The Byrds; Gene Parson's String Bender

From the Documentary,The Byrds Under Review. Watch the whole movie here:
• The Byrds - Under Revi...

[@scottspencer8358]

Clever mechanism. And it sounds great. I bet that blew alot of minds the first time it was used on stage!

[@v.e.7236]

I'm not a guitar player, I'm just a gizmo nut. Very nicely crafted mechanism and so stealthy no one would know unless shown. That's craftsmanship!

[@munimathbypeterfelton6251]

Cool creation! Gene Parsons and Clarence White are/were absolute musical geniuses!

[@aliwhitwell]

Amazing sound that can be achieved with that gizmo. Great that Marty Stuart is carrying on the great style that Clarence started!

[@ambroseaz]

with the actual guitar Clarence started it with.

[@derekstocker6661]

This guy is a genius, not only for his work on the string bender BUT also for being part of the Byrds. Love their music and the sound of the jangling guitars is fantastic and I still play their music now. Great video by the way, thank you.

[@chump5101]

It works great. Tune the pull once and you are all set. No crapping around or tuning problems. I have three of these originals and they all work flawlessly.

[@howlindonster6131]

Man that was Genius and you guys did it...Gene you set the guitar world on it's ear... Kudos...

[@hotajax]

This is wonderful, listening to how the Byrds made history. These guys were really way ahead of other recording artists.

[@danlosgar9194]

Nothing short of Genius...I think Marty Stuart has Clarence's original now.

[@wyattdean5658]

Yes.

[@tpike32]

You are correct 👍

[@81kentboy]

It's a fender reissue based on Clarence's tele. Kurt Russell owns the original

[@daverenick4782]

Brilliant! I love listening to it on "Tulsa County"with the Byrds. Genuinely an evolutionary thing for this music ...huge contribution.

[@bishlap]

and this dude was the drummer!!! Oh, and what a drummer he was!!

[@jpalberthoward9]

Kinda blows the old stereotypes about drummers out the window, don't it?

[@michaeld.mcclish]

Back in 68 I went to Pasadena to see the Byrds, and it must have been shortly after they finished Sweetheart of the Rodeo. They didn't look like the Byrds I was expecting, and they did a lot of country. They had this guitar player who would move his guitar around and bend the strings like a pedal steel guitar. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how he did it. Over the years I saw a tele that had a thumb lever to bend a string but that didn't make sense. Of course later on I learned about Clarence White, and his string bender tele, which I believe is owned and used by Marty Stuart, so it's in great hands.

[@johnnybsteelriff]

An amazing piece of technology...well done Gene!!!

[@ThePorchpicker]

I bought a b bender Tele. I was having trouble with it, I contacted Gene, he said send him mine and a hundred dollars and he’d set it up like it’s supposed to be. Now, that’s class.

[@suzesunshine1]

Gene was the genius inventor and Clarence the Deliver !!

[@TMCMR]

Amazing

[@Theweeze100]

William Kelley Great story, it really encourages me to know that there are still folks out there like him!

[@robertnisonoff3907]

@@suzesunshine1 Clarence was the genius musician and Gene channeled Clarence's genius. Please don't ever put Parsons over Clarence. I have enormous respect for Gene's talent but Clarence White was otherworldly genius. Now you've been schooled.

[@ZurlHammerdoom]

@@robertnisonoff3907 It takes two to tango. Would Clarence be a wonder without Gene? Most definitely. Likewise, Gene's ingenuity would have had him at the top even without Clarence. We are blessed that the two knew each other and played to one another's strengths.

[@rexrathtar3893]

The device itself is clever, but the applications demonstrated are also inventive. Great stuff.

[@konaken1035]

I play a Forrest Lee b-bender... Black n Blue paisly body and head... stays in tune.. As a strat tremolo lover, after a year with the bender, couldn't live without one.

[@celticgodsoriginal]

Effin' brilliant! Marty Stuart has Clarence White's original which he has named "Clarence" fittingly.

[@bloozedaddy]

I have a Parsons/Green bender on my 91 tele....they're a bit persnickety to adjust but they're fun to play around with. Some of the wildest b-bender stuff can be found on the Hellecasters records.

