Bigsby On A Tele --string Guides

[Mickguard]

I'm planning on putting a Bigsby B5 clone on the tele clone that'll be converted into my next Bocaster (the Thinline).

The existing bridge is set up for top mounted strings. I'm looking for a way to feed the strings from the bigsby through the existing holes.

The idea I've come up with so far:

I've got a kitchen spatula here with a teflon-like plastic blade. I'm thinking I can cut a strip out of that then drill holes to match the string guides on the back of the tele plate.

I'll then add three holes for the saddle screws and these will hold the plastic strip in place.

This way the strings will rise up off the Bigsby's roller and pass through the plastic--without touching the metal of the bridge plate. The strings can rub against the plastic instead. (And I'm no dive bomber, at the most, I only want the bigsby for the 'shimmer')

An alternative would be to do the same thing, except I could drill holes lower down on the tele plate --that way I could increase the string angle to be more like a string-through tele

So can anyone tell me why it won't work?

(Later that same day...)

I went ahead and cut out (very crudely) the piece of teflon/plastic and drilled the holes...can't see any reason why it won't work. I made the string guides in the plastic a bit smaller than the guides in the bridge, so the strings shouldn't rub against the metal at all....

Tomorrow I plan on drilling the holes to attach the bigsby to the guitar? I'll see about posting a photo.

Edited December 26, 2004 by idch