Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

[Archer_of_Fish]

This guitar started life as a stock 2011 Traditional...but it didnt stay stock for long. The electronics, pickups, bridge, frets and nut have all been changed out. Lately I have wanted to add a bigsby to one of my Les Pauls and decided this guitar should be the one so I ordered a B7 and a Vibramate kit. Even though the Vibramate makes the Bigsby sit a little higher than normal I'm OK with how things turned out.

I am surprised at how well it stays in tune. The nut is cut properly, I have my strings wrapped properly and the Tone Pro bridge doesnt move at all so things are pretty solid

Before


After

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

Wow, you invested a lot of money in that guitar so far (changing the frets on a 2011 guitar already?)

Hope it plays as good as it looks, that's a sweet looking piece right there!

You know what bugs me with bigsbys (and it's a very minor thing...ridiculous really), how you end-up with such a classy looking guitar (such as yours) but see the goofy rainbow string-end-balls of d'addario strings, kinda clashes in a not so cool way.
Told you it was going to be some ridiculously stupid and small thing huh?

congrats again!

 

[Archer250]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

Awesome. Bigsby just ooze class.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

Awesome. Bigsby just ooze class.

agreed

 

[Kac]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

Looks great!

 

[Liam1963]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

Nice!

 

[AlexR]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

You know what bugs me with bigsbys (and it's a very minor thing...ridiculous really), how you end-up with such a classy looking guitar (such as yours) but see the goofy rainbow string-end-balls of d'addario strings, kinda clashes in a not so cool way.
Told you it was going to be some ridiculously stupid and small thing huh?

congrats again!

Simple solution to that.....switch to ernie ball

I've got a Bigsby on a goldtop too.....its like the Goldtop was made for the bigsby.

Gratuitous goldtop shot just cos they're cool

 

[Archer_of_Fish]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

Wow, you invested a lot of money in that guitar so far (changing the frets on a 2011 guitar already?)

Hope it plays as good as it looks, that's a sweet looking piece right there!

You know what bugs me with bigsbys (and it's a very minor thing...ridiculous really), how you end-up with such a classy looking guitar (such as yours) but see the goofy rainbow string-end-balls of d'addario strings, kinda clashes in a not so cool way.
Told you it was going to be some ridiculously stupid and small thing huh?

congrats again!

I got it second hand for a nice price. The guitar had some fret damage from someone with a small brain and a set of files. I am a pretty good tech and did the fret change myself so that was easy.

I'm a D'Addario guy...I dont mind having the rainbow colours showing

 

[rgand]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

The Bigsby really does that justice. Looks really good. I had a blonde Tele with one. It stayed tuned, too.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

Whats the knee brace do?

 

[Archer_of_Fish]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

Change up.

I put 12's on here and tuned it down a step wen I put the Bigsby on the instrument. I decided that they were too heavy and was going to put on a set of 10's today when I saw a thread on here about finish damage from the felt. I decided to quickly pop the bigsby off and take a look.....the felt was already etching into the finish. that isnt cool.


Lucky for me I have a battered up Standard Faded so I took off the felt pads, added some thin washers between the top of the vibramate and the screws that hold the Bigsby (so that the screws dont go into the top if they are a bit long) and did a swap.

I actually like the sound of this one more than the Gold one with the BIgsby so that is a win.

I have already polished the spot off the gold top but be warned: the felt will mess with your finish.

 

[Johnny-DK]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

Very nice
For some reason I think a Bigsby looks much better on a Gold Top than on a burst.
Good job!

 

[Archer_of_Fish]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

I agree but I dont want the finish to get trashed

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

I got it second hand for a nice price. The guitar had some fret damage from someone with a small brain and a set of files. I am a pretty good tech and did the fret change myself so that was easy.

I'm a D'Addario guy...I dont mind having the rainbow colours showing

Very cool! Congrats on an awesome axe!

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

Looks amazing!!! I'm not a fan of Bigsby's, I like the way they look but typically hate everything else about them? Mostly I have the normal complaints, going out of tune & such but it looks like you nailed it! If it stays in tune & looks that nice then it was a awesome idea! If you had asked me if it was a good idea before you had done it I probably would have said no, don't destroy your beautiful L.P.? You took a bit of a gamble but it looks like it paid off? Every once in awhile if they get installed correctly they end up being great sounding, playing, & definitely great looking tremolos! The only good experience I've had with a Bigsby that wasn't factory installed was on a friends Tele, he spent a fortune to have someone who would guarantee their work put it on for him? I think after parts, shipping, & labor it cost him over $600? If you got similar results on your own then good on you!!! I can't wait to tell him about this, he's going to be P****d!!! ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

[Cortstratele]

Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

Looks great! I love how they look, I had a beautiful Ibanez semi acoustic with a Bigsby, but it used to make a Sitar like noise that drove me crazy while I was practicing, it was like a sympathetic vibration. Is that common?


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[Chickenwings]

Re: Put a Bigsby on one of my Les Pauls

bigsby ftw