Bigsby Swivel Bracket

[BillB]

Tom,
Would you consider swapping your fixed bracket for a swivel bracket?
My fixed bracket doesn't fit correctly, and I might have an extra swivel one. I have to go to a training session today, but I can dig around and see if I still have one if you have any interest.

Bill B.

[Billy Anderson]

it's worth dropping Joe a note. Go to the gretsch guitar site

whatcha got to lose by asking?

Thanks Norm. Faint heart never won fair extra swivel bracket, so I will give Mr. C. a try.

Billy Anderson

[Norm]

Gretsch, after all, Does own Bigsby. They still make them in Kalamazoo but the actual foundry where they're cast and finished is not general information.

In my Paul Yanell archive he tells of Bigsby actually being unable to provide stationary brackets at one time because they had lost the pattern for the casting. Bill (Rip) Wilson sent them a bracket so they could recreate the bracket. When I ordered a stationary bracket for my son the two holes for the allen screws that hold the 1/4" rod in place were so badly made they were unusable.

Between that and their steadfast refusal to make a unit with a drilled through bar (eliminating those stupid pins) makes me think they need to change some of the dimmer bulbs in their chandalier.

[Mike Nye]

Gretsch, after all, Does own Bigsby. They still make them in Kalamazoo but the actual foundry where they're cast and finished is not general information.

There was a video of the casting process on Bigsby's website. Casting small parts from aluminum can easily be done in-house. They might sub the steel butter knife handles out, as stamping them requires a large punch press.

Between that and their steadfast refusal to make a unit with a drilled through bar (eliminating those stupid pins) makes me think they need to change some of the dimmer bulbs in their chandalier.

The theory behind the pins on the axis shaft was to eliminate fatigue from a near 90 degree bend in the strings being the weak link. Let's face it, one of a player's biggest fears is the thought of breaking a string when using a vibrato.

Older Bigsby units had threaded Allen pins, instead of the newer press-in type. Like everything else, make it fast and make it cheap ! ! !

[Norm]

The theory behind the pins on the axis shaft was to eliminate fatigue from a near 90 degree bend in the strings being the weak link. Let's face it, one of a player's biggest fears is the thought of breaking a string when using a vibrato..."

My thought has always been reason Bigsby made his vibrato using pins was because at the time of the unit’s design you could not buy strings singly.

If a guitarist wanted a lighter first and second string (which a lot of guys did) he had to use banjo strings which have a loop end instead of a ball end so Bigsby made sure that need was fulfilled for both string styles.

Once assorted single strings became available it never occurred to the makers of Bigsby to modify (and simplify the manufacture of) the unit.

Your posit, Mike, about the angle stress on the string seems to have merit but this topic comes up quite often over at gretschpages where several guitarists, including myself and Paul have had the pins taken out with no ill effects. No one who did the modification ever said "I did that and started busting strings all over the place." to my knowledge. It doesn't seem to affect the usage of the unit and mine hasn't had anything done to it except to have the threads drilled out of the pin holes. They aren'nt even chamfered.

All I have to go on is my own experience and what I've read from others. So far, the 'no pin' guys don't have any complaints and they have the added advantage of having a simpler string changing routine.

>shrug< You guys do what you want.

[Mike Nye]

TWO points well taken Norm . . .

FIRST: James Burton has spoken of having to buy banjo strings to make up .008" E & .009" B strings from Ernie Ball when he had a music store in Encino Calif. back in the 50s. He said he had to cut the brass eyelets off his old strings and wind 'em onto the looped banjo strings so he could thread 'em through the body of his Tele.

SECOND: PA was a tool & die maker of Swiss lineage where precision was FOREMOST in ANYTHING his name was on, so over-engineering to ace the Acid Test was par. It's a totally different world these days . . .

Mike

[Norm]

Those were the days.

InnnnnDeeeed!