Fitting a CE-100DP with a Bigsby?

carljoensson

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Guild_webb.jpg


Hi there,
Forumnewbie from Sweden says hi. Above you see my beloved 1962 Guild CE-100DP which I bought a few years back after consulting the Guild forum at some other place where it was hosted at the time. Since the purchase I've had it stringed with D'Addario Chromes (12's) - I started out thinking I should play jazz on it. Well I didn't, so now I'm thinking I should do something with this guitar so it gets played more often.

Lately I've fallen in love with the whammy bar on my Fender strat and so I was thinking a Bigsby would be really nice to have mounted on the Guild. The music I play is somewhere inbetween soul, country and classic 60s guitar pop - but I wouldn't mind adding a touch of rockabilly or surf to the mix.

So I wonder what I need to do to add a Bigsby to this guitar? Would it be a sin? I've seen pictures of factory-added Guild-bigsbys - but I guess the chance of running across a Bigbsby with the Guild name on it on Ebay is pretty small?

Any input is most welcome! I'd also be grateful for recommendations on strings. The Chromes I've been using is a bit too dark and lifeless to me. They might even be on the heavier side? I might want to try some 11's, maybe halfrounds?

Thanks,

Carl
 

jp

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Hej på dig, Carl och välkommen till LTG! Vilken fin gitarr!

For Sweden that's quite the rare bird you have there! Very nice! I have also contemplated a Bigsby for my '68 CE-100DP. Just as you assume, a Guild-branded Bigsby (a B2) is quite expensive nowadays on eBay. Be prepared to pay.

Of the new Bigsbys, a CE-100 will take both a Bigsby B3 (although the arm is a little short) or a B6, the most popular choice. If you wanted one with the extra string roller, like a B7 or B12, which I personally would avoid, you'd have to drill a couple of small holes in the top. You'll also need to change a vibrato-friendly bridge. Choices might be a Bigsby bridge, the Bigsby rocker bridge, which rocks slightly for smoother vibrato integration with the tailpiece, a bridge with roller-type saddles, or a tuneomatic-type bridge. If you choose a Bigsby, be aware that there are specific Bigsby bridges that are compensated for wound or plain 3rd string intonation. Choose according to the type of strings you use. I really like Thomastiks. Stay brighter longer and slightly lower string tension. There have been quite a few threads about Bigsby on here. Search around the forum!

Lycka till!
 

Default

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My opinion, get a roller bridge with a wooden base and avoid the aluminum bigsby bridge. Eventually, it's going to dig into the finish and you don't want that to happen.
 
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Good advice above. I'd go with a B6, personally.

re. strings: D'Addario Chromes are the worst flatwound strings I've ever played. To my ear, they sound both dull and harsh -- not very musical at all. Thomastik Bebops or George Bensons are MUCH better -- smooth, but still lots of good harmonic character.
 
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This is the bridge combo I had installed on my Franz-equipped Guild a couple of months ago when I had it refretted. It's a Guild-spec Bigsby bridge compensated for a plain G, but mounted on a rosewood base. I like the combo a lot, using Pyramid nickel 11s.

The irony, though, is that now that I've had the guitar refretted, it would play fine with heavier strings, and I'm kind of tempted to put flats on it.

x440newbridge.jpg
 

carljoensson

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Hi Everybody and thanks for all input!

It's really nice to know which Bigsby model that would suit. B6 seems like the best one, right? But the listed Ebay-item wakes my interest. If it originally was made for a thinbody guitar would it really work? I'm thinking the strapknob might have a different position? Looking at my guitar, I notice the strapknob isn't at all centered which I first assumed.

Do you know if Guild used the same tail pieces for both their fullbody and thinbody archtops? Or rather, was there only one Guild Bigsby made - the B2? And did they put these on both fullbody and thinbody guitars?
If they did, I'm assuming you could add a bigsby from a thinbody on a fullbody, right?

Here's a photo of my guitar again. I measured from center of knob til the wood top and got a reading that said 1 1/8 inches, 2,85 cm.
Guildbridge2.jpg



Thanks for the nice greetings! Regarding the availability for CE-100D's in Sweden... well, yes - they are rare. Nevertheless, I've seen a few. (One a year or so).

Thanks for all help!!

Carl
 

carljoensson

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Hi,
So I spent this Tuesday evening doing my homework concerning Bridges and Bigsbys. A new and interesting jungle.

Let's say I'd order a BIgsby B6. What else would I need? A bridge, I understand and preferably one that works well with the strings moving a bit? But would I need all parts of the bridge, or can anything that I've already got there - be used again? Like the wood that now rests against the top etc?

I've seen roller bridges etc in Internet stores and on Ebay, but couldn't find them on the Bigsby site, did I miss it?
Is it an Ebony bridge that I've got right now?

