A Bigsby on a Tele

[Gordon]

Mods, if you think this thread belongs to the 'other guitars' section, feel free to move it there.

Acknowledged that I use to mod my guitars, a friend of mine asked me how he could put a Bigsby on his Tele... Easy question, I told him about the B50, and the Tele plate Bigsby makes. The thing is, he didn't like the plate and the floating bridge, and would like to keep a normal Tele bridge. Also, I assume he isn't too hot for drilling the body for thimbles and shimmering the neck. That's something I can understand, never having done so myself.

I remember having seen such a mod, but then I wondered: using a top loading bridge, strings (from the Bigsby) would go into the mounting holes, and then to the saddles... Isn't there a risk of friction, and therefore string breakage? I've googled a bit, and found such a mod, which I assume isn't really an issue, otherwise people would do it:




But still, some prefer to notch the bridge plate:




No friction there, but what about the string angle behind the saddles? I fear it'd lack tension... :-\

So, my fellow modders, what do you think of it? Which of the two is the best option?

[Superfuzz]

apart from the bridge style, I think it works equally to JM bridge equipped teles..

[RumorsOFsurF]

I'd notch the bridge plate...

The Jazzmaster style bridge works well, but it doesn't sound like a Tele. 

[sewkid]

Don't forget about the "Bigsby curse"

[Gordon]

Which is...?

[fuzzjunkie]

i've played one with the roller bar bigsby with a top loader bridge and the tension wasn't lacking. without the bar, well i've never seen one like that before these photos, so it must be less common and i would think there would be quite a bit of friction and less string tension. i think the notching requires a lot of surgery, but there can be some friction with the top loader, so if you're worried about that i'd go a head and notch it.

on the ones i've seen the roller bar sits about an inch behind the bridge plate, like the last two photos, the one in the middle looks really odd

[Gordon]

The first one is actually a B16 partly sawed off.

[jetset]

Without the floating bridge, I'd think you'd have staying-in-tune problems, unless you used some sort of slippery graph-tech type saddles. 

[sewkid]

If you haven't heard about the Bigsby Curse, click here or Google it

http://www.nymphusa.com/tele/bigsby.asp

[RumorsOFsurF]

Without the floating bridge, I'd think you'd have staying-in-tune problems, unless you used some sort of slippery graph-tech type saddles. 

That's a good point....Never thought about that.

[sewkid]

If you can't find on with an "F" on it, would it count if you filed the "B" off?
Just food for thought
I never could find out what the curse was!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gordon]

If you haven't heard about the Bigsby Curse, click here or Google it

http://www.nymphusa.com/tele/bigsby.asp

Haha... (but I'll still convince him to find a F one )

Without the floating bridge, I'd think you'd have staying-in-tune problems, unless you used some sort of slippery graph-tech type saddles. 

I guess you're right, but... It's a Bigsby, it's more aesthetical than really practical anyway.

[Superfuzz]

Without the floating bridge, I'd think you'd have staying-in-tune problems, unless you used some sort of slippery graph-tech type saddles. 

It shouldn't be a big problem, gibson put bigsbyes on theyr guitar from ages...it's kinda like having a TOM on a JM (so do I  )

[Danocaster]

If I was only gonna have ONE tele - It wouldnt have  a bigsby. But because I have many - I say YEAH

I notched the bridge for the bigsby - and sawed off the front for a humbucker !!

sounds great - no tuning issues ( no bigsby curse )

[Gordon]

Since I asked this, my friend chickened out... I should have bet, I *knew* he would.

But thanks all for your answers and point of views, the idea of a Bigsby'd Tele made me jonesing, and, erm, nudge nudge wink wink.