Show Me Your Bisgby Teles!

[SparkleFart]

Hey, that looks really interesting! Could you explain how the bender is actuated as part of the Bigsby? Or point to another thread if you've posted on this before? Appreciated!

The "B-Blender" is basically a modified arm for a Bigsby which converts it to a b-bender of a sort. In the playing position when you gently pull up (vertically) on the arm, only the b string is actuated. Otherwise it behaves independently like a normal Bigs (on all strings) with horizontal movement of the arm. The thumbscrew (down by the tone pot) fine-tunes the pitch of the up-bent note.

It does require some adjustment of right-hand picking technique. Typically I hook my pinky around the notch at the end of the arm to bend & release while playing.

You can imagine there are a variety of opinions on it, being hand-actuated plus a Bigsby & all.... I'm not a real bender player, but it allows me to pretend & I enjoy it. Hope this helps!

 

[Teleman1959]

Hey gang! I'm gearing up to install a B5 on my oldest tele—a 2005 Classic Series '60s that I bought new from my beloved local shop during what would turn out to be a pre-closing-the-shop clearance sale. The owner swung me an incredible deal and I think I walked out paying like $400, if that.

Anyways, I'd love to see your Bigsby setups! Even after 12 years of considering installing on, I'm still a little trepidatious about following through. I'm confident a thread of photos would keep me stoked!

I have a 1959 Tele I was thinking of putting a Bigsby on but not sure which one. Also not sure what it would do to the value of the guitar.

 

[Teleman1959]

View attachment 1026211

Very nice!

 

[Full-Tilt-Tele]

Since you ask, here's my (MM) 'Tremolo' Tele... I call it my 'Rock-a-Billy', Hand shaped, roasted 'Southern Yellow Pine body 'Partscast' creation. Eat out your heart, 'Johnny be Good'...

 

[zcostilla]

I don’t have a bigsby Tele, but my favorite YouTube guitarist, JayLeonardJ, does. Here are some vids about his setup:

 

[JohnnyCrash]

My Nashville Tele build:

A Gretsch flavored Tele build:

My baritone with a modified Bigsby copy as a b-bender:

This doesn’t include all of my Gibsons with Bigsbys.

 

[Toneblueshawk]

A FretKing JJ (Jon Jorgenson signature) with a Bigsby B50 and a third party Bigsby compatible bridge with Wilkinson compensated saddles. Also fitted with Lollar Special pickups, 5 way switch, separate treble, bass and master volume controls - absolutely the best guitar I have owned in 55 years of playing

 

[wabashslim]

My Warmoth w/ Graph Techs, Spoiler and 2 Strat Keystones. The mini-switch has nothing to do with the middle pickup and the hardware is really chrome.

 

[wabashslim]

I also have this Studio, on a Vibramate, now with Wilkinson* roller bridge. If the hardware fits I want to move it to my SX LP with 'buckers.

*From Ebay, cheap, actual "Wilkinson" heritage doubtful.

 

[horseman308]

I've posted this several times, but why not again?

Built in 2016 and slowly refined to its current status. "72 Custom Thinline". Zhangbucker Tar Paper bridge with A3 mags, and new Fender CuNiFe neck pickup (1 meg pots). Sounds fantastic.

 

[old wrench]

Here's my bare-bones B-16 Esquire

I built it for the 2021 BrotherHood Build -








It's a one-piece Swamp Ash body, very light and resonant

I made the one-piece neck from torrified, flamey, hard Maple and used a two-way titanium truss-rod and Abalone dot markers

The pickup is a Cavalier Holy Grail Lion that Rob wound for me - it's Rob's version of an early Broadcaster that's wound a little bit hotter than Leo's version - a wide range of great tone

Simple controls - just a volume pot and a no-load tone pot

Electro-socket jack cup and Pure-Tone jack

Mastery off-set bridge

Staggered and locking Gotoh vintage style tuners

Medium-jumbo stainless steel Jescar frets

I finished the body with a "Sun Bleached" stain and a thin nitro-cellulose lacquer finish

The neck is finished with Osmo oil, which leaves a very nice feel

And, last, but not least - a Bigsby B16

.

