B-Bender???

[Washington]

A B-Bender is a spring-loaded mechanical system, usually integrated into the body of the instrument, that raises the B string by one to three semitones. The most common design, often installed on Fender Telecasters, involves a series of levers that extend from the "upper-body" strap button to the attach of the string. By pulling the guitar downwards (roughly one inch), the string is raised.

If serves to create smooth harmonic transitions of the same kind a steel guitar provides, and is thus mostly - but not exclusively - used in country music. Like pedal steel, it differs very much from slide guitar in the fact that the trick is to combine fixed notes to evolving ones, moving smoothly from one interval to another, while a slide modifies (in its basic technique) all notes simutaneaously.

Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones makes a very interesting use of the B-Bender in the band's repertoire.

[motone]

here is a good explanation (and some great playing by Albert Lee):
Albert Lee B Bender Technique - YouTube

and here you see the pioneer of the B-Bender, Clarence White, playing with the Byrds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m37-2eB-wj8

[John Eppstein]

See also:

Hipshot

Palm Pedal

[cwillms]

Well, you learn something new everyday. Seriously, it's like I've been in another universe. I have never seen one in a music store or anyone play one of these in the dozens and dozens of concerts I seen!

Thanks for the info all...

[Bill@WelcomeHome]

Originally Posted by motone

and here you see the pioneer of the B-Bender, Clarence White, playing with the Byrds:
clarence white - YouTube

I have some pictures around here somewhere of me playing this instrument. The original prototype is a heavy sucker.

[decay-o-caster]

Originally Posted by Bill@WelcomeHome

I have some pictures around here somewhere of me playing this instrument. The original prototype is a heavy sucker.

my understanding is that clarence white' proto was actually two tele bodies joined together - twice as thick (and heavy) as a normal tele.

the fender "nashville" tele has a strat middle pickup and a b-bender, and i think there is (or was) a squier version, if you want to experiment without destroying a tele or dropping too much coin. most folks who try it end up getting frustrated and giving it up. or at least, most folks i know.

[Bill@WelcomeHome]

Originally Posted by decay-o-caster

my understanding is that clarence white' proto was actually two tele bodies joined together - twice as thick (and heavy) as a normal tele.

Yes, I don't know if it is two Tele bodies screwed together or a Tele body and a hunk of wood cut to the same shape and generally the same thickness, but that is about it.

[John Eppstein]

A couple years ago I saw Mike Ness's solo project at The Fillmore here in SF - his lead guitarist/steel player had a Tele set up with a Hipshot b string bender. It was really cool watching and listening to him getting those steel sounds on the Telecaster.

[John Eppstein]

Originally Posted by cwillms

Well, you learn something new everyday. Seriously, it's like I've been in another universe. I have never seen one in a music store or anyone play one of these in the dozens and dozens of concerts I seen!

Thanks for the info all...

How many country oriented concerts do you go to? Not many rock guys use these things.

[Hot Vibrato]

It's a cool sound. I'd love to build myself a guitar with a Parsons White B-bender, but I don't think you can buy the hardware. I've had the Hipshot unit sitting in a drawer for years, but I'm just not interested in building a guitar around it - it's just not nearly as cool as the Parsons white unit that works from the strap button.

[Washington]

Originally Posted by Hot Vibrato

It's a cool sound. I'd love to build myself a guitar with a Parsons White B-bender, but I don't think you can buy the hardware. I've had the Hipshot unit sitting in a drawer for years, but I'm just not interested in building a guitar around it - it's just not nearly as cool as the Parsons white unit that works from the strap button.

My B-Bender Tele is a bit thicher than a regular one. I'm not sure whether it's possible to fit any stock instrument with a Parsons...

[Hot Vibrato]

Originally Posted by Washington

My B-Bender Tele is a bit thicher than a regular one. I'm not sure whether it's possible to fit any stock instrument with a Parsons...

The only way to get a Parsons White B-bender (AFAIK), other than buying an instrument that comes stock with one, is to have the company (Stringbender) custom install it for you (it's expensive!) in your "tele, ASAT, or tele style guitar". Parsons White Classic StringBender

I know a guy who has one in a strat, though. But the strap button is attached to a lever coming out of the neckplate. As you might guess, the guitar doesn't balance as well as it does with the strap button attached to the horn. It's a hardtail bridge if I remember correctly (can't imagine that it could work with a trem).

Albert Lee plays one of his Music Man signature models that has a B-bender. It looks like it would balance well because the strap button/lever mechanism comes out of the horn. I just checked the Music Man website, and they don't appear to offer the B-bender as an option. I'm not sure if it was discontinued as an option, or if that was just a one-off installation specifically for Albert.

[KrisHayes]

Been a Les Paul player forever, but always jones'd for a Tele with a B-Bender. Nothing quite twangs like it.

[Larry Mal]

Well, there's a lot of things to know about getting into string bending using benders. I've owned three types so far, and I'll tell you about them, but understand I'm no expert at all. I'll tell you where the experts are in a little bit. But I'm not only not an expert, but I'm also not what you would call any good at string bending with these devices, either- I'm still learning. A lot of what I'm learning is what does not work for me.

