TLDR :: I've logic'ed out that I probably need another guitar to play boomer bends. 😅
Recently I've been trying to learn a few easy & cheesy blues licks. And I've been struggling with...bends! Anything above a 1/2 step and I'm not able to get it easily to pitch. 1 step needs concentration and anything more than that needs 2-3 fingers.
I've got reasonablly strong hands from a fair bit of playing (bass & guitar) - but I sem to remember my strat was a little easier to bend on (not easy, but easier.)
I had a play on a 70's Ibanez jazz box my mate re-furb'ed and setup recent and it was so slick n easy to play. 1 step bends were way easier. SO much so, I guessed it was rocking 9 gauge strings...WRONG, they were 11's!
So I went down a rabbit hole - ASIDE from string gauge AND scale length (E,g, Fender 25.5in vs Gibson 24.5) - what variables affect the perceived playability of what I was trying to do?
After a bit of AI coaching here's what I figured out :
- A tremelo does move sympathetically when bending - obvious if you think about it! (DOH!). The more give in the trem, the less effort.
- There's a bit of give in the neck - very little but enough that it does make a difference. Stiffer neck, more effort.
- Action & Relief in the setup. The Lower the action and the less relief, the harder bends will be
- There apparently a difference between through strung and top loaded - through strung being a bit 'stiffer' in feel. Though this one I question...
- ...because apparently the longer the string the more give you have. Eg. 6 in line tuners vs 3 by 3 tuners. Or through strung vs top loaded.
- The more friction points you have on the string (saddles, nut, strings tree's, through strung ferrules) The more friction to overcome when bending.
These mostly are miniscule differences...but add them all up and I think there's something to it.
So using my electric guitar as a example (Cort Garage 2 - old pic when I had it setup as a midi guitar with nylon strings) :
- Bridge : Fixed - no trem.
- Stiff neck : Yip, very. The most stable I've owned!
- Action/Relief : It was bloody low, very metal :p
- Nut & Saddles : Graphtech - no issue there.
- 6 in line tuners : Yip, no issue there.
- String tree's and through strung : Yes
I've adjusted up the action and gave it a little more relief and it's a little easier to bend - but there's not much else I can do to the guitar aside from changing string gauge.
A.t.m it's rocking Elixir Nanoweb 10's - which are known to be a fairly stiff string. Which for the metal stuff I dig playing, works quite nicely.
Though if I want something easier to play them bends - 9's, nickle and round core style strings are reccomended.
