Bigsby b6 installation

Very dense and transfers vibrations well. Quality polished bone or ivory is very slippery and very durable. Some legal statutes apply to products made of these materials.

Micarta is a thermosetting plastic high-pressure laminate comprised of different materials including linen, canvas, paper and others. Very durable and has been used on guitars since the s. A high compression material sometimes impregnated with Teflon to aid in string movement.

Said to have many of the characteristics of bone and ivory with more consistency. Often used for saddles too. Locking tuning machines are made by a whole host of different manufacturers including Sperzel, Schaller, Gotoh, Grover and others. The basic idea behind a locking tuning machine is to lock a string in place by means other than wrapping it.

This can be achieved in a few different ways including a locking string shaft cam. By wrapping a string in place on a guitar in the traditional non-locking way, the surface area on which it could slip is much greater.

Overlapping on wrapped strings are often a point of tuning instability on any guitar. By using a locking tuning machine any style, and brand that locks a string in place without a single full wrap, you are decreasing the area on which a string can bind or get hung up.

When using a vibrato, this becomes even more of an area of interest since you are putting slack, or pulling taut the string. Common bridges used with Bigsby tailpieces:. Gretsch Rocking Bar Floating unit, no individual saddles, rocks back and forth when vibrato engaged. Gibson TuneMatic Both ABR-1 and Nashville and Stationary non-floating , features 6 individual adjustable saddles, strings ride over saddles when vibrato is engaged.

There is a Vibramate kit for the to install a B7 without drilling holes. If you do drill holes you can buy one of those custom made plates that were used on the early 60s Bigsby s so that it looks like a factory install, although if you then sold it you'd probably want to do so with the Bigsby on there - I'd guess there was more of a market for s with nicely installed Bigsbys than there is for s with holes in the top. Messages 9, On a , I'd use the Towner bar and the B6.

Really only because with a B7, you would have open holes left where the stop bar currently is, and I don't think those two big open holes look very good although I'd rather just leave open holes than one of those ugly "custom made" plates.

There is a difference in feel between the two, a B7 will feel a little stiffer. Whiskeyrebel Silver Supporting Member. Messages 30, Jayyj said:.

Great information. Looks like I'll be going the B6 route with the Towner Bar, as I really like the option of adjusting the height. Messages Thanks guys for taking the time write accurately on your experience with my retrofits. Have a great weekend! Messages 2, I went with a B6 and Towner bar on my Midtown Custom. No regrets. ToneIsKing55 said:. Awesome response man! Thank you! I'm having absolutely no stability issues with the B6.

It doesn't move at all. The string tension alone keeps in perfectly in place. I used the long strap button screw you have to pre-drill that came with the Towner kit. This is all completely reversible. I could go back to a stoptail anytime if I wanted to. I won't because I love this setup, but I certainly could.

The Towner bar allows you to control the break-angle over the bridge saddles by adjusting the height of the 2 mounting studs. The fixed position down-tension bar on the B7 can pull down too far, which increases string tension and can cause tuning issues. You might not be able to tell, but I also have a TonePros locking roller bridge on this guitar. This also helps with tuning. We love them here and we install quite a few of them. We have a series of videos on our YouTube channel about setting them up and making them work right.

One question we get is, What one should I get, and why are there so many? The other question is, Is a "licensed" Bigsby any good? What is the difference? Let's break it all down. We lump these together because they are basically the same except for the length. They both are meant for arch top hollow body guitars such as a Gibson Two things determine which one you choose. The physical length of the guitar, and the desired break angle of the strings.

A higher angle of the strings over the saddles increases the downforce and affects tuning stability and tone. Many people who retrofit either the B3 or B6 to a or similar guitar will use a pull-down bar to increase the string break angle.

I think these add too much friction so I choose to use a different vibrato instead. These vibratos add an idler bar to increase the break angle of the string.

It has a roller to alleviate friction. The B5 is meant for flat top guitars like the Telecaster and the B7 is meant for the arch top guitar. These are very similar to the B3 and B7 with a bit different lengths and a cutout and a bit different look as well. This is my favorite of all the Bigsbys.