Cheap Bowtie bridges

mike_d · Post by **mike_d** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 10:17 am

I hope this isn't violating a posting rule but I noticed that Mike Park's over at the Rickenbacker page is selling bowtie bridges for $30.00. These are a modern production item and look very similar to old ones but it looks like the G string is set up for a plain rather than wound G. I have no affiliation, but having big bucks for one of these reproductions, I think I would have opted for one of these if they were available at the time.
http://homer.netmar.com/~muscon2/bb.jpg

talanca · Post by **talanca** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 1:40 pm

I recent bought a 'Bow tie' repro bridge (also Burns knobs) for my october 1984 Rick 325 V59, from this address:
http://www.tonewerks.com/
and this bridge is exact like Lennon's (or as exact as can be a repro from the original).
I don't like at all the other repros that look as if the G string is set up for a plain string (though are these are cheap) simply 'cause if what I want is an exact replica of Lennon's 325, the 'bow tie' bridge he had just wasn't like that.
All the best.

lawton · Post by **lawton** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 7:48 pm

Do these just sit flat on the surface of the guitar (like a floating archtop bridge), or do they mount onto the body similarly to the Ric bridge plate?

talanca · Post by **talanca** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 4:17 am

These just sit flat on the surface of the guitar, but believe me: your guitar will improve performance. It's the best option than the Ric bridge plate (I mean, always and only you've got a Bigsby vibrato too).

36012 · Post by **36012** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 11:29 am

One problem I had with the modern bigsby bowtie was it was not intonated for flatwounds,but the selmer style one seemed to intonate fine.

jonpaul · Post by **jonpaul** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 8:48 pm

Can someone please explain the intonation problems between the custom bowties (more expensive) and the production bowties (less expensive)? I have heard that the biggest issue is making sure the bridge saddles are filed correctly for the string slots. I'm getting ready to purchase one of these bridges for my 325C58 and want to make sure I'm not paying for a higher priced bridge when I can purchase one for much less. Can the production (modern) bowtie be set up correctly? Any helpful comments or knowledgeable information would be grrrrreatly apprrrreciated!

talanca · Post by **talanca** » Tue Jan 04, 2005 1:27 pm

The main thing is that 'modern' (and cheaper) Bigsby bowtie bridges ARE NOT intonated for wound strings (flat or round ones) since the G string is setted up for a plain string, not a wound one.
Besides, I think that if you want to install a Bigsby bridge on your 325 C58 is just because John Lennon had one.
Well, in that case buy the expensive one, simply because that's a real exact copy of Lennon's original bridge, and it also works fine with a heavy gauge string set (like the one you'll be using on your short scale guitar).
Believe me, with those cheaper bridges (and using a 0.12 / 0.13 string set) you'd be breaking G strings at least once a week.
Regards, Marcelo.