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Post by ineedtherapy (Stuart) on Jun 15, 2019 9:53:23 GMT -7
Has anyone tried this? If so, how did the Bigsby impact your guitar’s tone/sustain? Would you recommend others try it or stay away?
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Post by Christopher on Jun 15, 2019 14:38:12 GMT -7
I had the vibramate lot on my LP for a while. I dug it but it did add some weight to my guitar. Sustain was negligible but it was a fun piece of kit. I'd do it on a Jr in a heartbeat if it didn't have a wraparound bridge. To me it looks better on a slab body like a tele or Jr vs a carved top LP. br]https://ibb.co/m09CZmg
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Post by daddyelmis (Greg) on Jun 15, 2019 16:19:33 GMT -7
I had the vibramate lot on my LP for a while. I dug it but it did add some weight to my guitar. Sustain was negligible but it was a fun piece of kit. I'd do it on a Jr in a heartbeat if it didn't have a wraparound bridge. To me it looks better on a slab body like a tele or Jr vs a carved top LP. photos.app.goo.gl/AKfC9332sVvtC91M8Unless it’s this one 😁
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Post by ineedtherapy (Stuart) on Jun 15, 2019 19:21:25 GMT -7
Call me tempted... I hadn’t wanted to change anything with my LP, but I really want a vibrato on one of my guitars. I won’t add it to the 52 AVRI and I can’t add it to my Ric. So that leaves me with my LP. Which I didn’t think I’d do, but the vibramate makes it more tempting.
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Post by ineedtherapy (Stuart) on Jun 15, 2019 19:49:40 GMT -7
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2019 5:01:59 GMT -7
I had the Vibrate/B7 combo on my CR-8 for a while. It worked pretty well and it looked really cool to me. In the end it made the guitar a bit too heavy for me and I have other Bigsby equipped guitars so I took it off.
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Post by T-R☼CK ♫ on Jun 16, 2019 6:55:23 GMT -7
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I gave it a new home on another R8... Thanks, Roscoe!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2019 7:12:17 GMT -7
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I gave it a new home on another R8... Thanks, Roscoe! That's a sweet setup for sure!!
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Post by ineedtherapy (Stuart) on Jun 16, 2019 11:21:38 GMT -7
Those are great looking Lesters!
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Post by ineedtherapy (Stuart) on Jun 16, 2019 18:43:07 GMT -7
The Bigsby is on its way! I’ll update you when it’s on.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2019 5:40:35 GMT -7
Instal tip: Don't tighten it down too hard on the top of the body. It was made to float.
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Post by Andy 67 on Jun 17, 2019 6:54:06 GMT -7
I had one installed in my old R7 and it was great. It did its job perfectly and the only thing I had to be careful about was the strap pin hole. I had Schaller straplocks and I had to add some wood via toothpicks to the drilled hole. The performance was perfect. Good luck, and tons of tone!!
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Post by ineedtherapy (Stuart) on Jun 17, 2019 10:24:11 GMT -7
Instal tip: Don't tighten it down too hard on the top of the body. It was made to float. thats helpful! I probably would’ve tightened it to it’s greatest ability otherwise.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Jun 17, 2019 15:56:45 GMT -7
good luck with the install and just a note that i had a weird issue with my R8. I couldn't get the bigsby piece that goes over the strap knob to work with the vibramate plate that goes under the strap knob so i left that vibramate piece off. The guy i talked to at Vibramate was super helpful but he couldn't explain it other than some weird build variance with my guitar. It's been on for a couple years now and works just fine.
I think the vibramate adds some height to the b-7 and a little weight to the guitar but i think you'd be hard pressed to tell whether the bigsby impacted your tone very much.
I'd like to find a stiffer spring to put on mine... i feel like the play in the bar movement is just too fast, so the pitch control is not as subtle as other b7's i've played.
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Post by ineedtherapy (Stuart) on Jun 17, 2019 18:46:42 GMT -7
The Bad Poodle Experience what year was your R8? Could that be part of it? I know some companies changed measurements, but those changes may have been as much about protecting against fakes from China (my 1986 Rickenbacker 360 is near impossible to find parts for and I’ve been wanting a gold set of plastic).
