Conference napalm::guitar

    Well, I never bent my necks....just never seemed healthy for the
    beasts....instead, I work up a lot of pre-bend licks to simulate
    vibrato and pitch drop effects.  It can be done!  Besides, I've
    seen Jake E Lee snap a few necks in two be bending them.  Maybe
    he has the $$$ to replace them...I don't!

    Well, I sure wouldn't do it to MY ax, especially considering that I'm
    one of those people who's ALWAYS shearing off bolts, screws, etc., on
    my car, seems like just a bit toom much enthusiasm and . . .

    I can testify that this practice isn't good. A bass player
    I know (who used to be a guitarist) used this method and
    actually broke his truss rod. He took it to the Vintage
    Fret Shop in Ashland NH, and they handed him bits of 
    his truss rod in a baggie.
    
    He used to bend the neck all the time and was very hard on
    guitars. However, I think the bottom line is-don't do it to 
    a guitar you care about.
    
    If you really want vibrato, reach behind the nut and reef
    on the strings ala Adrian Belew. Doesn't do wonders for the
    tuning of your instrument, but you can get some neat effects.
    
    -Tom

	I'd guess that if you were playing a guitar with a maple neck,
	it probably wouldn't hurt anything, provided that you were not
	too agressive. If it were a Mahogany neck (the one on my SG is
	pretty flexible & does this kind on naturally), and you were
	overly excited, you'd probably snap the neck off.

	Maple necks are stronger (look at the Woodstock footage with
	Jimi Hendrix where he tries to smash up his Fender). I recall
	that Telecasters became the choice for country players partially
	because of thier sound & partially because you could whap someone
	across the head with one & not knock it out of tune.

							Jens

         
   >> If you really want vibrato, reach behind the nut and reef
   >> on the strings ala Adrian Belew. Doesn't do wonders for the
   >> tuning of your instrument, but you can get some neat effects.
         
    Yeah, I use this trick (as I said in .0) but this technique isn't 
    very versitle for dives.
                  
    -Tony

    I think I'd probably go with a trem (or another guitar with one,
    That's what I did).  Just seems a lot safer.
    
    I have a Strat that I love that's a hardtail.  It stays in tune really
    well.  I used to do the old neck bend just a little, but always worried
    about it, so I bought another ax with a nice trem.  You'll probably
    never get the range you want from bending the neck anyway.
    
    I'd probably worry about it more with a bolt on neck, as there's more
    stuff to break in there.  Even if you don't break your neck, if you
    bust up your body where it bolts on, it'll never be the same.
    
    Greg                                        

    Tony,
    
    STOP THIS UNHEALTHY PRACTICE THIS INSTANT!! 8^)
    
    I agree with everyone who's replied to this note - if you want to do
    real dives, get a trem. However, Buck made a really good point - you
    can start with a string bent to a note, and then release it, to get a
    similar effect (Larry Carlton uses this bending technique a lot -
    though not to do divebombs!). Of course, you probably can't get more   
    than a minor third drop out of this, but you probably can't get much
    more by bending the neck, either (unless you really WANT a two-piece
    Strat).
    
    Nick

    Execution....By firing squad....Sunrise....Be there !
    
    ;^)

    
    	I've been bending neck on my 66 tele for about 12 years now
    with no ill effects whatsoever. 	

    	I would be very hesitant to bend the neck in the manner described 
    in .0. Especially with a glued in or bolt on neck. Two weeks ago I 
    watched a guy seperate a glued in neck from the body by using this
    technique. (The guitar had no tremelo.) With the bolt on necks you risk
    stripping out the bolt holes. This may not be as much of a problem 
    with a through the body maple neck but I would not make neck bending
    a habit. I can see you walking into your friendly music dealer to try
    out a Gibson Byrdland and coping a few neck bends....
    
    DonH
    
    

	    On a recent interview with Tony Dallison, we asked:
    
    "Tony, the public wants to know, how do you set your axes up ? 
     Fine/low action for those hot/flying licks, or high action for 
     the smokey room, blues feel ?"
    
			    to this, Tony answers,,, 
    
    		"Survival man, I set em up for survival!"

    
    
    
        
    Tony, buy a whammie, they're not "That" expensive, and trust me here..
    
    A Tremelo unit will do more for the looks of your traditional axe than
    a two peice, glue on neck...

    I remember, way-way back, we we're doing a multi band show, and
    the opening bands guitar player had a Gold-top Les Paul that he broke
    the neck on by bending it...  Had I not been there to see it with
    my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it..  Man, to have a camera,
    and catch the look on that kids face when the neck let go would
    have won me a pulitzer prize!  And of course, thats nothing for
    the response of the rest of the band while the Les Paul went into
    it's death dance..  (real awe inspiring stuff boys and girls!)

    I guess the only issue here is how much $$$$$ is the peice worth. If
    it's an inexpensive peice, then putting a kahler or rose on it may be
    like putting $500 worth of Michelen tires on a 71 Capri..  You have to
    make your decision, but I can gaurentee,, one of these nights, you'll
    be sitting there,, stupified,,, wondering which part of your guitar to
    put down first,, the neck, or the body..   Keep torturing the wood, and
    it will break,,    eventually. 

    

    >two piece glue on neck...
    
    I be rolling...
    
    Edd

    How about a Silicon(e) neck ???
    
    ;^)

<    < Note 1458.13 by WELMTS::GREENB "The Rotters Club" >
<                    -< and what's wrong with a 71 Capri??? >-

	Well nothing, (I had one and it screamed) except the bushings
    in the rack kept breaking....  Ever drive a Capri without Rack
    Bushings?  It's fun,,,,  passengers fear they'll never leave the
    'wreck' alive...

    
    I've been away from the office for a while...
    
    You guys are killing me !! ("In a recent interview.." etc..)
    
    agagagaga!!
    
    Anyway, there is GREAT restriction on pre-bending a string, picking
    and releasing. Not only the fact the the pitch will only raise
    to a major third but also stuff like natural harmonics etc.. are
    not possible (unless you have three hands and can bend the string
    behind the nut, play the natural harmonic and then release the bend!).
                                                                          
    I don't want to cut this axe up by putting a whammy on it and I       
    don't intend to buy a new axe (which may have a whammy) until 
    January. 
                                                                          
    I have kept the bending down to a minimum but old habits die hard
    and you can't beat an open A string dived down with a harmonic scream
    following 8^) !!      
              
    I am, and probably always will be, a neck bender (but only on my
    guitar, I never bend the neck on a friends or shops guitar).
    
    -Handy Bendy Ghandi 8^)

   Tony,
    
          Sorry.......
    
    But I told you so !

    
    Yeah, right Jon.
    
    Anyway, I'm in the process of booking my axe in for a Kahler trem.
                                          
    Wish me luck!,
    -Tony (the soon to be be no longer hard-tailer 8^( )