page_title: B-Bender
section_title: Variations
hierarchical_section_title: B-Bender / Variations
caption_attribution_description: English: Patent drawing for Hennessey guitar string bender, figures 1, 2 and 4, patent 4658693, titled Rear operated control device for guitar.
context_page_description: A B-Bender is a guitar accessory that enables a player to mechanically bend the B-string up by as much as a minor third. 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 acoustic guitars.
context_section_description: Another type of B-Bender is activated by the picking hand, like the Bigsby vibrato tailpiece.  Unlike the Parsons/White model, this type does not require any structural modifications to the guitar body and is simply installed with a few screws. Examples are the Bigsby Palm Pedal, the Bowden B Bender (non-defacing to guitar - inventor, Richard Bowden), the Hipshot Palm Lever, and the Duesenberg Guitars Multibender.  Each of these can bend multiple strings using different levers.
  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.  The Hipshot is used by Will Ray of the Hellecasters.  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 (Figure B.)
  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 one string and a push-away against a belt lanyard to bend a second string.  The third string bend (such as the low E string) uses a backward pull of the neck toward the player's body (see Figure C.)  Jimmy Olander of Diamond Rio has Glaser Double-Benders (B & G) in his instruments, with the G string activated by his shoulder strap and the B string by a belt lanyard.  Unlike most bender players, Olander uses them more for stylistic enhancement than for a steel guitar sound.  Other notable users of Glaser benders include Dan Schafer, Ricky Skaggs and Keith Richards.
caption: Fig. B The Hennessey model bends a string both up and down
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