hilm3 Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 So I was looking around the intertubes and saw a Gibby ES 330 with a Maestro Vibrola, the long one, not the short. Looked around some more, and saw a few others, so this put the idea in my head. And I just happen to have a long Vibrola at home. Not the Gibson one, but a very well made, nicely heavy duty, brand new nickel plated reproduction. I bought it for my SG, a few years ago but decided against it, mostly because it lacked the lyre engraving. It is just a plain top plate. Forgot I had it. This one, as a matter of fact: But I think it would look awesome on the Casino. I was thinking Bigsby B7, but this will look classy. The Bigsby looks kind of industrial to me. Give me a few days and I will post pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkuss Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 This will be interesting! Cool idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny_2_owls Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Yeah this'll be interesting...I toyed with the idea of this. I love bigsbys on casinos and have heard good things about vibrolas. Can't wait for the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemans335 Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 The is no vibrato/trem cooler-looking than a Maestro, and none with a more comfortable handle. The Alex Lifeson signature 335 has a Maestro and looks great with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 The Alex Lifeson signature 335 has a Maestro and looks great with it. Yup! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilm3 Posted June 6, 2013 Author Share Posted June 6, 2013 Very nice, Gunner! Not that I needed any more motivation, but this adds to the impulse to give my Casino some vibe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilm3 Posted June 7, 2013 Author Share Posted June 7, 2013 Started the project last night. The holes are drilled. Took a very long time making sure everything aligned just right. A few issues: One, the two screws for the front of the vibrola have a neck - they are not threaded all the way to the head - and the neck is longer than the body is thick. So I tossed those and got new screws that are threaded all the way to the head. The screws for the bottom of the vibrola (four of them) are smaller and full thread. Where they mount, the guitar has a solid block underneath - a pleasant surprise. Fit the bracket in place and Issue Two: I had to make a modification to the swivel shoe that goes on the end, though. I had to cut away a part of the metal plate so that it would swivel just a little past flush. Otherwise, the bracket would not fit flush with the body of the guitar, since it is arched. What I mean is that if the front of the vibrola sits at an angle that looks like this ( ____), the back swivel plate has to sit at an angle that looks like this: ( \ ). Not as drastic as my quicky graphic, may be 3-5 degrees.That is done and everything screws down solid. Issue Three is where and how to attach the ground wire. It now comes from a small hole right next to the strap button screw hole and it is trapped between the guitar and the original tailpiece. I can pull the wire out about a half inch or so to reveal the black wire wrap. I think there is a knot on it to prevent it from being pulled out any further. I don't know how long the wire is. I want to mount it right to the vibrola mounting screws, Let's see what I can come up with. I hope I don't have to pull out the electronics. If I do that, might as well do the CTS/Switchcraft job, no? There will be pictures, of course. (It is looking good!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted June 8, 2013 Share Posted June 8, 2013 I, too, am watching the progress on this. I'm not a big Bigsby fan, but remember my 60's SG with Maestro fondly. My Casino might be sporting one of these soon. Thoughts on the best bridge to use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonematter Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 I put a long plate Maestro on my MIC Casino half a year back. Looked cool, but the vibrola arm kept hitting the pickup-select toggle - had to take the plastic toggle tip off to allow for a clear swing by, and just barely swung over it. In the end, it didn't just didn't feel right on the Casino - it felt overencumbered - so I removed it and went back to the trapeze and didn't miss the vibrola effect at all on such a woody sounding guitar. Still love the Maestro that's on my Epi '1965' SG. The reaction times you get with the Maestro is unique to it among other trem systems - very versatile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilm3 Posted June 9, 2013 Author Share Posted June 9, 2013 Toggle switch? Might be an issue if my toggle switch were not permanently in the neck position! I am joking, but only barely. I truly only use the bridge pickup when I want to remember what it sounds like. The bridge position sounds lush and full on my Casino, but even my SG stays on the bridge pretty much all the time. Work's done. Just need to figure out how I am going to route the ground wire to the strings circuit. I will probably just run a new wire. The other problem is that I like 11's on the Casino, and only have 10's around. I'll have to go pick some up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilm3 Posted June 9, 2013 Author Share Posted June 9, 2013 Quick pik. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemans335 Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 Yup! What a beautiful guitar. Epi needs to make a 355 with a Maestro. They look so much classier than a Bigsby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilm3 Posted June 10, 2013 Author Share Posted June 10, 2013 Job is done. Routed a new bridge grounding wire to the ground on the toggle switch and to the vibrola. Everything looks clean and works as it should. Stays in tune fairly well except for the skinny E string. I hear a click occasionally from the bridge saddle - very faint - but I suspect the string hangs up there sometimes. I will have to take a look to see if there is any sharp edge or burr. Seems like a minor thing. I am very happy with the look. New strings next week, clean up the guitar, and take some pictures to show you. The vibrola gives a nice shimmer. I wondered what this would do to the sustain, but I can't hear any