Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Bigsby or other option for an ES-Les Paul


Djhblues

Recommended Posts

Hey guys- I have an ES-Les Paul and have some interest in possibly adding a Bigsby or Bigsby type vibrato to the guitar. Has anyone installed an after market Bigsby (I believe B7 is the model for an ES-Les Paul). Im also interested to hear if anyone has installed another type of vibrato to an ES-Les Paul. Xtreme Long Tail Vibrato is another option that I have looked at and much cheaper than Bigsby, although some modification is required. Any comments would be appreciated as well as any pics you can add.

 

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey guys- I have an ES-Les Paul and have some interest in possibly adding a Bigsby or Bigsby type vibrato to the guitar. Has anyone installed an after market Bigsby (I believe B7 is the model for an ES-Les Paul). Im also interested to hear if anyone has installed another type of vibrato to an ES-Les Paul. Xtreme Long Tail Vibrato is another option that I have looked at and much cheaper than Bigsby, although some modification is required. Any comments would be appreciated as well as any pics you can add.

 

Thanks!

 

Sweetwater installed a B-7 Bigsby & Vibramate on my Gibson Memphis Blacktop ES Les Paul. Looks & plays beautiful! And, didn't void the Gibson Factory

Warranty. No holes or physical modifications. It can be completely reversed to Original..

 

I'm planning on doing it to my ES335, LPJr. Special & Fender '69 Thinline Tele.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A b7 and vibramate is ok, but a b3 and a Towner bar looks much better.

 

Watched the You Tube & it doesn't fit together smooth & even...... The Bigsby is elevated above the Guitar & the End Piece looks way exaggerated. Not a very clean look IMO.

 

The Deusenberg will void your Warranty...if that matters... Vibramate & B7 won't. I've had Warranty work done at Gibson Factory & it wasn't an issue... Plus it's a clean looking install & looks factory...

 

L

Link to comment
Share on other sites

definitely go with the vibramate option, you don't need to start drilling holes in your guitar, this will avoid that.

 

the B7 is the "correct" bigsby to use on LP. I'm not sure if a B3 would work, maybe..

 

 

Watched the You Tube & it doesn't fit together smooth & even...... The Bigsby is elevated above the Guitar & the End Piece looks way exaggerated. Not a very clean look IMO.

 

The Deusenberg will void your Warranty...if that matters... Vibramate & B7 won't. I've had Warranty work done at Gibson Factory & it wasn't an issue... Plus it's a clean looking install & looks factory...

 

L

 

This....

 

B3

F944175-B-C002-4-A2-E-9176-DA116500-D0-D8.jpg

B3

F1-DC7-F41-9-EEB-4-B35-B1-B3-910244-F5-C1-A7.jpg

B3

E02-CC006-3432-479-C-82-EF-ED9-F90-EE7-DBB.jpg

B3

9-C040671-07-CB-4-AB9-87-C2-C8-B074-B6-C797.jpg

B3

85-D403-B8-9-D44-4942-9111-72-C99-CE6-BA2-A.jpg

 

 

Looks better than this....

B7

DD36-FBFF-7-DC3-411-E-B102-3888-BD7325-C1.jpg

 

And this is the ugliest ******* contraption you can put on any guitar...

 

Les trem...

 

6133797-B-4717-4-C9-D-BC47-C2617-A4-CEF02.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This....

 

B3

F944175-B-C002-4-A2-E-9176-DA116500-D0-D8.jpg

B3

F1-DC7-F41-9-EEB-4-B35-B1-B3-910244-F5-C1-A7.jpg

B3

E02-CC006-3432-479-C-82-EF-ED9-F90-EE7-DBB.jpg

B3

9-C040671-07-CB-4-AB9-87-C2-C8-B074-B6-C797.jpg

B3

85-D403-B8-9-D44-4942-9111-72-C99-CE6-BA2-A.jpg

 

 

Looks better than this....

B7

DD36-FBFF-7-DC3-411-E-B102-3888-BD7325-C1.jpg

 

And this is the ugliest ******* contraption you can put on any guitar...

 

Les trem...

