Bigsby, Yay or Nay?


Nikki Thedog
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Nikki Thedog
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02/09/2017 5:55 pm

In my quest of looking for a PRS I've come across a Epi with a Bigsby. Go figure!!! I have a few guitars w/Floyd Rose tremelos and love them mainly because onec they are locked in, they are locked in. This one has a Bisgby and I know nothing about them, necer played one. How are they as far as staying in tune? Won't be using this guitar (Riviera) for any aggressive (dive bombing) playing and probably won't use the system much at all. All inputs welcome, and thanks in advance. Dale


# 1
bookas58
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bookas58
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02/09/2017 9:39 pm

I cannot give you an overview , but I can relate my experience with one of my axes . My Epiphone ES345 LTD Stereo came standard with a Bigsby . When I used the whammy , I found the wound strings would tend to grab in the bridge slots . Changed to a roller bridge and no more hassles . The other downside is changing a broken string in a hurry is a pain in the butt


# 2
Nikki Thedog
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Nikki Thedog
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02/11/2017 5:45 pm

Thanks for the input. As far as changing strings go, ever tried to change one on a Floyd Rose


# 3
JeffS65
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JeffS65
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02/11/2017 6:29 pm

Bigsby's were never meant for divebombs a la Floyd's. Bigsby's are truly better served as a tremolo..a wavering of the note. That said, if you do have and use a Bigsby, a little graphite in the nut can do the trick. If you feel enterprising, take a very fine round file and lightly file the nut...lightly. Will get rid of burrs that are the culprit of string snags.


# 4
bookas58
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bookas58
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02/11/2017 11:39 pm

Have heard discussions about string changing on a floyd rose . 69deville and by the sound of it , it would be a pain . Getting a string wound around in the right direction and lining the string ring with a tiny pin while using a flashlight is also challenging , Just goes to show what lengths we guitarists will go to to achieve the sound or effect we desire . To non- muso's it is probably considered borderline insanity .


# 5
iansimpson.175
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iansimpson.175
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02/16/2017 10:01 pm

Hi there,

[br]I have never owned a guitar with a bigsby, but I've heard and read a lot about them. They seem to have a reputation for making your tuning very unstable.

[br]Personally, I'm not a big user of whammy/tremelo systems. However, I was lucky enough to try a Joe Walsh signature Duesenberg recently and they have a similar tremelo system to the bigsby, but it was very stable - tuning wise. And apparently, very easy to change strings, acording to the owner - he wasn't trying to sell it to me either. He loves it and he has over 30yrs experience with guitars. I tried to make an offer but he wasn't letting go of it. haha! It really was a beautifully crafted instrument. Could be worth checking them out.

[br]https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/DAC-JW-BK/semi-hollow-hollow-body/duesenberg-alliance-series-joe-walsh-model-in-black

[br]Would love to hear what you go for in the end Dale. Good luck.


# 6
Guitar Tricks Admin
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Guitar Tricks Admin
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02/28/2017 8:22 pm

I own a Gretsch with a Bigsby and I must say, it really depends on how they are setup. I agree with JeffS65 that they were not meant for the dive bomb. If you are looking for something Bigsby-esc and want better tuning stability, I would also check out the Stetsbar. Eric Stets is awesome!

Best of luck,

Monique


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