thepearljammer
Tele-Meister
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2004
- Posts
- 160
seeing as i'm looking into buying a bigsby and a mim standard tele, i want to know how stable tuning remains with a bigsby unit. thanks.
Bigsby tuning stability
- Thread starter thepearljammer
- Start date
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purpletele
Friend of Leo's
well..
some tuning stability will be lost. To what degree, I've never seen it the same twice. Can you do Hedrix dives, no that would be askin for trouble. Using it as an actual vibrato, you'll probably be fine.
My advice, if it's a guitar you love right now, don't do it. Putting a Bigsby on is a non-reversable modification. If you're dead set on it, at least it is a replaceable standard production guitar.
-just my thoughts. i've seen some pretty strong opinions on this one round here.
some tuning stability will be lost. To what degree, I've never seen it the same twice. Can you do Hedrix dives, no that would be askin for trouble. Using it as an actual vibrato, you'll probably be fine.
My advice, if it's a guitar you love right now, don't do it. Putting a Bigsby on is a non-reversable modification. If you're dead set on it, at least it is a replaceable standard production guitar.
-just my thoughts. i've seen some pretty strong opinions on this one round here.
TB72
Tele-Holic
I did it to one of my teles. I used a B5 model Bigsby with a Gibson Tune-O-matic bridge. I had intended on using one of the one-piece Bigsby/Tele bridges, but a tech whom I trust said they didn't stay in tune as well as the B5/Tune-O-Matic.
It stayed in tune pretty good as long as you kept everything well-lubricated. (saddles, nut slots, pivot points)
Notice I'm using the past tense....I ended up taking it off. When I installed the Tune-O-Matic, I had to shim the neck a little to compensate for the height of the bridge. This, seemed to cause the guitar to lose a bit of sustain. (Perhaps the fact that the strings no longer loaded throught the body contributed to this as well.) The guitar also had a little more high-end snap. (This part I liked).
Now I see Bigsby is making an adapter kit for teles. It includes a B50 vibrato unit (similar to a B5), a plate for mounting the bridge pickup, and a low profile bridge. I ordered the bridge and the plate, because I really want to give the guitar another chance with the Bigsby. When it arrives and I get it set up, I'll report back.
I agree with purpletele about not doing this mod to a guitar that you absolutely love as-is, as it is a pretty drastic mod. But, a Bigsby on a tele can be soooooooooooo much fun.
Later...
It stayed in tune pretty good as long as you kept everything well-lubricated. (saddles, nut slots, pivot points)
Notice I'm using the past tense....I ended up taking it off. When I installed the Tune-O-Matic, I had to shim the neck a little to compensate for the height of the bridge. This, seemed to cause the guitar to lose a bit of sustain. (Perhaps the fact that the strings no longer loaded throught the body contributed to this as well.) The guitar also had a little more high-end snap. (This part I liked).
Now I see Bigsby is making an adapter kit for teles. It includes a B50 vibrato unit (similar to a B5), a plate for mounting the bridge pickup, and a low profile bridge. I ordered the bridge and the plate, because I really want to give the guitar another chance with the Bigsby. When it arrives and I get it set up, I'll report back.
I agree with purpletele about not doing this mod to a guitar that you absolutely love as-is, as it is a pretty drastic mod. But, a Bigsby on a tele can be soooooooooooo much fun.
Later...
Its the little things
that count with a bigsby.
I have two Bigsby equiped guitars.
The first is a 1967Gibson ES-125tdc. It was pretty bad for tuning and would give little pings when the bigsby was operated until I made sure the bridge was free to rock and lubricated the nut slots with pencil lead. now it works fine.
The second is a tele which is in trial assembly form at the moment (about to be pulled apart to finish the body)
I decided to do all I could to help the tuning and so I have installed
-locking Gotoh vintage tuners
-roller string tree to the headstock
-Graphtech black nut
-Mustang rocker bridge
-Bigsby B5 with roller pressure bar
This is so that every point the string contacts either stays fixed (where it is supposed to) or rocks, rolls or slides freely.
I have it strung up at the moment and it seems fineand sounds great.
Jeff
that count with a bigsby.
