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bigsby and other assorted things about vibratos

StoneG82StoneG82 Posts: 806
edited September 2006 in Musicians and Gearheads
so I recently bought an SG classic with P90's.

I want to sound like Neil Young and Jeff Tweedy, so I was thinking about putting a vibrato on my guitar. People have been raving about Bigsbys to me, and I've been peeping out the Maestro that Jeff Tweedy uses. Apparently according to my guitar teacher, Maestros are very primitive and Bigsbys are better. I also have yet to find a store that sells Maestros.

so my question is, what is better, a mestro or a bigsby?

and would it be a mistake to put one on my SG?

thanks.
"What’s Orphans? I don’t know. Orphans is a dead end kid driving a coffin with big tires across the Ohio River wearing welding goggles and a wife beater with a lit firecracker in his ear." - Tom Waits
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    the old maestro's had a pretty bad reputation i think.

    in fact, when gibson started offering a "maestro" vibrato again, it was a bigsby.

    http://www.gibson.com/whatsnew/pressrelease/1997/maestro.html

    not that the bigsby's don't have their issues too. i think you have to make sure you do the whole job properly, from bigsby to bridge to nut.

    i want to put one on my les paul but i can't stomach the idea of putting screw holes into it.
  • StoneG82StoneG82 Posts: 806
    exhausted wrote:
    the old maestro's had a pretty bad reputation i think.

    in fact, when gibson started offering a "maestro" vibrato again, it was a bigsby.

    http://www.gibson.com/whatsnew/pressrelease/1997/maestro.html

    not that the bigsby's don't have their issues too. i think you have to make sure you do the whole job properly, from bigsby to bridge to nut.

    i want to put one on my les paul but i can't stomach the idea of putting screw holes into it.

    I was planning on having a professional do it. I have absolutely no clue how to do any of that stuff. thanks for the info.
    "What’s Orphans? I don’t know. Orphans is a dead end kid driving a coffin with big tires across the Ohio River wearing welding goggles and a wife beater with a lit firecracker in his ear." - Tom Waits
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    as i understand it, it's not too tricky. but you'll end up with holes on the face of the guitar so you just have to sure it's what you want to do before you get it done.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    check out the way that reverand guitars does the bigsby install, I believe they use locking tuners and a roller nut (although you could go with graphite or use some nut sauce and achive good tuning stability (the main negative issue with all vibratos)

    Maestros suck balls in my humble opinion, I've never met one I liked. The bigsby design is just better I think.

    I believe Bob is installing one soon, you should ask him too. Maybe he will chime in.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Pacomc79 wrote:

    I believe Bob is installing one soon, you should ask him too. Maybe he will chime in.

    Chime!! :D

    Maestro's sure get a bad rap! I bought my SG new in 1968 with a Maestro and it's been fine. You just have to learn to finesse it. So I definitely recommend getting a:



    Bigsby! :D

    They are the way to go on a guitar with humbuckers. You want a B5, which is 4 screws to put on. It's easy as hell to put on, but if you're not comfortable, get a tech to do it.
    Bigsbys (Made by Fender now) are pretty smooth. Everyone wants the thing to go back to perfect pitch all the time, but with any vibrato like that, it's not going to be perfect. Really the main thing is to learn to bring it back in tune by pulling or pushing on the bar. It becomes second nature after a while. You won't get as much dive out of a bigsby as you would on a Stratlike thing. They are more subtle, but more stable sound wise. You'll lose a bit of sustain, too.
    I have an Epiphone Elite that's getting one on it. I have the B7 for an arched top electric right over there in the corner, but I haven't gotten to it yet.
    If you put one on, you want to make sure the nut is smooth and filed properly for it. If you finger bend your strings and they come back to tune, then you're probably fine, because the bigsby's not going to move them any farther than you bend. If you learn how to string the tuners tightly and the nut is filed and polished you might be fine. If tuning's a problem after that, then maybe a graphite or bone nut would help. I'm not a fan of locking nuts, though. I like to keep it simple.

