Bigsby on LP

warrenpridgeon

Hi Guys

I have a Epiphone Les Paul...
Have been toying with the idea of putting a bigsby trem onto it...
Anyone done this or have any advice?

ezietsman

The monkey has done this.

Big-G

My advice would be DON"T DO IT!! Rather buy a cheap second hand Epi LP, and fit that one with one. Tuning stability will become a big issue, unless you like heavy strings (.11 or greater), and even then can be an issue. They are great to have, and add a bit of pizaz to your sound, but I'd never have one on my ONLY guitar.

Regards
G!

singemonkey

Tuning stability is not a big issue if the nut is cut correctly. Simple as that. If you're worried then get a vibramate which allows you to intall a Bigsby without permanently altering the guitar (I always reckon it's for chickens ? ). I'm not massively wild about the vibramate because it lifts the tailpiece up some and looks a little weird. But obviously not many people care about that.

Using a vibramate with your bigsby tailpiece will allow you to test the tuning and the tone changes without altering your guitar. And if you like it, you can either leave it as is, or permanently install the tailpiece.

Edit: I put .11s on my guitar because I was advised that it would sound better. I don't know if it makes a difference. .11s are very comfortable under the fingers. I can't say whether they hinder bending or not, because the frets on this LP are so damn low that bending was always really difficult. One day it's getting refretted with taller frets.

warrenpridgeon

Big G wrote: My advice would be DON"T DO IT!! Rather buy a cheap second hand Epi LP, and fit that one with one. Tuning stability will become a big issue, unless you like heavy strings (.11 or greater), and even then can be an issue. They are great to have, and add a bit of pizaz to your sound, but I'd never have one on my ONLY guitar.

Regards
G!

mmm.... I did buy my epi second hand for R2000. lol...I generally use 9's on it currently.

studmissile

You've got a pair of brass singemonkey! Looks great, WOW!

Sean

studmissile wrote: You've got a pair of brass singemonkey! Looks great, WOW!

It's gorgeous hey...the guitar, not the brass ?

I forgot that it had P90's ....sheesh, it's stunning. It's an '83 iirc?

Chabenda

They best thing about Bigsby's are all the extra tones that you get out of your guitar -

you know...those creaking squeaks that the strings make hanging up in the nut and bridge saddles!!

?

singemonkey

Sean wrote:
studmissile wrote: You've got a pair of brass singemonkey! Looks great, WOW!
It's gorgeous hey...the guitar, not the brass ?

I forgot that it had P90's ....sheesh, it's stunning. It's an '83 iirc?

Yeah. It's an '83, just after they changed back from '70s specs. So it doesn't have the large headstock or the maple neck or any of that stuff (which is not bad, just of its time). It started off with really crap mini-humbuckers. P-90s knock those things into a cocked hat.

Chabenda's kinda right. The Bigsby does do something to the tone. Nice things ?

singemonkey

warrenpridgeon wrote:
Big G wrote: My advice would be DON"T DO IT!! Rather buy a cheap second hand Epi LP, and fit that one with one. Tuning stability will become a big issue, unless you like heavy strings (.11 or greater), and even then can be an issue. They are great to have, and add a bit of pizaz to your sound, but I'd never have one on my ONLY guitar.

Regards
G!
mmm.... I did buy my epi second hand for R2000. lol...I generally use 9's on it currently.

I don't think you've got much to lose. But consider the vibramate too. Also, it's not ok to use .009s on a Gibson scale-length guitar. ?

Chocklit_Thunda

Otherwise you get something like the GFS floating X-trem which requires no mods to the body

warrenpridgeon

singemonkey wrote:
warrenpridgeon wrote:
Big G wrote: My advice would be DON"T DO IT!! Rather buy a cheap second hand Epi LP, and fit that one with one. Tuning stability will become a big issue, unless you like heavy strings (.11 or greater), and even then can be an issue. They are great to have, and add a bit of pizaz to your sound, but I'd never have one on my ONLY guitar.

Regards
G!
mmm.... I did buy my epi second hand for R2000. lol...I generally use 9's on it currently.
I don't think you've got much to lose. But consider the vibramate too. Also, it's not ok to use .009s on a Gibson scale-length guitar. ?

Please explain... I haven't read this before... and I've been playing for like 8 years! EISH! Learning something new everyday!

Warren

warrenpridgeon wrote:

Please explain... I haven't read this before... and I've been playing for like 8 years! EISH! Learning something new everyday!

Shorter scale length means that strings of the same gauge will have less tension and feel slinkier than on a Strat, so if you find 9s on a Strat comfortable you should find 10s on a Les Paul equally so.

Personally, I think string gauge is purely preference.

warrenpridgeon

ShreddySmurf wrote:
warrenpridgeon wrote:

Please explain... I haven't read this before... and I've been playing for like 8 years! EISH! Learning something new everyday!
Shorter scale length means that strings of the same gauge will have less tension and feel slinkier than on a Strat, so if you find 9s on a Strat comfortable you should find 10s on a Les Paul equally so.

Personally, I think string gauge is purely preference.

Would 9's give a brighter tone than 10's?

AlanRatcliffe

Heavier strings at the same pitch are brighter, more percussive and louder. Heavier strings at the same tension offer lower pitch and more depth.

The choice is personal though - there is no right or wrong. I use .011s at standard pitch. SRV liked even heavier strings (reportedly anywhere up to .013s) but tuned lower. Billy Gibbons and Brian May use .008s.

Chabenda

9's are like biltong with no fat!!! :roflmao:

singemonkey

Chabenda wrote: 9's are like biltong with no fat!!! :roflmao:

They're dangerously skinny, like Jack Flash Jnr. ?

Attila

singemonkey wrote:
Chabenda wrote: 9's are like biltong with no fat!!! :roflmao:

They're dangerously skinny, like Jack Flash Jnr. ?

Nutters

singemonkey

Warrenpigeon, in case you don't know, it's worth noting that there are Bigsby tailpieces made under license in Asia which are a bit cheaper. These are the ones you find on most Asian guitars like Gretsch Electromatics and Corts. Saves a bit of dough on the experiment.

On the other hand, if you're using a vibramate, you can restore the guitar to its original condition if you sell it, and use the USA Bigsby on a higher end guitar in the future. Just an option.

warrenpridgeon

singemonkey wrote: Warrenpigeon, in case you don't know, it's worth noting that there are Bigsby tailpieces made under license in Asia which are a bit cheaper. These are the ones you find on most Asian guitars like Gretsch Electromatics and Corts. Saves a bit of dough on the experiment.

On the other hand, if you're using a vibramate, you can restore the guitar to its original condition if you sell it, and use the USA Bigsby on a higher end guitar in the future. Just an option.

Thanks for the headsup... I will look around... but this is something I've been keen on for a couple of years now... but I haven't had spare cash to do this... when I DO have spare money it goes into something else... like a new pedal or fixing my amp... lol... and now I am moving my bond to another banking institution which costs cash... on the upside I did get around R3000 from a recent fund raiser known as my 30th birthday ... hehe... but that is for a nice (ish) acoustic