Changing strings on a Bigsby...HELP!

[garyelcrrt1281733995]

For the first time in my life, I just re-strung a guitar with a Bigsby. One minute to remove the old strings, 10 minutes to tune up afterwards, and since I started at 9:54 and finished at 11:40...that's a hour and 35 minutes trying to keep the eyes on the pins. After I discovered the arm opened up completely (man, does that spring bounce!) it was doable, but certainly not easy. I wound up wrapping the shoulder strap up over the arm and then down under the guitar body where I could sit on it; otherwise every time I tried to put on another string, all of the others started popping off and needed to be reinstalled. I actually got all 6 strings on it twice, and then lost it trying to unwrap the Bigsby arm so I could tighten the strings. So I'm asking...

 

WHAT'S THE TRICK?

 

...because I don't ever want to do it like this again!

 

EDIT: I changed the Subject to more accurately reflect the topic.

 

g.

[daneman]

I think I'd try just changing one string at a time, next time.

[Vic Flick]

For the first time in my life' date=' I just re-strung a guitar with a Bigsby. One minute to remove the old strings, 10 minutes to tune up afterwards, and since I started at 9:54 and finished at 11:40...that's a hour and 35 minutes trying to keep the eyes on the pins. After I discovered the arm opened up completely (man, does that spring bounce!) it was doable, but certainly not easy. I wound up wrapping the shoulder strap up over the arm and then down under the guitar body where I could sit on it; otherwise every time I tried to put on another string, all of the others started popping off and needed to be reinstalled. I actually got all 6 strings on it twice, and then lost it trying to unwrap the Bigsby arm so I could tighten the strings. So I'm asking...

 

WHAT'S THE TRICK?

 

...because I don't ever want to do it like this again!

[/quote']

 

Cut a piece of foam rubber (wedge shape works good) and jam it between the body and the pins. That should help keep the eyes from slipping off. And tune each string close to pitch as you get them on so there's enough tension to keep the eyes on the pins. Also, it's easier to tune when all the strings are close to pitch. Let's say you have the D string tuned but the low E is slack. As you tune the E, the increased tension will pull on the Bigsby causing the D to go out of tune. I do it one string at a time so there's always proper tension pulling on the mechanism.

 

Hope that helps.

[Ricochet]

I've seen parts to mod your Bigsby on the bay. Exchanging the bar with the pins, for one with holes. 20 bucks something.

[lostindesert]

I change one string at the time, use a capo at around the 12th fret to hold the string in place and then wrap

it around the post of the tuner.

I also bend the string at the ball-end so it slips easier on the pin.

 

Peter

[dubstar]

ultimate guitar by tony bacon shows UK tech Bill Pulpett (sp) pre-bending the ball ends of the strings

around a pen so they don't slip...page 89, looks like it would work well

[TheX]

Thankfully the guitars I have with Bigsby's also have floating bridges so I already change 1 string at a time. Pre-bending the ball end is a HUGE help.

[layboomo]

Yup although I don't have a bigsby equiped guitar at the moment...my first real guitar was a bigsby tele and I had alot of practice with restringing it. The pre-bend around a pen is critical to smooth changes......a small needlenose pliers also helps to get the ball end on the pin....then the capo trick for 3x3 type headstocks works well.....keeps the ball from popping off the pin and driving you nuckin' futz! I also used my pinky to hold the ball on the pin while I kept tension on the string up to the peghead end .....on the tele it worked well. That foam wedge sounds like a great idea too! Combine all these tricks and you probably have your answer G!

[jcwillow777]

I change one string at the time' date=' use a capo at around the 12th fret to hold the string in place and then wrap

it around the post of the tuner.

I also bend the string at the ball-end so it slips easier on the pin.

 

Peter[/quote']

 

I am definitely gonna try the capo trick. I bent the ball end of the string which helped, but it was still a pain for me, I've only done it once, and that was when I installed the Bigsby. The capo sounds like the ticket, and one string at a time will make it easier too.

[garyelcrrt1281733995]

Yes! What a resource! Thank you, folks! For a minute, I thought maybe I would just leave these strings on forever. And, BTW, using a set of GHS Pro Steels, this time on the LBC, trying to retain that top end Gretchy snarl. Thanks!