    I have an old Guild Starfire with a Bigsby that's been all over with me. The greatest use for a Bigsby?: with one crazy band I played in, at the end of the last song, I would run and land on my knees and slide toward the audience and pull up on the Bigsby and break all the strings off! Show's over!! Can't do that with a Strat! :D

    My knees still hurt 25 years later, though. The guitar's fine!
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • Pearl Jam and toastPearl Jam and toast Posts: 4,475
    Bob you fucking rock star ;)
    Come on pilgrim you know he loves you..

    http://www.wishlistfoundation.org

    Oh my, they dropped the leash.



    Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!

    "Make our day"
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    hey Bob, is there any difference installing a Bigsby on a semi hollow?

    I too hate locking nuts (the whole point of locking the tuner off for me is ease of string changing, why would I want to have to whip out an allen wrench to change a string? I can tune faster than I can change a string on a Floyd Rose though I guess those and the parker design with the sperzel locking machine heads are the most stable vibrato, they don't have the bigsby/maestro vibe though.

    I think if you swapped the tuners to locking machine heads it might make the bigsby a little more stable anyway, but "only cowboys play in tune anyway" -Jimi Hendrix.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Pacomc79 wrote:
    hey Bob, is there any difference installing a Bigsby on a semi hollow?


    I think if you swapped the tuners to locking machine heads it might make the bigsby a little more stable anyway, but "only cowboys play in tune anyway" -Jimi Hendrix.

    It's a different Bigsby for a semi hollow. I forget the number, but it has a little tab that hinges and three screws that screw it to the butt end of the guitar, and two on the face of it. That way the pull of the strings isn't putting much pressure on the top.
    It rides a little higher than the others, because you want that string angle over the floating bridge, if you have one.

    I misread about your locking tuners! I thought I saw "locking nut"! That's what happens when you don't have enough coffee yet! :D
    Good locking tuners are great!
    Especially if you keep breaking all your strings off with the bigsby! :)


    Edit: THe B6 is the one if you want to put one on your 1958 Gibson Es-355. :D
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • StoneG82StoneG82 Posts: 806
    Alright guys thanks for all the info!

    I think I'm gonna go with the Bigsby. (although I'm not too keen on having holes drilled into my new SG :()
    "What’s Orphans? I don’t know. Orphans is a dead end kid driving a coffin with big tires across the Ohio River wearing welding goggles and a wife beater with a lit firecracker in his ear." - Tom Waits
  • StoneG82StoneG82 Posts: 806
    well I finally went through with having a bigsby installed. got it back from my guitar shop a few hours ago. so far I'm pretty happy with it. I think I'd take this over a floyd rose any day. there's something "classic" and cool about it.

    anyways thanks for all the responses guys....it only took me about 8 months to make up my mind...haha
    "What’s Orphans? I don’t know. Orphans is a dead end kid driving a coffin with big tires across the Ohio River wearing welding goggles and a wife beater with a lit firecracker in his ear." - Tom Waits
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    StoneG82 wrote:
    well I finally went through with having a bigsby installed. got it back from my guitar shop a few hours ago. so far I'm pretty happy with it. I think I'd take this over a floyd rose any day. there's something "classic" and cool about it.

    anyways thanks for all the responses guys....it only took me about 8 months to make up my mind...haha


    Cool!! I'm glad you like it.

    Ha ha,,, 8 months ago!
    I was reading this thinking it looked kinda familiar, then saw my reponses.

    Well, I STILL haven't put my bigsby on the Epi yet. I guess I should get to that! :D
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • StoneG82StoneG82 Posts: 806
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObVxM-KOZKo&mode=related&search=

    is it bad to play your bigsby like that? :D
    "What’s Orphans? I don’t know. Orphans is a dead end kid driving a coffin with big tires across the Ohio River wearing welding goggles and a wife beater with a lit firecracker in his ear." - Tom Waits
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    StoneG82 wrote:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObVxM-KOZKo&mode=related&search=

    is it bad to play your bigsby like that? :D

    Ha ha!!
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    I have an old Guild Starfire with a Bigsby that's been all over with me. The greatest use for a Bigsby?: with one crazy band I played in, at the end of the last song, I would run and land on my knees and slide toward the audience and pull up on the Bigsby and break all the strings off! Show's over!! Can't do that with a Strat! :D

    My knees still hurt 25 years later, though. The guitar's fine!

    I never saw that! That was great!!!
    Maybe he learned it from me! I did it in the late 70's.
    I saw the guitar player from Devo do that once too.


