117 - Gene Parsons (Nashville West, the Byrds, Stringbender inventor)

117 - Gene Parsons (Nashville West, the Byrds, Stringbender inventor)

In episode 117 of “Have Guitar Will Travel”, presented by Vintage Guitar Magazine host James Patrick Regan speaks with guitarist and pedal steel guitarist and inventor of the B-bender (string bender) the legendary Gene Parsons. He was lucky enough to be able to interview Gene in his shop on the Northern California coast.
In their conversation they cover his childhood in the southern California desert and what brought him to the remote Northern California coast.
They go through his musical history including playing drums for Nashville West, the Byrds. His friendship with guitarist Clarence White.
They go into detail about his pedal steel guitar playing and how he invented the B-Bender (string bender) with Clarence White and his interactions with Leo Fender.
They discuss building string benders for Jimmy Page’s Red Les Paul while in Led Zeppelin and Pete Townsend as well.
They discuss all the instruments that Gene has installed string benders on… electric guitars (of course), acoustic guitars, baritone guitars, banjos and mandolins.
They discuss Gene’s passion for steam trains, which he also builds.
Gene at the end of the interview gives a demo of his acoustic string bender and his Fender 800 pedal steel… James will post the videos to the Have Guitar Will Travel social media sites.
.
You can get in touch with Gene through his website: http://stringbender.com
.
Please subscribe, like, comment, share and review this podcast!
.
#VintageGuitarMagazine #GeneParsons #theByrds #NashvilleWest #GeneParsonsBand #theFlyingBurritoBrothers #guitar #Guitar #StringBender #B-Bender #BBender #GuitarHero #PedalSteel #theDeadlies #guitarfinds #Telecaster #Fender800PedalSteel #LeoFender #haveguitarwilltravelpodcast #guitarcollector #Travelwithguitars #haveguitarwilltravel #hgwt #HGWT
.