difference. Just looks very cool. Guitar sounds as good as it ever did. This is not a project that will improve sound, tone, playability, etc. Basically cosmetic and lets you warble a chord now and again. The Vibrola is not in the way at all - does not impede playing, at least not sitting on the bed next to the amp as is my style. The job was fairly straight forward, with some issues to resolve along the way. I was a machinist for years, so I was comfortable doing the work. If you try this at home, YMMV. The biggest pain for me was soldering the damn ground wire to the toggle switch. But I got it done and it looks clean. Except for the hole I burned through my T-shirt. Thanks for looking and throwing in some nice comments and pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Congrats! Can't wait to see the additional pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilm3 Posted June 18, 2013 Author Share Posted June 18, 2013 Here is the Casino. I think she looks glorious. If you don't, good thing it's my guitar. Not sure about the "E" yet, but time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crust Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Dig the E. Makes it rather unique Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonematter Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Here's a couple pics of the Casino with Maestro I had (before I reconverted back to trapeze and put flatwounds on it and was using it for its jazz tone). I have a love/hate relationship with Casinos; the lack of upper fret access drives me crazy - and Casinos are so plentiful that I've bought and sold two in the last year (including the one pictured), knowing I can always pick another up somewhere down the line. The warm/woody tone is really special though. I'm looking forward to the 339-sized Casino, if it appears on the market later this year. I'm saving the Epi Maestro for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgeback65 Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 Greetings! New member here. I hope it's OK to resurrect this older but very informative thread. I'm looking to put a long Vibrola on my Epi Casino and I'm hoping that the OP hilm3 or someone who knows can tell me what brand Vibrola that hilm3 put on his Casino. AllParts? WD? Anyone know and if not, opinions on those 2 brands or a better one less than $150? Also with regards to installation there is a piece on the vibrola that is secured by 4 screws. It appears to be able to swivel (see photo). I get that on a flat top guitar like an SG that you flush-mount that to the top of the guitar. But on an arch top like a Casino, 335, etc., do you/can you swivel that part out to 90 degrees and secure it on the butt end of the guitar at the strap button--much like you would a Bigsby B7 for example? Or do you just flush-mount it to the top of the Casino just like you would an SG? I used to have a '69 355 with an original vibrola and loved it. Once you set it up correctly it's amazing IMO--not for dive bombs but for more subtle vibrato effects. If I recall, it was flush/top-mounted like an SG as well but I'm just wondering if I can put 4 less holes on the top of the guitar by attaching that part to the butt of the Casino. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorgle Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 The Casino is a full hollowbody, right? If so, I think you'd have to swivel the mount 90 degrees and secure it at the strap button. The laminate top is not going to be thick enough to hold the screws tight for long. BTW, You'll love the vibrola. I put one on my Wildkat. It's such a clean, simple design compared to the clunky Bigsby style hardware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgeback65 Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 The Casino is a full hollowbody, right? If so, I think you'd have to swivel the mount 90 degrees and secure it at the strap button. The laminate top is not going to be thick enough to hold the screws tight for long. BTW, You'll love the vibrola. I put one on my Wildkat. It's such a clean, simple design compared to the clunky Bigsby style hardware. Hey Yorgle, Cool! That Wildcat looks fantastic! Where did you acquire that Epiphone brand vibrola? Also, were there any issues that some people run into where the height of the strings coming off the vibrola are too high for the bridge? Having said that I realize it's a bit apples and oranges as yours is a wildcat and mine is a casino... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorgle Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 Ridgeback65: The tailpiece is purely cosmetic. I made it in the style of a violin or cello tailpiece from a scrap of rosewood and some wire from a chrome coat hanger (my wife still asks what happened to her coat hangers). The shape mimics the shape of the truss cover. The vibrola itself is screwed directly into the top (the Wildkat is semi-hollow so there's a wood block right below the trem). The string angle over the bridge is a bit shallow but it doesn't cause any buzzing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgeback65 Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 Nice job on that rosewood piece!!! Ok so I’m confused. This is a custom rosewood piece over what? One of those super short Vibrolas like on a Flying V? What brand did you get? How’s the quality? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 Here is the Casino. I think she looks glorious. If you don't, good thing it's my guitar. Not sure about the "E" yet, but time will tell. Did something similar to a 50th Anniversary Sheraton. Zhangbucker Firebird pickups, for getting my Neil Young on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgeback65 Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 Hey Tweed2. Very cool! What brand Vibrola did you go with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 Hey Tweed2. Very cool! What brand Vibrola did you go with? It was a no-name from China or Korea, bought it off of eBay. Pretty simple design, couldn't see spending a ton on a Gibson unit. Works fine for me. I had considered a Bigsby, but I think the Maestro style looks better on semi-hollows. I did have to shorten the pickup toggle a quarter inch, for the arm to swing around without hitting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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