
crazydoc
Master Baiter
I don't know anything about the benders, but I believe they are relatively expensive, installation requires routing out the guitar and bridge modification, and use requires moving the whole guitar or neck to change the note pitch.Crazydoc - I'm more than impressed; I'm amazed. Do you think more simple palm levers could be added to a lap steel for limited pitch raising/lowering? Something like an electric guitar's tremelo unit, but only on one or two strings, and with adjustable stops to govern how much it raises/lowers the note?
Getting the desired sound many times requires simultaneous barring with the left hand, picking with the right, and bending the note. Most of us don't have a third hand, unfortunately, so legs and feet are used instead, requiring devices (pedals and knee levers) that can be accessed by those appendages.

Here's a link to a video showing one way of bending notes on lap steel or dobro without devices. Note the left 4th finger of the player starting about half way through the clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5BOHszuSsQ&feature=related
Here's a better view:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv19x2FSSoo&feature=related