darkside08 Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Finally got a chance to install the Bigsby last night. I really needed daylight to get a good picture, black-on-flat black does not photograph well with flash, but here are some prelims . The whole Bigsby installation method is very imprecise. There is a lot of play in the hinge, in the alignment string, and how the string wraps around the bar. I ended up eyeing most of it, but it's all good. I got this guitar off craigslist for $100, I figure if there's a good one to screw up on, this is it. I must say, it's a very strange feeling to be drilling into the top of a guitar. About the tailpiece stud holes: I grew frustrated looking for plugs at motorcycle shops, and keeping in mind that I still had the ground wire in one hole, I wanted to use metal. I found the perfect items at a hardware store. Socket set screws they're called, they're basically threaded posts with a hex hole in the top. The 1/2 inch size screwed snugly into the holes in the wood, and I have them just peeking over the surface of the guitar so they come into contact with the plate of the Bigsby. They don't exactly "disappear" the holes, but add to the goth/industrial/frankenstein look of the guitar, and they connect the ground. All right by me. Thanks to all for your advice and encouragement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwillow777 Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 That Bigsby really makes your guitar look sweet! I've thought about getting a black LP for quite a while and putting a Bigsby on it. Nice job. It also makes it that much nicer knowing that you did it yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricochet Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Nice job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmyinpajamas Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 looks sick man .. good job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmitchell Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 That looks sweet man! Ya gonna change the pups too? But you're totally right about the hex hole plugs, cool look. Awesome for the 205 or so ya spent on it, by far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Very slick, excellent job. That thing looks like it came that way from the factory. Well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkside08 Posted July 24, 2008 Author Share Posted July 24, 2008 Thanks! Right now I think the Bigsby looks so cool it's too distracting when I play. I just wanna look at it. The stock p'ups are fine right now, at least until I get some more disposable income. Actually, I think they're kinda muddy. If I were to replace them, what do people recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodeMonk Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Looks awesome. Now go for an ebony fretboard ;) There was a thread here last week or so about darkening up a rosewood fretboard to look more like ebony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmitchell Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Thanks! Right now I think the Bigsby looks so cool it's too distracting when I play. I just wanna look at it. The stock p'ups are fine right now' date=' at least until I get some more disposable income. Actually, I think they're kinda muddy. If I were to replace them, what do people recommend? [/quote'] If I had a goth, I'd put in EMG or blackouts, or maybe SD invaders... It'd be powerful, for sure. Also, I'd throw in 4 push/pulls for the jimmy page wiring on it. That'd be cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 That looks pretty good.. esp for a first time serious modification. congrats. I like the studio goth models.. and adding the black bigsby just made it better. You might still find at Ace hardware some small plastic plugs that you could modify to fit the hexagonal holes.. They have a bunch of sizes I know 'cause I just bought some for my epi vjr to spruce up the reversed head holes. GFS get good reports in here all the time.. I push my Kent Armstrongs, but they are a little spendier. I found my studios pups were also a tad dark on the low end and not quite enough bite in the highs.. now I'm happy with a P90 neck and Vintage humbuck bridge. way to go.. keep it up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmitchell Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 i love this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Me, too. I should have my chrome bigs for the lp studio tomorrow.. day after. I think I'll check hardware store for those plugs he used, but I'm figuring on making some caps out of guard material. Will post pics. meantime, had a pot go bad. CTS at that! dang thing just fried somehow.. makes no sense to me, but no tone difference at all unless it's all the way to the bottom. all the others work fine. No problem using the soldering iron on it that I recall. Besides, that wouldn't make the pot ineffective through the rest of the range. Also, I switched the neck pup ring to a thin one, instead of medium, so I could get that hot p90 a little deeper and not look crappy all sunk beneath the ring. Looks good now. put a little pad under to keep the pup level, too. I sure like the look of darksides.. will be interesting to see his pic with my sunburst .. ! TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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