Tokai - Gene Parsons - String Bender
- Thread starter Sigmania
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Sigmania said:
Guitars The Museum is an amazing place, one of the finest vintage guitar guitar collections on public display anywhere in the world.
The story behind it is equally amazing, a pair of twin brothers, two perfectly regular guys, who basically on an impulse bought a 1960 Les Paul Standard in 1974, at age 18. Through a series of coincidences and chance meetings with the right people they managed to acquire around 500 US vintage guitars up until 1992, when it got too expensive to keep buying. They've only done a few trades, but never actually sold anything.
The collection just sat in a basement up until about a decade or so ago, when they finally put around 300 guitars on display in a museum setting in their home town of Umeå. They've changed premises since I was there in 2017, but the collection is mindblowing. It's easier to say what they haven't got than what they have. You'll find absolutely every guitar you've ever dreamed of except a 1958 Gibson Explorer. Only 48 of those made so not surprising .They have two koa Flying V's though, one '58 and a rare '59. Other than that: literally everything.
One of the brothers, Sam Åhdén, has a stringbender obsession, starting with him sending guitars with cheques attached to Gene Parson for modification in the early 90's, and is now one of the worlds leading authorities on the subject. I've had a few mail exchanges with him about the TE-150, so it's great that one of the dozens of stringbender guitars in his collection is one of "ours".
I'd seriously recommend anyone with a thing for vintage guitars to visit Guitars The Museum if in northern Europe. Sure, it's a bit out of the way (like 300 km south of the arctic circle - certainly the furthest north this southern Swede has ever been...), but Umeå is a nice and pretty little university town on the Baltic coast, especially if you go there in May, when there's a brief sweet spot between the snow and the mosquitoes...
I found my way to discovering "the bender" through a winding route.
I had an early interest in Jerry Garcia's acoustic work that then led me to Tony Rice. Tony Rice then led me to Clarence White's work in the 'Kentucky Colonels' who later, while in 'the Byrds', developed & played this invention.
https://guitar.com/features/artist-rigs/rare-guitars-clarence-whites-1950s-telecaster/
The bender seems like such a 70's thing, the fascination at the time with the pedal steel guitar. Like Jerry Garcia's work on CSNY's "Teach Your Children" or his exploration with 'New Riders of the Purple Sage'.
Jerry and Clarence were players who started off in bluegrass, then experimented electronically with country music styles, and then on from that.
I think the bender was a way to get that floating twangy Bakersfield sound while standing up?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDmDwvZSlPw
Anyway, very cool niche and extremely cool that Tokai got involved with Gene Parsons in my opinion.
I had an early interest in Jerry Garcia's acoustic work that then led me to Tony Rice. Tony Rice then led me to Clarence White's work in the 'Kentucky Colonels' who later, while in 'the Byrds', developed & played this invention.
https://guitar.com/features/artist-rigs/rare-guitars-clarence-whites-1950s-telecaster/
The bender seems like such a 70's thing, the fascination at the time with the pedal steel guitar. Like Jerry Garcia's work on CSNY's "Teach Your Children" or his exploration with 'New Riders of the Purple Sage'.
Jerry and Clarence were players who started off in bluegrass, then experimented electronically with country music styles, and then on from that.
I think the bender was a way to get that floating twangy Bakersfield sound while standing up?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDmDwvZSlPw
Anyway, very cool niche and extremely cool that Tokai got involved with Gene Parsons in my opinion.
"In 1980s I was a director of a Music Shop which stocked Tokai Guitars. At that time they were imported by Blue Suede Music which was run by a colourful character called Eric (Dixon?). He came into the shop one day with 3 Tokai Teles (Breezysounds) a single bender, a double bender and a triple bender. I bought the single bender on a white guitar with white binding for myself, and my brother-in-law eventually bought the double bender which was sunburst. The benders were made and fitted in the UK and were called "Barnes Benders" (after the inventor of this cable system) but because of the lack of demand not a lot were produced. The only other one I ever saw was a single bender on a rosewood body guitar. I have used my Tokai for years and the only thing that breaks on them is the cable. This not too much of a problem because they are quite easy to make from a bike brake cable. Hope this helps."
https://www.tdpri.com/threads/tokai-3-string-bender.261801/page-2
Here’s one for sale.
1981 TE150 ?
Replaced neck... :-?
S/N 1015839
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1254953791...b_vTl8uRJe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Description
This model is a Telecaster made in 1981. It is a very rare model equipped with a string bender, which was produced in limited quantities during this period!
The body is made of Sen, which was used in many guitars of this period. The wood grain and characteristics are similar to those of ash wood and match well with the blond color.
The neck has been replaced from the original. Original tokai logo pegs are installed. (According to the previous owner, the neck was custom-ordered by ESP.)
String bender is a system that Clarence White commissioned Gene Parsons to create in order to reproduce the nuance of pedal steel guitars.
The pitch is changed by moving the moving part of the lever on the strap on the neck side.
The guitar is in relatively clean condition for its age, with no significant scratches. The neck is currently almost straight, but there is no room to loosen the truss rod. The frets are about 80% full, so it can still be used.
