greg420blues Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 So it finally showed up! And it's now officially installed! PAIN IN THE *** to change the strings, but it looks AWFUL cool. Anywho, here you go ... go ahead, relish in its coolness: Anywho, would love your input. Anyone else out there done it recently?? Thinking of trying it on either my V or my Explorer next time I change the strings ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luap Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 That looks really nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Coooooooooooooool! I like Bigsbys. Greetings Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clance Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Youre gonna drill holes in your Explorer? Just like that? You scare me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarJunkie Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I was (and still am) a Bigsby fan, but on certain guitars I've discovered the Maestro as a great alternative. For example, try finding a practical way to mount a Bigsby on a V. Here's my 2007 Guitar of the Week Explorer with a short Maestro... This one's not mine, but here's a V with a Maestro... BTW, nice job on the SG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Welcome to the club, brother! Put a Bigsby on my SG three months ago. Loved it so much I put one on my Sheraton a month later. The feel and tasty dives & vibrato you get with them is killer. My only regret is that I did not do this sooner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg420blues Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 Youre gonna drill holes in your Explorer? Just like that? You scare me. Don't have to!! Look closely and you'll see a "vibramate" plate adapter. All you have to do is unscrew the posts for you tailpiece, place the plate adapter over the holes and screw it in with the accompanying screws. Then, you screw the Bigsby into the adapter, not the guitar. VERY easy. Hardest part was putting the strings on ... what a beeyotch! Had learned a trick, through reading, however where they suggested putting the string on the post and then using a capo to hold it to the neck so you can wind. Used that trick and it worked! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg420blues Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 ... try finding a practical way to mount a Bigsby on a V ... That's the uber cool thing about that Vibramate adapter. I can move my B5 over to the V just to see how it looks/works and I won't have to drill any holes. Since it's a B5, it won't really stick too far off the back of the V .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Nice. That Vibramate is an excellent idea. Have you thought about a roller bridge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarJunkie Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Very cool. I'd been thinking for awhile now, there must be a a way to make some kind of plate that would mount using the stop-tail holes, that you could then attach the Bigsby to. I guess someone else had the same idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameswithesg Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 lookin good..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg420blues Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 Nice. That Vibramate is an excellent idea. Have you thought about a roller bridge? *** sigh *** yeah, but I'm just too much of an "all original" whore to do something like that. I've got an LSR roller nut on my Strat, want one for my Tele. TOTALLY don't mind any nut work ... but really dig the standard look of the Nashville and ABR1 bridges. Not a big fan of big and clunky. You got any suggestions on roller bridges that aren't big and clunky? I digress ... just did a quick search and found some bridges that fit in place and aren't any bigger. SNAP!! Gonna have to invest in one of those, definitely. Thanks for the head's up! I actually started thinking about that last night as I was installing the Bigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fartz Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Looks great but the thread was ruined when you said "Anyhoo." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 ... just did a quick search and found some bridges that fit in place and aren't any bigger. SNAP!! Gonna have to invest in one of those' date=' definitely. Thanks for the head's up![/quote'] Actually, Gibson uses a bridge with rollers. It looks just like the Nashville, but with rollers instead of saddles. One came on my SG Robot, factory installed. I don't know who their supplier is, and the one on my SG is wired for the tuning robotics. Not sure you can use this info or not. Yes, I got a nice roller bridge for Gibsons guitars from StewMac and another at Guitarfetish. Sustain was not noticably effected. The Gibson roller bridge on my SG Robot: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbomb76 Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Looks "complete" with a proper tailpiece on it! ;) Get yourself a roller-saddle tune-o-matic (the Sung Il's most eBay sellers have are more than adequate, for like, $10) and bend away! I'm doing the same thing to my stoptail Epi's next month. :) H-Bomb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SG_Mike Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Your