Bigsby Question

[axxion]

Any problems with putting a left handed bigsby on a right handed guitar?

Well here is my train of thought:

I know B7's will fit on a Gibson SG.

I am assuming that a B7 will fit on an Epiphone SG.

And I am assuming then that a left handed B700 (import) will fit on a right handed Epi SG.....

If B700's don't work then I guess I'll go classic horse shoe B500...

In then end I just want a bass ackwards whammy bar like good ol' Stevie.....dammit.....

[Mickguard]

You could potentially cut down the handle and use it only under palm, that way the handle won't get in the way of playing...could be fun that way, is that what you're thinking?

Otherwise, why not just get a right-handed bigsby?

[Supernova9]

Because he wants to do it SRV style.

Original poster - if at right handed bigsby fits, the left handed one will too. The extent to which the bar gets in the way of your playing is another matter. Cutting down the bar would be rather difficult to do and not look incredibly amateur.

[SwedishLuthier]

Because he wants to do it SRV style.

Original poster - if at right handed bigsby fits, the left handed one will too. The extent to which the bar gets in the way of your playing is another matter.

Unfortunately this is not true. A "normal" whammy bar can be swung around 360 deg. That is not the case with a Bigsby. The Bigsby have a stop piece that prevent the bar to be "lowered" (if mounted lefty on a righty and vice verse, originally it is to stop the bar to be raised) more than to the position that is parallel to the strings. Swing it around the other way and the bar will stop wile pointing roughly in the direction of a normal output jack. And then you can't use it at all.

So to answer the original question: If you are fine with that awkward position of the bar (parallel to the strings but above them) you can use what ever Bigsby you like. Or you have to prepare yourself for some extensive, hard to get good looking, metalwork to get it to work.

[Mickguard]

It'd be pretty simple to cut the bar, then reshape, sand and polish the end. You'd barely be able to tell the difference, it's just metal after all. Although you could also rubberize the handle, so the heel of your hand wouldn't slip. Then the mod would be invisible too.

[axxion]

I went down to a music store today and looked at one. The metal stopper doesnt look like it's do difficult to cut down. It looks like I'd need an angle grinder or somthin. I don't think regular sandpaper is gonna cut it.

The reason for an SRV whammy bar is because I already have zillions of doodads and extra controls on the lower half of the guitar. I want to add a bigsby but having a whammy bar in the traditional place would just clutter everything up too much..

It's an SG so I have nothing on the top half.. I think the backwards whammy would balance it out nicely. I'll do it and post some pics.

[j. pierce]

I've seen more than one person grind down the little stop that prevents a bigsby from turning 360 degrees. A local guitar builder in my town has done that to at lest one instrument as well: link

If I remember correctly, on my Bigsby, the part you'd need to grind down is just the polished aluminum, not one of the plated parts. But I could be mistaken.

Part of the thing with a bigsby design is that the way the arm is held in with a bolt and a nut, if you're constantly moving that arm, it can work it's way loose, so that's something to be careful of. It won't ever fall off, as by the time the bolt gets loose, the arm can no longer torque the nut, but it makes the action of the whole thing sloppy. I used to have to tighten the arm every few string changes on mine. I finally just put some locktite on the thread of that screw so I don't have to worry about that anymore. I just think with a free spinning arm, it might be more of an issue.

I'm curious if a B7 would actually fit on an SG? Outside of one from-scratch custom job, every SG I've seen with a Bigsby uses a B5. It's 7" from the hinge to the tension bar on one of those - I'm don't have the measurements in front of me from my SG build, but that seems pretty tight. I know a B7 fits pretty closely on an LP, I thought an SG had a little less space behind the bridge. I could be mistaken. I'd just make sure to measure before you order hardware if this is going on an already built guitar.

[Mickguard]

It's actually fairly easy to work with metal, especially a small piece like this. And if you go with an aluminum bigsby, it'll be even easier.

Just cut it down with a hacksaw. Then use fine metal files to smooth it out. Then switch to sandpaper (for metal, of course), going to finer and finer grades. Once you get to 1000 or so, you can probably switch to steel wool.

Make sure to use masking tape to protect the areas you don't want scratched. In the end, the only part you're really trying to sand and polish is the edge-- the surface of the bar won't be affected by the work.

The nice part is that you can order a new bar if you ever need one.

[axxion]

I'm curious if a B7 would actually fit on an SG?

Yup. SG + B7

thanks for the link too, pierce

Edited December 12, 2008 by axxion