Bill Bores Hybrid Parsons-b, and Saddle G bender

Chet Johnson · January 16th, 2009, 12:10 PM

I've been playing and loving this bender setup. Bill bores PW style B bender, and a Bill Bores saddle G bender.

BESALLEN · January 16th, 2009, 05:26 PM

I've been trying to get ahold of Bill for a few months now... grrrrr

Chet Johnson · January 16th, 2009, 07:01 PM

Yeah, Luckilly I got this back before he totally went MIA.

strat-o-teleman · January 17th, 2009, 11:15 AM

So Chet, Can you explain how the B & G work together. I mean, I know the P/W B-bender is actuated by pushing down on the strap, while it appears that the G-bender utilizes a lanyard. How do they work together? I'm wanting to get a B&G bender put together myself and I'm exploring all the options out there. I was set on a P/W double bender, but this combo looks intriguing.
Thanks,
Joel

Chet Johnson · January 17th, 2009, 08:48 PM

The Parsons style bender (shoulder strap)is for the b. By pushing away from you on the neck, the Beltloop labyard actuates the G bender.

I played a Fender Parsons Greene for 11 years loving theB bender concept. My first Double bender was a Timara. Inexpensive and looks funny , but its very effective.

I chose to NOT get the Parsons type G bender for this reason:
Parsons style G benders actuate by pulling the neck toward you. https://secure.centurytel.net/musico...s/glanyard.jpg
I never played one, but what happens is you pull the neck back hard on any guitar? I was afraid of fretting out issues. This was pure speculation, and I'd be interested in hearing from any double bender players out there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by strat-o-teleman

So Chet, Can you explain how the B & G work together. I mean, I know the P/W B-bender is actuated by pushing down on the strap, while it appears that the G-bender utilizes a lanyard. How do they work together? I'm wanting to get a B&G bender put together myself and I'm exploring all the options out there. I was set on a P/W double bender, but this combo looks intriguing.
Thanks,
Joel

Flewis · January 25th, 2009, 02:21 PM

Bill is hard to get a hold of right now because of some technical problems he was having - he is a great guy to work with and builds great guitars. Its worth the wait! check out the guitars he did for me on www.myspace.com/fredlewisridinhigh

BESALLEN · February 2nd, 2009, 04:27 PM

He's had my guitar since Jan '08... grrrrr!

FenderTeleT69 · February 2nd, 2009, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chet Johnson

I've been playing and loving this bender setup. Bill bores PW style B bender, and a Bill Bores saddle G bender.

hey whats bill bores contact info phone # adress email?
i would like him to do a saddle g bender for me possibly

getbent · February 2nd, 2009, 08:55 PM

go here to contact Bill.

He is also a member here.

Flewis · February 3rd, 2009, 08:05 AM

I guess where Bill lives got hit by some nasty weather and caused communication (phone, fax, computer issues) He has been very timely with all of my gear.

(281)894.8121 is his number

Just leave a message, I have never had a problem with him returning calls

Freight Twang · February 3rd, 2009, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flewis

I guess where Bill lives got hit by some nasty weather and caused communication (phone, fax, computer issues) He has been very timely with all of my gear.

(281)894.8121 is his number

Just leave a message, I have never had a problem with him returning
calls

It has nothing to do with weather, he is not returning emails or calls, and I have his cell phone number,and won't answer that anymore. No one is that busy. When was the last time you spoke with him , Flewis?

Flewis · February 6th, 2009, 08:58 PM

I spoke with Bill about a week ago, I had him do some work on my glaser style bender he built for me. It is on its way home as we speak it just crossed the border. So soon it will be in my hands again!! Oh my name is Fred. i'm having a 3/4 scale tele built and have been talking to Bill about installing a bender in that as well

Flewis · February 8th, 2009, 11:43 PM

here is the pic of my bender guitars from Bill - the one was built last year the blonde in 2007

porgy · February 9th, 2009, 06:39 PM

I have been checking out some of the Bender stuff here, and as a do it yourselfer my self, you could easily route out the back of your Tele's, then placing the bender in the routed part of the body would be easy, and it looks like set up would not be to bad. But if your like me, laziness prevails.

Flewis · February 9th, 2009, 08:31 PM

ya the pw is achievable at home the glaser style is more difficult as you have to drill a hole from one end of the guitar to the other, and it is very close to the surface -

I got my guitar from Bill in the mail today - just putting it back together

Chet Johnson · April 10th, 2009, 10:38 PM

I played the gold hybrid bender guitar for sevral months at home before trying it on a gig.
Bill's Lanyard saddle bender has no assist spring, only string tension for the return. In addition to the touchiness that this lack of tension caused, the G bender would often stick sharp, not fully returning to pitch.
I lubed and took it apart several times trying to find the intermittent problem.

