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Bendwell question


kumimajava
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Apologies for the obvious noob question, but I've not found a direct answer despite having searched extensively.

How does the "bendwell" feature on a bass work? I know it's supposed to make vibrato & note bending easier, but what are the mechanics behind that?

Does the extra length of string behind the nut make them easier to bend?

Thanks to anyone offering some light on this :)

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The end of the bass before the bendwell acts as a zero fret if you like but this has small bearings so that the strings can freely move when pressure applied. The bendwell allows you to gently push down on the strings to create various vibrato effects depending on how much pressure/speed you put on them.

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Thanks for the info - just one more question: so you push on the "bendwell" portion of the string, above the 0-fret? That's the bit I was not getting. Never seen one in real life, hence all the confusion.

It's a bit of a miracle that given that there's a fair number of these instruments out there, I wasn't able to find a single video/YT-clip where someone would demonstrate how it works :(

Thanks again for the explanation and I'll make sure to try one when I come across it :)

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[quote name='kumimajava' timestamp='1484218740' post='3213585']
Thanks for the info - just one more question: so you push on the "bendwell" portion of the string, above the 0-fret? That's the bit I was not getting. Never seen one in real life, hence all the confusion.

It's a bit of a miracle that given that there's a fair number of these instruments out there, I wasn't able to find a single video/YT-clip where someone would demonstrate how it works :(

Thanks again for the explanation and I'll make sure to try one when I come across it :)
[/quote]

Yes... there is good space below the string.... you push down... its just like fretting the string but you push through further

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[quote name='kumimajava' timestamp='1484218740' post='3213585']
Thanks for the info - just one more question: so you push on the "bendwell" portion of the string, above the 0-fret? That's the bit I was not getting. Never seen one in real life, hence all the confusion.

It's a bit of a miracle that given that there's a fair number of these instruments out there, I wasn't able to find a single video/YT-clip where someone would demonstrate how it works :(

Thanks again for the explanation and I'll make sure to try one when I come across it :)
[/quote]

Both my custom Shuker's have bendwells :)

Where are you based? If you are anywhere near that London you're welcome to have go

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[quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1484225157' post='3213675']
It was a trick MK used to use on his headed basses for bending harmonics. Bend well is the Status version for their headless models.
[/quote]

Aye - he started it on his headed basses (Jaydee & Alembic most notably) - and missed it when he went Headless. So his custom axes had to emulate the nut to tuner post run . . . hence the bendwell!

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[quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1484227691' post='3213710']


Both my custom Shuker's have bendwells :)

Where are you based? If you are anywhere near that London you're welcome to have go


[/quote]
I'd like to see how your d-tuner works on that Shuker. It looks like a neat and useful idea, unlike the bendwell (imo, of course! :))
Any more pics of the mechanism?

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[quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1484227691' post='3213710']
Both my custom Shuker's have bendwells :)

Where are you based? If you are anywhere near that London you're welcome to have go


[/quote]

Thanks for your very kind offer - I'm based in Tokyo, so a not entirely close... And i'm still very much in the early stakes of learning to play, so not sure I could make meaningful use of the feature. When not playing, I'm looking at various bits of bass design & tech, and this was one thing that I could't find a good explanation of.

Also - I've read through your "build thread" on that bass you posted. Looks great the Kubicki detuner is another of those little innovations that seemed to make a lot of sense. Echoing the question of @MoonBassAlpha - how does the hook work on your design? It looks a lot sleeker than the original :)

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Tokyo to London, not the easiest commute!

The hook is spring loaded, there's a button underneath. Push the button and the hook raises, then pull the string to the side, release the button and the hook sinks into the fretboard and I have a lovely open D.
Push the button to raise the hook, release it and it clamps the string behind the zero fret for E.

The bendwells were done as I thought I might as well use the space, and most bendwell use is done with the G and D strings. Lighter strings work best for the bendwell, I have a balanced tension set, so slightly lighter G, which works great.

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That solution sounds a lot more elegant than the Kubicki claw. If you have (or take) a photo of it sometime, I'm sure quite a few of us would like to see it. Seems like a much nicer solution than a d-tuner.

Despite being new to bass, I do find this extended E-string solution very intriguing, and was thinking that it would be nice to try it sometime. This being Japan, some of the Kubciki copies surface time from time. Last week, there was a copy branded "Fixer - Poor House Factory" (probably manufactured by Headway, who now make Bacchus?). Or - i might just wait until skills justify a custom order, and then get in touch with Mr. Shuker, with your bass as a reference :)

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