Bending a side in the Fox bender—all luthiers (and players for that matter) owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Charles Fox for inventing this amazing gizmo. It is also known as the universal side bender. Interchangeable forms allow you to use one fixture to bend a wide variety of guitar shapes.

One side at a time is sprayed with water then placed between thin steel slats with a space-age 1000-Watt silicone heating blanket. Once the blanket is turned on, the wood begins to steam. Various clamps gently pull the side to the shape of the form and hold it in place until it is dry.

The Fox bender also does a wonderful job bending binding.