The B-bender is a built-in guitar accessory that allows you to raise the 2nd string (B string, next to the G string) a whole step with no hands. That leaves all 10 fingers to do other stuff at the same time.

It’s all done with body english, by performing a special secret “bender dance” that some of us know. The mechanical mechanism is hidden inside the guitar body. I was told it uses parts from a pedal steel, a screen door spring, and a couple of bolts from a garden tractor motor. This mimics the sound of a pedal steel guitar, but it has a sound all it’s own.

Catch up with me between sets and I’ll show you how it really works.  Hint: The front strap button on the guitar is not just a strap button any more.

There are many possible tunings for an 8-string guitar. My favorite is G-6th with a low E. I feel at home with this one because it includes the basic strings I already know from playing a Dobro. Starting with the lowest string, the tuning is…..

E G B D E G B D

For my double-necked guitar, I have been tuning the second neck to a Texas/Oklahoma style of E-13th, like this……sometimes I will retune the D or F# in the middle to plain ol’ E.

E G# D F# G# B C# E

I have also been fooling around with a variant of C6 but it’s not ready for primetime.

F A C E G A C E