Bill Bores returned only ONE of many emails with a possible solution to try myself, and NONE of many phone calls.

I fooled with it and had it to where I believed it to be dependale, taking the guitar to a gig as my only guitar. The G beder stuck AGAIN. hat song was a trainwreck, and I had to relase the string tension and adjusmet for the stop all over again just to get it useable for the next song. A total pain, and embarrasment.

I emailed Bill Bores again, no response.

The positive note, is that Charlie Mcvay is curently modding the bender with a tension adjustable return spring and fixing the problem for me. It sould be done by monday he said, and I'll post pics when I have it back. I can't wait! thanks again Charlie!

Little Nip · April 11th, 2009, 08:33 PM

It is hard to understand who Bill decides to communicate with. Since last September he has returned none of my calls or e-mails but obviously some are able to reach him. I finally had to get a WD and do it myself.

Chet Johnson · April 20th, 2009, 06:51 PM

Just got word today from Charlie McVay today that my guitar is complete and in transit.
I will post pics as soon as I try it out. I CAN'T WAIT!

Chet Johnson · April 25th, 2009, 10:20 AM

I just got my guitar back from Charlie Mcvay. It is INCREDIBLE the difference with the modification he made for me. I aready knew that his quality of his own bender was over the top, but this adds worlds to his stature. I was hugely pleased with his openness to work on a bender oter than his own. I'll get pics up when I can.

SteelBender · May 13th, 2009, 07:52 PM

Bill Bores here, The Bender Guitar Shop / SteelBender Innovations

I rarely comment about my work at the Bender Guitar Shop / SteelBender Innovations. I normally do not discuss the status of customer projects overdue or otherwise, the number of potential customers, etc. However it is now passed a good time to be open about what has been going on with me and why I either haven't or am very slow to respond to emails during the past many months in this season in life. I say season because I know this difficult and at times overwhelming time will pass.

Going back over year now I had taken on increasing family responsibilities for the care of my aging mother, my two handicapped step children who are actually young adults, ages 27 and 31, and experienced more challenges and pressures from my full time day job as the corporate technology engineer for VPN remote connectivity with business partners across America, Canada, and over 200 remote corporate offices using this method of connectivity. During practice drills and real events, I am the lead technician during emergency recovery network outages and during natural disasters like Hurricane IKE last September when we lost 2.1 million customers from our power grid in 6 hours. My own family lost power for 11 days during which time I ran two generators spending $70 daily on gasoline. While working 12 to 14 hour shifts, I had to rush to my home, refill both generators and rush back to the office. Two weeks into the outage I began installing an automatic natural gas generator on my home and completed it by the end of that month. We often lose power for brief periods and once for two hours since the storm.

As the year progressed, I slept and ate less, worked longer hours, and began taking longer and longer to reply to emails and all but stopped answering the phone. Yet each week I looked at the schedule and made honest attempts to project when the next bender project would be complete for shipment. All the above issues continued to grab more and more time, urgent doctor visits, monthly health check-ups, last minute technical demands at work, unforeseen and new health issues with my wife, multiple scams on my mother’s finances, the loss of my step sons speech from medication side effects, and the next thing I know it is the weekend again and I didn't even get to work in my shop.

As each month passed, it became harder and harder to be honest about what was once a dream come true installing benders in musicians instruments was now a giant monster of a nightmare. What was once a passion that seemingly had no end had become another challenge and I couldn't budge.

I found my hands going numb within one minute of taking notes at church, sketching some mechanical bender idea, operating the lathe, router, or milling machine.

Daytime job work projects began to ease a bit and countless discussions regarding mom's finances, scams on her funds, she agreed to place her bill payment responsibility in my hands though we are still not out of the woods yet. My church has some folks working to provide us with assistance during the next few weeks and this has been very encouraging to my wife and I.

About four weeks ago our post mounted street mail box was about to fall over. Like a one-legged drunken sailor about to fall into the street, it would soon be a risk to kids riding innocently down the quite neighborhood. The way things had been piling up in my life and on me, I could imagine news crew cameras in my face asking me why I didn’t repair it sooner because now the kid down the street needs the jaws of life to pry it off his face. The metal brackets and wooden post needed to be replaced and three years was long enough to put it off. Rather than do as I had before and just stick another one in its place, I wanted to raise the mounting pad above the ground where rain water couldn't collect causing rot as it had since the house was built in 1973. The old hardware bracket had to be taken out with a hydraulic jack because it had pounded it in with a sledge hammer into the old concrete hole.

