Bigsby on the cheap

chales · April 26th, 2008, 12:48 PM

New member, be kind!
I don't even own a Tele yet, but Bob Logan is building one for me as we speak :) [ http://www.logancustoms.com/ ]

Just looking for thoughts on this no-name-brand Bigsby, which I'm thinking about putting on a Hagstrom Swede. What is the worst that can happen?? Is this thing going to sound like junk? Will it fall apart in a few months? Tuning problems? Hmmmm...

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...MEWA:IT&ih=009

JasonRobert · April 26th, 2008, 01:00 PM

I use a no name bigsby B-5 on my guitar, and the only problems I find with it, is that when I bend up, the spring moves from its casing slightly, which causes it to be out of tune when bent back down. I do not know if the proper bigsbys have this problem, as I have never owned a proper bigsby. when I do move the spring back, however, it goes back to the correct tuning.

beep.click · April 26th, 2008, 01:12 PM

Looks to me like you'd be drilling a hole or two into the Hagstrom. Not sure what you're going to run into, either, when you remove the current tailpiece and studs, to get the Bigsby on.

I have one real Bigsby, and a couple "licensed" ones. They all work well; no issues.

P.S. Welcome to the forum!

jwells393 · April 26th, 2008, 01:13 PM

This no-name appears to be a copy of the B-7 / B-70. You might check prices for those Bigsbys. I see B-70s on eBay for $80 US.

The no-name would probably work fine. It may even be made in the same place that make the B-70.

......

varakeef · April 26th, 2008, 02:37 PM

That kinda of Bigsby will work like a charm in Swede. At least the original does. You'll need to remove the pickguard to dive bomb a bit deeper however.

bender-freak · April 26th, 2008, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chales

New member, be kind!
I don't even own a Tele yet, but Bob Logan is building one for me as we speak :) [ http://www.logancustoms.com/ ]

Just looking for thoughts on this no-name-brand Bigsby, which I'm thinking about putting on a Hagstrom Swede. What is the worst that can happen?? Is this thing going to sound like junk? Will it fall apart in a few months? Tuning problems? Hmmmm...

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...MEWA:IT&ih=009

i have several of those on some of my "jazzers" and one on a Tele Custom II..there are no issues with them at all...i buy them from a source out of Canada for $40 plus shipping, about a third of what a Bigsby runs....i admit i have several "real" Bigsbys too...anyhoo, there is nothing to worry about with these clones..i think they were/are by an outfit called Vacarro, probably Chinese or Korean made...

PJ · April 27th, 2008, 09:48 PM

Chales...nice Swede! Tell us a little about it. Seems like you're happy with it. Stock pickups OK? On-line purchase or did you find it in one of the stores?

J. Hayes · April 28th, 2008, 03:53 AM

"pulling up" or "dive bombing" effects. If that's needed go for a Floyd Rose! They're made to add vibrato to a note or chord much as a vocalist would do with a note.

One problem you might have is "grounding". I installed one on a Les Paul and also on an Ibanez Artist and found that the ground is in the stud tailpiece. It's easy to ground the tail piece though. I just took a small drill bit and drilled a hole at an angle from a point which would be covered by the Bigsby and into the control cavity and attached a ground wire.

Good luck with the Hagstom, that's a nice guitar, it'd be a great candidate for a Bigsby Palm Pedal.........JH in Va.

chales · April 28th, 2008, 07:52 AM

Actually, the photo is just one I found on Google in case folks weren't familliar with the Swede.
I'm extremly happy with mine, it was given to me by a friend, a fellow who produced my band's most recent CD.
He was always saying "I've got some old beater guitar in my closet, you can just have it if you want it", he finally dropped it off at my place the day before he moved to Edmonton!
What a find, its great, stock pickups, upgraded tuners.
It took a while to get used to the hi-lo pass switch, but I use it quite a bit now.
The pickguard was already gone when I got it, so a friend of mine made one for me from a peice of wood panel.
I'll try to get some pictures up soon, thanks for all the advice!

