NGD — ‘96 Clarence White StringBender Telecaster

[ping-ping-clicka]

I ran across this one day at a favorite guitar shop in Scottsdale…

08AACF1D-48FC-4619-A871-BE6E5108CD53

• 244300
• Aug 25, 2021

CW123 Front

1A77F0AF-9E2E-4582-AB8B-1C9AADAA163E

• 244300
• Aug 25, 2021

CW123 Back

…I need to spend some time with her as I’m not used to the soft V neck and ashtray bridge. I’ve preferred more modern specs on my Teles.

oh that's beautiful. Congratulations Clarence White was really something else

 

[string pull]

It was a pretty guitar. You want a list why I didn't like it. Finish was too thick, Texas Specials, Short stroke bender, nice Birdseye maple neck was uneven and "lumpy". It's currently in Japan with a $7500.00 price tag.
Thanks neighbor.

 

[244300]

It was a pretty guitar. You want a list why I didn't like it. Finish was too thick, Texas Specials, Short stroke bender, nice Birdseye maple neck was uneven and "lumpy". It's currently in Japan with a $7500.00 price tag.
Thanks neighbor.

The CW Signature Telecaster with the P/W was a short stroke?

 

[string pull]

Yes my son.

 

[244300]

Yes my son.

That surprises me to learn it’s a short stroke P/W StringBender. I understand that original “pull string” guitar from 1967 was longer than long stroke Parson/White. I would then the Fender Custom Shop would have selected the long stroke version over the short stroke version for the Clarence White Signature Telecasters they were producing in the standard-sized Telecaster bodies such as the one I have.

It’s very difficult to track down information searching with Google so it’s hard to find any conclusive evidence of things plus there are variations in different guitars over different time periods.

 

[Don Miller]

I don't think you had any choice on the length of the throw back then. Gene Parsons(?) and other machinists (?) started making aftermarket parts in the late 90s to lengthen the throw but when this one was made the short throw is what you got.....

Ive got a long throw in my Nashville West....Ive since adjusted it to a mid length throw....so much string bender guitar involves being at the right place at the right time, the mid length worked better...

 

[244300]

I don't think you had any choice on the length of the throw back then. Gene Parsons(?) and other machinists (?) started making aftermarket parts in the late 90s to lengthen the throw but when this one was made the short throw is what you got.....

Ive got a long throw in my Nashville West....Ive since adjusted it to a mid length throw....so much string bender guitar involves being at the right place at the right time, the mid length worked better...

Gotcha! That makes a lot of sense.

So I’ve got this one and a B/G Double StringBender from 1996. I suspect I could order the parts to make one or both a long throw then.

 

[244300]

This section of the StringBender website doesn’t include dates but does seem to foot with Don’s comment.

https://www.stringbender.com/longstroke.php

Hmmm… I wonder what’s involved with the conversion…

 

[string pull]

You asked..............

 

[string pull]

You'll need to enlarge the strap lever slot. (Router) The strap lever itself must be lenghtend, the actuator arm should be also be swapped out.Simple. Walla.... long stroke. The first "long strokes became available in 1999. String Pull Guitar Shop was the only place you could get a long stroke.

 

[244300]

The first "long strokes became available in 1999.

Ah!

 

[244300]

I recognize traditionalists may frown on this but I’ve swapped out the neck on my StringBender here. The V-shape and vintage frets just aren’t my thing. I‘ve replaced it with a solid rosewood neck and I’m having the narrow tall frets crowned and polished down to the height of medium jumbos. They just won’t be as wide. I had my go to guitar tech do the same fret work on another Telecaster and I just love it.

I’m thrilled to have a Parsons/White StringBender and I want it to be perfect for me so I feel the changes make sense. Unfortunately this leaves me with the original FCS CW neck that I have no use for unless I wanted to sell the guitar. And since I can’t ever see wanting to sell the body…I feel it’s best to offer up the neck to an interested party. This listing in the guitar classifieds section of TDPRI.

For Sale - Clarence White Signature Telecaster Neck from 1996

This is a super clean V-shaped neck with vintage frets and banjo tuners. $1000 shipped.

www.tdpri.com

 

[Silverface]

What didn't you like?

I can answer that -

The short throw, stock PW; the original has a very long throw that changes the music. It's a differnt musical instrument.

The pickups aren't the Velvet Hammers Clarece had - completely different sound and the sig model had no boost coil on the bridge pickup. See my post above.

The normal Fender body - without the rear chamber - doesn't have the same sound, Again, see above. FWIW a Thinline body and the VH pickups/wiring harness gets close - but there has to be some body resonance to approach Clarence's sound.

The lower "D" tuner is on the wrong string. Clarence had it on the A string, where it could be pre-dropped and "bent" in harmony with the open B string.

It's basically a semi-Custom Shop 50's Tele with a stock Parsons-White and a D-tuner on the high E for playing Nashville West. Not a copy of Clarence's guitar.

 

[Silverface]

The CW Signature Telecaster with the P/W was a short stroke?

Jut to clarify - they ALL did. It should have been called a "Clarence White Tribute" - NOT a signature. Wrong stroke, wrong pickups, wrong body depth, low D tuner on the wrong string!

I understand that original “pull string” guitar from 1967 was longer than long stroke Parson/White.

It is 1 1/4". Gene's long stroke - introduced only because he finally had to make one (Mike Nihen was modding Stringbenders from 5/8" to 1 1/4") has a 1" stroke. STILL too short if you want to play with Clarence's "feel". Dave Evans makes Pull Strings that are adjustable from 1/2" to 1 1/4"; I'm not sure (Other than him and Mike) who else makes one fixed or adjustable to 1 1/4".

Dave was actually making long-stroke benders...100 of them, including Bernie Leadon's, Al Prekins'' and Albert Lee's - before Gene made a production Stringbender.

And if you look at the patent drawings or the "Stringbender" they do not apply to what he eventually made - they applied to Clarence's, made using 1/2 of a changer fro a Fender 400 pedal steel.

 

[getbent]

great guitar man!

 

[string pull]

Ordered this in 1990. Took delivery April of 91.This was number #002. Marty Stuart got #001. Ya think they would have given #001 to Michell White, Clarence's daughter. Fred Stuart made these in batches of 6. Marty's #001 was recently sold but Skinners Auctions for about #3K, unplayed.