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Does anybody here have experience installing Bigsby tremolos? I have a busted up Silvertone guitar I'd like to put one on. It's this model, but with different electronics. I've been reading up on Bigsby's (they have some how to videos on bigsbyguitars.com) but one problem with the Silvertone is that there just isn't very much real estate on the body (so not enough space to install the trem?). I was wondering if you guys can tell me if this is a viable project or not.
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11-28-2009 11:11 PM
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I have a Gibson SG that now has a Bigsby. I installed the B5 model, using a Vibramate adapter. Here are photos:
The Vibramate was designed to fit Gibson spacing, so with an off-brand you may run into problems.
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Thanks for the pictures. Does the spacing cease to matter I also install a Gibson-style bridge? I forgot to mention that this guitar is missing half the bridge, and so far I haven't been able to find replacement parts.
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The Vibramate mounts to the stop tailpiece stud holes. If your guitar doesn't have the existing holes where the SG does, it'd make more sense to drill the holes directly into the guitar top to attach the Bigsby.
If you replace the bridge with a Tune-A-Matic, you'll have the correct string spacing.
The B5 is designed for Gibson-style bridge.
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One more thing I just thought of - how thick is the SG? The body on my guitar is only about an inch thick (maybe an inch + 1/10th).
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SP,
Originally Posted by Space Pickle
LPD must still be away from home. My '65 SG is 1-5/16 inch thick, measured at the rear of the body.
cheers,
randyc
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Mine's probably about the same -- I don't think SGs vary much. I'll measure later this morning.
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Since I didn't have a caliper to hand, I used a small plastic T-square. One and 3/16". No wonder it's so light!
Now that I'm selling the Les Paul, the SG remains as the only solid body electric in the herd (disregarding my sub-herd of four Precision basses).
This probably doesn't have any application to the OP subject, but Vibramate now makes a mounting plate to accommodate the B7 (long-tail) Bigsby. I'd love to know if it would fit the 335. I'm loath to drill holes in the lovely figured maple top, but if I could install a Bigsby without doing so....
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My ES-335 (a 1970, I believe) had a Bigsby, no holes in the top of the guitar. It mounted in place of the normal tailpiece (3 screws) and had two, maybe three felt pads between the mechanism base and the top of the guitar. I only have one photo of the guitar, I'll see if I can find it and scan ... Originally Posted by lpdeluxe
In the meantime, here's the tailpiece on my Guild. Virtually identical to the one on the 335 except for the branding.
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Thanks for the measurements. Can you tell me how deep the screws are for the B5? (the guy in the bigsbyguitar.com videos says to drill the pilot holes 3/4", but is that how deep the screws go as well?) I'm trying to figure out if my guitar is thick enough for a B5 or long enough for a B7.
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My 335 has a stop tail piece, so installation of a Bigsby (if the Vibramate doesn't fit) involves both drilling mounting holes and filling in the tail piece stud holes. The Vibramate neatly sidesteps those difficulties by mounting to the existing threaded stud inserts.
Guild initially installed Bigsby-logo vibratos on their guitars, until the foreman of the warranty repair department noticed that guitars that had been logged on shipment as being vibrato-less were being returned for repair with Bigsbys. It turned out that several dealers were ordering the lower priced guitars from Guild, then installing the Bigsbys, which they were able to buy for less than the cost differential, and retailing the result at the fancier model's price. After the discovery, Guild contracted for Guild-logo Bigsbys.
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Cool Guild story ! Yes, I see what you mean about the 335 + Bisgsby. My 335 came from the factory with the Bigsby and it never occurred to me that it was a rarity, since others had the tailpiece holes filled (albeit tastefully, with MOP IIRC). I sold that guitar for $300, what a fool ! Originally Posted by lpdeluxe
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The flat-head screws fit into the beveled holes in the base of the Bigsby, which is about 1/4" thick. I imagine the 3/4" is the depth of the threaded portion of the screws. Without disassembling my SG, I can't provide much more help. In the event, I used the machine screws supplied by Vibramate to attach the vibrato base to the plate. These were shorter than the wood screws that came with the Bigsby, but, since I have discarded them, their dimensions are lost to history. Originally Posted by Space Pickle
It would be a simple enough matter to substitute, say, 1/2" screws for the longer ones -- the integrity of the wood body would be an issue, then: you wouldn't want to compromise on the anchors if the wood were prone to flaking or other disintegration. There's a fair amount of longitudinal torque exerted on the base plate (this is neatly neutralized by the design of the Vibramate, which centers the lifting component over the studs).
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SP: Originally Posted by Space Pickle
Don't fret, screws are available in 1/8 inch increments at the local hardware store. (FWIW, my Uncle put a Bigsby on his SG about five years ago, no problems.) Normal practise is to drill the pilot hole about 1/8 deeper than the screw.
Instead of using the screws that come with the Bigsby and finding a guitar that fits them, pick the Bigsby that suits your guitar and let the hardware store clerk pick the screws to attach Bigsby to guitar. (As mentioned, 1/8 inch increments are standard up to 1 inch and 1/4 inch increments over 1 inch). Total cost will be less than $1 U.S.
If you desire one that falls in between standard increments, simply grind a little off the pointy end to the desired length and then re-point it
cheers
randyc
PS Oops, sorry LPD, didn't realize that you were addressing the problem.Last edited by randyc; 12-01-2009 at 02:45 PM. Reason: add PS
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More is better -- I forgot about the 1/8" increments. Originally Posted by randyc
Randy, I failed to mention that your Guild is gorgeous. Every time I see one like that I'm reminded that I **need** a Guild (using "need" in the specialized definition of the guitarist).
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Thank you, it is a nice guitar and sounds very sweet. They are so reasonably priced that I suspect most people feel that "there must be something wrong" ! The best bargains in a full hollow body instrument, IMO. "GuildX500" has a very nice collection of them !
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It's an odd fact that every Guild owner I know has at least two.
Or, maybe it's not so odd!
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Well we're all here, I'm looking to buy a soldering iron for doing my guitar's electronics. Does it matter what kind of iron/solder I buy?
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I get the standard Radio Shack iron, with a plastic handle and a stand. Rosin core solder, always, for electronics.
Post pics when it comes out of surgery.
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