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The first B-Bender: the Parsons/White Pull-String

B-Bender is a guitar accessory that enables a player to mechanically bend the B-string up a whole tone (two frets) to C-sharp. There are several different designs, but all use levers or pulleys inside or outside the guitar body that are activated by a pull or push of the guitar neck, body, or bridge. The resulting tone sounds much like a pedal steel guitar and contributes a "country" feeling. Originally designed for the Fender Telecaster, B-Benders are now available to fit many solid-body electric guitars, and even acoustics.

History

The B-Bender was invented by Gene Parsons and Clarence White of Nashville West and The Byrds, and was originally called the Parsons/White Pull-String, later changed to StringBender. Their early prototypes included multiple bending devices for the E, B, G and D strings, but White decided he preferred a single B string bender in the final design (image at right). The B string is bent up a full tone by pulling the guitar neck down. This puts pressure on the strap, which is attached to a spring-loaded lever at the base of the neck. The lever arm passes through the body of the guitar and is connected to the B string behind the bridge.¹ White's 1954 Telecaster with the first Pull-String is now owned and regularly played by Marty Stuart.² Parsons and White licensed the StringBender to Leo Fender at Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, who made some changes to simplify the design for mass production.³ However, this model never went into production.

The Hennessey model bends a string both up and down

Parsons made and installed StringBenders from 1973 to 1989, when demand overtook his production capacity. He then partnered with Meridian Green to outsource the production of the kits, develop a network of authorized installation shops and write an instruction manual for the installers.⁴ In the mid-1990's, Fender decided to begin offering the StringBender in their American Standard Nashville B-Bender Telecaster, and began production in 1996 using an updated design by Parsons and Green.⁵

Variations

Another type of B-Bender is activated by the picking hand, like the Bigsby tailpiece. Unlike the Parsons/White model, this type does not require any structural modifications to the guitar body, and simply installs with a few screws. Examples are the Bigsby Palm Pedal, the Hipshot Palm Lever, and the Duesenberg Guitars Multibender. Each of these can bend multiple strings using different levers.

The Glaser design bends up to three strings independently

The Hipshot B-Bender, developed by David Borisoff, also mounts to the tailpiece end of the guitar without requiring any modifications. A lever extends behind the guitar and rests against the player's body. The bender is activated by moving the whole guitar against the player's body.⁶ While this version bends the string up, James Hennessey developed a version that can bend the string either up or down, although mounting it requires modification of the guitar body (image at left).⁷

The same type of mechanics can be applied to other strings besides the B, with the G string being the most common. Brad Paisley is a well-known proponent of the "G-Bender" and uses a model from Charlie McVay. "Double Benders" can bend both the B and G strings independently. The B string pull operates like the Parsons/White design, by pushing the neck down against the strap. The G string pull uses a push-away motion of the neck and depends on a lanyard attached to the player's belt.

A variation developed by Joseph Glaser can bend up to three different strings independently. Like the Double Benders, Glaser's design uses a downward pull of the guitar neck to bend the B string and a push-away against a belt lanyard to bend the G string. The third bend for the low E string uses a backward pull of the neck toward the player's body (see diagram at right).⁸ Jimmy Olander of Diamond Rio has Glaser Double-Benders (B & G) in his instruments and, unlike most bender players, uses them more as a stylistic enhancement than for a steel guitar sound.

See also

• Gene Parsons
• Clarence White
• Pedal steel guitar
• String bending

Notes

1. ^ Parsons, Gene & Clarence White, "Shoulder Strap Control for String Instruments", US 3512443, published 1968, issued 1970.
2. ^ Russell, Rusty. "Clarence": The Granddaddy of Bender Guitars. Reprinted from Vintage Guitar Magazine, April 2004, Vol 18 No 6.
3. ^ Fender, Clarence, "Shoulder Strap-Operated Pitch-Changing Means for Spanish Guitars", US 3686993, published 1971, issued 1972.
4. ^ StringBender: The History of the Third Hand
5. ^ Driscoll, Edward and Forte, Dan. "Parsons-White String Bender," Vintage Guitar Magazine, April 2004, Vol 18 No 6
6. ^ Borisoff, David, "String bender attachment construction", US 4535670, published 1984, issued 1985.
7. ^ Hennessey, James, "Rear Operated Control Device for Guitar", US 4658693, published 1986, issued 1987.
8. ^ Glaser II, Joseph, "Tone changer for stringed instrument", US 4354417, published 1981, issued 1982.

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• This page was last modified on 28 October 2008, at 03:08.

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