The Steel Guitar Forum

I met Clarence, around 1970 or so. My friend and I were very interested in his "Tele" and "bender". Back stage, after a concert at a local college, he showed us what he had done to his tele. He actually took the back off to show us the working parts. He was an extremely personable talent. We told him, that, we were working along those same lines with the bender idea. He wished us luck and then proceeded to blow me away with some super great picking.
As a side note- We built a B string bender on my buddies Tele, not long after that. I did the woodworking and we both did the mechanicals, including the "door hinge" bridge for the B string.
Several years later, I had a "Parsons-White" B string bender installed on my 66' Tele. I still have and play that same Tele, today. My friend still has his B bender Tele, but, has done many modifications to it. It was a great time and "that" mode of music has never left my mind.

Great John,

We've met on a few occaisions at NE Steel Conventions. You are one heck of a picker.

I told you one time in Lee, MA that I was working on some ragtime songs. You said, yeah, that's a challenge.

Still workin' on 'em John. Keep playin' so well, buddy.

That is definitely pre-bender Clarence. I believe the first Byrds record with the B-bender was Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde. The sessions he played on Sweetheart of the Rodeo and earlier Byrds albums was before bender.
John, what number is your P/W bender? I had #29 built in '76. I traded it for another guitar back in the mid 80's but it's still with a good friend of mine in Tacoma, WA.

Dave Harmonson wrote:That is definitely pre-bender Clarence. I believe the first Byrds record with the B-bender was Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde. The sessions he played on Sweetheart of the Rodeo and earlier Byrds albums was before bender.

As was my take--and I agree with Dave Z., I actually like that better (mostly!). His Bender work on Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde is terrific, especially Old Blue and Your Gentle Ways Of Loving Me, but later IMHO he got a bit carried away with the Bender--understandably enough, but, again IMHO, it can lead one to somewhat lose sight of the vast terrain one can explore without using the Bender. (NOTE: I have a PW Bender-equipped guitar, which is the only guitar I've ever had custom made for myself.)

I remember when I saw The Byrds live back in 1970. I was far back in the crowd and thought Clarence's body English looked strange, but I had no clue at all about the Bender then.

Great insights fellas,

You know, as mentioned, I question why he even wanted that B-Bender in the first place.

Hell, he was bending notes before he probably even knew them.

It is hard to tell, where the B-Bender comes in or if it's simply a string-bend.
He played super light gauge strings and so it gets a bit muddy, here.

Either, Or, Clarence could pull it off.

Maybe the idea comes fom the Scruggs Tuner?

But that wasn't the question
The finger that bends the B string goes towards the G string and with this move this string is blocked from ringig. That won't happen with the bender.
For example In the key of A:
G string 2nd fret, B string open- engage bender and bring it up a whole note, high E open.
Just one possibility...

Good point Joachim.

Little subtle changes like that, is what it's all about.

I didn't grasp, at first, what you were saying, but I got it now.

Brilliant observation. Till this day, I've missed it, for sure. Never gave it much thought.

Thanks for that lore, Joachim.

To this day I haven't heard anyone that really captures Clarence's sound. His timing and touch was unique to him. There have been many bender players since, but what a real shame that he was taken so young.
About a year ago I talked to Gene Parsons about an issue with my bender and we talked about Clarence for a while. I told him how when I first got one installed I was bender, bender , bender all night and as time went on I used it less and less and I told him how I believe Clarence would have most likely gone this route as well. He told me a very interesting bit of info, that a year or so after Clarence started using the bender Gene pulled him aside and said "just because you have the bender don't forget about all the great things you were playing without it".
To me what is most sad is not knowing where Clarence would have taken his playing. I'm pretty sure he would have expanded his playing to other styles and would have been even more amazing. As per the GP song "In My Hour Of Darkness" "The Music He Had In Him So Very Few Possessed".

Dave,

Just super input. Just great. Just cause you can do it, don't mean you gotta do it all the time.

Again, great lore and insight, Dave.

Thanks much for that.

CW lovers are now being flushed from the woods.

And as Auntie Martha [ex-con] would say, "It's a good thing".

Chip,
Thanks for the comments, I appreciate them. I still think "Ragtime" tunes would be a cool idea.
Hope to see you again
John

Dave,
My bender is # 0080. I really don't remember when I had it done. I would have to say the middle to late 70's, though. I've burn't a lot of brain cells since then.
John

Thanks, Chip. I still get a bit teary-eyed thinking on Clarence White.
I met Gene around '75 and I remember telling him that Clarence was my favorite guitar player and then Gene said "he was mine too, and he was my best friend." I could barely keep it together after he said that.

Great thread. Clarence had at least as big an influence on bluegrass guitar with his acoustic playing. The mostly instrumental record Appalachian Swing was a legendary out-of-print record in the 70's but it's on cd now.

I read somewhere that Jesse Ed Davis' version of Statesboro Blues with Taj Mahal is what inspired Duane Allman to take up slide guitar.

Joachim Kettner wrote: Clarence often went to see the Rising Sons ( T.Mahal, Ry Cooder, and a bass player ) at a club in L.A.

