Tonebenders 1.0

[tonebender]

This is a long lost video of Tonebenders 1.0 back in the day. This was not long after we formed. We all were in other bands but would attend an open jam night at a local bar. We by chance ened up on stage together and it was something special. We started making it a point to jam together each week. We started to get offers to do parties and gigs but we would tell them we were not a band. Soon we started subbing in each other's bands and finally it just morphed into The Tonebenders. The name comes from the idea that a band/guitarist's life is just one long bender in search of the perfect tone. No consideration was given to the effects pedal by Vox called a Tonebender as we were not aware of that pedal. Later I did get one and try it but it did not do much for me. I recently sold it in my effort to unload all my gear now that I am retired from the band. Three of the five members that were in the Tonebenders when I retired are still playing but when I retired they mistakenly thought I was taking the name because I did own the website, etc. We never discussed it but I was perfectly ok with them continuing on but they changed their name to the Groove Diggers. I saw them yesterday at the first annual Cannabis Fest in Plant City, Florida and they sounded better than ever.

Okay enough history. Tonebenders 1.0 back in the day performing A Little Taste. I loved singing and playing this song. That is my Tonebender Tele I built and I am playing through a Vox AC15. Recorded with a cell phone and Jimmy on keys was hitting the cowbell effect pretty hard in the beginning. LOL.


https://youtu.be/fBfQhRwKMRE

[tonebender]

How do I make the you tube video show up?

[tonebender]

Figured it out

[jhull54]

That's great stuff Jeff. Very cool.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[tonebender]

On second listen that was a piano he was hammering on.

[Chocol8]

Is the other guitarist playing a backwards Agile PS? I can’t quite make it out on my phone screen.

[SamIV]

Very tight, great playing and vocals for the song.

[mighty_duck]

Is the other guitarist playing a backwards Agile PS? I can’t quite make it out on my phone screen.

Can't be, it's got an AL headstock and block inlays.
My guess it'ss an AD-2000, or a AL-2000 that just looks like a double cut because of lighting on a black guitar.

Great playing and singing TB! You should grow out your beard a little though

[Chocol8]

You are correct Mr. Duck, looking again on a larger screen, it is a double cut AD.

[uwmcscott]

Man - lighting it up in the old Tele days, that's great stuff!

[nomadh]

That's really great. Looks so nice to watch. So so nice to be in.
I have a hard time understanding giving it up. Just today I'm juggling a new drummer from the stand in drummer the week before. He seemed all into it, all set for today and next thurs. He knew our regular bass was sick. I got a backup then he bailed so working on my kid an a back backup and the drummer drops out.
It's just unending all to get to play music with others for a few hours. I think for years now I spend way more hours wrangling musicians than rehersing.
If I had a core group of players I liked I'd hold on to them for deal life.

[Milkman]

I agree @nomadh , it’s hard to find guys to play their part, take it just seriously enough, play at least at your level, and be halfway tolerable to spend time with.

I’m not entirely sure whether I’ve given up trying or not.

[Chocol8]

I agree @nomadh , it’s hard to find guys to play their part, take it just seriously enough, play at least at your level, and be halfway tolerable to spend time with.

I’m not entirely sure whether I’ve given up trying or not.

That was my complaint about the Digitech Trio pedal. The bass player and drummer show up on time every time. They are never intoxicated, argumentative, or just plain jerks. They just do their jobs without any hint of drama. Completely unrealistic!!!!

[RiverDog]

That was amazing. Great stuff Jeff!

[sabasgr68]

I agree @nomadh , it’s hard to find guys to play their part, take it just seriously enough, play at least at your level, and be halfway tolerable to spend time with.

I’m not entirely sure whether I’ve given up trying or not.

That was my complaint about the Digitech Trio pedal. The bass player and drummer show up on time every time. They are never intoxicated, argumentative, or just plain jerks. They just do their jobs without any hint of drama. Completely unrealistic!!!!

Is it that good? Great!

[sabasgr68]

How do I make the you tube video show up?

