P/W Installation: Effect on Tone?

[Boogie]

I have a 90 American Standard that has a very nice tonal vibe to it. For that reason, I'd like for it to be my main Tele, but it needs to have a B-Bender for that because I use it quite a bit with my band (currently playing a 60th. Anniv American Nashville with factory P/G). I'm very much considering sending the American Standard up to Gene Parsons to have him install a long-throw P/W.

My question is this: will routing the body have a negative effect on the instrument's tone? If it comes back to me sounding not as good, it will defeat the purpose of wanting the bender installed in the first place: so my best-sounding Tele can become my main axe.

Opinions?

[helle_man]

Personally, I would never, ever rout out a favorite sounding guitar. It will change the tone, not necessarily for better or worse. But it will be different.

I guess that's what I like about the Hipshot - you can slap it on a guitar and remove it later & slap on another. And there's very little damage left behind.

WR

[bendecaster]

I, on the other hand, sent 2 of my favorite Teles out for P/W's, and they came back as super axes! As helle man says "it will change the tone of your guitar", but I guess, I lucked out, as it made them far better than they were! Though, I do seem to come out good against the odds at times. As my girlfriend says, " You can fall into a pile of s**t, and come out smellin' like a rose" (Please don't try this at home kids!).
Good luck with your decision Boogie!

[Dogbear]

I sent my 2000 50s tele to Brian Friend and had a P/W Long Throw installed. It came back sounding better than ever. I can't hear any changes to the tone of the guitar, except for the great sound that comes from the bender.

[telesavant]

No damage, no holes, no routing, no tone change, 10 minute install, 1,2,or 3 pulls, long or short throw.

[Erikr]

It depends on what kind of wood your telebody is made of. Basswood or poplar f.x is a type of wood than often loose its tone when a parsons bender is installed. wood types like ash/lite ash or alder often has the same sound and bottom after an installation like the parsons benders.

i dont know why, but that is what i have experienced.

[BrianF]

I've never noticed any difference in tone, and the overall weight is about the same (before and after installation)..since the amount of routed wood just about offsets the addition of the bender parts.

[telesavant]

All my Parsons/White Teles also sounded just as good after installation, as they did before. I have 3-B, 1-B&E, and 1-B&G--no discernable negative effect on tone.

[J. Hayes]

Stringpull in Northern Virginia a few years ago and I really can't tell any difference in tone or sustain at all. In this day and age hardly any one plays "straight through to the amp" and use some form of effects. You can tweak your rig to get just about anything you want. Stringpull told me that the routing of the body would act similar to a "tone chamber" that some guitars are made with and I think that's probably right..............JH in Va.

[Silverface]

I've also noticed no tonal change at all on several I've had done over the years.

The only one that IS different is the "Nashville West" model made by Stringpull until the Velvet Hammer pickups were no longer available. It was a "clone" of Clarence Whites's guitar, with the extra body chamber added on the back.

That extra chamber keeps the main body of the guitar way from YOUR body, and has the affect of adding some extra resonance and a "liveliness" to the sound. Reportedly, the same thing happened to Clarence's guitar, one reason the tone of that guitar (that Marty Stuart now has) is so distinctive and highly regarded. The VH pickups add a lot as well, but Clarence played it with and without them (and Marty's never had them) - and the guitar still rings like crazy.

[nashwest]

"Clarence" has just a plywood rim on a stock ash body. No routing. Im not sure what it looks like under that Fender Steel changer set up but Im sure theres wood missing. I always felt that removing wood made the body open up sound wise......
Hi Jim!

[Silverface]

There's a big hole in the body in "Clarence" that holds the changer parts from a Fender pedal steel; lots of other metal and various doodads as Gene experimented with the design. The only weight loss is the hole, which is far less than the routing of a PW install (which is what the Nashville West is, sorta).

And Clarence has been reported often as the BEST sounding Tele in Nashville, if not the planet.

I think the tonal efect of the installation depends strictly on the guitar - there is dead wood and live wood, and a "live" guitar with removed wood and a suspended mechanism would possibly (and I've seen it happen) get even more "awake" feeling.

If you have a good sounding guitar, I can tell you from many bender experiences a PW-type will not compromise your tone at all.

Hmmm...now I gotta figure out who "Nashwest" is!!!

[WrapAround]

Originally Posted by Boogie

I have a 90 American Standard that has a very nice tonal vibe to it......

My question is this: will routing the body have a negative effect on the instrument's tone? .....
Opinions?

Every little things change the sound of a guitar. For example, if you look up threads about brass/steel/titanium saddles, you'd find loads of posts saying how different saddles affected the overall tone of guitars. So it is more likely that the installation of a P/W bender *will* change the sound of your guitar. The thing is would *you* notice the change? Just because some people don't notice the change doesn't mean you wouldn't.

If it was me, I wouldn't change a thing about a guitar that I like the sound of. Much less evasive way to add a bender to your guitar is the HipShot bender unit.

[jlctele56]

I hope it doesn't effect mine's tone.......gettin ready to pull trigger on a P/W style from Brian.....and my 61 reissue esquire body is basswood? please tell me it won't....for the bad anyway........

[Dogbear]

IMHO, not to worry. Listen to Brian, he has done a bunch of these and he will tell you that you won't be able to tell the difference. He does a good job and after your first few P/W bender licks, you will wonder how you ever lived without it.

I personally don't think that an internal bender detracts from the appearance, tone or playability of a tele and have no problem with having any tele of mine routed. I personally don't like externally mounted benders, but; it's all in what music you play, what you like, and the price your willing to pay for it. I know that every time I put my P/W long throw around my neck it makes me smile.