[jcwillow777]

For the first time in my life' date=' I just re-strung a guitar with a Bigsby. One minute to remove the old strings, 10 minutes to tune up afterwards, and since I started at 9:54 and finished at 11:40...that's a hour and 35 minutes trying to keep the eyes on the pins. After I discovered the arm opened up completely (man, does that spring bounce!) it was doable, but certainly not easy. I wound up wrapping the shoulder strap up over the arm and then down under the guitar body where I could sit on it; otherwise every time I tried to put on another string, all of the others started popping off and needed to be reinstalled. I actually got all 6 strings on it twice, and then lost it trying to unwrap the Bigsby arm so I could tighten the strings. So I'm asking...

 

WHAT'S THE TRICK?

 

...because I don't ever want to do it like this again!

[/quote']

 

Gary I feel your pain. Don't take this in the wrong way, I haven't had my coffee yet, so I'm not totally awake, but I just got the funniest pictures running through my sick mind of you doing this, you described it so well. I know it wasn't funny when you were doing it, BUT, if you had a video runnig it might have been worth $10,000. I can just see the spring hitting the ceiling and strings flying every which way.

[garyelcrrt1281733995]

Yeah, that's me. Laugh a minute. Seriously, I'm just glad there were no little children in the area. Their ears would have been permanently damaged, and probably their souls, too!

[layboomo]

Gary changing strings on a bigsby.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bff98KVu3g

[bug music]

My method :

 

- 1 string at a time !

 

- With the guitar sitting across your lap, put a 45 degree bend about 1/2 inch from the ball end loop it under the tension bar (If it's a B7 style).

 

- With your right hand put the ball end on the pin, and keep pulling tension on the string so it stays on the pin.

 

- With the left hand push the string through the tuner, give a loop over the top, and while the right hand keeps tension on the ball end crank the tuner tight with the left hand.

 

- Get it close to tune by ear, give a whole step bend, whammy and retune (do this about 4 or 5 times).

 

- When the tuning seems stable, tune with a tuner and move on to the next string.

 

It takes only slightly longer than a non-Bigsby guitar. Hopefully this helps.

 

- Jay

[garyelcrrt1281733995]

Yo, Admin

 

Can you make this a sticky???

 

Too much info to not hold it available to anyone who needs it.

 

And thanks to everyone for the help. Especially Laboomo, who just made the list...

[layboomo]

"Especially Laboomo, who just made the list..."

 

Hmmmmm not sure if thats good or bad! LOL

[SoloTy]

BUMP

[Dan]

you can get these style foam wedges in the ladies' makeup section of retail stores...While you're near the jewelry section look for this polishing cloth, used for polishing jewlry---its absolutely the best polishing cloth I've ever used. Good for gold plated hardware...one side of the cloth cleans and the other polishes (cloth is impregnated with all you need to clean and polish) Works GREAT on Gold Tailpieces...

 

I always bend the ends near the tailpiece slightly too, seating the ball and then pull the string upwards, keeping the ball in its place ---hold the string down on the neck with one hand while starting the string thru the tuner. Once you get string tension from tuner...you've got it.

 

I'd never thought about using a capo...that sounds like a GREAT suggestion to me---I bet it works good.

If the tension is released on a bigsby the spring will move about or come out...there is usually a nylon washer under the spring so if that comes out you'll need to replace that as well. I leave the washer out of my bigsby, so the arm is lower to the guitar. (I even changed the spring on mine from 1" to 7/8" to get the whammy bar lower).

 

[Dan]

Here's a shot of my bigsby...showing the present height of the tremolo bar (with no washer and a 7/8" spring)

Which made the bar level with the top of the guitar ---instead of being way too high for my liking.

 

This is a fixed bar...(does not fold away) the fixed bar is like the original 1955 design for this guitar.

 

[Sinner 13]

easiest and quickest method:

one string at a time

take the new string and CAREFULLY bend it to shape around something close in diameter to the crossbar.(like a screwdriver)

VIOLA!

it takes me like 5 mins to restring.