1996 Fender American Standard B-Bender Telecaster

In 1968, Gene Parsons invented the first B-Bender at the request of Clarence White, who was searching for ways he could emulate the sound of a pedal steel guitar with his Telecaster. The B-Bender is a mechanical device that raises the pitch of the B string, producing plaintive, sinuous bends very much like those produced on a pedal steel. Parsons' B-Bender design uses spring-loaded levers, which connect the bridge to the strap button on the upper bout. The strap button itself controls the B-Bender. When you push the neck downward, the guitar strap pulls the strap button upward, which activates the lever system to raise the pitch.  In the mid-1990s, Gene Parsons and his business partner Meridian Green were able to produce "StringBender" units in higher quantities, so Fender took notice. In 1996, Fender introduced a version of the American Standard Telecaster with a factory-installed Parsons-Green StringBender. This is a refined version of the device that is heavy-duty and built to last.