TCASS · June 27th, 2008, 10:51 AM

I have a real Bigsby on a 1963 Silvertone hollowbody. It stays in tune. I have a Bigsby-like copy on a Brownsville hollowbody that stays in tune. I think a lot of problems with tremelos have more to do with the nut. Someone showed me a nice solution to tuning problems by mixing graphite powder and a small amount of vaseline and pushing that into the notches for the strings on the nut. It makes a great lubricant for your strings to stay in tune.

I have contacted Bob logan about making me a custom Tele as well. Have you received the guitar yet? What's your opinion on it's quality, looks, feel and sound?

The Bestron · June 28th, 2008, 06:47 AM

does the suede have an arched top¿¿¿ (careful, if it doesn't that bigsby won't work, you'll need one for flat tops) ;)

Coffeemutt · June 28th, 2008, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bender-freak

...i buy them from a source out of Canada for $40 plus shipping, about a third of what a Bigsby runs....

Would you mind sharing your source, Bender-Freak? Thanks!

bender-freak · June 28th, 2008, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coffeemutt

Would you mind sharing your source, Bender-Freak? Thanks!

must admit i haven't seen their stuff on there for some time but i was getting them (Bigsby clones) from a seller with the monicker of BezDez or Bez-Dez, do a search for sellers and maybe they'll show up...i know they had a TON of parts all reasonably priced, or so i thought.....good luck...

Little Ricky · June 28th, 2008, 04:09 PM

I use a cheap Ibanez Artocre "b*gsby" and they only problem is it's a little stiffer than a real one, so I bought a new softer spring for $8 on ebay. You might also need to adjust the tightness of the arm nut so it swings smoother or looser.

Gone Fission · June 29th, 2008, 12:57 PM

Doesn't get much cheaper than this: http://store.guitarfetish.com/vistsumowhba.html

Anyone know about that guy?

Bear

bug music · June 29th, 2008, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bender-freak

must admit i haven't seen their stuff on there for some time but i was getting them (Bigsby clones) from a seller with the monicker of BezDez or Bez-Dez, do a search for sellers and maybe they'll show up...i know they had a TON of parts all reasonably priced, or so i thought.....good luck...

Yeah, I've bought a few things from him too, no complaints here.

http://stores.ebay.com/bezdez
You could send him a message through his ebay store, if you don't see what you're looking for.

- Jay

April 26th, 2008, 12:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
chales TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Halifax, NS Posts: 21	Bigsby on the cheap New member, be kind! I don't even own a Tele yet, but Bob Logan is building one for me as we speak :) [ http://www.logancustoms.com/ ] Just looking for thoughts on this no-name-brand Bigsby, which I'm thinking about putting on a Hagstrom Swede. What is the worst that can happen?? Is this thing going to sound like junk? Will it fall apart in a few months? Tuning problems? Hmmmm... http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...MEWA:IT&ih=009

April 26th, 2008, 01:12 PM	#3 (permalink)
beep.click Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: California Age: 49 Posts: 1,774	Looks to me like you'd be drilling a hole or two into the Hagstrom. Not sure what you're going to run into, either, when you remove the current tailpiece and studs, to get the Bigsby on. I have one real Bigsby, and a couple "licensed" ones. They all work well; no issues. P.S. Welcome to the forum! __________________ "It looked like a giant green gum drop to me."

April 26th, 2008, 01:13 PM	#4 (permalink)
jwells393 Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Albuquerque, USA Age: 64 Posts: 11,905 101 Photos	This no-name appears to be a copy of the B-7 / B-70. You might check prices for those Bigsbys. I see B-70s on eBay for $80 US. The no-name would probably work fine. It may even be made in the same place that make the B-70. ...... __________________ Jack's Disclaimer: When I say something.... always ask yourself ..... "What the hell does he know?" _ Guys - learn to disable the flash on your digital cameras.

