string almost never breaks no matter how much I use the bender. Needless to say, it makes this a good practice guitar.

I really appreciate everyone's input to this thread. I do not normally spend much time on bog sites but I am impressed by the response and the quality of the info I see here.

The Bill Bores work does look good. Thanks for the photos. I have made inquiries to his shop and to Evans. Haven't heard anything yet.

I have done all sorts of stuff with my Parsons-Green bender. First the spring got tired (it is a 97 model and was 13 years old when I got it). I wanted it to be a little more firm than it was originally so I did a fair amount of research on spring properties (lbs/in and spring rates, etc) and added a couple of exta holes to the backplate. The spring in it now is shorter and stronger than original equipment and it feels good to me. I have all but eliminated string breakage by using a graph tech saddle on the 2nd string and by sliding a short piece of wire insulation over the second string where it contacts the bender tower (sounds a little crazy but it works). The 2nd string almost never breaks no matter how much I use the bender. Needless to say, it makes this a good practice guitar.

I really appreciate everyone's input to this thread. I do not normally spend much time on bog sites but I am impressed by the response and the quality of the info I see here.
I shortened my springs 3 loops in my two parsons Greene's when I had them. Too many accidental bends from loose bender. I like a stiff bender.

Well, since Freight pointed out our "bender" loyalties (he's got me pegged :lol:), here's a couple pics of Dave Evan's work. The first is of my two G&L Asats, the other is of a 'lefty' (no, I didn't put the pic in backwards!). No foolin' around with springs and coils and relocating screws....just adjust it to the way you like it. Also, note the plexi cover is recessed into the body, not just laying on top, and it attaches with threaded screws (threaded inserts in the body). I could go on and on...........