I busted the previous base up to make smaller 10 lb. chunks I would later use as fill with the new base. Three hours later I stopped for the evening.
Like many of you I pay no attention to small nicks, cuts, bruises, scrapes, or cramps because I am working. If I see blood leaking out and I don't see any bones, I wrap it with tissue, soak it with superglue and move on. After sitting on the couch and having relaxed a bit my attention was drawn to my right shoulder which was burning as if with a torch and cold needles sticking all around. This wasn't a sun burn and there were no metal shavings sticking out nor was there blood. Something was very wrong here. A doctor visit the next day and an MRI two days later revealed a fully torn rotator cuff and a partially torn bicep tendon.

Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow May 14 and as outpatient work. Physical therapy begins Friday May 15th and full recovery expected in four months. Full recovery would be that of a baseball pitcher which I am not. Doctor says I should be able to do light hand work within a week or two. Before the end of the four months I may likely have carpal tunnel surgery on each hand, one at a time. Each hand will recover in about one to two weeks.
My mother is moving to a new apartment for 55 and over folks (she is 86). Her current location has an increasing population of what I like to refer to as "malcontents in training". One cannot lease there if a felony is on your record. But you can have as many ex-con's and felons over for Bible study as you wish. Two months ago I wrestled my backpack, which held my Daytimer and laptop computer, away from a kid in his 20's. Not knowing who the truck belonged, to I believe, explained why he didn't at first drive off when I told him it wasn't right to take things from people without permission. I quickly proceeded to climb over him, grab my backpack and said I wasn't going to let him take it. He asked if that was all I was going to take? That seemed like an odd question to me. The next morning I realized he was asking because he had also stolen my Blackberry. I identified him in a police line-up and the DA may file charges.
I believe the vast majority of folks have little interest in the above personal drama story known as "Bill has issues and so does everybody else". You just want to know when your guitar will be shipped or when you can have one installed. For the projects that are currently in my shop, I will contact you directly. This is not a long list but I have had your guitar for way too long and I will get it finished and back to you.
As different 5 to 20 minute chunks became available, I became determined to build up some stock. I have been machining up many dozens of PW and PW LT hardware kits. I have most of the components necessary for a Glaser style single or doubles.

As far as taking on new projects is concerned, other than PW or PW LT kits for installation by a few that have learned how, i.e. Brian Friend, Rich Rice, Sammy Smith, Dave Rusan, Charlie Chandler in the UK, I won't be taking any more projects in until I have the current project list complete and shipped. I don’t expect that to happen until after July 1st 2009. Any new projects will not have to jockey between 15 others and four others that are over due by a year.

I must also say and I feel embarrassed and awful regarding not returning phone calls, just a simple call back even if it was, I am not finished and have no clue when I will, or an email stating the same is more tolerable than no response.

I told Brian Friend that if I were me, I would have long since flown or driven to Houston to get my guitar, even if it was in a box all in parts, never to do business with me again. I wouldn't expect most of you to think or feel any different. My actions and behavior are found on the list of things to do to destroy a custom business reputation and make a bad name for oneself in "Five Easy Steps To Becoming a Professional Jerk" subtitle, What happens to American Small Business without a Government Bailout.

I love Jesus, I love God, I love my family, I need and enjoy my daytime job, I love to eat, I love music, I love playing guitar, I love machining, I love installing benders in peoples guitars, I love teaching others how to install benders, I am thankful God has blessed me with a talent and a willingness to go where no bender has gone before (my wife and I saw the new Star Trek movie last Saturday morning).

One of the greatest joys of this bender work is describing to an interested guitar player what it is like to discover what I call the three dimensional playing with a bender. My breath is often taken away at the endless possibilities one or two benders can add to melodies and chords. How the slow arrival of a long bend at the end of a song or riff can be an amazing moment like a photographer after discovering color film. The possibilities are limitless. But I have really screwed up big time and messed over a bunch of you folks and I need your forgiveness.

Prior to a few years ago I sometimes wondered where in the world Hallmark and all these other networks get stories for unbelievably disfunctional people and family stories. The bud has long since fallen off this mystery in life. My own script is still in draft form but when it's done, promises to run for two seasons with two offshoot series.

Thank you for reading down this far if you did and I hope it wasn't too long for the forum moderator to leave on for a bit.

Sincerely,

Bill Bores
281-894-8121
bendershop@comcast.net

Johnny Isaacs · May 13th, 2009, 10:44 PM

Well I can say Bill installed one of my benders in 2005 and it's really amazing. It's good of you to post on here and let us in on what's going on. Most wouldn't.

Johnny Isaacs

Smokin OP · May 13th, 2009, 11:13 PM

Bill,
You installed a LT b bender in my homemade Esquire, beautiful! My prayers are with you tomorrow.