    Actually, if you have a Bigsby,,, and you're rocking out with it,,, you'll find that it's a natural instinct! Yank those suckers off! :D
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • StoneG82StoneG82 Posts: 806
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    Ha ha!!


    I never saw that! That was great!!!
    Maybe he learned it from me! I did it in the late 70's.
    I saw the guitar player from Devo do that once too.


    Actually, if you have a Bigsby,,, and you're rocking out with it,,, you'll find that it's a natural instinct! Yank those suckers off! :D

    haha I love neil...

    I came pretty close to ripping them off earlier. Had I not just changed the strings, I would have.

    I had no idea how fun those things are
    "What’s Orphans? I don’t know. Orphans is a dead end kid driving a coffin with big tires across the Ohio River wearing welding goggles and a wife beater with a lit firecracker in his ear." - Tom Waits
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    StoneG82 wrote:
    haha I love neil...

    I came pretty close to ripping them off earlier. Had I not just changed the strings, I would have.

    I had no idea how fun those things are


    Ok, here's the potential damage that you could do though!:

    Pull off a tuner, or crack the nut or mess up your floating bridge or crack your neck.. An SG is a lot less durable than a Les Paul.

    Probably not a great idea to do that just yet, unless you have Neil's guitar tech Larry Cragg. A genius......... Or me!!! A goofball.
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • StoneG82StoneG82 Posts: 806
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    Ok, here's the potential damage that you could do though!:

    Pull off a tuner, or crack the nut or mess up your floating bridge or crack your neck.. An SG is a lot less durable than a Les Paul.

    Probably not a great idea to do that just yet, unless you have Neil's guitar tech Larry Cragg. A genius......... Or me!!! A goofball.

    oh well :(

    thanks for the heads up anyways. I'll try to chill out more next time I'm jamming.....don't wanna break my SG....I love that thing

    hell with my luck I'd probably catch a string in the face if I pulled them off...

    haha
    "What’s Orphans? I don’t know. Orphans is a dead end kid driving a coffin with big tires across the Ohio River wearing welding goggles and a wife beater with a lit firecracker in his ear." - Tom Waits
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    who's_pearljam? wrote:
    It's a different Bigsby for a semi hollow. I forget the number, but it has a little tab that hinges and three screws that screw it to the butt end of the guitar, and two on the face of it. That way the pull of the strings isn't putting much pressure on the top.
    It rides a little higher than the others, because you want that string angle over the floating bridge, if you have one.

    I misread about your locking tuners! I thought I saw "locking nut"! That's what happens when you don't have enough coffee yet! :D
    Good locking tuners are great!
    Especially if you keep breaking all your strings off with the bigsby! :)


    Edit: THe B6 is the one if you want to put one on your 1958 Gibson Es-355. :D


    ha ha, perfect now I just need a blackface Fender Princeton Reverb, a 1959 Bassman to go along with my 58 Gibson Es -335 lessons from Tomo, A Fulltone Tube Tape Echo, A real tube spring reverb unit a back up band and a Shure SH-55 and I'd be in business, but then, If I had all that....how could I have the blues? :D

    A Strat, A Casino (with lollar P90's) (and a B6) and a star to sail em by... :D
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Pacomc79 wrote:
    ha ha, perfect now I just need a blackface Fender Princeton Reverb, a 1959 Bassman to go along with my 58 Gibson Es -335 lessons from Tomo, A Fulltone Tube Tape Echo, A real tube spring reverb unit a back up band and a Shure SH-55 and I'd be in business, but then, If I had all that....how could I have the blues? :D

    A Strat, A Casino (with lollar P90's) (and a B6) and a star to sail em by... :D

    That's good to have your sights set low! :D

    I'm going backwards in the world of gear! There is so much great stuff out there that is off the wall, cheap and great sounding.

    I'm about to pull the trigger on this:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&item=280030598082&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1
    :D

    Those old Guyatones are the coolest sounding surf and rhythm guitars, and you can pick them up pretty cheaply, like 100 - 200 bucks. Good guitars to learn to fix and work on, too.

    Another great Strat like one is the Martin SSX Stinger. They were made in Korea in the 80's and have so so pickups and electronics, but the necks are outstanding and the body's can be either plywood, mahogany or sometimes Ash or Alder. The can be had for the same 100 - 200.
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
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