My Asat with the Evans Pull String has arrived!!

[asatfan]

And it's stunning!

I wanted the best B-Bender available installed in my favorite Asat, so I sent it to Dave Evans to have a Pull String installed. I had read about the Pull String here on the forum (thanks Silverface!), and decided this was the one. And, I was not disappointed. In fact, I couldn't be happier.

I have had other benders in the past (including a Glaser installed in my candyapple red Tele back in '92) that have all been very usable and fun. However, I have not played or owned a bender that is this sophisticated. Really, the best word I can think of to describe it is elegant. It is a long throw, short throw, and intermediate throw, all in one unit. The changeover takes minutes. The "pull" tension is infinitely adjustable, and the pitch adjustment is easy and rock solid. The action is smooth and the "pull" is linear. I'm truly amazed at the engineering Dave put into this. The attention to detail is incredible.

My band has a show tonight, so I'll be putting the Pull String to work (not overdoing it I hope) and I can't wait! I'm sure this sounds like I'm raving....well, I am. I'm a lucky guy, and I hope to have Dave put a Pull String in one of my other Asat's in the future.

[Billy B.]

Congrats asatfan! Dave's system seems truly amazing,thanks for posting pics.I really wanna get My hands on one.As far as raving goes? RAVE ON!! Hope the test flight gig goes great,and good luck on the trying not to overuse it part.

[Greg M]

Congratulations asatfan. Real nice guitar.

Fascinating to see all the different benders available. This one looks interesting.

[asatfan]

Billy,

Thanks! I'm really proud of this guitar. Put it through a workout last night and it performed like a champ. I'm no "telesavant" with the bender (by the way, you should check out his bender video....whoa!), but I'm learning.

Greg,

Yes, you're right, there are alot of different benders, and all the different designs are really interesting. Some very clever people out there! The various benders I've owned or played in the past were all very good...but I love this thing!

Thanks again!

[e-merlin]

How much does the bender install affect tone?

[asatfan]

e-merlin,

Good question. And I wondered about that as well. Absolutely no effect on the tone that I can detect. I played last night with all my amp settings the same as usual and it sounds the same as it always has...and my G&L has a very distinctive sound, at least to me anyway.


Thanks!

[maksdad]

Hey asatfan- looks like a sweet deal, but that ppppickguard looks like it should be on a bbbbroad kkkkkaster . Nice pictures, whoever suggested that clear cover, so you can read your name, must really be a hip cat. Bend Much and Bend Often!!

[asatfan]

Thanks Junior! Always value your opinion!

[telesavant]

That looks great asatfan!!...... and I'm sure it plays even better....Keep us posted on your meanderings with it!!
Pauly

[asatfan]

Pauly,

Thanks! It's real nice! Little by little, I'm hoping to put a few "Pauly" licks into my playing. Gonna take some concentration!

Walt

[rockkato]

Here are the first pics of this build (lovingly named Ruby). The Evans is the greatest thing I have ever had the pleasure of pulling on! I will post more as soon as i have a chance.

This one is an Ash Body, Evan's Pullstring, Hipshot D-Tuner, Bareknuckle Piledriver set

P.S. Love that ASAT

[asatfan]

rockkato,

Too cool! I've always loved that color, especially clear! I see you're using a "hybrid" position on the pull bar....haven't tried that yet. Bareknuckle Piledriver???

How do you like your D-tuner? Any problems coming back to pitch?

Walt

[rockkato]

asatfan,
yeah i am toying around with getting the throw exactly right. Its just so easy to tinker with, i cannot help myself.

The D-tuner is great. its a little bit of a trick to get it in tune but once you get it there, it stays and returns properly. Its not a switch back and forth within a song kinda thing for me though. Its more, drop D for this number, E for that number type of deal for me.

Rock On

[Silverface]

I've been using the middle-position, which is about a 7/8" throw. I've had a short-throw and have the prototype Nashville West long-throw (1 1/8"), and for me 7/8" is the "sweet spot" - short enough for fast bends, and long enough you can really get all the music out of the middle of the thing (long throw players will know what I mean). I'm going to play around with some cross-positions and see what affect they have - and Dave's sending out an *adjustable rod* which ought to really be the coup-de-grace. then you should be able to get literally any length you want - from almost zero to 1 1/8".

One important thing many don't think about is that changing the throw requires changing spring tension. On a PW this means (after dismantling the bender to change the throw) removing a wood screw from the body and repositioning it at a guesstimated spot to try to get the right tension. Guess wrong, and you put an extra screw hole in the guitar (my long-throw has 7 or 8 holes from just adjusting the tension on ONE throw length - something very few players ever think to do, but trust me...most come from the installer set tight intentionally to avoid accidental bends, and once you learn how to play a bender you WANT a lighter-tension pull!).

With Dave's design you make the throw-length change in about 5 minutes just by moving the rod (loosening two bolts that hold the rod). Then to adjust the tension you use an allen drive in a hole in the bottom of the guitar - the small assembly at the end of the yellow-covered spring is the tension adjuster, which can be accessed without removing the back cover. No wood screws to fool with and no guessing - it's fully adjustable and you can set it wherever you like.

I use a light touch for most playing - but when I'm going to play siting down I loosen it *further* as I don't have to worry about accidental bends. Agin - this takes just seconds to do (Mur generally takes the springs OFF his PW's to play them sitting down).

It's a great feature to have - and adjusting tension even with a PW is something every bender player should be aware of and set to their own personal "feel" preference. It's just easier on the Evans as the adjustment is part of the design.

[Big Mike Blues]

That looks like it takes a bunch more wood out than a parsons though, yeah?

[asatfan]

Actually, it's not as much as it looks. All of the wood in the middle, and around the outside is only routed about 1/8" deep to accomodate the cover (which is another cool thing about the Evan's Pull String). The cover is inset so it's flush with the back. The cover screws are not the usual wood screws, but machine screws that thread into threaded inserts in the body. Just another reason why the Evans, in my opinion, is the top of the line bender available.