Bigsby to Hipshot conversion?

kranz · April 23rd, 2008, 06:19 PM

I will soon have my hands on a F-logo Bigsby equipped Tele. I was really just interested in the neck on this guitar and am not keen on having a Bigsby. So, I considered parting it out. But that would leave me with a Tele body with some unsightly holes.

So, it occurred to me that I might convert the guitar to a bender Tele using a Hipshot bender. I could keep the Bigsby bridge in place. Then remove the Bigsby tailpiece and replace it with a Hipshot. The Hipshot mounting plate would likely cover the holes from the Bigsby tailpiece. And I'd wind up with a bender Tele. In the future, I could put the Bigsby back if I so chose.

So I have the following questions:

1) Would this indeed work technically? Is the Bigsby bridge compatible with the Hipshot?
2) What kind of tonal differences might I get from a Bigsby bridge as opposed to the traditional 3 saddle Tele bridge? Is the Hipshot better suited to a 3 saddle bridge?
3) Has anyone else tried this experiment and have some wisdom to share?

thanks!

kranz · April 23rd, 2008, 06:30 PM

Well, it just dawned on me that without the B tailpiece, I'd have no place to anchor the strings. Perhaps this won't work after all.

BrianF · April 23rd, 2008, 07:03 PM

It would make more sense to convert it to Bigsby palm pedals..

telesavant · April 23rd, 2008, 08:01 PM

Agreed...keep the "original" mojo. I'd add...cut the Bigsby levers back so they are just behind the bridge...easy mod..I'd even go one step further, and hinge the "G" lever, so as to give complete access to the "b" lever, when needed...and it WILL be needed.

kranz · April 24th, 2008, 05:55 AM

Palm pedals it is!! Thanks, guys for good advice.

J. Hayes · April 24th, 2008, 12:33 PM

I'm not sure what exactly the bridge on your guitar looks like but couldn't you use one of those bridge/tailpiece combination units such as what's on a Les Paul Jr? The Stewart/MacDonald catalog has several variations, some with adjustable pole pieces and some without. If one of 'em would work on your guitar then a HipShot would be an option...........JH in Va.

RotelliCaster · April 29th, 2008, 12:46 PM

The if you have a Bigsby on your guitar now, the bridge your using should work fine with the palm pedal.

April 23rd, 2008, 06:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
kranz TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Atlanta Posts: 63 2 Photos	Bigsby to Hipshot conversion? I will soon have my hands on a F-logo Bigsby equipped Tele. I was really just interested in the neck on this guitar and am not keen on having a Bigsby. So, I considered parting it out. But that would leave me with a Tele body with some unsightly holes. So, it occurred to me that I might convert the guitar to a bender Tele using a Hipshot bender. I could keep the Bigsby bridge in place. Then remove the Bigsby tailpiece and replace it with a Hipshot. The Hipshot mounting plate would likely cover the holes from the Bigsby tailpiece. And I'd wind up with a bender Tele. In the future, I could put the Bigsby back if I so chose. So I have the following questions: 1) Would this indeed work technically? Is the Bigsby bridge compatible with the Hipshot? 2) What kind of tonal differences might I get from a Bigsby bridge as opposed to the traditional 3 saddle Tele bridge? Is the Hipshot better suited to a 3 saddle bridge? 3) Has anyone else tried this experiment and have some wisdom to share? thanks! __________________ Les is more.

April 23rd, 2008, 06:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
kranz TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Atlanta Posts: 63 2 Photos	Well, it just dawned on me that without the B tailpiece, I'd have no place to anchor the strings. Perhaps this won't work after all. __________________ Les is more.

April 24th, 2008, 05:55 AM	#5 (permalink)
kranz TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Atlanta Posts: 63 2 Photos	Palm pedals it is!! Thanks, guys for good advice. __________________ Les is more.

April 24th, 2008, 12:33 PM	#6 (permalink)
J. Hayes Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia Beach, Va. Posts: 974	Kranz......would this work? I'm not sure what exactly the bridge on your guitar looks like but couldn't you use one of those bridge/tailpiece combination units such as what's on a Les Paul Jr? The Stewart/MacDonald catalog has several variations, some with adjustable pole pieces and some without. If one of 'em would work on your guitar then a HipShot would be an option...........JH in Va. __________________ Ralph Mooney rules!!

April 29th, 2008, 12:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
RotelliCaster Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bethany, Oklahoma Age: 41 Posts: 438 13 Photos	The if you have a Bigsby on your guitar now, the bridge your using should work fine with the palm pedal. __________________ " Trust me, I saw this in a cartoon and I'm pretty sure I can do it! " http://www.myspace.com/bmwsteve Guitar Photos

April 23rd, 2008, 07:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
BrianF Friend of Leo's Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Carlsbad, Ca Posts: 2,155 7 Photos	It would make more sense to convert it to Bigsby palm pedals..

April 23rd, 2008, 08:01 PM	#4 (permalink)
telesavant Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Litchfield County, Connecticut Posts: 360	Agreed...keep the "original" mojo. I'd add...cut the Bigsby levers back so they are just behind the bridge...easy mod..I'd even go one step further, and hinge the "G" lever, so as to give complete access to the "b" lever, when needed...and it WILL be needed.