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Hi everyone... watch out-- Newbie writing! Hahaha..

Okay, well, I'm at the point now to where I'm wondering if it's better for me to build my fret bender or just order one. I've seen a couple of places where the plans are available for a fraction of what the completed bender costs... Any thoughts?

Welcome to the OLF!

I built mine. Cost me about $12 plus the plan. Works great!

-Mark

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Pullman, WA

The more I know, the more I know I don't know.

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I bought mine from fretdoctor on ebay. They sell for $50 there compared to Stew Mac which is much more, I think around $75??

    I used a 3 inch PVC sch 40 pipe for a while when I first started. I just bent it around it. They are just to bend the fret to help hold the ends down
john

I bought a 100 foot roll from LMII, already bent to about a 8-10" radius.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

What John said.

Al

[QUOTE=rich altieri] I bought mine from fretdoctor on ebay. They sell for $50 there compared to Stew Mac which is much more, I think around $75??[/QUOTE]
The Fretdoctor has some good stuff for good price's. I bought some items there and plan on getting some more.

I've got the one from fretdoctor too and it is fine. But I don't have to use it because LMI's wire is already coiled to a radius that works perfectly with a 16" radiused FB.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Thank you all! I had no idea LMI had it by the roll like that... I think I may order the plans from them, as I have a bunch of straight wire lengths already. Might get a wild hair and order a roll of wire anyways though. :-)

Yep always get mine from LMI just for that reason, never needed a bender.

Also, have a look at Kathy Matsushita's site she has a picture of her home made fret bender on there.


Kathy's fret bender

ColinColin S38914.2761921296

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

My shop made one looks similar to Kathy's - two bearings bolted thru a piece of scrap cherry, and a 2 inch pulley from somewhere that I cut a groove in by chucking it in the drill press and putting the hacksaw to it - a piece of curved wood here would work just as well (the centre wheel, non turning on mine, it doesnt matter, you just push the wire thru). Total cost - 4 bucks for hte 2 bearings, the nuts bolts and bearings I had kicking around. I cant ever see paying 90 bucks for something this easy to make. Mines not even adjustable, it just makes about a 12 inch radius.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"