I have two Bigsby equiped guitars.
The first is a 1967Gibson ES-125tdc. It was pretty bad for tuning and would give little pings when the bigsby was operated until I made sure the bridge was free to rock and lubricated the nut slots with pencil lead. now it works fine.
The second is a tele which is in trial assembly form at the moment (about to be pulled apart to finish the body)
I decided to do all I could to help the tuning and so I have installed
-locking Gotoh vintage tuners
-roller string tree to the headstock
-Graphtech black nut
-Mustang rocker bridge
-Bigsby B5 with roller pressure bar
This is so that every point the string contacts either stays fixed (where it is supposed to) or rocks, rolls or slides freely.
I have it strung up at the moment and it seems fineand sounds great.
Jeff
Oskar
Friend of Leo's
In my experience
I haven't yet played a Bigsby Tele that stayed in tune. That's not to say it's constantly out of tune, but noticably one has to stay on top of it to keep it in tune. I think they look great, but are too much of hassle to have as a regular player, who plays a lot of live gigs. Of course if you're Bruce then you just hand it to your tech or swap it off for another guitar. I certianly don't have THAT luxury.
I haven't yet played a Bigsby Tele that stayed in tune. That's not to say it's constantly out of tune, but noticably one has to stay on top of it to keep it in tune. I think they look great, but are too much of hassle to have as a regular player, who plays a lot of live gigs. Of course if you're Bruce then you just hand it to your tech or swap it off for another guitar. I certianly don't have THAT luxury.
MANX
Tele-Meister
Well...
Lets just say it goes out of tune more often than a non bigsby guitar. Ive owned a 60s tele with a bigsby and have gigged with it now for 3-4 gigs, and have not had big tuning problems, but if I go into Neil Young mode on a song, you can bet I step on the tuner immediately after. Keeping everthing lubed up is key. I ordered some Big Bends Nut Sauce recently, and that works great.
Good luck,
M
Lets just say it goes out of tune more often than a non bigsby guitar. Ive owned a 60s tele with a bigsby and have gigged with it now for 3-4 gigs, and have not had big tuning problems, but if I go into Neil Young mode on a song, you can bet I step on the tuner immediately after. Keeping everthing lubed up is key. I ordered some Big Bends Nut Sauce recently, and that works great.
Good luck,
M
Poppatwang
Friend of Leo's
Don't fear the Bigsby.
I fine tune between sets. As opposed to my non-Bigsby
Tele that I tune every couple of days.
I fine tune between sets. As opposed to my non-Bigsby
Tele that I tune every couple of days.
thepearljammer
Tele-Meister
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2004
- Posts
- 160
thanks for the replies guys
T Prior
Poster Extraordinaire
in process..
of adding a B5 with the Chrome metal PUP plate and Mustang bridge to my 50's classic..which is not my primary axe..( good comment above) .
I have owned Bigsby guitars before (Gretsch/Guild) and like all Instruments they have there issues about tuning..and staying in tune...but not dramatic.
go for it
t
of adding a B5 with the Chrome metal PUP plate and Mustang bridge to my 50's classic..which is not my primary axe..( good comment above) .
I have owned Bigsby guitars before (Gretsch/Guild) and like all Instruments they have there issues about tuning..and staying in tune...but not dramatic.
go for it
t
TB72
Tele-Holic
One more point....
For some reason, Bigsbys seem to work better with heavy strings.
I have Bigsbys on four of my guitars.(Well, actually three now. I'm still waiting on the adapter kit for my tele) On two of them (Gretsch Roundup, Carvin LP-style), I use 10-52's for strings. I hardly ever have to touch the tuners after I first tune up. On the other two (Gretsch/Synchromatic doubleneck, and the tele when I had the Bigsby on it ), I use 10-46's. I find myself fine tuning more frequently with the lighter strings.
Just something to consider.
Later...
For some reason, Bigsbys seem to work better with heavy strings.
I have Bigsbys on four of my guitars.(Well, actually three now. I'm still waiting on the adapter kit for my tele) On two of them (Gretsch Roundup, Carvin LP-style), I use 10-52's for strings. I hardly ever have to touch the tuners after I first tune up. On the other two (Gretsch/Synchromatic doubleneck, and the tele when I had the Bigsby on it ), I use 10-46's. I find myself fine tuning more frequently with the lighter strings.
