American Nashville b-bender tele

[biker joe]

What is the word on this guitar. What is the easiest way to experiment with the b-bender. This seems like a decent guitar to try out rather than finding the "right tele" and have a b-bender installed, only hoping that it is done well and that it is worth it in the end? I don't really care for the middle pickup and I would prefer a traditional bridge like a modified 52 tele. I just can't take the risk up front and buy another 52 reissue tele and then send it off to someone for another wad of cash to fit a bender into.

[Don Miller]

Probabally the easiest way to experiment with a bender is a hipshot...non invasive...easy to put on and take off... cheaper than the alternatives....

The Fender Nashville has a Parsons-Green bender in it..a bender where the inards are mounted on the back plate...and not to the body of the guitar, like a Parsons-White..once its set up right a good reliable unit...there's even a long throw mod...and the string pull on the Parsons Green is more like the original on Clarences guitar than the Parsons White, with the turning hub...There are some limitations to the PG that the PW doesn't have...and those who have played both tend to prefer the PW..but the PG will do until you decide you wanna invest in a Parsons White...

The Nashville B bender is essentialy a Fender American Standard...or "American" these days... with a 3rd pickup....You can easily remove the middle pickup on the Nashville...get a new pickguard and a new selector switch and 10 minutes with a screwdriver and soldering gun and youre all set...

Callaham has a 3 saddle bridge that fits the guitar...$75


You can put the pickups of your choice in the guitar...I dont know how they are these day but when I got my AM Std B Bender the pickups were pretty lifeless IMHO...a Duncan Broadcaster..Fender 52 RI...whatever they are using these days, a Nocaster or a Fralin in the bridge...and whatever you want in the neck... and youd have a fine bender guitar...I got Velvet Hammers in mine but the VHs are gone...unless youre real lucky on eBay...

[biker joe]

Thanks for the reply don. I have seen the recent vintage guitar article on b-benders and they were fairly positive on the b-bender you could order straight from fender. However, there have been many posts here that have implied the these guitars are not very desirable. But there were no explanations as to their short comings. I'm not so interested in the hipshot mechanism and I'm not ready to send in my 52 reissue for routing. Its hard to sort these things through when it is hard to try out the different models before taking the plunge. Thanks for your honest and complete evaluations.

[Anchoret]

Originally Posted by biker joe

What is the word on this guitar.

The one that comes immediately to my mind is "heavy."

Mine's nearly twelve pounds, I think.

One of the R&D guys at FMIC told me that they went to a lightweight poplar on this one to try to get the weight down a little bit (it's the only "American" series with a poplar body), but mine's one of the earlier alder-bodied ones.

[BrianF]

The mechanism itself is about 2.5 lbs. I just installed one in a partscaster I had which used to weigh about 7 lbs and now after installation weighs about 9.5lbs. Incidently I also have a custom shop Parsons/White Bender Tele that weighs...9.5lbs....

So my theory of why Parsons/Green benders get a bad reputation for being heavy....is that Fender installs them in Teles which are boat anchors to begin with!

[Anchoret]

Originally Posted by BrianF

The mechanism itself is about 2.5 lbs. ..

I weighed my guitar just now with the office fish scale and it said ten and a half pounds (not twelve). For comparison, my regular ash-bodied, 2000 "American Standard" is only seven and a half pounds.

Two and a half pounds seems mighty light for the mechanism with all the components!

While mine's some short of eleven pounds, it feels like fifty. It may be the huge bottomheaviness that does it, I dunno.

Probably purely by coincidence, mine is an extremely nice-sounding axe for a Telecaster, but it's so bloody heavy I almost never play it.

[Darrell]

I have had some friends that didn't like theres. I wouldn't let mine go for anything. I would look for a sunburst model...everyone of those are made in alder...no matter the year.

Mine weighs 9.0 lbs. on the money BUT mine is a 2 pup model from 97. The 3 pup models are more expensive.

There is one on ebay almost any day of the week on ebay. You can save yourself some jack there vs. buying one new.

with my own vintage bridge mod

[Darrell]

Is that it always flips people out when I use it. They just are quite ready for someone that knows how to use it correctly. It definately turns heads.

[Doug Matthews]

I really like mine. Yes, it is heavier than my '62 but it has the B'Bender and the Strat tone, if needed. The fit and finish of this guitar (in black) with triple laminate perloid pickguard is extremely good. I don't mind the weight and it doesn't bother me for long sets or jams. I can't get too concerned about a couple of pounds. It has a nice array of tones from mellow jazz to spankin' country and is a very versatile instrument. That's why I bought it. I have a Strat too but use this Nashville most of the time because it has all the sounds I need.

Cheers,

Doug.

[Tim Bowen]

I was in a similar situation as biker joe... I didn't want to gut my '52 RI, so I just kept my eyes peeled for a good deal on a used MIA Parsons/Green bender Tele. It's the only bender instrument I've played, but I surely love it. Mine is sunburst. I reversed the control plate, did the cap & resistor thing across the volume pot, and replaced the pups (Harmonic Design 54's in neck & bridge, "Mini-Strat" in middle position). Sounds and plays great.

[Silverface]

it has the B'Bender and the Strat tone, if needed

Wow, now I don't think they sound like Strats at all. You do have similar pickup-combination positions...but the pickup types and the position of them in relation to string harmonics makes them sounds *not* like a Strat.

And every one I've played has weighed a flippin' ton, which to me is not worth it considering thew bender just isn't up to the PW quality level. Heck, my Nashville West model from Stringpull (with the double-thick body like Clarence's original, and with a lon g-throw PW) doesn't weigh that much!