Bigsby B5 or B16?

EyeballKid Joined: Mar 08, 2008 Posts: 4	Posted on Apr 05 2008 03:00 PM Hey there, a cool 200 dollars just found its way into my pocket and I am ready to buy a tremolo bridge. Which one should I get B5 or B16? I understand they might require adjusting my neck, but I want to preserve the current sound of the nashville tele. With this in mind, which one is the best!? — www.myspace.com/surfthefluxcapacitors Top
Surfabilly Joined: Apr 21, 2006 Posts: 852 Connersville, Indiana, USA	Posted on Apr 05 2008 06:48 PM I've got two Bigsby B5 vibratos, one each for my Gibson Les Paul Junior (when I get it out of lay-away, this month) and Gibson Les Paul Faded Double Cutaway. I voted for B16, but meant to vote for B5 (oops, clicked the wrong button). The B5 is what Fender uses on their '60s Custom Telecaster, and you can get that same Bigsby, and a Bigsby B5 Tele kit here. They also sell the Bigsby B16 that you asked about. Matt — Fast Cars & Loud Guitars! Top
JakeDobner Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle	Posted on Apr 05 2008 07:20 PM I'd suggest not putting the Bigsby on, especially if you want to preserve the sound of the tele. It will sound different. Save the $200 and put it towards an amp, reverb unit, or guitar that isn't a tele...or strat with a bigsby. Top
LHR Joined: Aug 23, 2006 Posts: 2123 The jungle	Posted on Apr 05 2008 08:51 PM My feelings are conflicted about a Bigsby on a Telecaster: on one hand I think that it is philosophically wrong; on the other I think that i want the Japanese 60's Tele with Bigsby really bad! There is an interesting thing going on with the Telecaster and the Bigsby. The Telecaster was, really, prototypical and so was the Bigsby Standard (guitar). The two camps Fender and Bigsby squared off right away and remained staunch rivals to the end. The debate as to whether Leo Fender or Paul Bigsby "invented" the familiar headstock design and, more importantly, the first commercially viable "modern" solidbody, was perpetuated by these two men and rages on even today. To make matters more contentious, Ted McCarty, Gibson's president, bought out the ailing Paul Bigsby's shop as more or less a personal favor to him and took over operations. So the Bigsby, from pretty early, on was solidly a Gibson thing. So, until the turn of the 21st century, to see a Bigsby on a Fender akin to seeing PAFs on a Fender. Near blasphemy! But in the 1960s, Fender put them on, of course. (And I think they waited for patent expiration and then sand cast their own replicas with the "F" on there and everything - correct me if I am wrong.) But there were all sorts of complaints. The chief of which was that it philosophically wrong, as is my belief. But there were also problems with the Tele bridge. Not to mention that the two possible vibrato options, as you mentioned. Nowadays, and since Gretsch bought control of Gibson's interest in the languishing Kalmazoo Bigsby operation, and Fender more or less bought Gretsch, suddenly everybody is playing nice. You can buy all the parts and it is all in the family. But, wait, you had a question! The Bisgby bridge of the B16 is, well, primitive. But unquestionably very cool! Can't intonate, might not work well if you use unwound 3rd, and is all aluminum. The other setup is just a B-5 with maybe a Mustang bridge. If it were me, I would get the B-16 in a second. Without the nasty roller bar of the B-5, the action will be extremely silky and B-6-like. Yep, get the B-16 and fight the intonation with a smile on your face. BTW, hop on over to the Telemodders forum and run it by them, they'll know. Just ignore the precedent Ro-Pat-In, Loar, Rickenbacker, and Slingerland for argument's sake. image — SSIV Top

Top

SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Bigsby B5 or B16?