Where can I buy a Parsons White B-bender??

[soltwanger]

hi,

Wasn't initially keen on b benders but a friend showed me his today and now i want one, a bad case of GAS. The trouble is, I do not want to pay the ridiculous installation price and the price of sending it to the installer. I think it costs over £100 just for postage.

Where can I buy a parsons/white b bender NOT installed? surely the people who do the installations professionally must get them from somewhere?!?! I am confident I can do the installation myself, I just need the actually bender itself.

any help will be much appreciated.

nick g, if you are out there, I am so very very jealous right now.....

Sol

[Rich Rice]

WD sells 'em.


http://wdmusic.com/classic_b_bender_24198_prd0.htm

They're not cheap, and not as easy to install as you might think. I'm working on two of them right now.

[BrianF]

Originally Posted by soltwanger

nick g, if you are out there, I am so very very jealous right now.....

Sol

Sol...I did Nick G's installation..



There's only 2 people in he world manufacturing PW style B Bender parts. Gene Parsons, and Bill Bores. WD gets parts from Bill Bores. There are a limited number of authorized installers in the world. Gene Parsons (www.stringbender.com), and Larry Miletich (Music One Workshop) for genuine Parsons Benders.

For Bores (www.steelbender.com)...the list is slightly longer (but not by much) and I am one one them...as is of course Bill Bores in Texas, Mike Nihen (Stringpull)....I see from above Rice Custom Guitars...and a couple of others.

I am told that Charlie Chandler's Guitar Experience (http://www.guitarexperience.co.uk/) in the UK also can install Benders (Bores benders). I gave this info to Nick G and you can check with him what the feedback was. In the end I am pleased that Nick chose me for the service.

Bores parts from WD Music are $399 plus shipping...I have no idea what kind of instructions or support you get with the parts purchase..

Brian...

[Rich Rice]

Originally Posted by BrianF

Sol...I did Nick G's installation..



There's only 2 people in he world manufacturing PW style B Bender parts. Gene Parsons, and Bill Bores. WD gets parts from Bill Bores. There are a limited number of authorized installers in the world. Gene Parsons (www.stringbender.com), and Larry Miletich (Music One Workshop) for genuine Parsons Benders.

For Bores (www.steelbender.com)...the list is slightly longer (but not by much) and I am one one them...as is of course Bill Bores in Texas, Mike Nihen (Stringpull)....I see from above Rice Custom Guitars...and a couple of others.

I am told that Charlie Chandler's Guitar Experience (http://www.guitarexperience.co.uk/) in the UK also can install Benders (Bores benders). I gave this info to Nick G and you can check with him what the feedback was. In the end I am pleased that Nick chose me for the service.

Bores parts from WD Music are $399 plus shipping...I have no idea what kind of instructions or support you get with the parts purchase..

Brian...

Nice, clean job on there, Brian. I'm afraid Sol might have a bit of a job ahead of him, with no templates or experience with bender installations.

Sol- If I were in your position, I'd consider getting a pre-routed body to go with that bender mechanism. If for no other reason than you could take physical measurements before tearing up your favorite Tele. The drilling/routing is very precise- and you get one shot at it. You can always resell the body when you have finished with it. YMMV.

[BrianF]

Originally Posted by Rich@wildriceband.com

Nice, clean job on there, Brian.

Thanks Rich...I do each one as if it were my own...there is an extreme amount of detail to watch out for and several seemingly routine opportunities along the way that are 'exciting'

Originally Posted by Rich@wildriceband.com

Sol- If I were in your position, I'd consider getting a pre-routed body to go with that bender mechanism. If for no other reason than you could take physical measurements before tearing up your favorite Tele. The drilling/routing is very precise- and you get one shot at it. You can always resell the body when you have finished with it. YMMV.

Good advice there...

[nick_g]

Yeah I'm playing the bender Brian did for me right now and it really is incredible. Absolutely flawless work, it handles very smoothly, in stark contrast to several fender p/g ones i played in London.

Brian, I'm very pleased I chose you for the service.

Pics and clips are on their way.

Sol, forgive me for hi-jacking the thread.

[soltwanger]

hi all, thanks for the replies. I am aware of the amount of work ahead of me, but I believe I can handle it. I may even (if i decide to go ahead with the whole thing) do the route on a squier body first for a 'test run'. BrianF, Nick g has been raving to me about his amazing bender. he rang me up the other day to show me and I was amazed. Great stuff. I have found a few slightly dogy looking companys, like 'big dog benders' who I still have not had a reply from after my request for pricing and shipping etc. I have not had good vibes from them right from the beggining. their benders look a bit dodgy as well, the (very few) pictures on the website are blurred.

http://www.inet-direct.com/dove/brownpage2.html

tell me what you think. Thanks again for the replies

[Rich Rice]

I have no knowledge of their product, so cannot comment. It looks a little clunkier than the Bores system, but if it works well- who knows? Customer service and support is everything in this business, and if they are not responsive in the beginning I would be leery at best.

