[tolger]

Hi guys!

I bought a used (really used) fender with bigsby. Im not an expert, so my first question is: its bigsby, or licenced?

2. question: It doesnt work... after I pushed it, the strings doesnt come back to the original position, everyone stay 'lower' ... what can be the problem? The spring - which spring do I have to buy? or anything else??

THank you the answers!

I uploaded some pictures to my website. You can see them here:

http://dig-webdesign.hu/telec/

[6stings]

Welcome Tolg!
You have the original Bigsby with F logo.
Do you have the spring or not? If not, you sure need one to make it work!

[tolger]

Hi 6strings, thanks the answer!

The spring is in its place, it works, but it doesnt work well, I mean: I can't use it, because Em6 become Ebm6 after bigsby )

I never had bigsby, so I dont know: is it the spring, or anything else?

[6stings]

I think it gets out of tune somehow, maybe you should check the tuners and the nut too.

[tolger]

Yes you're right. I got it yesterday, and ... in really bad condition. I'm curious how it works with new strings, and after setting.

[montereyjack66]

Welcome. Since you don't REALLY know the history of the instrument (you don't know where it's been or if it used protection when it was dropped off of the stage and really... it's probably lying anyway), you are probably best off reviewing all of the basics like the nut, the bridge, the spring, maybe the strings etc. If nothing else is revealed, you may want to take it to a trusted pro for a going over.

That said - Bigsbys are "played" rather than "whanged". They can be tempramental but mostly you just need to develop a familiarity and "touch" with your tremolo bar. Essentialy, you are bending the strings but from a different point. It's still physical manipulation and precision or not, even NASA has to contend with physics. Bigsbys are known for returning to rest a little sharp more often than not. Pay attention both by feel and by ear, and just like your honey, you will eventually learn not too p#%s her off too often by recognizing those delicate states as they occur.

A mechanical cheat/back up is to have either an in-line tuner or a clip on tuner so as to aid you in a quick return to just right should the matrimonial bliss go a little flat.

OR have another round at the bar before you hit the stage and maybe you won't mind so much if the tuning gets a little jazzy.

Good luck.

mj

PS You buy the ice cream at the next meeting.

[tartanphantom]

A couple of pictures would be of great help in diagnosing the problem.

[thunder58]

hi tolger and welcome .. you mentioned you never had a Bigsby ....not only should you buy a new spring but just remember , a bigsby is not made for "divebombing" hope that helps with your Em6's

[tolger]

Hi!

Thank you the answers.

You're right, I have a lot of work with that.

I think, the previous owner didn't use it, just leave somewhere in the flat, and his 13 yrs old son used it sometimes, to practice, or with his little band.

Nobody cared about this guitar. I have to clean it, change some bolts in the bridge maybe, they are rusted, and unusable.

- Oh, the bridge: what do you think about this type of bridge. It's a little weird for me. I'm not familiar whith these tele bridges.

When I see a picture on the net, the bolts are parallel, and everything looks fine. But in mine.. there aren't two parallel bolts, and it looks like... I don't know... maybe there's no enough place for them.. ok, i hope it doesnt sound too silly..

maybe a different type bridge would be better.. what do you think?

I will change the nut, and the truss rod later.

I just heard about licensed bigsby somewhere, that its spring is really bad, and when I used it (it wasn't divebomb, it was just a soft, gentle pushing to try this. It stayed down, I could see with my eyes that it didnt come up

that's why I thought of the spring.. but you're right, I have to set, clean, repear everything, and after that try it again

thanks again!

[tartanphantom]

Looking at your pictures, the problem is with the bridge. The bridge is the standard Fender Jaguar bridge with the Fender/Bigsby conversion kit.

The problem is that this bridge normally will rock back and forth with the vibrato action on a Fender Jaguar. However, on a Tele with a B5 Bigsby (the one pictured) the extra tension bar on the Bigsby tends to put too much downward pressure on the Jaguar bridge. As a result, the bridge will often rock forward but not return properly-- consequently your guitar will be out of tune. The easy way to fix this is to remove the strings, and remove the bridge from its sockets. Then, wrap a thin layer of tape around the bridge posts so that they will no longer move inside the thimble sockets. It shouldn't take much tape, but you need to make sure that the fit is very snug when re-inserting the bridge.

Next, re-string the guitar and adjust the bridge saddles for proper intonation. You should be good to go after this.

[tolger]

tartanphantom, thank you the answer!

My english isn't the best. I hope, I understend you is there a picture/video anywhere with this stuff?

it would be great

[tartanphantom]

tolger,

Your English is much better than my Hungarian, which I do not speak at all. However, I have translated my post using Transtar, which is somewhat accurate. Hopefully, it will help. I have also attached a picture describing the parts. Here is the translation- I apologize if it does not make sense, it is an electronic translation:

"Nézzük a képeket, a probléma a híd. A híd a standard Fender híd Jaguar a Fender / Bigsby átalakító készlet.

A probléma az, hogy ez a híd rendesen will rock-hátra a vibrato fellépés egy Fender Jaguar. Azonban a Tele egy B5 Bigsby (a képen), az extra feszültség bár a Bigsby hajlamos túl nagy nyomást gyakorolt ​​a Jaguar hídon. Ennek eredményeként a híd gyakran rázza előre, de nem adja vissza megfelelően - ebből következően a gitár kerül ki a dallam. A könnyű út-hoz erősít ez, hogy távolítsa el a húrokon, és távolítsa el a hidat a hüvelybe aljzatok. Ezután csomagoljuk egy vékony szalagot a híd körüli hozzászólás, hogy azok többé nem mozog benne a hüvelyt aljzatok. Nem kell sok szalagot, de meg kell győződnie arról, hogy az illeszkedés nagyon barátságos, amikor újra beilleszti a hídon.

Ezután újra húros gitár és állítsa be a híd nyereg megfelelő hanglejtés. Meg kell jól menni ez után."

[6stings]

Tartan, you really are The Exotic One! Very cool!

[tolger]

THank you, Now I understand you because of the picture THe translators are funny (i use the one of google), but the system of our language is too complicated

[tartanphantom]

Originally Posted by 6stings

Tartan, you really are The Exotic One! Very cool!

Tyvärr är svenska det enda icke-engelska språk som jag har någon kompetens, och det är fortfarande inte så bra.




Ох, и только немного русский язык. Кириллица слишком трудно запомнить.


Everything else just leaves me confused. Especially Finnish and Arabic, which varies so much by regional dialect.

[6stings]

Beklager, forstår ikke Svensk!

[6stings]

Originally Posted by tolger

THank you, Now I understand you because of the picture THe translators are funny (i use the one of google), but the system of our language is too complicated

I love when my wife speaks dirty to me in Hungarian! Sounds like she sings Locomotiv GT's Ezüst nyár

[tartanphantom]

Originally Posted by 6stings

Beklager, forstår ikke Svensk!

Och jag förstår inte Norska!

[6stings]

Originally Posted by tartanphantom

Och jag förstår inte Norska!

Hej, nemoj da ti ja tamo dodjem!

[tartanphantom]

OK, now that's unusual... Some basic Aryan elements, but several words I do not recognize at all... Eastern European of some sort? Romanian? Serb? Slovenian? Upper Lower Moldavia?

I'm Stumped.

Visigoth?