Kevin

Flewis · May 13th, 2009, 11:28 PM

Bill, I stand by your work, your dealings with me in these past years have been great and the projects have all been top notch. You have always been honest and to the point with me and I respect that. I to have a special needs child and its a lot more work than anyone could ever imagine if they are not in those shoes. You'll always be first on my list for bender projects -

Fred

RBrooks · May 14th, 2009, 01:46 AM

Bill you do great bender work, sorry you are going through a rough patch
the saying is " what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger" hope your feeling stronger day by day, best of luck .
Aging parents and children with serious health issues are a big load.

Rick Towne · May 16th, 2009, 08:13 PM

Bill:

Thanks for the report. Your work on the Glaser mod and PW installation on my G&L's was excellent and the results are heard by unsuspecting worshippers every Sunday ("what was that?") and otherwise.

Sacto Joe · May 19th, 2009, 03:53 PM

Sounds like you got a full plate right about now!
Stuff like that kinda puts your priorities in perspective.
Anyway, I still regularly play and gig that silver sparkle b-bender tele you installed almost 5 years ago(?) and have never had even one bit of trouble.
I came close to selling it recently but came to my senses!
All the best to you and your family.
Regards,
Joe

Chet Johnson · May 19th, 2009, 06:03 PM

I was much more concerned with my unreliable, faulty G bender than I ever was with Bill's lack of response through phone or Email.

Bill's Parsons B Bender is Flawless, but it was not until Charlie McVay modified the saddle G bender to work properly, and even be tension adjustable that I was ever happy with the guitar.

I can't wait to get a McVay Bender.
www.mcvaybenders.com

ForrestLeeJr · August 23rd, 2009, 06:24 AM

I'm glad to hear you're alive and well. Troubles will pass... and things wil get back to normal one day. I was worried because of the lack of communication, but I hope everything works out for you soon.

I had to quit my day job, I am also a Network Engineer... loved it at first, but after several years away from pickin and buildin benders drove me nuts! And those VPNs between NY,LA, Seattle and London when I worked for Lockstream... man on call all the time, differnet timezones!... Bill I really feel for you, I've been through some firestorms but never a hurricane!

I've had some parent issues as well, My father got rocky mountain spotted fever, then broke his back in the hospital, then a bad car wreck, and to top it off... 2 heart attacks... He finally decided to move into a nursing home himself. And now he's happy and getting better (plus he cant drink a 1/2 gallon of CC a week and chain smoke anymore!)

I had no idea you also had an IT day gig. I just quit to start making my own guitars, benders, and go back to playing, teaching clinics and recording.

Prayer go out to you and your family. Thanks for posting that response and letting us know your ok.

Forrest

Rich Rice · August 23rd, 2009, 12:16 PM

Well, I just spotted this thread. Bill is a guy with heart. I've known him for years, although we have never met. He has only one flaw... He's too damn nice.

Bear with him, treat him as you would want to be treated yourself, and all these issues will be resolved. World Peace doesn't live or die over a b-bender being delivered on time...

We spoke this past week, and it sounds like he's healing well.

Bill, if you read this, thank you for the great benders we use. Nothing but praise and best wishes from Rice Custom Guitars.

Freight Twang · August 23rd, 2009, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Rice

Well, I just spotted this thread. Bill is a guy with heart. I've known him for years, although we have never met. He has only one flaw... He's too damn nice.

Bear with him, treat him as you would want to be treated yourself, and all these issues will be resolved. World Peace doesn't live or die over a b-bender being delivered on time...

We spoke this past week, and it sounds like he's healing well.

Bill, if you read this, thank you for the great benders we use. Nothing but praise and best wishes from Rice Custom Guitars.

I notice that everyone here has had one "DONE" and got theirs back,.... wait 14mos. and no end in sight, for your primary guitar and see how you like not getting a phone call or email. I wish Bill the best also, but I wish he would return my guitar, too.

Rich Rice · August 23rd, 2009, 04:49 PM

I have never had one "done", as I'm the one who "does" the "doing"... but I'd bet he'll send it back to you if you ask him now. He has been a stand-up guy for me, and has always followed through when I sent him $$$.

Freight Twang · August 23rd, 2009, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Rice

I have never had one "done", as I'm the one who "does" the "doing"... but I'd bet he'll send it back to you if you ask him now. He has been a stand-up guy for me, and has always followed through when I sent him $$$.

That was not directed at you, Rich, I too install Bill's P/W kits in my customers guitars, but you nor I do Glaser's, which what mine is, and it has been paid for, and just need it back, been trying his cell phone for a week, and just finally have had it. If I do this to my customers, I'm dead meat.

Rich Rice · August 23rd, 2009, 05:17 PM

Yep. Service and reputation is all we have. We all reap what we sow, for better or worse.

