will a bigsby incrase or decrease sustain?

[sdgails]

im thinking about modding a sheraton with a bigsby. it currently has the standard tune o matic. how will the sustain or tone change it???? thanks

[smokestack]

It's not easy to predict. Not all guitars will respond the same...though semis are more predictable than many.

It won't make a huge difference to either the tone or the sustain in my experience. You might convince yourself that it's made a bigger difference than it actually has...but how much of that is in our minds ?

Changing a traditional trapeze tailpiece to a stop bar [or a Bigsby] makes a much bigger difference because you're making bigger changes to more things.

The length of free none speaking string, the stresses and forces in the structure of the guitar, the mass of the components which terminate the string etc etc will all alter the resonant behaviour to some degree.

The biggest change with a Bigsby is in the feel and the vibe...which you either like or you don't.

[carverman]

im thinking about modding a sheraton with a bigsby. it currently has the standard tune o matic. how will the sustain or tone change it???? thanks

 

Sustain (generally) is affected by the type of bridge and whatever tone block or

body wood is used.

After the bridge, when the string is in a "shortened and dampened"downward slope,

the type of tailpiece, other than adding some damping doesn't have too much effect on sustain.

For an experiment, pick the string at the 12th fret and then pick the same string

between the bridge and tailpiece...no comparison in tone, if thats how you can

describe the difference.

[sdgails]

i was thinking the tune o matic, would give the guitar more sustain, but i gotta have the bigsby