B-Bender

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

B-Bender is a system designed for Fender Telecaster guitars that enables a player to simulate a bending of a single B-string up to a whole tone (thus the name). The system includes levers and pulleys inside the guitar body that are activated by pulling a forward guitar strap, usually by pushing a guitar neck down. The resulting tone sounds much like a pedal steel guitar sound and contributes much to "country" feeling.

B-Bender is cited to have been invented by Clarence White and Gene Parsons of The Byrds, and is often referred to as the Parsons/White B-Bender, a trademarked name, for that reason.

Fender currently produces model titled American Nashville B-Bender Telecaster that has a factory-installed B-Bender.

Another type of B-Bender is made by Hipshot. It does not require any routing to a guitar as the Parsons/White B-Bender does, but simply installs with a few screws.