BESALLEN · September 22nd, 2009, 09:17 PM

Paging Bill Bores... Paging Bill Bores... (cricket chirp)

February 2nd, 2009, 08:55 PM	#9 (permalink)
getbent Moderator Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Benito County, California Posts: 13,589 37 Photos	go here to contact Bill. He is also a member here. __________________ Let me preface this by saying I don't know anything about anything.-- Allen St. John

April 10th, 2009, 10:38 PM	#16 (permalink)
Chet Johnson Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Woodsfield, OH Age: 32 Posts: 511 15 Photos	HUGE trouble wit Bores design. Charlie McVay to rescue. I played the gold hybrid bender guitar for sevral months at home before trying it on a gig. Bill's Lanyard saddle bender has no assist spring, only string tension for the return. In addition to the touchiness that this lack of tension caused, the G bender would often stick sharp, not fully returning to pitch. I lubed and took it apart several times trying to find the intermittent problem. Bill Bores returned only ONE of many emails with a possible solution to try myself, and NONE of many phone calls. I fooled with it and had it to where I believed it to be dependale, taking the guitar to a gig as my only guitar. The G beder stuck AGAIN. hat song was a trainwreck, and I had to relase the string tension and adjusmet for the stop all over again just to get it useable for the next song. A total pain, and embarrasment. I emailed Bill Bores again, no response. The positive note, is that Charlie Mcvay is curently modding the bender with a tension adjustable return spring and fixing the problem for me. It sould be done by monday he said, and I'll post pics when I have it back. I can't wait! thanks again Charlie! Last edited by Chet Johnson; April 11th, 2009 at 10:08 AM. Reason: Sticking keyboard. Missing letters lately.

May 13th, 2009, 10:44 PM	#21 (permalink)
Johnny Isaacs Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 1,639 30 Photos	Well I can say Bill installed one of my benders in 2005 and it's really amazing. It's good of you to post on here and let us in on what's going on. Most wouldn't. Johnny Isaacs __________________ Myspace music page I've never trusted a guitar player who hasn't licked a few 9volts... Famous last words...... after this one, no new Tele's!

May 13th, 2009, 11:13 PM	#22 (permalink)
Smokin OP Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Leesburg, GA Posts: 349	Bill, You installed a LT b bender in my homemade Esquire, beautiful! My prayers are with you tomorrow. Kevin __________________ It's so country, it couldn't go pop with a mouthful of firecrackers.

May 14th, 2009, 01:46 AM	#24 (permalink)
RBrooks TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 47	Better days ahead. Bill you do great bender work, sorry you are going through a rough patch the saying is " what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger" hope your feeling stronger day by day, best of luck . Aging parents and children with serious health issues are a big load.

January 16th, 2009, 05:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
BESALLEN TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Jefferson City, Missouri Age: 41 Posts: 47	I've been trying to get ahold of Bill for a few months now... grrrrr

January 16th, 2009, 07:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
Chet Johnson Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Woodsfield, OH Age: 32 Posts: 511 15 Photos	Yeah, Luckilly I got this back before he totally went MIA.

January 17th, 2009, 11:15 AM	#4 (permalink)
strat-o-teleman Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Spring Hill, Tn Age: 44 Posts: 192	So Chet, Can you explain how the B & G work together. I mean, I know the P/W B-bender is actuated by pushing down on the strap, while it appears that the G-bender utilizes a lanyard. How do they work together? I'm wanting to get a B&G bender put together myself and I'm exploring all the options out there. I was set on a P/W double bender, but this combo looks intriguing. Thanks, Joel

January 25th, 2009, 02:21 PM	#6 (permalink)
Flewis Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: woodstock ontario canada Age: 30 Posts: 243	Bill is hard to get a hold of right now because of some technical problems he was having - he is a great guy to work with and builds great guitars. Its worth the wait! check out the guitars he did for me on www.myspace.com/fredlewisridinhigh

February 2nd, 2009, 04:27 PM	#7 (permalink)
BESALLEN TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Jefferson City, Missouri Age: 41 Posts: 47	He's had my guitar since Jan '08... grrrrr!

February 3rd, 2009, 08:05 AM	#10 (permalink)
Flewis Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: woodstock ontario canada Age: 30 Posts: 243	I guess where Bill lives got hit by some nasty weather and caused communication (phone, fax, computer issues) He has been very timely with all of my gear. (281)894.8121 is his number Just leave a message, I have never had a problem with him returning calls

February 6th, 2009, 08:58 PM	#12 (permalink)
Flewis Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: woodstock ontario canada Age: 30 Posts: 243	I spoke with Bill about a week ago, I had him do some work on my glaser style bender he built for me. It is on its way home as we speak it just crossed the border. So soon it will be in my hands again!! Oh my name is Fred. i'm having a 3/4 scale tele built and have been talking to Bill about installing a bender in that as well

February 8th, 2009, 11:43 PM	#13 (permalink)
Flewis Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: woodstock ontario canada Age: 30 Posts: 243	here is the pic of my bender guitars from Bill - the one was built last year the blonde in 2007

February 9th, 2009, 06:39 PM	#14 (permalink)
porgy Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: marion IL Posts: 263	I have been checking out some of the Bender stuff here, and as a do it yourselfer my self, you could easily route out the back of your Tele's, then placing the bender in the routed part of the body would be easy, and it looks like set up would not be to bad. But if your like me, laziness prevails.

