coolcat Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 Hello guys! I'm using a strat neck and making a custom body. Keeping the strat three single coil set-up. What I want to do is put a Bisby B5 on it. I need a tune-o-matic type bridge, I'm assuming. I'm not sure how to go about figuring out all the measurements. When you say the "distance from the nut to the bridge" what "nut" are you talking about exactly? I'm still in the designing stages right now. Also, I would like to find a diagram of a body plan for a strat and a jazzmaster somewhere online. The CAD files on guitarbuild.com won't open on my macintosh. Anyone have these? Thanks for all your input!!! -George B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted March 29, 2004 Report Share Posted March 29, 2004 The nut spoken of is at the headstock, where the strings go across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolcat Posted March 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2004 The nut spoken of is at the headstock, where the strings go across. Thanks for the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mynamesucks Posted March 30, 2004 Report Share Posted March 30, 2004 If you want a specific body go into your local guitar shop and ask to trace it. they could be complete idiots or be nice. Well thats what i did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolcat Posted March 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2004 Thanks! I actually have a strat that I traced. I wanted plans to know where the holes should be for routing and especially bridge placement. But for now I'm using that strat outline and customizing it from there. My big concern is the bridege. I'm buying a Bigsby B5 and have to figure out what type of bridge will work with that on a strat/jazzmaster type body and strat neck. [G] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted March 30, 2004 Report Share Posted March 30, 2004 Did you ever play a Bigsby? If not then check a guitar out that has one....to me it is the most horrible trem ever build. It has a very narrow bending range, does not stay in tune well and looks ugly in my opinion. It would be stupid if you do all the work neccessary to build a guitar only to realize that you don't like the Bigsby in the end. I know that this is only my opinion and that some people like the Bigsby, but if you haven't already played one do yourself a favor and play one first.... If you don't like the Bigsby and don't want a Floyd then check out the Wilkinson trem. It is the best non-locking trem you'll find. Just my 0.2 Cents.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolcat Posted March 31, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2004 Yeah, I've palyed with Bigsbies. I love them. I also have a strat with a locking Floyd Rose. It definitely has more tremelo "range". But I love the feel and the retro look of the Bigsby. I guess it's all in the "eye of the beholder", eh? Anyone else out there a Bigsby fan? I'd love to hear some feedback about what bridges work best with them. Thanks for all the help! [G] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jozer99 Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 I have experience with both Bigsby (700) and Floyd Roses (specifically an Ibanez Edge). For rock, there really isn't any comparing the two. The Floyd was designed to be the ultimate trem, and it shows. You can dive bomb and pull up effortlessly, dropping down to the point where the strings rattle on the fretboard limply, and pulling back into tune. The Bigsby is much better at a much milder effect, almost a warble. They require the most effort to push down of any trem I have used, and that effects your speed and range. I am afraid to pull up on it in fear that I will rip the thing off the guitar. The Bigsby is at home with country music and surfer rock. Those are definitely musical genres that the Floyd does not have a large market share in. The big problem I have with my Bigsby is tuning problems. Bigsbys actually do not have string guides. This allows the strings to shift every time you use the trem, making tuning stability pretty bad, even with only mild use. On the other hand, there is no style statement like a Bigsby. I personally don't like Bigsbys on Fender guitars. They look much better on Gibsons or other more retro-styled guitars. This goes along with the fact that it is much easier to install a Bigsby on a set-neck archtop, and very hard to install a Floyd. Fender's are easy to retrofit with a Floyd. Yeah, I've palyed with Bigsbies. I love them. I also have a strat with a locking Floyd Rose. It definitely has more tremelo "range". But I love the feel and the retro look of the Bigsby. I guess it's all in the "eye of the beholder", eh? Anyone else out there a Bigsby fan? I'd love to hear some feedback about what bridges work best with them. Thanks for all the help! [G] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 STOP NOW!!!!. Before you go any further I recomend you do more reading and research. Your questions about what the nut is, leads me to believe that even though you play guitar, you don't know a whole lot about their construction. If you use plans that already have the bridge location on them, there is a very good chance that your bridge will need to be in a different location. It may only be a few millimeters, which you might be able to accomdate for with your saddles for the intonation. But it could be a lot more. Secondly, if you use a Strat bridge location to set a Tune-O-Matic location, you are going to have more problems. The screw locations between the two are over a 1/4" difference, which you are not making up with any bridge. Plus a T-O-M requires either a recess for the bridge or a neck angle. And you'll need to figure out the neck angle which requires a little time and effort. For as simple as a guitar looks, there are a lot of algeraic equations used to place the components, as well as a lot of geometry. Read through the tuturials on this site and others. Buy Melvin Hiscock's book, or borrow it from a library. Building guitars is a great past time and most everyone who does it, end up building several. But there is a lot of knowledge that you need to have first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 Why are you guys digging up a 3 year old thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 The nut spoken of is at the headstock, where the strings go across. Oh my god! The fabled Mr Litchfield graced this thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 STOP NOW!!!!. Before you go any further I recomend you do more reading and research. Your questions about what the nut is, leads me to believe that even though you play guitar, you don't know a whole lot about their construction. If you use plans that already have the bridge location on them, there is a very good chance that your bridge will need to be in a different location. It may only be a few millimeters, which you might be able to accomdate for with your saddles for the intonation. But it could be a lot more. Secondly, if you use a Strat bridge location to set a Tune-O-Matic location, you are going to have more problems. The screw locations between the two are over a 1/4" difference, which you are not making up with any bridge. Plus a T-O-M requires either a recess for the bridge or a neck angle. And you'll need to figure out the neck angle which requires a little time and effort. For as simple as a guitar looks, there are a lot of algeraic equations used to place the components, as well as a lot of geometry. Read through the tuturials on this site and others. Buy Melvin Hiscock's book, or borrow it from a library. Building guitars is a great past time and most everyone who does it, end up building several. But there is a lot of knowledge that you need to have first. I didn't even look at the date of the threads. I was just scanning through the recent posts and saw this one. Guess I should have caught that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolcat Posted July 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 A quick update to this 3 year old thread. I now know what a nut is! lol Also, I've built 3 Strats from different parts sources and haven't used a Bigsby on any of them. (I bought a semi-hollow Cort with a nice Bigsby on it.) I've decided to stick with the vintage trems on the Strats. Anyway, I've learned alot from reading books and especially from all you guys here at Project Guitar, so THANK YOU so much for all your posts! Peace, -Coolcat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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