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Jun 17, 2019 18:56:33 GMT -7
The Bad Poodle Experience what year was your R8? Could that be part of it? I know some companies changed measurements, but those changes may have been as much about protecting against fakes from China (my 1986 Rickenbacker 360 is near impossible to find parts for and I’ve been wanting a gold set of plastic). 2010... i think. Lol made you a video
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Post by ineedtherapy (Stuart) on Jun 17, 2019 19:35:58 GMT -7
Thanks for that! The top on yours is beautiful. I appreciate the plain top. I’ve never really been a fan of flamed tops. That’s unfortunate about the end piece though. Hopefully it’ll go on without a hitch. Now I’m a little nervous.
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Post by mudman on Jun 17, 2019 20:37:51 GMT -7
Wanted to do this... just not my R8. If I ever get a beater LP I’m going to rock one on it.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2019 4:37:00 GMT -7
If you run into end piece trouble on the instal you can put a strap lock on that end and it will give you extra room down there.
The B7/Vibramate did not make a single mark on the finish of my CR-8
@the Bad Poodle Bigsby does offer 2 different springs. If yours didn't come (mine did. they were wrapped with thin white paper) with both I bet you can order one from Bigsby. They are quite different.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Jun 18, 2019 12:07:04 GMT -7
If you run into end piece trouble on the instal you can put a strap lock on that end and it will give you extra room down there. The B7/Vibramate did not make a single mark on the finish of my CR-8 @the Bad Poodle Bigsby does offer 2 different springs. If yours didn't come (mine did. they were wrapped with thin white paper) with I both I bet you can order one from Bigsby. They are quite different. I will have to look in the original packaging to see if there was a second spring but i don't recall seeing one.
I took a look at StewMac and they have replacement springs in 3 different lengths: 7/8", 1" and 1-1/8".There does not seem to be a difference in spring tension. As it is, I already have a penny in there to get the arm up a little bit higher.
did some research and found these at REverand Guitars.. it says they have two sizes but i can't figure out how to specify which i'm ordering. I thought i needed a stiffer spring but maybe i need a softer one. I will give one a try and report back.
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Post by ineedtherapy (Stuart) on Jun 20, 2019 15:56:39 GMT -7
Here she is!
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Post by ineedtherapy (Stuart) on Jun 20, 2019 15:57:56 GMT -7
Did I do something wrong stringing up or something? I don’t recall the arm sticking out so far on previous guitars I’ve had with Bigsbys. Maybe it’s just been a while and I’m used to the LP not having anything protrude from the body.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2019 16:02:58 GMT -7
Make sure the spring is properly seated both top and bottom. Looks like it's not really "in there" on the upper side.
Pull the bar up and push it in there.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Jun 20, 2019 17:02:46 GMT -7
Or see if there was a second, shorter spring in the packaging. Mine sticks up fairly high but it feels right when playing. compare the height on yours to mine in the beginning of the video i posted.
looks good. enjoy!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2019 17:28:00 GMT -7
It’s usually that way when not seated right.
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Post by ineedtherapy (Stuart) on Jun 20, 2019 19:09:32 GMT -7
I’ll check these things for sure! This was the only spring included and I think it’s the 1” spring, but may be 1 1/8”. If it turns out it’s seated correctly, I’ll buy a 7/8” spring.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2019 10:45:37 GMT -7
from your "over the top of the guitar" photo it really looks like the spring is not properly seated in the top where the arm is.
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Post by ineedtherapy (Stuart) on Jun 21, 2019 18:45:00 GMT -7
How’s this? Better now that I popped the spring into place? I think I still want to get a 7/8” spring.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2019 7:53:25 GMT -7
Can you take a picture of the spring from the side?
There are washers included above and below the spring.
Do you have the silicone washers in there? The old ones didn't have them. I routinely toss the washers. I don't think they help with anything (tuning or operation of the Bigsby).
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Post by ineedtherapy (Stuart) on Jul 28, 2019 17:19:49 GMT -7
Sorry to revive a dead thread. Update though... as others suggested, the spring wasn’t seated properly. It helped after figuring that out, but it still wasn’t good enough. I bought a 6/11”s spring (I think that’s right) then it was too low (a friend recommended it). I ended up with a 1” spring. I like it. I may end up taking the Bigsby back off at some point down the road, but it’ll survive until these strings need to come off at least. Probably longer though.
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