Schaller Electronic GmbH, generally known as Schaller, is a high-end German manufacturer of components for musical instruments, most famous for their fully-enclosed machine heads which are standard on many top-of-the-line guitars and available as an extra cost option on many others.
Schaller also manufactures machine heads for many other instruments, and also components and accessories including mutes, bows, pickups, tailpieces, bridges and tremolo arms, including Original Floyd Rose designs. In the past Schaller was also a guitar amplifier manufacturer.
The company was founded by Helmut Schaller in the 1950s in order to provide quality hardware for rock and roll performers such as Les Paul, who Schaller personally met
Schaller also manufactures machine heads for many other instruments, and also components and accessories including mutes, bows, pickups, tailpieces, bridges and tremolo arms, including Original Floyd Rose designs. In the past Schaller was also a guitar amplifier manufacturer.
The company was founded by Helmut Schaller in the 1950s in order to provide quality hardware for rock and roll performers such as Les Paul, who Schaller personally met
The B-Bender was invented by Gene Parsons and Clarence White of Nashville West and The Byrds, and was originally called the Parsons/White Pull-String, later changed to StringBender. Their early prototypes included multiple bending devices for the E, B, G and D strings, but White decided he preferred a single B string bender in the final design. The B string is bent up a full tone by pulling the guitar neck down. This puts pressure on the strap, which is attached to a spring-loaded lever at the base of the neck. The lever arm passes through the body of the guitar and is connected to the B string behind the bridge (Figure A).[1] White's 1956 Telecaster with the first Pull-String is now owned and regularly played by Marty Stuart.[2] Parsons and White licensed the StringBender to Leo Fender at Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, who made some changes to simplify the design for mass production.[3] However, this model never went into production.
Parsons made and installed StringBenders from 1973 to 1989, when demand overtook his production capacity. He then partnered with Meridian Green to outsource the production of the kits, develop a network of authorized installation shops and write an instruction manual for the installers.[4] In the mid-1990's, Fender decided to begin offering the StringBender in their Nashville B-Bender Telecaster, and began production in 1996 using an updated design by Parsons and Green.[5]
Parsons made and installed StringBenders from 1973 to 1989, when demand overtook his production capacity. He then partnered with Meridian Green to outsource the production of the kits, develop a network of authorized installation shops and write an instruction manual for the installers.[4] In the mid-1990's, Fender decided to begin offering the StringBender in their Nashville B-Bender Telecaster, and began production in 1996 using an updated design by Parsons and Green.[5]
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 simply installs with a few screws. Examples are the Bigsby Palm Pedal, 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.[6] 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.)[7]
Fig. C The Glaser design bends one, two or three strings independently
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 va
riation 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 the B string and a push-away against a belt lanyard to bend the G string. The third bend for the low E string uses a backward pull of the neck toward the player's body (see Figure C.)[8] Jimmy Olander of Diamond Rio has Glaser Double-Benders (B & G) in his instruments and, unlike most bender players, uses them more as a stylistic enhancement than for a steel guitar sound.
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.[6] 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.)[7]
Fig. C The Glaser design bends one, two or three strings independently
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 va
riation 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 the B string and a push-away against a belt lanyard to bend the G string. The third bend for the low E string uses a backward pull of the neck toward the player's body (see Figure C.)[8] Jimmy Olander of Diamond Rio has Glaser Double-Benders (B & G) in his instruments and, unlike most bender players, uses them more as a stylistic enhancement than for a steel guitar sound.
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