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Help Break Angle/Bigsby ES 355


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Hello,

I just had my Gibson ES 355 restrung with the strings over the tension bar. I did not even notice the tech did this until I got home from Guitar Center, which in hindsight was probably my first mistake, anyways I was sick of popping another set of Dr Blues strings BC I am a relative newbie returning to playing after many years, long story short I noticed the bridge seems very a lot higher then it was before however, intonation is on, seems to almost stay in tune but again new strings so this should stabilize and a fixed bridge. Can anyone offer advise, should I go back and have this corrected? Please see pics below

 

Thanks

 

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2017-08-30%2020.43.03_zpstjtrfwi4.jpg

 

2017-08-30%2020.42.57_zps1nuow5cn.jpg

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That's a very dumb thing for someone supposed to be a guitar tech to have done. FAIL!

You can easily sort it out yourself one string at a time, but if you paid someone to do a job......

Take it back and point it out to him; it needs to be corrected as there is hardly any break angle at all now, from the pics.

 

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Geeze Louise!!!

 

I would just restring,.. if there's enough slack,, there may not be, you'll have bends in each string that will most likely now be before the post, where the chance of breaking is high. think you're going to need a new set of strings...

 

Hard to say re: the action. if it feels a bit high when playing, easy enough to detune a bit and drop the bridge.

 

I'd take some before and after measurements if you can (at the 12th fret.)

 

#1 rule for GC: Guitar Center Sells Stuff,, and that's about it...

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Glad they set it right for you. Restringing a bigsby isn't really bad, but it's got all the potential of being a serious PITA. I have 4 guitars with B7s.

 

You need to first put a bend in the winding at the ball end, so the string will conform to the bar. that's easy enough..

 

Next, you need something to push up against the string post when you seat the ball end on the post, so it wont slip off the. !!ARG!! This is the most problematic part.

 

To solve it, cut a piece of cork from a wine bottle, about 1/4" wide. Then fashion the circle you sliced off the cork to a triangle, tall enough to rest on the top while pushed against the string pin. This secures the ball end to the post allowing you to now get the string secured at the machine head. The cork is soft enough to not damage the top, but strong enough to hold the sting in place.

 

Finally using a lube like Big Bends Nut Sauce drop a dab everywhere the string will touch something. (Tension bar, saddle slot, nut slot..)

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