April 26th, 2008, 02:37 PM	#5 (permalink)
varakeef Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Finland Posts: 223 50 Photos	That kinda of Bigsby will work like a charm in Swede. At least the original does. You'll need to remove the pickguard to dive bomb a bit deeper however. __________________ If you remove the noisy stuff inside the piano it makes a great house for a dog.

April 27th, 2008, 09:48 PM	#7 (permalink)
PJ Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,909 4 Photos	Chales...nice Swede! Tell us a little about it. Seems like you're happy with it. Stock pickups OK? On-line purchase or did you find it in one of the stores? __________________ PJ "I don't know if it's art, but I like it."

April 26th, 2008, 01:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
JasonRobert Tele-Meister Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paddock Wood, Kent, England Posts: 459	I use a no name bigsby B-5 on my guitar, and the only problems I find with it, is that when I bend up, the spring moves from its casing slightly, which causes it to be out of tune when bent back down. I do not know if the proper bigsbys have this problem, as I have never owned a proper bigsby. when I do move the spring back, however, it goes back to the correct tuning.

April 28th, 2008, 03:53 AM	#8 (permalink)
J. Hayes Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia Beach, Va. Posts: 946	Bigsbys and other Bigsby clones aren't made for.... "pulling up" or "dive bombing" effects. If that's needed go for a Floyd Rose! They're made to add vibrato to a note or chord much as a vocalist would do with a note. One problem you might have is "grounding". I installed one on a Les Paul and also on an Ibanez Artist and found that the ground is in the stud tailpiece. It's easy to ground the tail piece though. I just took a small drill bit and drilled a hole at an angle from a point which would be covered by the Bigsby and into the control cavity and attached a ground wire. Good luck with the Hagstom, that's a nice guitar, it'd be a great candidate for a Bigsby Palm Pedal.........JH in Va. __________________ Ralph Mooney rules!!

April 28th, 2008, 07:52 AM	#9 (permalink)
chales TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Halifax, NS Posts: 21	Actually, the photo is just one I found on Google in case folks weren't familliar with the Swede. I'm extremly happy with mine, it was given to me by a friend, a fellow who produced my band's most recent CD. He was always saying "I've got some old beater guitar in my closet, you can just have it if you want it", he finally dropped it off at my place the day before he moved to Edmonton! What a find, its great, stock pickups, upgraded tuners. It took a while to get used to the hi-lo pass switch, but I use it quite a bit now. The pickguard was already gone when I got it, so a friend of mine made one for me from a peice of wood panel. I'll try to get some pictures up soon, thanks for all the advice!

June 27th, 2008, 10:51 AM	#10 (permalink)
TCASS NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Naperville, IL Posts: 1	I have a real Bigsby on a 1963 Silvertone hollowbody. It stays in tune. I have a Bigsby-like copy on a Brownsville hollowbody that stays in tune. I think a lot of problems with tremelos have more to do with the nut. Someone showed me a nice solution to tuning problems by mixing graphite powder and a small amount of vaseline and pushing that into the notches for the strings on the nut. It makes a great lubricant for your strings to stay in tune. I have contacted Bob logan about making me a custom Tele as well. Have you received the guitar yet? What's your opinion on it's quality, looks, feel and sound?

June 28th, 2008, 06:47 AM	#11 (permalink)
The Bestron TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 40	does the suede have an arched top¿¿¿ (careful, if it doesn't that bigsby won't work, you'll need one for flat tops) ;) __________________ When I think of all the good times that I've wasted, having good times

June 28th, 2008, 04:09 PM	#14 (permalink)
Little Ricky TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mid-Atlantic Posts: 92	I use a cheap Ibanez Artocre "b*gsby" and they only problem is it's a little stiffer than a real one, so I bought a new softer spring for $8 on ebay. You might also need to adjust the tightness of the arm nut so it swings smoother or looser.

June 29th, 2008, 12:57 PM	#15 (permalink)
Gone Fission TDPRI Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 31	Doesn't get much cheaper than this: http://store.guitarfetish.com/vistsumowhba.html Anyone know about that guy? Bear