EvoRider Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 I have a 2005 Epiphone Les paul standard and was wandering if it is possible to install a Bigsby on it? If so which one would I need? would I have to do any modding to the guitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spamonkis Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 You can use a B7 or B70. The B70 is cheaper and some say better. A B70 will require drilling a couple of holes in the guitar. If you use a B7, you can buy a vibramate for it so that it can be mounted with no permanent modification to the guitar: http://www.vibramate.com/vibramate-v7-lp-install.php God bless, Spamonkis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvoRider Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 You can use a B7 or B70. The B70 is cheaper and some say better. A B70 will require drilling a couple of holes in the guitar. If you use a B7, you can buy a vibramate for it so that it can be mounted with no permanent modification to the guitar: http://www.vibramate...-lp-install.php God bless, Spamonkis Thanks for the info... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvoRider Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 Is there any reason I should not install a Bigsby on my les paul??? I mean I really like my guitar and am not sure if I should do it.. It would kill me if I screwed up the sound of my guitar.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemans335 Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Is there any reason I should not install a Bigsby on my les paul??? I mean I really like my guitar and am not sure if I should do it.. It would kill me if I screwed up the sound of my guitar.. Any vibrato changes the tone, and not for the better; string vibrations aren't going into the wood as much. There are ways to make up for that (EQing your amp, thicker strings, changing PU's, etc). LP's are usually heavy enough as it is, I can't see adding the weight and clutter of a Bigsby. How often do players actually use them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggs Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Hey, it's a Free World... & if it's good enough for Mr Young Anyway, it works on my Nighthawk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemans335 Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Hey, it's a Free World... & if it's good enough for Mr Young God bless Neil, he's written some good songs, but he has some of the clumsiest fingers in the business. Most of his solos are so amateurish and awkward they can make you wince. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvoRider Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 Any vibrato changes the tone, and not for the better; string vibrations aren't going into the wood as much. There are ways to make up for that (EQing your amp, thicker strings, changing PU's, etc). LP's are usually heavy enough as it is, I can't see adding the weight and clutter of a Bigsby. How often do players actually use them? U do have a good point... I just thought about doing it but don't know if I would hate it later. because I really love my LP. But I do like the look of the Bigsby. ever since I have seen the Epiphone Wildkat but I cant find one anywhere. Like it would do any good if I did (Don't have the money) to buy one anyways..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spamonkis Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Any vibrato changes the tone, and not for the better; I have to respectfully disagree. Yes the tone will probably change, but whether it is for the better or not is another matter. After asking around and getting a lot of positive feedback, I put a Bigsby on Ruby (my Casino). It made an already great sounding guitar absolutely astounding. The tone was fuller, clearer and more resonant. I drilled holes, so it is good that it worked out so well. If you are worried about it, lay down the cash for a vibramate and if you don't like it, you can take it off and put everything back exactly like it was, no harm, no foul. God bless, Spamonkis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggs Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 God bless Neil, he's written some good songs, but he has some of the clumsiest fingers in the business. Most of his solos are so amateurish and awkward they can make you wince. Yeah right... I'm praying for the day that I can make people wince like Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny_2_owls Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 God bless Neil, he's written some good songs, but he has some of the clumsiest fingers in the business. Most of his solos are so amateurish and awkward they can make you wince. I wish I could play so amateurish and awkward as Neil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemans335 Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 I wish I could play so amateurish and awkward as Neil. You're kidding right? You can walk into any music store and hear teenagers playing, and doing things Neil could only dream of. Neil needs to stick to songwriting and chords, as does John Foggerty; they're hopeless lead players. They sound like they're wearing gloves on their left hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwillow777 Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 I use mine a lot. I can't agree with a change in tone, but I have some damage to my ears from loud music and bomb shelling during Viet Nam. I went round and round about mounting a Bigsby to a Les Paul. I did a lot of research and my only complaint was that a Bigsby will not completely cover the stop tailpiece holes. To some that isn't a big deal, to me it was. If you look closely at the top of the unit you will see a portion of the stop tailpiece hole that is not covered. (Not my guitar) Actually I don't have one on a Les Paul, they are on an Agile AL-3100 and AL-3000M neckthru, but a similar styling. The AL-3000M has a Vibramate and B7, I didn't want to drill holes in it. The AL-3000 has a B-70. I mounted it permanently. It didn't come with a stop tailpiece, but with a trapeze tailpiece so no holes, that was one of my main reason in buying it. I also added a Wilkinson roller bridge to both. I had tuning issues with the 3100 at first. The angle from the top of the saddles on the G B and E strings were too steep and the strings hit the back of the bridge causing it to go out of tune. The Wilkinson roller bridge took care of that problem. I have no tuning issues with any of my guitars with Bigsbys now, I have 4. The other three were never an issue. I also put a B70 on my Dot and Sheraton. Like I said, I use the Bigsby a lot, so much so that I find that my guitars without trems don't get as much love, especially when I play live. AL-3000M neckthru with Vibramate and B7. AL-3100 with B70 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claydots Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 Personally, I really like a Bigsby on a lester. It just gives more mass and transfers more of the vibration. Not to mention it's does give you a Tremolo bar..... Not real crazy about the Vibramate, don't have a reason other than I don't like the looks of them. Put one on this LP and yanked the inserts and put wood dowel in. Maybe an 1/8" of the original insert hole shows on one side. I just touched it up with a colored Sharpie pen and you have to look for it to see it. The only thing on this guitar that is Epi is the neck and body, everything else was replaced. You will have to get a new case though... the one I found that worked best is a pink blanket brown Gibson case. I really wish it wasn't a Gibson case as I'm not trying to pass it off as anything but what it is. Plus it was only 65 bucks! I used to be a dyed in the wool Gibson guy.... I feel raped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph F. Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Why not, Les Paul did it. Ralph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Koegh Penrod Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 This the best way to go if you do not want to drill or do any non reversible mods to your Lester :Towner Tension Bar On you LP you would use a "B3" with there tension bar in place of the stock tailpiece and they also have an adapter block to screw the B3 into at the bottom so you do not have to drill. I did this to my Gibby LP standard. IMG_1657 by Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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