Certano, Peters or Duesenberg Benders on Lap Steel???

[Doug Anderson]

I want to add a 2 string bender to my SX2 lap steel.

Are all three brands equally good? Leaning toward Peters because they are less expensive and I've heard great things.

Thanks! Doug

[K Maul]

I really like Certanos. Haven’t tried Peters.

[Michael Kiese]

They all do the job just fine.

Ideally, it's best to have a roller nut and roller saddles. That said, palm benders will still work without them.

I went with buying Duesenberg multibenders and installing them on 2 of my cheaper steels so that I can practice 2 different tunings.

I like the design of the Duesenberg multibender a lot. Everything you need is on the same plate. It's very easy to install and remove. It's also very easy to move the benders to other strings. In my opinion, it's a great design and very well done.

That said, Duesenberg doesn't sell their nut assembly. So I just kept my original nuts, and they work fine. If I wanted to, I'd install a Certano roller nut and use it in tandem with my multibender. That would be ideal.

Just go with what will work for you on your particular steel. The Multibender takes up a lot of real estate on the bottom end of the guitar, so depending on the steel, you may not be able to install one.

If you notice Kevin Maul's double neck supro, there is not enough space to install a Duesenberg Multibender even if you had your heart set on one. The Peters takes up a decent amount of space as well. Not too sure if the Peters would fit on a Supro like this. But if you notice, his Certanos fit perfectly.

Lap steel designs are quirky, so just do your research, and take good measurements. Then go with what will fit best.

Enjoy!

[Greg Forsyth]

Hi Ken,
How do you like the String Tone that's on the other neck of your steel.?

[Paul Seager]

I cannot comment on the benders but I did buy a Certano bridge for an 8-string lap-steel upcycle project and David Certano was extremely helpful and communicative pre- and post-sale. It was the only bridge I found that matched the string spacing.

I did entertain the idea of benders. The Duesenburg I think allows to bend up or down whereas the Certanos only pitch up. As you only want 2, I guess you intend to emulate the A & B pedals on a PSG so any model meets that. Do consider the roller bridge and nut, these will make a huge difference to the benders' performance.

I invested in an entry-level pedal-steel instead.

[K Maul]

Hi Ken,
How do you like the String Tone that's on the other neck of your steel.?

I have several of them and they work fine. They are primitive and need some TLC and adjustment before a gig. You still have to tweak a string or two when you engage it so it can’t be done in the middle of a tune like a Hipshot Doubleshot.