Ryanesque Posted September 21, 2008 Report Share Posted September 21, 2008 I've come to the realization that I need a B-bender. actually it's not really a case of Gear Acquisition Syndrome...my style tends to have me have a difficult time because i try to write things that bend the B... I know that B-Benders are made for Tele's... but...would it be possible to put one in a strat? I never use my trem...I could get a Tele bridge or a hardtail strat bridge... maybe use the B-bender setup (the real one) and weld some more rod to the end of where it would usually stop on a Tele? I've customized my guitar so much anymore, I hate to let it go, and I've got no money so I'm working with what I've got. I've got a new Carvin blank neck coming... and Carvin electronics...etc... It's my dream strat...Everyone is always in search of that "Perfect Tone" and I'm finally getting very close to it. I've never had pickups that sound as good as my Carvin's. plus I just modded my Carvin amp and it sounds WAY better than ever before. anyway, that's getting Off Topic (I'm famous for that today on another forum.) I like the idea of bending from the left side of the strap (I am a righty) and not the version that bends from the right side. just seems very natural from the neck side. Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 (edited) Maybe a stupid question.....but what does a B-Bender do exactly? Never mind...... Edited September 22, 2008 by RGGR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 (edited) Wow, what a trip, I've never heard of anything like that. Very interesting and that video was pretty neat. J Edited September 22, 2008 by jmrentis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 Great clip... I know that B-Benders are made for Tele's... but...would it be possible to put one in a strat? I never use my trem...I could get a Tele bridge or a hardtail strat bridge... maybe use the B-bender setup (the real one) and weld some more rod to the end of where it would usually stop on a Tele? Not with an original you wont...as in the above pic, the extensive routing and the need for the top strp buttong to move a fair way would not be possible on a strat as far as I can see. I know J Page and others have had them fitted to Les Pauls. If you can find the one used in that clip, you may be able to fit it to the neck plate perhaps. There are alternatives... Hipshot Some of these move with the right hip for instance... None of these things are "cheap" and chopping that much out of a guitar may affect the structural integrity and adversely affect the tone...especially on a strat that comparatively is already full of holes (trem cavity, bath tub route, etc) I've come to the realization that I need a B-bender. actually it's not really a case of Gear Acquisition Syndrome...my style tends to have me have a difficult time because i try to write things that bend the B... Does this mean you have developed a style without one that bends the B string within chords? That is the real beauty of these things, the ability to make those pedal steel effects by bending notes within a chord. There are things you can only do with such devices, but it is amazing what you can do with conventional techniques...I have really been digging the amount of cool techniques that some of these country technicians have come up with in this line (not much good with a distorted sound as the minor second intervals typically created turn to mush!) If you think of working out your own way of achieving the effect (there have been various versions) I'd be interested. I was working on a strat bridge idea that used the spring cavity to have "locking benders" so as I could have multiple tunings for each string...kind of like the trilogy, but to do some of the stuff Adrian Legg is known for with his banjo "Keith" pegs. I had even made some prototype ideas but got stuck...but it is one of those "unfinished ideas" that would be really cool to have. The tele is a super cool guitar for such mods...it's like a blank slate! pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 One trick I've heard experimented with in the past is using an LP jr. type wrap around type bridge with a Bigbsy behind it - only the string(s) you want to bend are fed to the Bigsby, the others are strung normally. I'm sure this brings up spring tension issues, but it seems like a lower bar to entry, cost wise, although it is a different way of playing than with a b-bender. I saw a fellow use this once, playing slide in band at a coffeeshop. It certainly sounded pretty cool. It seems like a cool way to try out the sound with less cost and effort than the "real" solutions. I realize given the fact you want to retrofit a strat, it's not the most helpful thing to you, but I thought I'd mention it for the sake of the conversation here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 Maybe a stupid question.....but what does a B-Bender do exactly? Never mind...... in dan armstrongs book he shows a double one that operates the b and the g(i think) each operate off one of the strap buttons. I reckon for experiment the lever attached to the bender its self (the small flat one) could be rotated 90 degrees and extended to sit out of the end of the guitar. and for really early prototype it could sit flush to the back of the guitar on a slightly longer shafty. if thats not clear i could knock something up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 i don`t think you can do it in a strat. because the upper horn doesn`t have enough room for the strapbutton to move up and down. 2 awesome tunes that feature a b bender tele: the unforgiven II by metallica and breakin down by skid row. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 i don`t think you can do it in a strat. because the upper horn doesn`t have enough room for the strapbutton to move up and down. 2 awesome tunes that feature a b bender tele: the unforgiven II by metallica and breakin down by skid row. you could make the whole horn move Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 Not sure how Strat friendly the complete unit is, but on the Glaser bender, the lever comes out of the neck plate. I have to say though, that Will Ray makes the Hipshot unit look very tempting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted September 22, 2008 Report Share Posted September 22, 2008 (edited) you could just employ someone to stand at your headstock and twiddle the tuners! where did i get the name dan armstrong? I meat dan erlewine obviously! Edited September 22, 2008 by joshvegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Dan Armstrong is also a well known guitar guru... The bigsby idea is a cool one, but to really do b-bender licks you need the picking hand free...hence the strap operation. I have heard of someone using a clutch cable on a foot pedal to operate such devices. Hipshot make palm and hip operated things and weird variations to manipulate other strings as well...all those moves may be hard to master! The glasser is the version used in that video...couldn't remember the name! The idea I was trying to work on was a bit more like the trilogy but with b-bender type action as well...pushing just past the tuned point allowed it to spring back and latch to another note. The result would be like a bender on each string and the ability to move between standard tuning, open G, open D and DADGAD, dropped D and double dropped D for starters. Mechanically, and practically, these things can be very hard to realize...but it is amazing what you can build with aluminium sections and such. If anyone has any brain waves...I have another tele just itching for such a mod! pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I didn't watch the video linked (connection too slow). But in the past I have seen an online video of Will Ray using the hipshot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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