Bob...I just ran across this thread and am so impressed with the wild figure. I have one more set left from a few years ago and may buy one of these sets just to keep it company. The SJ that I made seems to be everyone's favorite not only because it looks other-worldly, it also sounds great matched with Carpathian spruce.
As far as bending, I'd be interested in knowing what those who had problems bending did in the past to cause fear and loathing at the thought of bending WFB.
I've bent only one set and had absolutely no problem whatsoever. In fact, one of the sides was bent the wrong way and I had to straighten it out and re-bend it the right way!
My bender has bulbs on the bottom and a heating blanket on top. I heat the wood to 300-310* using minimal water after SS2. I have used SuperSoft 2 for years now and swear by its effectiveness.
Anyway...if the naysayers have any of this stuff lying around and are afraid to use it, I'll be glad to take it off your hands!