[@monteanderson7181]

I played that guitar for about five minutes, and it's amazing.

[@davidmohr1920]

I love these stories so much :-)

[@sleepy5315]

The fact that this is my friends grandpa lol

[@stratocaster1greg]

Thanks Sir for helping invent that. You are a genius.

[@markive9907]

Such a awesome invention! Marty Stuart ,shoulders Clarence Whites B bender effortlessly in Merle Haggards Running kind ! Kenny Vaughn also is great ,

[@Twotontessie]

Such a crisp yet relaxed demonstration.

[@jokpyles]

Great sound! Great invention!

[@lucasjames572]

It’s called, “Genius” pure & simple.

[@lavallee1963]

Fantastic video, one of the best musical videos I´ve seen.

[@flautalee3090]

I sure learned a whole lot today!

[@Toraboramusic]

Great invention and Clarence White of the Byrds used it to create his trademark sound. Brilliant..

[@mikemagnum7987]

Kind of makes you wonder how they can even call some of the shit you hear these days, "music"...... This man was part of the greatest music generation this world has ever known!

[@sgt.thundercok4704]

Spot on. Now younger folks are raving about how a PC games music 'slaps' when it's just a bunch of repetitive, angsty electronica. One day they will be praising a single note held on a synthesizer for an hour.

[@chewiebaby]

Brilliant!

[@jenniferwhitewolf3784]

Absolutely brilliant...

[@thomasmartinscott]

That's the best mustache I've seen since Sam Elliot's!

[@nickandmikec]

Gene Parson's mustache reminds me of the cartoon character in the Tom Terrific cartoon series once broadcast on the Captain Kangaroo Show during the 50s and 60s, before Bob Keeshen decided to switch his blue, big pocketed captain's coat for that terrible red blazer he donned during the 70s. One of Tom Terrific's foes, known as Isotope Feeney, had such a mustache or am I thinking of Crabby Appleton? I think the character was Isotope Feeney however. Gene Parson looks better today than he looked when he was a member of The Byrds.

[@jamesmares4206]

Fabulous. Just curious, what does it cost

[@sccc6758]

What a beautiful sound

[@finosuilleabhain7781]

I've often wondered what John Bolton does for a hobby, so thanks for this.

[@1sttvbn]

Ingenious

[@paulmartin6453]

Best video on KZbin delivered by a walrus.

[@Avantimusicprojects]

Just... what a wonderful world.

[@jaytouvelle2359]

I wish I was a good enough player just to play well. Never give up someday my day will come

[@thedubwhisperer2157]

How did I reach the age of 61 without knowing this existed?

[@logicnotfeelings3835]

A friend of mine sent me this video link. Wow. Been playing guitar for 40+ years and had never heard of the String Bender. Feeling ignorant!

[@psychodelicrock12]

I want 62 Fender Esquires with rosewood neck with 3 tone sunburst, Olympic white, and light natural finish with turquoise pickguard and b bender.

[@dennisschell5543]

So Olympic white or 3 tone sunburst? Can't have both...lol

[@psychodelicrock12]

Actually 3 one with the different colors each.

[@marynordskog2164]

Wow...amazing technician abilities...

[@houseofhits1]

+Mary Nordskog-Lopez Albert Lee does wonderful things with the B-Bender too.

[@crimfan]

Jimmy Page used one on several Led Zeppelin tracks, too.

[@bengrant750]

The word "genius" is named after Gene Parsons

[@blackie75]

so this guy invented the b-bender?

[@gringopig]

Mox_au He did indeed and is a genius drummer to boot.

[@rayjr62]

He did. Ditto with what gringopig wrote

[@10rubiks]

Not very familiar with The Byrds what song is he playing at the very end of the video? Sounds beautiful...

[@bentolleson8582]

This guy is awesome 😎

[@texanfournow]

What is the make/model of the guitar Gene is using here?

[@zitherzon2121]

1:35 A Fender Telecaster.