February 9th, 2009, 08:31 PM	#15 (permalink)
Flewis Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: woodstock ontario canada Age: 30 Posts: 243	ya the pw is achievable at home the glaser style is more difficult as you have to drill a hole from one end of the guitar to the other, and it is very close to the surface - I got my guitar from Bill in the mail today - just putting it back together

April 11th, 2009, 08:33 PM	#17 (permalink)
Little Nip TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 95	It is hard to understand who Bill decides to communicate with. Since last September he has returned none of my calls or e-mails but obviously some are able to reach him. I finally had to get a WD and do it myself.

April 20th, 2009, 06:51 PM	#18 (permalink)
Chet Johnson Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Woodsfield, OH Age: 32 Posts: 511 15 Photos	Just got word today from Charlie McVay today that my guitar is complete and in transit. I will post pics as soon as I try it out. I CAN'T WAIT!

April 25th, 2009, 10:20 AM	#19 (permalink)
Chet Johnson Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Woodsfield, OH Age: 32 Posts: 511 15 Photos	I just got my guitar back from Charlie Mcvay. It is INCREDIBLE the difference with the modification he made for me. I aready knew that his quality of his own bender was over the top, but this adds worlds to his stature. I was hugely pleased with his openness to work on a bender oter than his own. I'll get pics up when I can.