SG looks great!!!!:- :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clance Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Nice, I didnt notice the Vibramate! That was a real nice GOW Explorer, too. Theres no way I'd be able to bring myself to putting a tremolo on mine though. Im too scared to drill holes for a Marestro trem and I dont really like the look of a Bigsby on an Explorer (on the few that I've seen). Anyone seen these before? Totally awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmiJAMM Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 That could be one of the strangest setups I've seen... but I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg420blues Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 Looks great but the thread was ruined when you said "Anyhoo." Well, then ... anywho ... I'm real broken up about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg420blues Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 Looks "complete" with a proper tailpiece on it! ;) Get yourself a roller-saddle tune-o-matic (the Sung Il's most eBay sellers have are more than adequate' date=' for like, $10) and bend away! I'm doing the same thing to my stoptail Epi's next month. :) H-Bomb[/quote'] Thanks brotha! Any chance you could point one of those Sung Il's out for me? Looked on Ebay and couldn't find any. StewMac's got one made by Schaller, but the post-to-post distance appears to be off by 1/32", according to Gibson's specs and there's NO WAY IN HELL I'm gonna re-route or do anything stupid like that for the Schaller version. Would love to find a solution for only 10 bucks (or thereabouts) that fits in place of my current tune-o-matic!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg420blues Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 Actually' date=' Gibson uses a bridge with rollers. It looks just like the Nashville, but with rollers instead of saddles. One came on my SG Robot, factory installed[/quote'] YES! THAT ONE! Need to get a hold of one ... anyone know where I can find it/one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 StewMac's got one made by Schaller' date=' but the post-to-post distance appears to be off by 1/32", according to Gibson's specs and there's NO WAY IN HELL I'm gonna re-route or do anything stupid like that for the Schaller version. Would love to find a solution for only 10 bucks (or thereabouts) that fits in place of my current tune-o-matic!![/quote'] There's another roller bridge on StewMac here. It's off a smidge (1/32"), but I ordered it anyway and took the ol' drill to it - reamed each post hole out a smidge and presto - fit perfect. And once you get your action set, you can lock the bridge in place on the posts with setscrews and then intonate. Here's a couple pics: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarJunkie Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 That was a real nice GOW Explorer' date=' too. Theres no way I'd be able to bring myself to putting a tremolo on mine though. Im too scared to drill holes for a Marestro trem...[/quote']Me too. That's why I waited until they made an Explorer with a factory-installed trem that wasn't a $5000 Custom Shop model. Anyone seen these before? Totally awesome. Very cool. I wasn't aware Gibson had done a Lonnie Mack signature model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbomb76 Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Thanks brotha! Any chance you could point one of those Sung Il's out for me? Looked on Ebay and couldn't find any. StewMac's got one made by Schaller' date=' but the post-to-post distance appears to be off by 1/32", according to Gibson's specs and there's NO WAY IN HELL I'm gonna re-route or do anything stupid like that for the Schaller version. Would love to find a solution for only 10 bucks (or thereabouts) that fits in place of my current tune-o-matic!! [/quote'] These are the kind I've gotten and abuse on a regular basis (they RARELY put the brand name in the descriptions, I forgot that tidbit...lol): http://cgi.ebay.com/ROLLER-Bridge-Chrome-NEW-w-Small-Diameter-Posts_W0QQitemZ270388007903QQihZ017QQcategoryZ41407QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem & http://cgi.ebay.com/Tun-O-Matic-Style-ROLLER-Bridge-Chrome-NEW-w-Posts_W0QQitemZ270388007886QQihZ017QQcategoryZ41407QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem If you're comfortable pulling the tune-o-matic bushings out you could use the screw-top-post one, or if you get one of the ABR style ones if the action is a little too high you may have to grind down the sides where it rests onto the thumbwheels (a couple I've installed have been just barely low enough for my action-preferences...but I do like it pretty ridiculously low so you might be okay). Either way, to me they work fine (I think it's stupid paying $50 for similar models that really aren't that much better), and you'll love the tuning stability/flexibility. And most importantly, no one will even notice the rollers till they're really looking hard, so it retains its stock appearance. ;) Enjoy man, welcome to the weird, wild world of the whammy! H-Bomb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Great thread. Great photos. Thanks. Murph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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