The New B5 🐝 Bender

*****Announcement*****

We did it again! Wade Black, owner and creator of 3Bender, has created another new string bender product. This newest string bender product is a nod to Paul Bigsby: The B5 🐝 Bender™️.

• What is a B5 🐝 Bender™️?

  It is a stringbender that can be mounted to your B5 vibrato front roller.

• Where can I buy a B5 🐝 Bender™️?

  Currently, email us here via the website contact info and we'll ship one to you directly. The pricing is listed at the bottom of this blog.

• Do you sell them as complete assemblies already mounted to a Bigsby B5 or can I buy them as a kit?

  Both. You can buy it in a complete assembly with the stringbender already mounted or you can buy a kit and mount the stringbender to your existing B5.

• Will the B5 🐝 Bender™️ Kit work with my B7 or B50 vibrato?

  We are interested to develop a B7 kit but have not had an inquiry yet. Please reach out and let's talk. It would be easy to do. The B50 kit is not available yet. We are working on it, so, stay tuned.

• Can I use the B5 🐝 Bender™️ and the vibrato at the same time?

  Yes, indeed. This is one of the coolest features. We hope you do.

• How do I adjust the tightness of the lever arm (paddle) that is attached to the bender lever?

  You must first loosen the set screw on the bender lever and then loosen/tighten the 6-32 phillips head screw on top of the bender. Retighten the 6-32 phillips after retightening the set screw.

• What are the recommendations for mounting a Bigsby B5 with a B5 🐝 Bender™️?

  Use this video as an installation guide to mount it: https://youtu.be/DOCjQpRU4ak?si=-dQVk4b-eCDnyC9M

  If you are mounting a new Bigsby B5 to a T style guitar, we recommend that you use a mounting template. I used one sold by GuitarsByDesign in Macks Creek, Mo. (No affiliation.) It is sometimes difficult to mount the unit straight and this template will save you time. Additionally, the template helps ensure you have plenty of room for the stringbender lever arms behind the bridge. Here is a link to the template on Reverb: https://tinyurl.com/yk8fpws7

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• If I already have a B5 mounted to my guitar, should I check any dimensions before I buy and mount the B5 🐝 Bender™️ Kit?

  The B5 needs to be mounted approximately .9375” from the bridge as specified in the attached pic. A single or a double will probably work fine if it is a little closer…but you might have to point the front end of the bender lever upwards to keep it from hitting the back of the bridge. 

• Can I use the B5 🐝 Bender™️ on guitars with alternate tunings?

  Yes, Open D sounds great. We expect you will find tons of alternate tuning possibilities and we look forward to hearing the music you make. Please note that string gauges may need to be adjusted as you tune to alternate CoBendEnts.

  
  

• Bigsby® is a registered trademark of Fred Gretsch Enterprises.

• Introductory Pricing

  
  

• If you have a Bigsby B5 already and just want the retrofit kit:

  
  

  $159 for a single lever

  $239 for a double lever

  $319 for a triple lever

  
  

*What is in the kit? Assembled bender lever(s), a precision machined axle, roller bars and sleeve bearings for the strings that do not have levers, alternate length bender lever paddles, allen wrenches, shim...everything you need to do the retrofit.

• If you want a fully assembled Bigsby with the B5 🐝 Bender™️ installed:

  
  

  $319 for a single lever

  $399 for a double lever

  $479 for a triple lever

• Recommended: If you want a fully assembled pinless Bigsby with the B5 🐝 Bender™️ installed:

$339 for a single lever

$419 for a double lever

$499 for a triple lever

The pinless Bigsby's are so much easier to string than the old style. Highly recommended!

*Shipping is not included in the price above.

**Wholesale pricing is available. If you are a retailer, please reach out via the website contact info.

***Artist pricing is available. Please reach out via the website contact info.