String bender for vintage Gibson?

[John Rosett]

The thread about the Duesenburg string benders got me interested in adding a bender on the second string of my '47 Gibson BR-4. It looks like the Duesenberg comes with an entire bridge assembly, which rules that out, and it doesn't look like the Bigsby palm pedals are made anymore. Any ideas?

As you can see, there's not alot of room behind the bridge to work with.

[Dan Sawyer]

it doesn't look like the Bigsby palm pedals are made anymore.

The last time i checked they were being made … just not by Bigsby. There's a guy named db who frequents this board. Look him up. He makes and sells Palm Pedals and they are much improved from the old bigsby version.

[John Rosett]

Thanks dan. I checked the website, and it looks like I'm out of luck there, too. I only have about 1" of space behind the bridge, and the palm pedal base needs 3.75". I guess I'll have to keep pulling that B string with my finger.

[Fred Bova]

Check out Epiphone. They make a non intrusive bender.

[Matt Campbell]

Just a thought, you might consider a stop tailpiece and Epiphone's "EZ bender". I have seen them used before on lap steel's. I have looked them up in the past, and they are available through musicyo.com , but they are not always in stock. MusicYo.com is Gibson's foreign wholesale website Hope it helps

[Michael Johnstone]

Those things screw up your guitar as well as your picking and blocking technique.30 years experience of trying every sort of palm pedal-like widget available and some of my own devising has dragged me kicking and screaming to this opinion: Put a good 8 string fixed tuning with a lot of intervallic combinations on a toneful guitar and learn to slant - it's not that difficult. Or if you're that much of a gadget freak,just play a pedal steel - the ultimate gadget.More music will get played either way I gaurantee.

[Mike Neer]

John, not sure of the tuning you're using, but I'm going to have to agree with what Michael J said.

Also, if you're using an E tuning and want to bend the 2nd string up to C#, use a lighter gauge and pull behind the bar. If you're using a G based tuning, do the same, pulling just a half step. You will get the hang of it eventually.

I wish you luck, whatever your decision. Wish I could be of more help.

[John Rosett]

I'm using a G6 tuning, and i pull the B (2nd) string behind the bar alot. Remember that song by the Farmer Brothers, "Flash, Crash, and Thunder"? I started doing it do mimic the pedal steel solo from that. I thought that if there something that I could bolt right on, it would be a nice addition, but I'll just keep doing it by hand.