Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

"there would be a whole lot less 325s out there with an aftermarket Bigsby vibrato screwed on."

+1!

"If Lennon didn't play a 325, there would be no reissues to modify!"

+1!

I am biased towards the humble Bigsby, I will admit. I fitted one to my Agile Les Paul copy in September, and I love it. It was my first experience with that kind of vibrato unit, and the restringing process is a bit annoying, but it's eminently playable.
The only problem with a little Rick is that you can't just slap a Vibramate on it and then say, 'oh well, that didn't work' and take it off again. I'd understand someone who hesitated to do any drilling into their guitar, but I stopped having those worries years ago when I started fixing my own instruments.

A gorgeous guitar Peter. Thanks for the photos. I feel like I want to go to the Star Club.

Man, Colin,
When did you get to be such an old fart?

Thanks for all the opinions positive and not such !
I think i wont look for an Phillips Screw on the Bigsby, because i am not so keen on every detail. I also tried out Hofner knobs, but then i did it with Burns Replicas and they look better !
Although both versions are not "Lennonlike" because they were only used on the black version.

Thanks

Peter

8mileshigh wrote:I think Bigsbys can look pretty cool Collin.......although YMMV

Now THAT was some top notch gratuitous Combo flaunting.

I can barely see this bigsby you speak of anyways!




P.s...I think Bigsbys rule, I just wish they had a non permanent solution for the B3, like they made for the LP/ES-335 style B7.

billydlight wrote:Man, Colin,
When did you get to be such an old fart?

What, no room for two Curmudgeons on this forum?

How's it staying in tune? I did this to a Les Paul and it's pretty horrible at staying in tune now. But then again, my Mosrite with vibrato doesn't keep very well either. The price you pay to sound cool, I guess.

Hi Mike,

It stays perfect in tune. I think it depends on strings (thicker is better) and the perfect companion is a roller Bridge, Bigsby Bowtie Bridge, Gretsch Rockin bar Bridge. Essential is that friction of the strings is to a Minimum both on the nut and the bridge. Tuneomatic Bridges can be a little bit tricky.

Peter

Both the Bigsby bowtie and roller bridges are designed to work with a vibrato. Obviously the rollers roll, but the Bigsby bridge pivots on its base, like a Gretsch bar bridge. A Bigsby vibrato will return to pitch every time unless the strings are getting hung up elsewhere. If you're using a rolling or pivoting bridge, then the nut is the problem. On a Les Paul, the tune-o-matic might be the hang up. Obviously many players have successfully mated a tune-o-matic and Bigsby, so it can be done. My point is just that whatever the source of a tuning problem may be, it's unlikely to be the Bigsby unit itself.

+1000 to the above two posts. The rollers or bow tie pivot bridge are ESSENTIAL to keeping a Bigsby in tune.

Also -- one detail about the bow tie: make sure you put the "offset" saddle under the B string, and as posted above, use a heavier set with a wound 3rd, preferably at least the stock RIC 12's set or equivalent.

I do not have a Bigsby on a Ric, but I do have one on my Dingwall C1. It is paired up with a Tone Pros Tune-O-Matic style bridge equipped with GraphTec saddles, a bone nut, and .010-.048 DRs. This combination never goes out of tune, and I am not gentle with the Bigsby. Every two or three string changes I put a very tiny swipe of petroleum jelly in the nut and saddle slots. No tuning issues ever after a year of weekly abuse.

great info. thanks!

8mileshigh wrote:I think Bigsbys can look pretty cool Collin.......although YMMV

I can't tell, but are those roller bridges on there? If so, where did you get the bridges or did you just modify Ric bridges with new saddles, and of course, from where?

They look like rollers to me. I love the white one, can I take it home with me for a while?