May 13th, 2009, 07:52 PM	#20 (permalink)
SteelBender TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Houston, Tx. Posts: 10	Bill Bores here, The Bender Guitar Shop / SteelBender Innovations I rarely comment about my work at the Bender Guitar Shop / SteelBender Innovations. I normally do not discuss the status of customer projects overdue or otherwise, the number of potential customers, etc. However it is now passed a good time to be open about what has been going on with me and why I either haven't or am very slow to respond to emails during the past many months in this season in life. I say season because I know this difficult and at times overwhelming time will pass. Going back over year now I had taken on increasing family responsibilities for the care of my aging mother, my two handicapped step children who are actually young adults, ages 27 and 31, and experienced more challenges and pressures from my full time day job as the corporate technology engineer for VPN remote connectivity with business partners across America, Canada, and over 200 remote corporate offices using this method of connectivity. During practice drills and real events, I am the lead technician during emergency recovery network outages and during natural disasters like Hurricane IKE last September when we lost 2.1 million customers from our power grid in 6 hours. My own family lost power for 11 days during which time I ran two generators spending $70 daily on gasoline. While working 12 to 14 hour shifts, I had to rush to my home, refill both generators and rush back to the office. Two weeks into the outage I began installing an automatic natural gas generator on my home and completed it by the end of that month. We often lose power for brief periods and once for two hours since the storm. As the year progressed, I slept and ate less, worked longer hours, and began taking longer and longer to reply to emails and all but stopped answering the phone. Yet each week I looked at the schedule and made honest attempts to project when the next bender project would be complete for shipment. All the above issues continued to grab more and more time, urgent doctor visits, monthly health check-ups, last minute technical demands at work, unforeseen and new health issues with my wife, multiple scams on my mother’s finances, the loss of my step sons speech from medication side effects, and the next thing I know it is the weekend again and I didn't even get to work in my shop. As each month passed, it became harder and harder to be honest about what was once a dream come true installing benders in musicians instruments was now a giant monster of a nightmare. What was once a passion that seemingly had no end had become another challenge and I couldn't budge. I found my hands going numb within one minute of taking notes at church, sketching some mechanical bender idea, operating the lathe, router, or milling machine. Daytime job work projects began to ease a bit and countless discussions regarding mom's finances, scams on her funds, she agreed to place her bill payment responsibility in my hands though we are still not out of the woods yet. My church has some folks working to provide us with assistance during the next few weeks and this has been very encouraging to my wife and I. About four weeks ago our post mounted street mail box was about to fall over. Like a one-legged drunken sailor about to fall into the street, it would soon be a risk to kids riding innocently down the quite neighborhood. The way things had been piling up in my life and on me, I could imagine news crew cameras in my face asking me why I didn’t repair it sooner because now the kid down the street needs the jaws of life to pry it off his face. The metal brackets and wooden post needed to be replaced and three years was long enough to put it off. Rather than do as I had before and just stick another one in its place, I wanted to raise the mounting pad above the ground where rain water couldn't collect causing rot as it had since the house was built in 1973. The old hardware bracket had to be taken out with a hydraulic jack because it had pounded it in with a sledge hammer into the old concrete hole. I busted the previous base up to make smaller 10 lb. chunks I would later use as fill with the new base. Three hours later I stopped for the evening. Like many of you I pay no attention to small nicks, cuts, bruises, scrapes, or cramps because I am working. If I see blood leaking out and I don't see any bones, I wrap it with tissue, soak it with superglue and move on. After sitting on the couch and having relaxed a bit my attention was drawn to my right shoulder which was burning as if with a torch and cold needles sticking all around. This wasn't a sun burn and there were no metal shavings sticking out nor was there blood. Something was very wrong here. A doctor visit the next day and an MRI two days later revealed a fully torn rotator cuff and a partially torn bicep tendon. Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow May 14 and as outpatient work. Physical therapy begins Friday May 15th and full recovery expected in four months. Full recovery would be that of a baseball pitcher which I am not. Doctor says I should be able to do light hand work within a week or two. Before the end of the four months I may likely have carpal tunnel surgery on each hand, one at a time. Each hand will recover in about one to two weeks. My mother is moving to a new apartment for 55 and over folks (she is 86). Her current location has an increasing population of what I like to refer to as "malcontents in training". One cannot lease there if a felony is on your record. But you can have as many ex-con's and felons over for Bible study as you wish. Two months ago I wrestled my backpack, which held my Daytimer and laptop computer, away from a kid in his 20's. Not knowing who the truck belonged, to I believe, explained why he didn't at first drive off when I told him it wasn't right to take things from people without permission. I quickly proceeded to climb over him, grab my backpack and said I wasn't going to let him take it. He asked if that was all I was going to take? That seemed like an odd question to me. The next morning I realized he was asking because he had also stolen my Blackberry. I identified him in a police line-up and the DA may file charges. I believe the vast majority of folks have little interest in the above personal drama story known as "Bill has issues and so does everybody else". You just want to know when your guitar will be shipped or when you can have one installed. For the projects that are currently in my shop, I will contact you directly. This is not a long list but I have had your guitar for way too long and I will get it finished and back to you. As different 5 to 20 minute chunks became available, I became determined to build up some stock. I have been machining up many dozens of PW and PW LT hardware kits. I have most of the components necessary for a Glaser style single or doubles. As far as taking on new projects is concerned, other than PW or PW LT kits for installation by a few that have learned how, i.e. Brian Friend, Rich Rice, Sammy Smith, Dave Rusan, Charlie Chandler in the UK, I won't be taking any more projects in until I have the current project list complete and shipped. I don’t expect that to happen until after July 1st 2009. Any new projects will not have to jockey between 15 others and four others that are over due by a year. I must also say and I feel embarrassed and awful regarding not returning phone calls, just a simple call back even if it was, I am not finished and have no clue when I will, or an email stating the same is more tolerable than no response. I told Brian Friend that if I were me, I would have long since flown or driven to Houston to get my guitar, even if it was in a box all in parts, never to do business with me again. I wouldn't expect most of you to think or feel any different. My actions and behavior are found on the list of things to do to destroy a custom business reputation and make a bad name for oneself in "Five Easy Steps To Becoming a Professional Jerk" subtitle, What happens to American Small Business without a Government Bailout. I love Jesus, I love God, I love my family, I need and enjoy my daytime job, I love to eat, I love music, I love playing guitar, I love machining, I love installing benders in peoples guitars, I love teaching others how to install benders, I am thankful God has blessed me with a talent and a willingness to go where no bender has gone before (my wife and I saw the new Star Trek movie last Saturday morning). One of the greatest joys of this bender work is describing to an interested guitar player what it is like to discover what I call the three dimensional playing with a bender. My breath is often taken away at the endless possibilities one or two benders can add to melodies and chords. How the slow arrival of a long bend at the end of a song or riff can be an amazing moment like a photographer after discovering color film. The possibilities are limitless. But I have really screwed up big time and messed over a bunch of you folks and I need your forgiveness. Prior to a few years ago I sometimes wondered where in the world Hallmark and all these other networks get stories for unbelievably disfunctional people and family stories. The bud has long since fallen off this mystery in life. My own script is still in draft form but when it's done, promises to run for two seasons with two offshoot series. Thank you for reading down this far if you did and I hope it wasn't too long for the forum moderator to leave on for a bit. Sincerely, Bill Bores 281-894-8121 bendershop@comcast.net

May 13th, 2009, 11:28 PM	#23 (permalink)
Flewis Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: woodstock ontario canada Age: 30 Posts: 243	Bill, I stand by your work, your dealings with me in these past years have been great and the projects have all been top notch. You have always been honest and to the point with me and I respect that. I to have a special needs child and its a lot more work than anyone could ever imagine if they are not in those shoes. You'll always be first on my list for bender projects - Fred

May 16th, 2009, 08:13 PM	#25 (permalink)
Rick Towne Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 860	Bill: Thanks for the report. Your work on the Glaser mod and PW installation on my G&L's was excellent and the results are heard by unsuspecting worshippers every Sunday ("what was that?") and otherwise.