But a bender was designed to emulate what a pedal steel guitarist is able to do, bend one not up and not the others in order to make new chords and play melodies easier. Bear in mind that the pedal steel is played with a slide, so some kind of method would be needed to give that instrument more versatility.

Where a whammy will affect every note that is being played, a bender does not. This can emulate a pedal steel somewhat and also just add some cool and otherworldly sounds (this is my hope, anyway).

My current guitar with a bender is this Telecaster:



It's all Hipshot stuff. The B bender would be controlled by means of activating a lever with your hip (hence the name) and would fit through the loop you see by the strap lock. The G string can also be bend on this guitar, by using the lever you see jutting out from the device.

The other three levers are drop tuners, which will put the guitar into open G tuning very quickly. But the benders are what you see there. Here's another look:



I also used to own a Telecaster with a strap activated bender, the kind that you would most usually see. I didn't get along with it, although I wanted to. I sucked at the bender and also didn't get on with the neck of the guitar, for some reason, so I sold it on years ago.

I later bought a Casino in order to use a Bigsby Palm Pedal on it, which is basically two hand activated levers:





I didn't like much about that bending system, it was hard to use, the levers were in my way constantly. I also didn't like the neck on the Casino, so I gave it away. But some folks cut the levers down on these types of benders, I didn't feel like doing that, and I just shed the guitar.

But I'm not soured on the concept, here you will see that I have another Hipshot device ready to go. This one will be both the B and the G string activated by levered benders:





The reason being that this way, the levers can be moved out of the way when not in use, which will be often. Using a string bender isn't easy for me.

But what you will want to do if you want to learn more about them is, go to the "*****" forum, which is designated for Telecasters. There is also a subsection devoted entirely to benders, with a lot of very knowledgeable people who can help anyone learn a lot more then I ever could. Also, check out "Rolling Benders" for a new and non obtrusive option, as well as any number of other systems in place.

Hope this was helpful!

[cwillms]

Originally Posted by John Eppstein

How many country oriented concerts do you go to? Not many rock guys use these things.

That would do it... I don't believe I've ever been to a country music show. I'm a product of the 70's progressive rock scene. Country music kind of ebbs and flows in popularity and I think my formative years it was ebbing. Then Garth Brooks came along and I was never going to go there... Of course these days country is king and progressive rock is faint memory.

[Hot Vibrato]

Originally Posted by cwillms

That would do it... I don't believe I've ever been to a country music show. I'm a product of the 70's progressive rock scene. Country music kind of ebbs and flows in popularity and I think my formative years it was ebbing. Then Garth Brooks came along and I was never going to go there... Of course these days country is king and progressive rock is faint memory.

There's always been more bad country music than good country music. But the stuff that is good is REALLY good... I think mainstream country has always had more than its fair share of manufactured crap that is more of a marketing gimmick than music. This turns people who have taste off from country in general, and gives country music a bad name.

And then there's Garth Brooks... He's not untalented, but I detest everything I've ever heard him do. Since his heyday (early-mid 90's) mainstream country has gone even more downhill (I wouldn't have believed it was even possible, but here we are...)

If you told me when I was in my twenties that I'd be playing country music in my forties, I'd have told you that you're crazy. But I'm a chicken pickin fool, and I'm loving it! (no B-bender on my guitar though - maybe I'll try it some time).

I sincerely apologize on behalf of country music for the crappy music that has inadvertently invaded your earholes (thanks to the brilliant marketing geniuses who dictate who gets heard by the general public, and who remains in relative obscurity). It didn't have to be this way, but here we are...

[thenoodle]

I bought and installed one of the Bigsby Palm Pedals back when they were made. Useless. The bend range was totally unuseable and the feel was really bad.

I considered the b bender, but in a few demos, could not get used to pulling on the strap for control etc. I ended up simply learning to play pedal steel guitar in the 70s. Problem solved.

[Larry Mal]

Originally Posted by thenoodle

I bought and installed one of the Bigsby Palm Pedals back when they were made. Useless. The bend range was totally unuseable and the feel was really bad.

I considered the b bender, but in a few demos, could not get used to pulling on the strap for control etc. I ended up simply learning to play pedal steel guitar in the 70s. Problem solved.

I agree with the review of the Palm Pedal... worse, it was totally in the way of my picking hand the whole time. Like I say, some cut it down. I couldn't be bothered.

And learning to play the pedal steel is really the best solution here.

[indravayu]

Originally Posted by KrisHayes

Been a Les Paul player forever, but always jones'd for a Tele with a B-Bender. Nothing quite twangs like it.

Gibson's got your back:

Les Paul Jr. B-Bender, new for 2013.

[Washington]

Originally Posted by Larry Mal

(...)And learning to play the pedal steel is really the best solution here.

Right on. B-benders and the like should come with a disclaimer : they could lead you to investing some money and a LOT of time into pedal steel.

B-Bender only went so far for me until I decided to hold my breath and take a dive into pedal steel. Which so deep and "unfakable"... the effort is quite considerable, but I got a much better understanding of just about everything musical from it. B-bender included, of course.

[KrisHayes]

Originally Posted by indravayu

Gibson's got your back:

Les Paul Jr. B-Bender, new for 2013

Wooo wee!! Just saw this earlier today for the first time! Color me ecstatic.