 

6133797-B-4717-4-C9-D-BC47-C2617-A4-CEF02.jpg

 

To each his own.... Me, I prefer the B7 V7 Clean Factory looking install..... Unlike that other one...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

#1 for the Towner Downer and the Duesenberg Les Trem. I have done both on Les Paul and ES335. Best part of both these is you can put your guitar back the way it was originally without any extra screw holes. The vibramate is extra heavy and bulky not as slick as the two mentioned. Link for my video of the Duesenberg Les Trem I like it as the best option

Link to comment
Share on other sites

#1 for the Towner Downer and the Duesenberg Les Trem. I have done both on Les Paul and ES335. Best part of both these is you can put your guitar back the way it was originally without any extra screw holes. The vibramate is extra heavy and bulky not as slick as the two mentioned. Link for my video of the Duesenberg Les Trem I like it as the best option

 

I have a Vibramate & Bigsby B7 on my Gibson Memphis Blacktop ES Les Paul. Looks Killer, feels, plays & sounds fantastic. Looks like it came from the Factory. The Guitars total weight is slightly over 7 lbs. One of the lightest Guitars I've ever owned...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A word of caution, possibly not needed, BUT:You are asking about an ES-LP, not an LP. A lot, if not all responses are for LPs, not ES-LP. Obviously different construction. I'd want to be absolutely positive that whatever is done is appropriate for for the ES. They do come with a Bigbys, so obviously it is possible. It just may be that certain types are not.

Again, I don't know that there is any differences of consequence, but someones opinion is only worth so much when it is *your* guitar.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A word of caution, possibly not needed, BUT:You are asking about an ES-LP, not an LP. A lot, if not all responses are for LPs, not ES-LP. Obviously different construction. I'd want to be absolutely positive that whatever is done is appropriate for for the ES. They do come with a Bigbys, so obviously it is possible. It just may be that certain types are not.

Again, I don't know that there is any differences of consequence, but someones opinion is only worth so much when it is *your* guitar.

 

Here is a shot of the mahogany block inside of the ES Les Paul...…….. Not much wood...…..

 

SvM92hd.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is a shot of the mahogany block inside of the ES Les Paul...…….. Not much wood...…..

 

SvM92hd.png

 

Similar concept to an ES335 345 & 355... Works pretty well with them & it works equally well on Les Paul's.

 

You're kidding yourself if you think you need a 10-11 lb Les Paul for it to sound great... I've had those too. Still got a 9 1/2 lb'r. While they did/do sound great they don't sound any better than my Memphis ES Les Paul with MHS Pickups & Bigsby. The only one that may have sounded a little better was my old mid/late 50's Les Paul Jr. Which by the way wasn't a heavy Guitar either.... That & my old 1959 Gibson ES345 with PAF's....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Similar concept to an ES335 345 & 355... Works pretty well with them & it works equally well on Les Paul's.

 

You're kidding yourself if you think you need a 10-11 lb Les Paul for it to sound great... I've had those too. Still got a 9 1/2 lb'r. While they did/do sound great they don't sound any better than my Memphis ES Les Paul with MHS Pickups & Bigsby. The only one that may have sounded a little better was my old mid/late 50's Les Paul Jr. Which by the way wasn't a heavy Guitar either.... That & my old 1959 Gibson ES345 with PAF's....

 

How is a mostly hollow LP-ES in any way even remotely like a full block ES335, 345, 355 for screwing a trem to the top?

 

Maybe a B-11 Bigsby (Per Bigsby Designed for use on thin hollowbody and semi-hollowbody guitars)

The issues are NOT being able to screw to the top and the trem length.

I have a B-6 removed from my hollow ES-195 and while the hinge plate "may" fit (it may be too long on the rim) its length is (IMO) too long for my LP-ES and would be too close to the bridge. I've seen very few LP-ES with a Bigsby and it looked W-R-O-N-G being IMO too close to the bridge and having screws in the hollow top. If I HAD to do that a B-6 is a better bet even if I had to change the hinge plate with a Towner B6 thin rim replacement plate.

 

OP, I'd call Bigsby to make sure what you buy is right for the LP-ES.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How is a mostly hollow LP-ES in any way even remotely like a full block ES335, 345, 355 for screwing a trem to the top?

 

Maybe a B-11 Bigsby (Per Bigsby Designed for use on thin hollowbody and semi-hollowbody guitars)

The issues are NOT being able to screw to the top and the trem length.

I have a B-6 removed from my hollow ES-195 and while the hinge plate "may" fit (it may be too long on the rim) its length is (IMO) too long for my LP-ES and would be too close to the bridge. I've seen very few LP-ES with a Bigsby and it looked W-R-O-N-G being IMO too close to the bridge and having screws in the hollow top. If I HAD to do that a B-6 is a better bet even if I had to change the hinge plate with a Towner B6 thin rim replacement plate.

 

OP, I'd call Bigsby to make sure what you buy is right for the LP-ES.

