Chet Atkins Wire Arm

[Mike Detlefsen]

I got a reply to my email. The fellow said I should either drill out the hole or send it back to them and they would drill it out. He made the comment that he has had to drill out the hole that the arm goes into many times.

My question would be that since it's a known problem, why don't they check them before they send out the orders? Or better yet, why does Bigsby make a shoddy product?

Fortunately, I have a good friend with a complete machine shop in his garage, and I'm going over there to get the arm hole drilled out, and the hole that the string bar goes into enlarged (I'm installing this on a "licensed Bigsby" on my 5120). I sold my 6122-1959 and miss the fixed arm Chet handle.

[craigdobbins]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. They use they same molds they have for years, and it's not rocket science. By that, I mean it's old-fashioned sand casting. There's a YouTube video of the complete process.

I've enlarged holes, re-bent arms, and shimmed tailpiece bodies for years. It's just a part of it. Sometimes you get one that's absolutely perfect, sometimes not.

I've never bothered with drilling, although your friend's machine shop sounds great. When I've needed to (for example, the one on my current '59CG), I just reamed out the hole with a round file very carefully, and checking frequently-worked like a charm.

Craig

[Norm]

I ordered a stationary bracket for my son from the Kalamazoo Bigsby folks once and the set screws meant to hold the rod wouldn't engage the threads on the piece.


Micah Yandell tells of his dad working on the bearings of some Bigsby's to get them right.

and my first stationary bracket I had to do some power sanding to get it to not bind on the main frame so they're really kinda funky.

...such is "quality control"

[Mike Detlefsen]

I went to my friend's house and we drilled out the arm hole and enlarged the hole for the pin bar. Everything fits perfectly onto the Bigsby on my 5120. I had to bend the wire arm a bit to get it to the proper spot, but that's to be expected. I had to do that to my 6122-1959 also.

[bellaguitar13]

I ended up getting the full bigsby, but now I have to drill new holes for it to fit unless anyone knows how to remove the mounting bracket and replace it with the one I already have on?

-Bella