Bending E string

[chri5]

Hi,I have been playing for quite a few years,and after spending hours trying out new guitars in a store I settled on updating my Yamaha Pacifica to a second hand Les Paul Standard.Lovely guitar,but I noticed that no matter what I did to the action,I kept fluffing E string bends.The second string hit the E string forcing it to slip out from under my finger.On other guitars I've had,the second string hit you in the meat of the finger doing the bending.I took the Les Paul back to the store and played lots more guitars,and decided on a Clapton Strat.Once agan,a dream to play but I'm having the same problem unless I raise the action to it's limit.The only thing I can think of, is that my other guitars have had Jumbo frets,and low profile frets need you to adjust your technique in someway.
Anyone else had this problem?
Cheers
Chri5

[Len H]

Jumbo frets are a huge advantage to bending and vibrato. They allow your finger to get "under" the string you are bending and grab onto it, as opposed to low frets where your finger wants to slip over the top of the string. Since I converted to a scalloped fingerboard, which takes the jumbo fret concept a step further, I find that conventional guitars with medium frets feel strange. It is really all about what you get used to, just ask yourself if you will be able to adapt to lower frets. If not, find something that suits your playing style.

[(((0)))]

hmm, its kinda hard to bend the e at first, its just like learning how to eat, just keep trying

[Jacko]

I've had the same problem, when playing my Ibanez, and then playing my friends LP, however i think subconciously all i do to prevent the string from slipping under my finger is just to apply some more pressure, make sure the string stays where i want it. But at the end of the day play a guitar that suits you best, and you feel most happy playing

[Danne]

Hi,I have been playing for quite a few years,and after spending hours trying out new guitars in a store I settled on updating my Yamaha Pacifica to a second hand Les Paul Standard.Lovely guitar,but I noticed that no matter what I did to the action,I kept fluffing E string bends.The second string hit the E string forcing it to slip out from under my finger.On other guitars I've had,the second string hit you in the meat of the finger doing the bending.I took the Les Paul back to the store and played lots more guitars,and decided on a Clapton Strat.Once agan,a dream to play but I'm having the same problem unless I raise the action to it's limit.The only thing I can think of, is that my other guitars have had Jumbo frets,and low profile frets need you to adjust your technique in someway.
Anyone else had this problem?
Cheers
Chri5

I think that the solution to your problem actually might be changing your bending technique, and not the guitar, cos' I also had this problem until my guitar teacher showed me the "correct" way to support the "bending finger" with the other left hand fingers. What I did wrong was that I didn't put my first finger on the string above the string I was bending.

When you are bending the high e with for example your third finger you should put your secound finger on the e string and the first finger on the B string. This way you will bend both the e and the b string at the same time and the b string wont be pressing as hard on the e string under your "bending finger".

This technique helps alot when bending the b or g string too.

[TheJeffinator]

I tend to pull lower strings out of the way a bit with my right hand when doing bigger bends, which works fairly well and helps me out a lot, given my tendency to bend really big bends on all the strings. Frets probably have a lot to do with the problem - these 'fretless wonders' can become very hard to play even without bending, but it's really not worth the money to refret any guitar (and the Clapton strat shouldn't have that problem) and the best thing to do at this point is to try and come under and behind the string a bit better, because it seems like a lot of people tend to try and bend from the top of the string, which obviously isn't working.

Another thing to try is finding a guitar with a scalloped fretboard (YJM Strat or an aftermarket modded guitar) and see how that feels - Yngwie and Blackmore do some insane bend things and they both say that the scallop helps.

Rock On,
The Jeffinator

[curiousgeorge]

I tend to pull lower strings out of the way a bit with my right hand when doing bigger bends, which works fairly well and helps me out a lot, given my tendency to bend really big bends on all the strings. Frets probably have a lot to do with the problem - these 'fretless wonders' can become very hard to play even without bending, but it's really not worth the money to refret any guitar (and the Clapton strat shouldn't have that problem) and the best thing to do at this point is to try and come under and behind the string a bit better, because it seems like a lot of people tend to try and bend from the top of the string, which obviously isn't working.

Another thing to try is finding a guitar with a scalloped fretboard (YJM Strat or an aftermarket modded guitar) and see how that feels - Yngwie and Blackmore do some insane bend things and they both say that the scallop helps.

Rock On,
The Jeffinator

Yngwie uses very light strings as well....8's! That likely helps a heap too.