THE EVANS PULL STRING GALLERY
2nd Generation Pull String Gallery
view Original Pull String Gallery
This is s/n 0001, my prototype for the 2nd generation of Pull Strings which was born June 2008. It is a USA Custom ash body and satin finish maple neck. The pickups are Seymour Duncan. Since I was not in the instrument repair business and had no supply of parts, Brian Friend had a set of tuners, a black pick guard, and nut, which he was kind enough to install for me and did a basic set up. The ready to play weight is 9 lbs. 1.4 oz.
A view from the back
Close up of the working bits. Pull String mechanism allows quick and easy change of stroke length from short to long and in between. Also the spring tension is easily adjustable to suit the player.
Tuner keys that Brian installed
Jim Sliff’s was the first “production” installation for the 2nd generation of Pull Strings, S/N 0002, shipped August 7, 2008. The body is an early Mitey-Mite (likely 1969 or 70). Jim refinished the body with Reranch Shoreline Gold. Jim, a veteran bender from way back, was a great help in test driving the 2nd generation Pull Strings.
Routing is complete and ready to paint the interior. Note the combination of walnut and ash.
Install complete, shown with back cover removed.
This is Albert Lee’s original Deluxe body that he purchased from Westwood Music. It’s amazing story can be found in the Gallery section. I installed the new version of the Pull String.
The white lines indicate the areas of wood to be removed to install the new bits.
The final outcome with the new bits. It is now S/N 0003.
This beauty is Stump and belongs to Chip Thomas, S/N 0004. It is Alder body with a Spalted Maple top from USA Custom. I shipped it back to Chip unfinished. He has since then had it finished. He will send pictures as soon as he gets a new camera, Seems Santa ran over it at Christmas! The bridge pick up is a Klein, the middle and neck pick ups are Seymour Duncan vintage single coils
View of the back
This is a USA Custom body, Swamp Ash with a figured Maple top that I built up on spec. Rodger Brooks is now the proud owner. S/N 006
Back of Rodger’s guitar
Phil Lachaga had me put a Pull String into his pretty butterscotch Tele shown with the tools I include with the install. S/N0014
From the back, showing the delrin rub block.
This is Ruby, she belongs to Kato Khandwala S/N 0015.
Ruby’s bridge modified for a Pull String
Another look at Ruby’s bridge
Back view
As viewed from the back.
The ASAT bridge presented the typical “bender rub” problem. This is what I did to ease that. Kim says it works!
Front view of the bridge liner
Kato liked Ruby so much that he had to have a second Pull String. So he got a Mahogany body from USA Custom and I put a Pull String in it. Thus Bullet came to be S/N 0017.
Kato had the inside painted red and it provides a striking contrast.
Close up of the machined notch on Bullet’s bridge.
Paul Phillips from the UK had me put one in his Tele and it became S/N 0018. Paul was apparently influenced by a fellow Brit, the late Martin Jenner for whom I built one of the few leftys (see Gallery).
View of back
This is an Alder body with top and back binding. It belongs to Steve Phillips, Paul’s brother. Steve is going to have the finish put on it in the UK. It is S/N 0019
View of the back.
This belongs to Michael J. Rouillier, S/N 0020. Michael told me that he wanted to build a guitar that had a finish similar to Clarence’s. So I got a 3 piece Ash body from USA Custom, fitted it for a Pull String, and got MJT Custom Aged Guitar Finishes to put a slightly aged finish on it. They did an amazing job! Michael named it Clarence.
Back of Clarence
Here is a close up of the aged checking provided by MJT.
Another close up of the finish on the back.
So while Steve is waiting for his
Alder body to get just the right finish, he decided to have me install a Pull String into his sunburst Tele, S/N 0021.
View of the back.
The two Phillips brothers, Paul on left, must be the more devilish of the two, given away by the horns sprouting from his head!
The two Phillips’ brothers Pull Strings
This is Carol Jean (see Gallery). Even though the tech that rebuilt her did a good job, she was never quite right. So Michael sent her to me to see what I could do.
She had all sorts of issues, like the rubber “washer” that somehow found its way on to the bellcrank pivot which made the movement so restricted that a second spring was installed! So Michael and I decided to upgrade her to the current Pull String mechanism.
I did a lot of fill work using a high quality epoxy in order to smooth out some of the old router marks and make all the surfaces come up to the correct levels and dimensions. The gray areas are all the epoxy fills.
I even had to fill and relocate the through hole for the pull block.
This is the end result, now S/N 0022 and good for another 40 plus years!