[@ThomasDeLello]

Question: Can a B-Bender guitar be set up to lower instead of raise a note on the B string by spooling the bridge end of the string in the counter direction...? I'm thinking of setting up a Telecaster for slide playing in open 'G' tuning [D - G - D - G - B - D] and if I can have it so that by tugging on the strap lever the B string note goes flat (not sharp) by one semi-tone I will have my minor chord with my slider. I'd like to hear a definitive answer to that, please.

[@TheLonesometoad]

Didn't Buck Trent have this in his Banjo long before that?

[@ivanwesley8182]

Genius

[@merrillmilner8717]

That's genius.

[@yongadog]

Would love to play slide on a B-Bender.

[@rml8395]

Just a thought, look up the pedabro. They're pricey and rare but it might get you some ideas.

[@keggers101]

@@rml8395 did Franklin make the pedabro commercially?

[@rml8395]

@@keggers101 Yes, but a while ago and only about 25 of them. Check out the Steel Guitar Forum and post any questions for the best info. Great bunch of folks and beaucoup knowledge. And occasionally a celebrity response ;-) bb.steelguitarforum.com/index.php

[@SleepyBoBos]

genius

[@smbmxdirt3427]

History

[@michaelvandyke]

22 people that haven't a clue!!

[@ryandeanlindgren9054]

wow! cool! :)

[@davidzimmerli489]

I always thought he had tragically died years ago

[@soepil]

@David Zimmerli: That was Clarence White.

[@WildPhotoShooter]

Very interesting .

[@eddielathum8405]

I'm a proud owner of a b bender, that I happened to purchase from my uncle Billy Ray 20 years ago, the coolest thing is, it was installed and signed by Gene Parsons, still playing like a dream

[@davehutchins2820]

I'm jealous. We could have been friends. 😉😆

[@okalright8980]

Genius

[@cluxseltoot]

What a lovely guy - one of the best videos on KZbin - this is real soulful stuff which reaches out to our musical emotions. Thank you for this.

[@houseofhits1]

+cluxseltoot You should check out his wonderful 1973 solo album "Kindling". Beautiful record. His version of Little Feat's "Willin'" is just sublime. Made just after he stopped being the drummer for the Byrds.

[@suzesunshine1]

I agree !!

[@TheDacat77]

well said my friend.

[@BobPapadopoulos]

For a second I got really confused and thought I was watching The Woodright Shop on PBS.

[@babayaga1767]

you beat me to it

[@louispepin3659]

Same though, except that the guy on tv couldn’t build shit.

[@DougHinVA]

this man is what east Tennessee guys call a 'cool sumbitch', in the most positive way. My pedal steel pro cousin was Bryan Adams who worked on pedal steels for Buddy Emmons.

[@psychodelicrock12]

GENE PARSONS should have been allow to sing more songs for THE BYRDS.

[@pawnsdeleone]

I own his #4 prototype (B & E) bender

[@Bravo-Too-Much]

No you don’t because I do. You must have a 3, 7, or 8 because my dad and I own 1, 2, 4, 5, and my brother owns 6 and my sister owns 9 and we have for over 30 years. Send me pictures of the front and back with numbers and we will identify what you have. 10 and on are pretty unaccounted for and we have been looking for 10 for years. It’s a burnt cherry rosewood tele and was a lever throw you can switch to G and make a G Bender with it depending on the upward force of the neck bend, not working on downward bends. It was a one off prototype and we have been looking for decades for it and would pay handsomely for it. Send me shots of yours, if you have one of our missing teles, we will pay 5 figures off the bat for it.

[@Topsy_Krett]

@@Bravo-Too-Much Oh no you don't because I do! You're both liars! And I have the fabled #10 as well :-P

[@jameshem]

Dammit, I wanna b bender now

[@erikshen1107]

Marty STUART OWNS CLARENCE WHITE'S ORIGINAL B BENDER TELE!!! IT'S IN WONDERFUL HANDS

[@arthouston7361]

Watching this video gave me a flashback to a conversation I had decades ago with pedal steel guitarist Winnie Winston out at the Philadelphia folk festival, as he explained to me how he designed and built his pedal steel that he played, and I remember looking at the care and the craftsmanship of that wonderful instrument. I can see every bit of that care and craftsmanship in Gene's B Bender. Now I'm gonna have to track down Marty Stewart and take a look at Clarence's guitar... and the B Bender in it.