 

 

My conversation was about adding Bigsby's or Trem's that were completely reversible.

 

Call Gibson by all means. Gibson built some ES Les Paul's with Bigsby's. Vibramates don't screw into the Body at any point. It connects at the Bridge. The big Center block of Wood.. It's a perfectly clean Set up with a B-7. Completely reversible with no holes. I've even sent mine to Gibson Factory for Warranty work. Doesn't void the Warranty either...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My conversation was about adding Bigsby's or Trem's that were completely reversible.

 

Call Gibson by all means. Gibson built some ES Les Paul's with Bigsby's. Vibramates don't screw into the Body at ay point. It connects at the Bridge. The big Center block of Wood.. It's a perfectly clean Set up with a B-7. Completely reversible with no holes. I've even sent mine to Gibson Factory for Warranty work. Doesn't void the Warranty either...

 

NONE of the LP-ES Bigsby installations were reversible, well invisibly anyway. They ALL screwed to the top, look them up at Reverb, there are only two or three, all have two screws in the top.

 

A Bigsby B7 has two screw holes. If they're not used, then that's OK BUT the baseplate screw holes will ALWAYS be there, no?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of you ****ers like to argue for the sake of argument don’t you.

 

A factory B7 will be screwed to the very strong and ample maple top.

 

It does not matter if the body is hollow, has a center block, or is packed with fudge.

 

It also will NOT have the bushings for the stop tailpiece installed.

 

If you want to add a bigsby after the fact, the tailpiece bushings need to be covered or utilized in the set up. The vibramate and Towner do just that with out drilling holes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of you ****ers like to argue for the sake of argument don't you.

 

A factory B7 will be screwed to the very strong and ample maple top.

 

It does not matter if the body is hollow, has a center block, or is packed with fudge.

 

It also will NOT have the bushings for the stop tailpiece installed.

 

If you want to add a bigsby after the fact, the tailpiece bushings need to be covered or utilized in the set up. The vibramate and Towner do just that with out drilling holes.

 

No, we're trying to steer the Op in the right direction. It's called discussion, that is until YOU came up with "Some of you ****ers like to argue for the sake of argument don't you."

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NONE of the LP-ES Bigsby installations were reversible, well invisibly anyway. They ALL screwed to the top, look them up at Reverb, there are only two or three, all have two screws in the top.

 

A Bigsby B7 has two screw holes. If they're not used, then that's OK BUT the baseplate screw holes will ALWAYS be there, no?

 

You are absolutely incorrect with regard to the Vibramate & B-7 Bigsby. No holes. Completely reversible. Gibson told me it would not void the Warranty for those very reasons. I've got that Setup on mine & have sent it to Gibson Factory for Warranty Repsir. No issues!

 

L

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of you ****ers like to argue for the sake of argument don't you.

 

A factory B7 will be screwed to the very strong and ample maple top.

 

A LP-ES is an ES, it actually only "RESEMBLES" a Les Paul. The top on the is NOT SOLID MAPLE it's LAMINATED, AKA PLYWOOD... P-L-Y-W-O-O-D (see links below) get it? Just like any other ES, it's laminated (without a FULL center block) with a nice but thin "arched" presumably pressed maple skin on top. No git maker with any brains will screw a Trem to a plywood top without a center block and have some player wanking on it. That's why Bigsby developed the B6, for "hollow bodies".

https://www.guitarpl...his-es-les-paul

 

https://www.musicrad...les-paul-601420

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are absolutely incorrect with regard to the Vibramate & B-7 Bigsby. No holes. Completely reversible. Gibson told me it would not void the Warranty for those very reasons. I've got that Setup on mine & have sent it to Gibson Factory for Warranty Repsir. No issues!

 

L

 

Well the pic on the Bigsby site for the B7, shows TWO holes drilled in the top and four in the base plate. What are you looking at? And the OP asked " a Bigsby or Bigsby type' Not a vibra mate. You're welcome for the reading interpretation lesson.

 

http://www.bigsby.com/vibe/products/vibratos/bigsby-b7/

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well the pic on the Bigsby site for the B7, shows TWO holes drilled in the top and four in the base plate. What are you looking at? And the OP asked " a Bigsby or Bigsby type' Not a vibra mate. You're welcome for the reading interpretation lesson.

 

http://www.bigsby.com/vibe/products/vibratos/bigsby-b7/

 

I think the suggested solution from this thread had included the vibrate, as to avoid drilling. Not sure what exactly you are getting at with your response???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...