Just something to consider.
Later...
FRETCOM
TDPRI Member
Bigsby on my Reverend Wolfam is incredible...
The Bigsby on my Reverend Wolfam is incredible. With locking tuners and a roller saddle...it stays in tune better than my non-trem guitars. It's great!
Regards,
fretcom
www.geocities.com/smilingrhinos
The Bigsby on my Reverend Wolfam is incredible. With locking tuners and a roller saddle...it stays in tune better than my non-trem guitars. It's great!
Regards,
fretcom
www.geocities.com/smilingrhinos
No tuning problems
I have not experienced problems with the Bigsby. Mine will drop the low e to D so it's not a dramatic drop and it comes back in tune. In general with bigsby's it seems that if you use them a fairly often they come back to pitch pretty well, if you just let it sit there and use it once in a blue moon it will be out of tune.
I have not experienced problems with the Bigsby. Mine will drop the low e to D so it's not a dramatic drop and it comes back in tune. In general with bigsby's it seems that if you use them a fairly often they come back to pitch pretty well, if you just let it sit there and use it once in a blue moon it will be out of tune.
I've had good luck with Schaller roller bridges on Bigsby-equipped tele's (and other guitars), no more tuning stability problems than normal, even though I like kluson repro tuners and bone nuts. If the guitar isn't made with the Bigsby capable (Schaller or other) bridge in mind, however, you will probably have to shim the neck, which is generally poo-pooed on new guitars. All that said- let's face it, the guitar as an instrument is a pitch nightmare anyway, and you can cover up a lot of intonation and tuning problems with vibrato, so who cares if you're in tune...
Daniel
Daniel
Jon C
Tele-Meister
I have a G&L ASAT Spec. w/ Bigsby and the tuning is very stable. I had another like it and that, too, was pretty good. The new one's even better.
Jon
Jon
TB72
Tele-Holic
The wiggle stick is back on my tele
I got the Bigsby/Tele adapter kit finally, and I've now got everything installed on the tele. I said I'd report back, so here I am.
I spent some of this evening breaking everything in. (It seems tuning stability is always non-existent when you first install a Bigsby. It takes a bit of time for all the parts to "settle in" and start to work as they should. This has always been my experience, anyway.)
I must say that overall, I'm quite happy with the setup. I like it a lot better than the B5/Tune-o-matic combination that I used to have on there. The new bridge is a lower profile than the tune-o-matic. Alas, I still had to shim the neck a little bit to get the action where I wanted it, but not near as much as with the old bridge. (Oh well.)
The Bigsby is staying in tune better than with the old bridge as well. (And like I said, the tuning stability keeps getting better and better as everything settles in).
And finally, with the aluminum mounting plate, the guitar now just "looks" right too.
All in all, I would say that the adapter kit is a pretty decent option for those wanting a twang bar on their tele.
Later...
I got the Bigsby/Tele adapter kit finally, and I've now got everything installed on the tele. I said I'd report back, so here I am.
I spent some of this evening breaking everything in. (It seems tuning stability is always non-existent when you first install a Bigsby. It takes a bit of time for all the parts to "settle in" and start to work as they should. This has always been my experience, anyway.)
I must say that overall, I'm quite happy with the setup. I like it a lot better than the B5/Tune-o-matic combination that I used to have on there. The new bridge is a lower profile than the tune-o-matic. Alas, I still had to shim the neck a little bit to get the action where I wanted it, but not near as much as with the old bridge. (Oh well.)
The Bigsby is staying in tune better than with the old bridge as well. (And like I said, the tuning stability keeps getting better and better as everything settles in).
And finally, with the aluminum mounting plate, the guitar now just "looks" right too.
All in all, I would say that the adapter kit is a pretty decent option for those wanting a twang bar on their tele.
Later...
Joel Terry
Poster Extraordinaire
Of course, I have to add my $0.02 worth...
but if you ever want to beat the Bigsby blues (maximum maintenance for minimal effect IMHO), find a relatively inexpensive Tele body, have that sucker routed--by a qualified luthier or repairperson, of course--for a vintage Strat-style tremolo, and install a Callaham Vintage S vibrato unit.
