Bending on a Mosrite. Can it be done?

[101Volts]

I was just watching this Mark I demonstration video on Youtube. Towards the end it looks like Phil was bending notes just fine. (4:09 to the end)

They say the guitar is all original in the description, Although it also says "Scalloped on the top edge" Which I think refers to the german carve. So I'm wondering, Is the whole "Bending on a Mosrite impossible" Argument a bunch of hooey? I think it may have to do with the strings. Perhaps people tried putting flatwounds on Mosrite guitars?

And yes, I realize this sounds like a newcomer's question but it's something I had to ask.

Austin

[101Volts]

Also, To add more fuel to the fire check out this Nirvana video. Kurt is bending easily enough with his Gospel both in the main riff and in the solo. I doubt he had it refretted. (And in case you watch the whole video he smashes a vantage LP copy at the end, Not his Mosrite)

Austin

[TimR]

I've personally always felt that idea that you can't do bends on a Mosrite was "a bunch of hooey." The best example was Nokie himself. He was the one that liked the Mosrites the most, and was bending all over the place. Now, heavy strings and speedfrets is probably not a good combination for bending. But Mosrites came with very light strings. Nokie always used 9's if I'm not mistaken.
My "Bluesbender" has bigger frets and will accomodate heavier strings. I've always put 10's on other Mosrites, and have flatwound 10's on my Hallmark C60 now. I do a lot of bends -in fact I've been accused of being more of a blues player than a surf player. You just have to have a lighter touch. The Stevie Ray Vaughans and Dick Dales of the world like to fight their guitar, with high action and heavy strings. That works for them -they would not like Mosrites. I wouldn't pay much attention to the dude in the video. He was just trying to be cute. By the way, who was Harvey Wickland???

[thunderhead]

It's all in the set-up and string gauge. Light strings and low action, the way they were intended to be set-up with the speed frets. I agree with the Nokie comparison, he could bend at will with his set-up.

[101Volts]

Thanks, I suppose I may end up switching string gauges when I get a Mo'. Oh and TimR, I wasn't able to find anything on Wikipedia about Harvey Wicklund but through a Google search (And an unofficial source) I found that Harvey was the rhythm guitarist in place of Don Wilson for 1982 and 1983. Notice that Phil didn't say Don's name.

Austin

[EF@MosriteRecords]

I'LL jump in. If I use my 63 Ventures. I use a 9-11-15-26-36-46. If I know that I will
do some Travis or Maphis I will change out the 3rd string to a 18-20 Wound and maybe use a 13 on the second for a fatter warmer sound. I have had no problems over a lifetime bending the strings involved in any given Riff. Pretty much Nokie's got it down, and I have watched him many times live. I am still learning after 59 years and I watch everyone I come across.

I also use these numbers on my 3 pick up 5 position switch Tele that Fender built me back in 1999-2000 period. It has a Parson/White b-Bender in it which really is just a Steel Guitar mechanism that works off the neck strap button that is now attached to the end of a Lever.

Elaine

[MWaldorf]

If anything, I would think that Mosrites would be good for bending since the neck profile is pretty flat. Vintage Fenders with their 7.25" radius get complaints about bends fretting out, but the flatter the fretboard the less of an issue that should be.

I've heard about those b-benders but I've never tried one. It must take some getting used to!

[jfine]

Amen on the B-bender taking some getting used to! I had a Tele custom-built by Tom Bremer in Minneapolis back in 1990, with a Parsons-White bender, and the first gig I did with it, I was pulling the B-string sharp just by having too much left-hand pressure on the neck! Once I got used to it, it was great fun--I'm a frustrated steel player anyway, and I can't play steel to save my life, so it's fun to do that stuff on guitar. I can duplicate steel parts just about well enough to annoy mediocre steel players--good ones aren't bothered in the slightest! When I lived in Las Vegas in the early-'80's, I worked with an excellent steel player named Bobby McCormack, who had started as a lead guitar player, so he could articulate just like a guitarist (imagine Jeff Beck on pedal steel!) and he and I would swap parts at the drop of a hat and crack each other up. I'm sure the audience was wondering what we were laughing at!
Regarding bending notes on a Mosrite, it's certainly possible--just not very comfortable, not for me, anyway. The narrow neck doesn't give me much space to push or pull, and the low frets don't give me much grip. My old 350 with its wider neck and taller frets was much more comfortable. My recollection from my teenage years in the mid-'60's is that Mosrite was the first company to ship guitars with light-gauge strings. Ernie Ball Slinkys, I think.

[stl80]

Thanks for the nice videos.
Jim

[vjf1968]

I have to comment about the first video. Who is this person and why is he doing the demonstration? It is obvious he knows nothing about the Ventures. Rant over.

On to B-Benders, I have to recommend the Hipshot B-Bender for those folks who want to try out the B-Bending thang. It does not require any major modifications and is completely reversible.