Mystery Solved!

Dear Editor,
    There has always been a lot of mystery about the guitar Clarence White used on the Sweetheart album. I have been playing a B-Bender since 1980, and I always wondered, too. Over the years I have become great friends with Gene Parsons (co-inventor), so I asked him. This is his reply by email: 
   

The sunburst guitar (if my memory serves me) was the guitar Clarence used on the Sweetheart sessions and it was not fitted with the StringBender
   yet. Or … he may have used the white Tele that Bob Warford now has (also not yet fitted with a Bender), while I was working on the Sunburst one.
    There is NO STRINGBENDER being played on that album.
    Your pal,
    Gene

    The fact that it sounds like [White] is using a bender is a testament to where his playing was heading. Really enjoyed the article ["One-Hundred Years From Now," Music, Nov. 9], and am so happy to see Earl mentioned.