Bigsby options.
rowka
Posted 2004-02-05 9:22 AM (#195686)
Subject: Bigsby options.


Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 10

Location: Jacksonville, FL
Hi all,
Thanks for the info and support on my recent purchase of a '79 Thunderhead. If interested, there are pictures in this thread.

I understand there may be some collectable value above the $250 I payed for the guitar and there are some valid reasons to keep the guitar stock, but as there is a rather crude toggle switch repair, I don't think I can do much worse.

My question is regarding Bigsby models. I have basically 2 options. With or without the added tension bar.

The Thunderheads with trems in the OFC photo albums have the kind with no tension bar.

Paul Templeman suggested that either will be fine and it is just a mater of adjusting the neck angle and bridge height. What is everyone's opinion on this?

Also, the string slots in the original bridge seem, well, rough. I was wondering if a replacement stud-mount bridge with roller saddles might be a good idea.

What do you all think?
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Paul Templeman
Posted 2004-02-05 9:41 AM (#195687 - in reply to #195686)
Subject: Re: Bigsby options.


Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750

Location: Scotland
There is a product called Big Bends Nut Sauce, which is a graphite paste lubricant designed for vibrato systems etc. I use it on my vibrato & B-bender guitars, works great. It should cure any Bigsby-related tuning problems

http://www.guitaristonly.com/generic8.html
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rowka
Posted 2004-02-05 10:27 AM (#195688 - in reply to #195686)
Subject: Re: Bigsby options.


Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 10

Location: Jacksonville, FL
That Nut Sauce looks like neat stuff.

And Paul, I hope I didn't offend you in any way. I'm just trying to collect as much info as I can.
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Paul Templeman
Posted 2004-02-05 11:57 AM (#195689 - in reply to #195686)
Subject: Re: Bigsby options.


Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750

Location: Scotland
No offense taken. The tension bar Bigsby's were introduced because of the very shallow neck sets on some Gretsch, Gibson ond other hollowbody guitars. As they were fixed-neck guitars the neck-angle couldn't be adjusted without surgery. The Storm guitars are of course bolt-ons & have a neck-tilt allen bolt under the neck-plate. So, if you want to use a non-tension bar vibrato the neck set needs to be steep & the bridge up, just enough to get a break-angle, but not so much that it snags up the vibrato movement. Tension bar Bigsbys need the oposite.
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