The parts that make up the entire Callaham Vintage S unit are made of stainless steel or nickel-plated stainless steel. The tight spec tolerances and the low-friction contact points make for a smooth tremolo that can give you subtle shimmers or Jimi-type divebombs while maintaining your tuning. Plus, the solid stainless steel "inertia" block really improves your tone and sustain.
I have a Callaham in my (link removed)and in my '57 RI Stratocaster. I refuse to use anything else, even Fender OEM vibratos.
'Tis just an option for those who want a whammy on their Tele other than a Bigsby. (I think Leo should have made the Strat vibrato optional for the Tele starting in 1954; this was the reason for creating my "fantasy" '54 Tele replica--thanks largely to 0le FUZZY, who provided the pre-routed body, some fancy metalwork, a lot of expertise, and a lot of encouragement. Not once did he laugh or scoff at the idea! )
Joel
but if you ever want to beat the Bigsby blues (maximum maintenance for minimal effect IMHO), find a relatively inexpensive Tele body, have that sucker routed--by a qualified luthier or repairperson, of course--for a vintage Strat-style tremolo, and install a Callaham Vintage S vibrato unit.
The parts that make up the entire Callaham Vintage S unit are made of stainless steel or nickel-plated stainless steel. The tight spec tolerances and the low-friction contact points make for a smooth tremolo that can give you subtle shimmers or Jimi-type divebombs while maintaining your tuning. Plus, the solid stainless steel "inertia" block really improves your tone and sustain.
I have a Callaham in my (link removed)and in my '57 RI Stratocaster. I refuse to use anything else, even Fender OEM vibratos.
'Tis just an option for those who want a whammy on their Tele other than a Bigsby. (I think Leo should have made the Strat vibrato optional for the Tele starting in 1954; this was the reason for creating my "fantasy" '54 Tele replica--thanks largely to 0le FUZZY, who provided the pre-routed body, some fancy metalwork, a lot of expertise, and a lot of encouragement. Not once did he laugh or scoff at the idea!
)Joel
telel6s
Friend of Leo's
Better Trems? Maybe. Cooler? No way!
Speaking for myself only, there are probably better working trem units than a Bigsby. Ones that are easier to set up, maintain, that stay in tune better, that allow you to change pitch a lot more.
But there ain't nothing that looks as cool as a Bigsby.
And if looks didn't matter, we wouldn't be worrying about our double-bound, gold flake, sunburst, blackguard,ash w/flame maple, hand-rubbed nitro, relic'd (but not too relic'd) bodies.
Speaking for myself only, there are probably better working trem units than a Bigsby. Ones that are easier to set up, maintain, that stay in tune better, that allow you to change pitch a lot more.
But there ain't nothing that looks as cool as a Bigsby.
And if looks didn't matter, we wouldn't be worrying about our double-bound, gold flake, sunburst, blackguard,ash w/flame maple, hand-rubbed nitro, relic'd (but not too relic'd) bodies.
russjm
TDPRI Member
I had a DeArmond Starfire Special with a bigsby on it, beautiful guitar to play, and a great sound, but after putting a graphite nut and Grover locking tuners on it.......
I gave up trying to keep it in tune.
I gave up trying to keep it in tune.
barewires
TDPRI Member
i put a bigsby on my ibanez howard roberts (and some p100's, so now it's my 'rockabilly' guitar!) and it works great if you lubricate the nut. i use teflonspray for it.
to get it tuned is harder that on a non-bisby, but it stays in tune quite nice. it seems to 'come back' in tune rather good. but no divebombs here ...
then again, it no different with my 57ri-strat.
at gigs i check tuning everytime between songs.
i always loved the idea of a tele with a bigsby, but i just got one tele ...
to get it tuned is harder that on a non-bisby, but it stays in tune quite nice. it seems to 'come back' in tune rather good. but no divebombs here ...
then again, it no different with my 57ri-strat.
at gigs i check tuning everytime between songs.
i always loved the idea of a tele with a bigsby, but i just got one tele ...
