i need bender info please...

[lamar sorrento]

hi guys...ok...i hate the newer 'store bought' fender tele b benders...dont like the necks and the bodies are too heavy...if i buy me a tele that i want to have a bender installed in, who do you guys recommend....?..i mean besides gene parsons...i have heard that he farms out a lot of his work to larry at music one in montana...i have heard of the bill guy from houston too, who does benders, but i have not talked with anyone who had one of his...are all these guys about the same..?..i mean, as far as the actual benders they install being about the same unit..?...who is the fastest at doing an install and getting it back to you..?..i'm looking to get the 'long-stroke' bender, even though a few guys have tried to tell me that i won't like it...i think i will like it fine, as the last parsons bender tele i had, i always wanted more out of the bend.....i sold that tele at a time when i needed money and now i have the money to get another one...and i want to get as close to the clarence bender as possible....thanks for any help..

[Buckocaster51]

Brian Friend, who hangs around the the TDPRI quite a bit, just installed a long stroke bender made by Bill Bores for me. The entire experience was positive. Turnaround was quick. Brian is good to work with. Installation was well done.

[BrianF]

Hi Steve...thanks... I enjoyed building your bender...here's a couple more pix..

[Big Smokey]

I have owned many different benders and I am completely satisfied with my Bores P/W style bender installed by Brian Friend. Great work, and fast turnaround...

[Yayhoo]

Brian did the install on my bender. I can't say enough about how pleasant the entire process was. I've been using nothing but the bender at all our shows for the past few months.

[wenis]

Brian's got a body of mine right now . I can't wait to get it and one of his electronic creations. The experience has been great and he's been terrific with his correspondence.

[TheBigKevDogg]

Originally Posted by Yayhoo

Brian did the install on my bender. I can't say enough about how pleasant the entire process was. I've been using nothing but the bender at all our shows for the past few months.

hey...are you flicking us off???

[Yayhoo]

Originally Posted by TheBigKevDogg

hey...are you flicking us off???

At least one person at every one of our shows asks me that same question!
Thats just what ends up coming out when I play a barre chord shape.

[Silverface]

Once Brian started doing benders, all bets were off - I know Brian pretty well, and he is an absolute perfectionist. I'd trust him to work on anything. FWIW he and just about everyone except Gene Parsons and Music One use Bill Bores parts since Gene's patent expired.

Gene does NOT farm out his work, by the way. Music One is an authorized installer, that's all. Compared to Brian or Bill, the are also extremely expensive. They tout a bunch of precious-metal level setups and such that are awarded by themselves to themselves - marketing misdirection that really bugs me.

Since Mike Nihen, who was king of the bender installers, stopped working on them, my choices would be 1) Brian, 2) Gene Parsons, 3) Bill Bores.

And yes - get a long throw if you like the Clarence style. It becomes quickly apparent that a lot of the musicality of his bends were in that extra inch or so of pull. I have both, and the standard one is good for quickie bends and for Clarence stuff with a LOT of work...but the long-throw makes it much more natural.

also - agreed; the Fender-installed Parsons-Green bender is not nearly as fine a tool as the Parsons White.

[JR1960]

I have seen b bender made by a guy in Springfield MO. The company name was B&W Benders. My friend bought one from him and he loves it. The only thing you can see is the tension and stop adjustments under the neck. My friend said this guy makes all the parts and installs them himself and guarantees his work. My friend is saiving up to get a new B/G bender combo put in his new nashville tele and said he was taking it to this guy again.

[bender-freak]

Originally Posted by JR1960

I have seen b bender made by a guy in Springfield MO. The company name was B&W Benders. My friend bought one from him and he loves it. The only thing you can see is the tension and stop adjustments under the neck. My friend said this guy makes all the parts and installs them himself and guarantees his work. My friend is saiving up to get a new B/G bender combo put in his new nashville tele and said he was taking it to this guy again.

i have personally known the guy you speak of for several years and consider him to be a good friend and he does know what he is doing, and ya won't have a stupidly long wait for the finished product....he did the install on my Shelton B-bender for the silver sparkle amer stnd tele....had it back in 3days...!!!!..somebody match that for quick, and yep, it was done right and professionally.....and CHEEP......did i mention ....quick.....!!!..seriously...he does top-notch work...

[Ben Jammin']

I sent you a PM.

[Rock on]

hey,

whats the difference between the long stoke ones and regular ones.

what one did Jimmy Page use?

Thanks

[Silverface]

Standard pull on a PW is 5/8 inch. A long-throw is 1 1/8". Page used the stock one. The long-throw is the same pull as Clarence White's original, and is on all the Nashville West guitars Stringpull made. It's a very musical bend and easy to get used to - if you're into Nashville "on-off" switch bends a short pull is better...but kinda irrelevant.