Enjoyed it a lot, Jeff! Great video and performing on the band, and you were great on singing and playing. Those would have been THE days, for sure.

Thanks for sharing!

[tonebender]

Is the other guitarist playing a backwards Agile PS? I can’t quite make it out on my phone screen.

Yes, it was the first one I ever saw and what brought me here. He called me up about it when he found it for sale on craigslist. I had never heard of them but stumbled into AGF when I started to research. The rest is history.

[aullucci]

I’m a sucker for a butterscotch tele and your playing was great. Thanks for sharing

[tonebender]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. If I recall that Agile he was playing was a translucent black or deep purple. He really loves that thing. He moved to Vegas but I think he came back to Florida and is in the Jax area.

It's tough keeping a band together. Over the years we had to make changes for health and other reasons. Here are pics of the different versions.

Tonebenders 1.0

Tonebenders 2.0

Tonebenders 3.0

Tonebenders 4.0.

Tonebenders 5.0

There was actually a couple short lived versions in between those 5 out of necessity. When I retired from the band they changed the name to the Groove Diggers or Groovediggers. When I left including me there were 3 founding members out of the five still in the band. I have a standing invitation to come back and play with them or at least an invitation from the last remaining Tonebender not sure how the rest feel. I and done though. I am not ruling out playing in a working band again but for now I am content just doing an acoustic thing with mostly original music. I am currently two studio sessions into recording my tribute song to John Prine. We mad a lot of progress yesterday.

[tonebender]

[uwmcscott]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. If I recall that Agile he was playing was a translucent black or deep purple. He really loves that thing. He moved to Vegas but I think he came back to Florida and is in the Jax area.

It's tough keeping a band together. Over the years we had to make changes for health and other reasons. Here are pics of the different versions.

Tonebenders 1.0

18472_232861038191_773873191_3156747_1852882_n.jpg

Tonebenders 2.0

Band pic.jpg

Tonebenders 3.0

IMG_1671.JPG

Tonebenders 4.0.

DSC_7823 - Version 4.jpg

Tonebenders 5.0

Bob Cole's Pic 2.jpg

There was actually a couple short lived versions in between those 5 out of necessity. When I retired from the band they changed the name to the Groove Diggers or Groovediggers. When I left including me there were 3 founding members out of the five still in the band. I have a standing invitation to come back and play with them or at least an invitation from the last remaining Tonebender not sure how the rest feel. I and done though. I am not ruling out playing in a working band again but for now I am content just doing an acoustic thing with mostly original music. I am currently two studio sessions into recording my tribute song to John Prine. We mad a lot of progress yesterday.

You need someone to start a Wikipedia article with one of those cool member timeline graphs at the bottom. Now what would be really impressive is if you could name all the guitars you played with the band during that span

[tlarson58]

Tasty licks, for sure. I checked out your YouTube page. Forgive me if I direct people to the video of you rocking the banjo-shaped guitar with an out-of-this-world tone.

Just a screenshot. AGF-ers will have to navigate to the site.

Screenshot 2021-04-27 075506.jpg (16.89 KiB) Viewed 3156 times

Any old Tonebender T's laying around?

[zisme]

great story and loved the clip!

i will admit until now i thought your handle came from the pedal and assumed you were a big fan of them

[tonebender]

Tasty licks, for sure. I checked out your YouTube page. Forgive me if I direct people to the video of you rocking the banjo-shaped guitar with an out-of-this-world tone.

Just a screenshot. AGF-ers will have to navigate to the site.

Screenshot 2021-04-27 075506.jpg

Any old Tonebender T's laying around?

Tommy, that is hysterical. I made that video for the contest we had here some years ago. I think it was something like the songs you don't play in Guitar Center and how you don't play them. I remember dropping out of the contest even though I was doing well and ruffled some feathers. I didn't mean to, but it wore me down. Same reason I don't play fantasy football.

I do not think I have any tee's but if I run across one I will send it to you. Still have a few boxes from the move and I just might find one.

[tonebender]

I sold that Crapcaster to a young guy. His father and he met me near my work and were just tickled to death to get that thing.