[@InfamousGUNN]

Marty Stewart not only has the original but he has completely perfected it. Thank you for posting this wow completely brilliant😎

[@lapdawg60]

Indeed. Marty has had that guitar now for a long time, and I can think of nobody better to carry that torch of what Clarence started.

[@rockinredneck57]

Marty claims he's just scratched the surface of what Clarence did on it. Says he's still learning.

[@arlenroth8373]

How about the time u tried to convert me to the b-bender in Georgetown, DC whan I was playing and we played backstage....you knew I was the guy that dedicated the Nashville guitar book to Clarence...and we were cracking up that I only did it all with my fingers!!

[@jonathanjohnson8656]

Thanks for all the inspiration A.R. for a country picker, you rock!!!

[@thomaslawrence2731]

Arlen Roth

[@Kuhlyedascope69]

the reason 60s and 70s music sounds unreal is because of geniuses like this guy. . . very fuckin smart idea wow

[@Ken-pv9zu]

Jesus Christ! Look at that Mustache.

[@mr.wizard2974]

Gene you are a genius my friend!

[@blainelilly2971]

Great video.... this is a guy I'd love to have a beer (or two) with...

[@ohwhatelse]

Blaine Lilly ...this is a guy I'd like to teach me guitar! Like, that bender kind!

[@ivannio4783]

Great person - great stories - and what a super drummer ("8 miles high")

[@clifftaylor6864]

I always figured it was another guitarist doing the bends since it would be impossible to do on your own that cleanly. Nice trick!

[@rick4electric]

Such ingenuity! Wonderful effect because it is mechanical!

[@ensinitas]

god i love youtube!

[@buckodonnghaile4309]

That's a beauty workshop behind him.

[@steveperry1344]

wow! i had heard about it but didn't know how it worked. that's cool and thnx for showing the back.

[@msoiseth3419]

Music history there.

[@bananacakes8939]

psychedelic countrydelic

[@bonniehusar8951]

What song does he finish up that demo with?

[@danthebugman62]

You ain't goin nowhere

[@nancychace8619]

Wow! He really put something together there🙂

[@GoatDust]

Ingenious. Would be nice to have a B Bender tele.

[@MikaelLewisify]

Great, another guitar I need to buy! 😜

[@chipstern1]

Wow. Gene Parsons. Brilliant cat. There is a certain, oh, inevitability to what Clarence and Gene created...of course, it took Clarence White to visualize it and Gene Parson's to actualize it. Gene was a terrific drummer to boot. I saw him and Clarence with the Byrds opening for Santana back in, oh, 1971, at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, and man, that was some powerhouse of a concert.

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

He's also a great singer and songwriter. Some of the best late Byrds material was written by Gene. When he uses the B bender while picking chords! Oh man, what a sweet sound.

[@j.dragon651]

Saw them three times, they kicked butt

[@stupagia26]

A friend of mine owned a Tele that also had a G string bender. It had a strap that went from his left-most belt loop to a lever on the back of the neck at the body. To activate it, you pushed the guitar away from you.

[@sdushdiu]

One classy multi-talented genius and gentleman!

[@jeffreyblumenthal3057]

" so I thought about it for a while, and I came up with the idea..." yazzz

[@duckbrew]

Marty Stuart now owns gene's b bender guitar. Lucky sod.

[@suprotwin]

Clarence "by God" White

[@blackdogxx]

It must be really satisfying to have been part of the Byrds and then also be the man who developed what has become the B-Bender device. He was part of two of modern popular guitar music's most recognizable and admired events.

[@tonytotten408]

What a great invention for a guitar string 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@harleykingman]

SHEER GENIOUS !!

[@gowens9815]

I love Marty, he is a true Christian gentleman and historian

[@bdickinson6751]

Not to mention an outstanding musician and showman.

[@elvinebovine1297]

I have a dove I want to put one of those in. That’s just the coolest thing… here.. 💰💰💰take my money🤩

[@revpgesqredux]

In every great plan there's always a guy named Sneaky Pete