http://www.davesguitar.com/product/82962.JPG

Notice the roller on the Bigsby is not running directly "north to south" for lack of a better term.
Anyone else seen something like this?

Here's my 2006 model:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v222/silvertone14/Tools%20of%20the%20Trade-Guitars/2006%20Gretsch%20Chet%20Atkins%20Solidbody%206121-1955/2006Gretsch6121-1955006.jpg

The roller on mine is exactly like that.

It looks off, but apparently it's working fine. The Bigsby needs a 1" spring in it. As it is now it just doesn't have enough play. I'm thinking(hoping) that the lack of play is due to the spring and not the roller being "off".

You guys agree with this?

No......


But have you ever see anything like this..........


.........

Sorry, I just had to do that....I think it may have worked better in the Cycle Spandex thread!:D

I am not sure what you are talking about. Are you referring to where the strings come around the the roller bar? If so, try sliding the string into place so it lines up with the bridge.

Nope never. does seem like the angle could affect operability but I couldn't say. I don't see where 1" or 3/4" spring would make a bigger difference, but I guess it could. Depending on how deep the grooves in your bridge are you may be getting some resistance trying to pull the string at an angle over the saddle as opposed to straight from behind it.

I've seen a few Bigsbys that looked like they were mounted by the blind, maybe that's all that's going on here.

I'm inclined to agree with you Mark.

GreatGretsch, I'm talking about the bar that you wrap the string end over...it just simply is going top to bottom at an angle, like they made one end of the body longer than the other...it's really hard to describe.

Again, it seems to function okay, I just need a 1" spring. I like that arm up in the air a little bit so there's some play in it.
Didn't know if anyone had seen this before. I just thought it quite coincidental that I've only seen it on two guitars, mine and the one on Dave's website...and both are 6121-1955s.

Are you saying that the bar is not parallel to the bridge and bridge pickup? Measure the distance from where the two E strings attach to the bar to the pickup. This would tell you for sure if it is "out of square".

Quote: "Are you saying that the bar is not parallel to the bridge and bridge pickup? "

Yes! You got it! I just couldn't describe it worth a sh*t...sorry 'bout that.

Don't really need to measure it; I can see with the naked eye. It's definitely "out of square". Although the base of the Bigsby is perfectly along the body. Make sense? It just seems to have been fabricated off square.
Eventually I'm gonna let my tech look at it, for a laugh or two...

If you aren't having any problems with it, just leave it be. If it just bugs the hell out of you, get it replaced.

You mention that it is a 2006. Is it still under warranty?

I am also curious to know if that that model of Bigsby is suppose to be like that.

It just seems to have been fabricated off square.

Eventually I'm gonna let my tech look at it, for a laugh or two...
Some Bigsbys look like they were made in primitive vilages in the third world. I don't understand why this is. I know little about casting but somewhere along the line their QC seems to have gone the way of the dinosaur.

Castings are castings and, provided they are done in the same foundry with the same molds, should be fairly uniform. Once the body has been casted, it is placed on a jig and the holes for the bar are bored. From there, the bushings are pressed in. These bushings are clearly visible on either side. Mine bushings seem to be centered on the rounded end of the casting. Check both sides of yours and see if one side isn't 'off' a little. Any misallignment in that bar would happen during the boring phase, not the casting phase. In a production line atmosphere, those two operations would be done by different people in different places of the building, if in the same building at all.

Both sides look fine, don't appear to be off, at least not to my eye. My tech might notice something different when I take it to him.

And since I bought it used(although it don't look it) a few months ago I kinda doubt anything could be done by the Gretsch company. If Joe Carducci happens to read this thread maybe he can hopefully advise on that.

The hinges on some Bigsbys are so loose that it's almost embarrassing.