I loooove B-Benders. Seriously, I absolutely love them. It’s not like I happen to own three of them… well… maybe I do. But honestly, a guitar fitted with a B-Bender opens up a whole new world of sounds and musical possibilities. It’ll broaden your horizons—and probably win over your audience too. They’ll love you even more. Trust me. Ok, here’s a little history lesson. Don’t worry, I promise it’s not too boring!

The B-Bender system was invented in 1967 by drummer and machinist Gene Parsons together with guitarist Clarence White, who wanted to equip his Fender Telecaster with a mechanism capable of bending the B string mechanically. Unlike the other strings, the B string doesn’t terminate at the bridge. Instead, it passes through a dedicated anchor connected to the upper strap button via a spring-loaded lever hidden beneath a large plate on the back of the guitar. Pulling the neck downward raises the pitch of the B string by a whole tone (two frets), from B to C#, allowing players to recreate the unmistakable sound of a pedal steel guitar and perform those legendary country bends, although that’s far from all it’s capable of.

The original Parsons/White StringBender was licensed to Leo Fender in 1968 but never entered production. Gene Parsons continued building and installing the mechanism himself, eventually supplying several hundred units to the Japanese manufacturer Tokai Gakki for installation in some of their guitars.

In the late 1980s, Parsons and his business partner Meridian Green approached Fender once again and met master builder Fred Stuart at the newly established Fender Custom Shop in California. Together they built around 200 Clarence White Telecasters fitted with the Parsons/White StringBender. Following the success of those guitars, Fender decided to put a production model into the catalog. Parsons and Green redesigned the mechanism to simplify installation, licensing it to Fender as the Parsons/Green B-Bender. The first Fender Nashville B-Bender Telecaster rolled off the production line in 1996.

This American Standard Fender B-Bender Telecaster comes factory-equipped with the Parsons/Green B-Bender system, widely regarded as one of the finest B-Bender designs ever made. The model was introduced in 1996 and discontinued in 1998. It features a solid alder body with classic 1952-style Telecaster contours, a one-piece maple neck with maple fingerboard and rolled edges, a 25.5″ (648 mm) scale length, and 22 medium-jumbo frets. The hardware is all original, but the pickups have been upgraded to active EMGs. The result is an absolute monster, tons of punch, endless tonal possibilities, and incredible versatility.

This guitar has clearly been well played, exactly as it should be. The Vintage White finish has naturally worn through in places, giving it plenty of character, and the pickups show honest string-contact wear. The frets have been professionally dressed and are in excellent condition. It plays beautifully, feels incredibly comfortable, and is simply a fantastic instrument.

Supplied with a Fender hard case.