This is one of the rarest and most rare guitars on the market.
The best deals often sell out in a day or two, so the sooner you get it, the sooner you can buy it.
Please forgive us if we sell out.
Body : Sen
Neck : Maple
Fingerboard : Maple
Scale Length : 25 1/2" (648mm)
Control : 1Volume, 1Tone, 3-way Toggle
Frets : 21
Pickups : Original
Weight : 3.955kg
1981 TE150 ?
Replaced neck... :-?
S/N 1015839
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1254953791...b_vTl8uRJe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Description
This model is a Telecaster made in 1981. It is a very rare model equipped with a string bender, which was produced in limited quantities during this period!
The body is made of Sen, which was used in many guitars of this period. The wood grain and characteristics are similar to those of ash wood and match well with the blond color.
The neck has been replaced from the original. Original tokai logo pegs are installed. (According to the previous owner, the neck was custom-ordered by ESP.)
String bender is a system that Clarence White commissioned Gene Parsons to create in order to reproduce the nuance of pedal steel guitars.
The pitch is changed by moving the moving part of the lever on the strap on the neck side.
The guitar is in relatively clean condition for its age, with no significant scratches. The neck is currently almost straight, but there is no room to loosen the truss rod. The frets are about 80% full, so it can still be used.
This is one of the rarest and most rare guitars on the market.
The best deals often sell out in a day or two, so the sooner you get it, the sooner you can buy it.
Please forgive us if we sell out.
Body : Sen
Neck : Maple
Fingerboard : Maple
Scale Length : 25 1/2" (648mm)
Control : 1Volume, 1Tone, 3-way Toggle
Frets : 21
Pickups : Original
Weight : 3.955kg
Attachments
As far as I can see, this 1981 TE-150 launch ad hasn't been posted in the forum before?
I found it on one of my hard drives, in pdf format. I've literally no idea when or where I got it. Pdf added as an attached file.
Ad copy google translation:
Clarence White is now a legend among acoustic guitar enthusiasts and West Coast music freaks.His natural talent shines brightly on both the acoustic guitar and the electric guitar, creating an unparalleled and truly unique sound. It was out. This string pender is the system that supported his electric guitar work. 1973. After Clarence White passed away, Gene Parsons, a friend and co-developer from his days with Nashville West and the Byrds, named the system he had been using PARSONS/WHITE String Bender and began producing it. started. Through secret contact with Zone Barnes, TOKAI PROJECT TEAM will mount this string bender system on the TOKAI TE model and will pre-order a limited edition of 50 pieces as PARSONS WIITE TOKAI STRING B-BENDER. To commemorate the release of this limited edition model, you will receive an original shoulder strap recommended by Gene Barzens. PARSONS WHITE TOKAI STRING B BENDER Limited pre-order production of 50 pieces ¥150,000 (Planned price: Pre-orders will start from March 1st. Please apply at your local TOKAI product store. Please apply for the price. Release date is April Scheduled for ~May. ●I wrote the 1981 catalog. Cat's Eye Guitar Catalog (350 yen)/Electric Guitar Catalog (Flat Top Series 350 yen, Arch Top Series 39 yen/20 yen)/Martin Japanese Version Catalog (700 yen). For catalog requests, please contact 430 Matsushima Town Higashi Section
So, a pre-order edition of 50 pieces, ordered starting March 1 1981, with delivery April-May. It also seems to confirm that Tokai did the installation themselves.
I found it on one of my hard drives, in pdf format. I've literally no idea when or where I got it. Pdf added as an attached file.
Ad copy google translation:
Clarence White is now a legend among acoustic guitar enthusiasts and West Coast music freaks.His natural talent shines brightly on both the acoustic guitar and the electric guitar, creating an unparalleled and truly unique sound. It was out. This string pender is the system that supported his electric guitar work. 1973. After Clarence White passed away, Gene Parsons, a friend and co-developer from his days with Nashville West and the Byrds, named the system he had been using PARSONS/WHITE String Bender and began producing it. started. Through secret contact with Zone Barnes, TOKAI PROJECT TEAM will mount this string bender system on the TOKAI TE model and will pre-order a limited edition of 50 pieces as PARSONS WIITE TOKAI STRING B-BENDER. To commemorate the release of this limited edition model, you will receive an original shoulder strap recommended by Gene Barzens. PARSONS WHITE TOKAI STRING B BENDER Limited pre-order production of 50 pieces ¥150,000 (Planned price: Pre-orders will start from March 1st. Please apply at your local TOKAI product store. Please apply for the price. Release date is April Scheduled for ~May. ●I wrote the 1981 catalog. Cat's Eye Guitar Catalog (350 yen)/Electric Guitar Catalog (Flat Top Series 350 yen, Arch Top Series 39 yen/20 yen)/Martin Japanese Version Catalog (700 yen). For catalog requests, please contact 430 Matsushima Town Higashi Section
So, a pre-order edition of 50 pieces, ordered starting March 1 1981, with delivery April-May. It also seems to confirm that Tokai did the installation themselves.
Yes we're always interested please post pics!