That club was The Ash Grove

http://www.ashgrovemusic.com/

Herb Steiner and I both use to hang out there all the time, and Clarence worked there as a guitar teacher around 1962, and I TOOK GUITAR LESSONS FROM HIM.

He taught me how to play Wildwood Flower.

Mike Perlowin wrote:

That club was The Ash Grove

http://www.ashgrovemusic.com/

Herb Steiner and I both use to hang out there all the time, and Clarence worked there as a guitar teacher around 1962, and I TOOK GUITAR LESSONS FROM HIM.

He taught me how to play Wildwood Flower.

Thanks for that. I'm just listening to the lovely Jackie DeShannon at the moment.

As I recall, Jackie de Shannon was accompanied by Ry Cooder and another brilliant guitarist named David Cohen when she payed there. David later became a session player and played the guitar solo on Bobby Darin's record "If I Were A carpenter."

Many of the shows at the Ash Grove were recorded, and all the tapes were sold or given to Wolfgang's vault. Of these, about 25% have already been made available for downloading, and the rest eventually also will be.

I remember one night when Reverend Gary Davis and Doc Watson shared the bill, and Reverend Davis invited Doc to join him on stage for some duets. I don't know if that particular performance was recorded, but I hope it was.

OH!!!

Why Not???

"OLD BLUE" -

http://picosong.com/RRq

Chip , thanks for posting this track. As a teen this was probably that song that turned me into the Country direction., I used to listen to this track over and over again back then wondering what the heck that guitar sound was ! I clearly turned from a rock/blues kid to the country direction form this exact track/song ! I sill love it .

Yes, it is clearly Clarence on his Bender , can't say what the timing is but the guitar is correct, probably right at that exact correct time line.

t

Tony, I always read and love your posts.

I'm happy I could give ya a boost. Lord knows we need a boost now more than ever.

More great insight, too, into Clarence. Thanks for that.

Back when, he and the Byrds, WERE really from outer space (C.T.A 102).

That there is a short "Hold It" at the end of the "Dr.Byrds" album, I learned here a couple of months ago, in another thread.
I also like the handclaps on "Old Blue".

Here is a clip from the Craig Ferguson Show from I believe 2007 with Marty Stuart and company tearin' it up on Country Boy Rock 'n Roll, and Marty is putting Clarence's Stringbender Tele through its paces. He and "Cousin" Kenny Vaughan also put on a fine Twin Tele exhibition. It doesn't get any better than this...well, I guess they could have a steel player...but when would he play?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Qr3romi9U

Great post Chip.
Old Blue always one of my faves. Named my dog for that song, she's gone now but everytime I hear it I think of Old Blue.
Nothing to w/this post but check out Ian and Sylvia's version, it brings a tear to my eye.
Way to go Chip.
Mark thanks for the great Marty clip. Wow!!!
Will

This might be my all time favorite CW stringbender track.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_12IyhedQs

Will Houston wrote:Old Blue always one of my faves. Named my dog for that song, she's gone now but everytime I hear it I think of Old Blue.
Nothing to w/this post but check out Ian and Sylvia's version, it brings a tear to my eye.

Me too! It's hardly the same song at all--folk songs are like that--but the Ian and Sylvia song is emotional on a whole different level. I've lost a few dogs, none named Blue, but it gets me every time. (My lady has a lifelong attachment to a version by Tennessee Ernie Ford, which is a very different song again!) Doesn't stop me from loving the Byrds' "Old Blue". I too can say it was a major influence in turning me toward country music.

Great come-backs here. This is good stuff. This is my stuff.

Joachim - handclaps, as you mentioned, always got to me in "Old Blue". It's an old folk/hillbilly thang. I'm sure you've noticed, it's not that easy to clap along with. Comes in on the OFF BEAT. If you miss the first clap, you're sunk. Course, more corn squeezin's can help ya out.
Mcguinn was just famous for throwing in those old-timey folk idioms.
Listen carefully (maybe with good headphones and a dynamite sound system) to "My Back Pages" and you will definitely hear, among all the razz-a-ma-tazz, a metronome "quietly" and "unblinkingly" keeping time. It's in there.

Mark - absolutely. It shows Marty actually moving his shoulder and activating the actuator post. That was some great hot duet guitar playing, too. Thanks for that turn-on.

Will - I'm glad I moved you, if in fact I did. I miss ya. You been hidin' out. That's OK. Good to see you again, and I'm glad I stirred ya, a-bit.

YES DAVE - "Tulsa County" - one of my all time greats by the Byrds [& Clarence]. "The Ballad Of Easy Rider", sadly, was the Byrd's least favorite/selling albums. But still just had great songs and picking. "Oil In My Lamp" - another one - may have been one of the rare tunes that Clarence actually sang lead on.
Thanks Dave, for that heads-up one.

I'm hearing ya Brint. You hit the nail on the head.

I'm rather surprised that "Old Blue" has awoken some pretty intense emotions, here. It's a good thing. It's a good release. Lord knows we need it now, more than ever.

Thanks again, buddys.

Oh Well!

"Oil In My Lamp"....

http://picosong.com/RYi