[JJDroopy]

WD Music is out of stock! Another place to find one???

[J. Hayes]

they're carrying the Parsons/Green B-Bender unit now which only sells for $380 or so plus about 10 or 11 bucks shipping. I just ordered one for my #2 Tele which I'm going to install myself. It operates basically the same way as a P/W except they're usually short throw (which I prefer) and you don't have to assemble a bunch of parts as they're mostly attached to the rear plate. Also you don't have to cut a slot for the lever to which the strap is attached as the lever comes from the rear of the guitar and bends around the side and your strap peg will be in approximately the same place. This is the same bender that Fender installs on their bender equipped guitars. I had my Parsons/White long throw bender installed almost 2 years ago and only played it about a month or so before I changed it to a short throw. The long throw is mostly good for some Clarence White things but to me a short throw is even better for that. I think if Clarence were alive today he'd probably be using a short throw as they're quicker to use on fast bends and he was a lightning fast picker............JH in Va.

[BrianF]

Originally Posted by J. Hayes

long throw is mostly good for some Clarence White things but to me a short throw is even better for that. I think if Clarence were alive today he'd probably be using a short throw as they're quicker to use on fast bends and he was a lightning fast picker............JH in Va.

I don't agree that short throw is better for Clarence type licks. I agree that the sort is faster but it is less expressive. It's more of an on/off switch in that regard. I agree that the Long Throw is harder to play faster runs but with practice is can be done. I can play Bob Warford licks on mine and he's has a real short throw.

It's difficult to say what Clarence would be playing today...but for sure he would have tried lots of things. Bob Warford's short throw (the 2nd bender in existance, and Clarence's former blond Tele that he played on Sweetherat of the Rodeo, pre-bender) was around while Clarence was still alive so he probaly was aware of the difference, since Bob and Clarence were friends..

Also...the Long Throw can be adjusted to be shorter but the short cannot be made longer... I have mine set to a medium throw right now. The Long Throw bender that is out there right now (from Parsons or Bores)....the longest position is longer than Clarence's original....which was slightly longer than 1 inch...this is where I have mine set to right now.

Something else to consider...since the short throw bends the string a whole step with a shorter pull on the strap...it is more sensitive to accidental pulls when standing up etc... A stiffer spring can help...but changes the feel etc.

[soltwanger]

they're carrying the Parsons/Green B-Bender unit now which only sells for $380 or so plus about 10 or 11 bucks shipping.

hmm yes, I have lloked at those. from what I have heard about those, I don't think I will bother. Nick g tried some and said they were heavy, squeaky and unresponsive. And for $380 I may as well get Brian to do one thanks for the help anyway, I will keep you posted on the situation.

[J. Hayes]

I can afford. If I could I'd prefer to have a nice P/W bender installed by Brian, Stringpull, or someone of that caliber. Brian does great work and if you can afford to go that way I'd do it. I've heard of some of the quirks with the P/G bender and I'm going to have to try to overcome them. Hopefully it won't matter too much as it won't be my main guitar. The Tele I'm putting the P/G unit into will be my "D" Tele with all the strings tuned down a whole tone and maybe only played on 5 or 6 songs per gig, maybe less..............JH in Va.

[ironweed]

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum17/HTML/006358.html

No affiliation, but here is somebody trying to sell a NOS P-W bender kit.

[txteletwanger]

folks, for what's its worth, i've got a fender nashville 3 p/u p/g bender and a standard tele i asked gene parsons to put a b/g in - used a wd body. there is just no comparison in my opinion. if you want it done right, pay out now or save up and do it later. i'm sure others do a great job on the b/g installation (bill bores, etc), i had gene do two drop e's as well. just make sure you know the work coming out of the shop...remember its an investment whichever way you go so don't pike...chevy citation, impala,,camry, lexus....patience is a virtue...you will regret a rash decision.....

[Rich Rice]

Originally Posted by txteletwanger

folks, for what's its worth, i've got a fender nashville 3 p/u p/g bender and a standard tele i asked gene parsons to put a b/g in - used a wd body. there is just no comparison in my opinion. if you want it done right, pay out now or save up and do it later. i'm sure others do a great job on the b/g installation (bill bores, etc), i had gene do two drop e's as well. just make sure you know the work coming out of the shop...remember its an investment whichever way you go so don't pike...chevy citation, impala,,camry, lexus....patience is a virtue...you will regret a rash decision.....

I'd have to agree here. An inferior bender is an absolute turn-off. I started (years ago) with an Epiphone EZ-Bender, and despite the inventor's convincing video included with the mechanism, it turned me off to benders for years. I still have it sitting in a drawer somewhere, and there it will stay. I didn't open up to benders again until my son bought a Bores equipped body, and afterwards I had an opportunity to play with John Beland's Bendercaster. I'm expecting a couple of bodies next week (can't wait!) and have great expectations. Spend the money up-front to get a good one.