May 19th, 2009, 03:53 PM	#26 (permalink)
Sacto Joe Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 187	Sounds like you got a full plate right about now! Stuff like that kinda puts your priorities in perspective. Anyway, I still regularly play and gig that silver sparkle b-bender tele you installed almost 5 years ago(?) and have never had even one bit of trouble. I came close to selling it recently but came to my senses! All the best to you and your family. Regards, Joe __________________ "And that's all I need. A pedal steel, a telecaster, a Gretsch, the paddle game, and the chair, and the remote control, and the matches, for sure." - Navin Johnson (paraphrased)

May 19th, 2009, 06:03 PM	#27 (permalink)
Chet Johnson Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Woodsfield, OH Age: 32 Posts: 511 15 Photos	I was much more concerned with my unreliable, faulty G bender than I ever was with Bill's lack of response through phone or Email. Bill's Parsons B Bender is Flawless, but it was not until Charlie McVay modified the saddle G bender to work properly, and even be tension adjustable that I was ever happy with the guitar. I can't wait to get a McVay Bender. www.mcvaybenders.com

August 23rd, 2009, 06:24 AM	#28 (permalink)
ForrestLeeJr VENDOR TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Nashville Age: 39 Posts: 93	I'm glad to hear you're alive and well. Troubles will pass... and things wil get back to normal one day. I was worried because of the lack of communication, but I hope everything works out for you soon. I had to quit my day job, I am also a Network Engineer... loved it at first, but after several years away from pickin and buildin benders drove me nuts! And those VPNs between NY,LA, Seattle and London when I worked for Lockstream... man on call all the time, differnet timezones!... Bill I really feel for you, I've been through some firestorms but never a hurricane! I've had some parent issues as well, My father got rocky mountain spotted fever, then broke his back in the hospital, then a bad car wreck, and to top it off... 2 heart attacks... He finally decided to move into a nursing home himself. And now he's happy and getting better (plus he cant drink a 1/2 gallon of CC a week and chain smoke anymore!) I had no idea you also had an IT day gig. I just quit to start making my own guitars, benders, and go back to playing, teaching clinics and recording. Prayer go out to you and your family. Thanks for posting that response and letting us know your ok. Forrest

August 23rd, 2009, 12:16 PM	#29 (permalink)
Rich Rice Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In a dream world.. Just ask my wife. Age: 54 Posts: 2,744 11 Photos	Well, I just spotted this thread. Bill is a guy with heart. I've known him for years, although we have never met. He has only one flaw... He's too damn nice. Bear with him, treat him as you would want to be treated yourself, and all these issues will be resolved. World Peace doesn't live or die over a b-bender being delivered on time... We spoke this past week, and it sounds like he's healing well. Bill, if you read this, thank you for the great benders we use. Nothing but praise and best wishes from Rice Custom Guitars. __________________ Please visit my website! If you are driven to play, you will find a way.

IMPORTANT:Treat everyone here with respect, no matter how difficult! No sex, drug, political, religion or hate discussion permitted here.

August 23rd, 2009, 04:49 PM	#31 (permalink)
Rich Rice Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In a dream world.. Just ask my wife. Age: 54 Posts: 2,744 11 Photos	I have never had one "done", as I'm the one who "does" the "doing"... but I'd bet he'll send it back to you if you ask him now. He has been a stand-up guy for me, and has always followed through when I sent him $$$. __________________ Please visit my website! If you are driven to play, you will find a way.

August 23rd, 2009, 05:17 PM	#33 (permalink)
Rich Rice Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In a dream world.. Just ask my wife. Age: 54 Posts: 2,744 11 Photos	Yep. Service and reputation is all we have. We all reap what we sow, for better or worse. __________________ Please visit my website! If you are driven to play, you will find a way.

September 22nd, 2009, 09:17 PM	#34 (permalink)
BESALLEN TDPRI Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Jefferson City, Missouri Age: 41 Posts: 47	Paging Bill Bores... Paging Bill Bores... (cricket chirp) __________________ People who clap on one and three should be placed in a giant glass jar.