 

[Just Dropped In]

My '80s semi-hollow copy, with modded (bearing conversion) 70s Gibson brand Bigsby:

 

[Todd Connelly]

I recently added a Bigsby with a Vibramate kit to my Warmoth Tele that I put together a few years ago.
Cheers.................Todd

 

[jj69]

Here's my thinline partscaster. Fender neck,cheap body,Q pickups....sounds great!
JayLeonardJ is also my favourite YouTube guitarist and inspired my build

 

[afterdarkmusic]

Here's my bare-bones B-16 Esquire

I built it for the 2021 BrotherHood Build -

View attachment 1026650

View attachment 1026655

View attachment 1026654


It's a one-piece Swamp Ash body, very light and resonant

I made the one-piece neck from torrified, flamey, hard Maple and used a two-way titanium truss-rod and Abalone dot markers

The pickup is a Cavalier Holy Grail Lion that Rob wound for me - it's Rob's version of an early Broadcaster that's wound a little bit hotter than Leo's version - a wide range of great tone

Simple controls - just a volume pot and a no-load tone pot

Electro-socket jack cup and Pure-Tone jack

Mastery off-set bridge

Staggered and locking Gotoh vintage style tuners

Medium-jumbo stainless steel Jescar frets

I finished the body with a "Sun Bleached" stain and a thin nitro-cellulose lacquer finish

The neck is finished with Osmo oil, which leaves a very nice feel

And, last, but not least - a Bigsby B16

.

Gorgeous work! Loooove that neck. And I've been so curious about the Cavalier pickups—the Holy Grail in particular. Do you have sound samples anywhere?

 

[afterdarkmusic]

Here's my thinline partscaster. Fender neck,cheap body,Q pickups....sounds great!
JayLeonardJ is also my favourite YouTube guitarist and inspired my build

I just love the look of a thinline with a Bigsby. Nice!

 

[FunkyWill]

• Fender Telecaster neck
• Squier VM Cabronita body
• Gretsch HS Filtertron in the neck position
• Joe Barden (JBE) pickup in the bridge position
• Emerson wiring harness with stacked pot for volume/tone
• Fender locking tuners
• Bigsby B5

 

[standup]

Partscaster faux Cabronita.

 

[old wrench]

Gorgeous work! Loooove that neck. And I've been so curious about the Cavalier pickups—the Holy Grail in particular. Do you have sound samples anywhere?

Thank you!

That neck is one of my favorites - I did my usual 8" to 11-1/2" compound radius on the fret board - it has a real nice feel to it, and bends ring out nice and clear

I usually set my bridges up at around a 12" radius, so with the compound radius the strings track real evenly and consistently down the neck

I did a " '54 Tele" carve on the neck - it has a nice and comfortable full feeling to it without being overly thick

The neck is finished up with 2 coats of Osmo satin clear 3045 oil which does a real nice job sealing the maple without any build-up or "sticky" feeling - except for the face of the head-stock, which I finished with n.c. lacquer in case "somebody" wants to add a decal

I've kinda wavered back and forth about adding either a "real" Firebird or low-wind humbucker as a neck pickup - it can be done easily enough



I don't personally have any sound samples of the Holy Grails, but there are some "out there" done by Mike Nix or "Visual Guy" and a few others -

Cavalier Guitar & Bass Pickups

The Holy Grail has it's own sweet sound, it's just a little different from most Tele bridge pickups because its wound with 43 ga. instead of 42 ga. wire and it uses A3 magnets instead of A2 or A5

Rob's Tele pickups are as good as any you'll find, and his prices are very reasonable - plus, he's a great guy to deal with

Give him a shout - he's a forum member, too

.

 

[Fiesta Red]

View attachment 1026211

That pickguard is kinda Mickey Mouse…

(Just kidding!)