Bridge for Bigsby

[teleman53]

which is the best?

[jeffhigh]

which rocks on its base to move with the strings rather than the strings sliding (or sticking)over the saddles.
it is also the right radius to match a 71/4 radius neck.
Jeff

[T Prior]

the Jazzmaster/Jaugar bridge, which is basically the same as the Mustang bridge but the saddles are grooved.

I found after the initial install with the Mustang bridge that my style of playing moved the 1st and 2nd strings off the Mustang saddle.

Now..I have actually done what others have done here, dremeled out the back of a stock top loader to make clearance for the strings and use stock Tele' grooved brass saddles.

If someone would actually manufacture a drilled out top loader assy for the Bigsby B-5 or B50..that would be the best solution to the Bigsby add-on.. in my opinion that is....

t

[telel6s]

I just put a Mustang bridge on my MIJ '62 reissue. I love it.

The original Jazzmaster bridge was constantly having set screws and intonation screws work loose. There was often buzzing from loose saddles and the unwound strings would jump over the screw threads once in a while. Because I would have to re-tighten the set screws in between songs, I'm sure that the radius was not perfect any longer. It got to the point where the intonation screw came completely out of the high-E saddle. Since the screw heads face backwards, it was not something that could have been fixed quickly. (I have read several places that little light-duty Lok-Tite goes a long way to solving the issue of the set-screws working loose, but I never got around to trying this.)

So, instead of fixing it, I ordered a Mustang bridge from Warmoth.

With the Mustang bridge, there is no more rattle and I can definitely hear the difference. More pronounced is the feel of the strings is more solid. I also like the smoother feel of the saddles on the heel of my hand (I am constantly using the bridge as a "rest" for my hand regardless of what guitar I play.).

Only concern so far is that the high E string falls off the side of the roller-bar on the Bigsby and rests instead on the thinner fixed bar. I was worried this would be a big problem but I've since done two three-hour shows plus several hours of home playing without any problem -- no breaks, no worse tuning, no different on bends or using the trem arm.

The next time I restring, I think I will take some wire insullation and slide it down the E string to protect the string at that point. A drop of teflon lube inside the insullation should make sure the string can still slide and move easily.

I've never played a tele with the standard bridge plus a Bigsby. But I think if you were to modify an existing guitar or build one from scratch, this is probably the better way to go. Use the Search function here as there are lots of posts about setting up Bigsby's. Another regarding the bridge is the jag-stang forum (sorry, don't recall the URL).

[Tele295]

Modified vintage 3 saddle - keep all the Telelicious tonehttp://www.fenderforum.com/userphotos/photo.php?id=5485

[jeffhigh]

HAS the grooved saddles. Don't they all come that way?
Jeff

[teleman53]

thanks for the help let ya know on my final decision