Thanks again,

Carl

My bridge:
DSCN7175Small.jpg
 

gilded

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Smiert Spionam said:
\The irony, though, is that now that I've had the guitar refretted, it would play fine with heavier strings, and I'm kind of tempted to put flats on it.

SS, who does your fret work in Austin?
 

carljoensson

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Default said:
Roller bridges are all after market, check allparts for beginners....


Hi,
Thanks for chiming in. Sorry for me being slow, though. Could you give me some idea of where to go Bridge-shopping? I understand you mean that Bigsby themselves do not manufacture the roller bridges, right?

Thanks,

Carl
 

guildzilla

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The Guild Bigsby currently listed on e-Bay looks like a fat and easy duck right now, but the last one sold on e-Bay went for $310. FYI.

I recently bought and installed a gold Bigsby B-6 on the X-170 Manhattan listed below.
 

GuildFS4612CE

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carljoensson said:
Hi Everybody and thanks for all input!

It's really nice to know which Bigsby model that would suit. B6 seems like the best one, right? But the listed Ebay-item wakes my interest. If it originally was made for a thinbody guitar would it really work? I'm thinking the strapknob might have a different position? Looking at my guitar, I notice the strapknob isn't at all centered which I first assumed.

Do you know if Guild used the same tail pieces for both their fullbody and thinbody archtops? Or rather, was there only one Guild Bigsby made - the B2? And did they put these on both fullbody and thinbody guitars?
If they did, I'm assuming you could add a bigsby from a thinbody on a fullbody, right?

Here's a photo of my guitar again. I measured from center of knob til the wood top and got a reading that said 1 1/8 inches, 2,85 cm.
Guildbridge2.jpg


Carl

Hi, and welcome to LTG.

Enjoy the ride. :D

If you email Hans and/or Hideglue, you will probably get the most knowledgeable answers to your questions about your guitar.
 

jp

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Hey Carl,
You can also just buy the parts on your side of the pond from Hans Moust's webshop. Much easier for you, he has most of what you need, and he can answer all your questions. You can PM him directly from this site. Find him in the member list -- username hansmoust.
 

carljoensson

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Hi again,

Many good suggestions. Well, three times the cost of a new bigsby might be a bit too much. I'll probably drop Hans a line and ask what he recommends.

Thanks,

Carl
 
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Gilded,

Most recently, I've had work done by Bill Giebitz. He did the frets and bridge on the X-440, refretted my ES-175D, and did a refret, neck reset, and some bracing work on an old L-00. His shop always has some very cool stuff in process -- herringbone Martins, vintage archtops, etc. He's phenomenal -- I'd trust him implicitly with any vintage guitar. I also like the feel of his fretwork -- nice shape, well-crowned, perfect fret ends over binding, etc.

He's not cheap, and can get pretty backed up -- but for a premium guitar it's worth it.

He works out of a home shop, but mostly uses South Austin Guitars for his storefront (although for special stuff you may be able to deal with him directly).

I've also had a couple of guitars worked on by Chris Forshage, who recently moved his shop up north -- somewhere around Pflugerville, I think (he used to be on North Loop across from the Music Exchange). He did refrets on my first Guild (a '53 X-50) and the CE-100D that Bill D. Light now has. Also excellent work -- maybe not at BG's level of vintage restoration craft, but quite good. A bit more affordable, too. He also builds some amazing archtops and electrics of his own.
 

Walter Broes

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I don't like roller bridges at all - too many parts in them that rattle, lose resonance, and, most importantly, with a B2/B3/B6 single roller type of Bigsby, you never get enough string pressure on those saddles to actually make them "roll". The saddles get covered in sweat and crud, get stuck, and you're left with a bad sounding bridge with too many parts.

Pre-Fender Gretsches came with a high quality roller saddle bridge by ABM out of Germany, and most players replaced them in a hurry, they were one of the things a lot of people hated about "the new Gretsches".
There's something to be said for them on solidbodies with a B7 or B5 type Bigsby, but even on those I prefer a good setup and a tune-a-matic.

I (and a lot of Bigsby-using players!) use the old-fashioned ABR-1 Tune-a-matic with the retaining wire. The saddles in these are kind of "loose", which is sort of a design flaw you can make work to your advantage with a Bigsby : when you use the Bigsby, the saddles move with the strings to an extent, and that helps maintaining pitch.(tuning).
They're not an engineering marvel and not the fullest, most resonant sounding bridge out there, but I like what they do for a hollowbody, there's a certain twang to them "better" bridges don't usually have.

You can get TOM bridges from most suppliers, including our Guild Forum administrator (and Allparts dealer) Dklsplace. Guild forum or no Guild forum, highly recommended.
 

Jeff

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Walter Broes said:
I don't like roller bridges at all - too many parts in them that rattle, lose resonance, and, most importantly, with a B2/B3/B6 single roller type of Bigsby, you never get enough string pressure on those saddles to actually make them "roll". The saddles get covered in sweat and crud, get stuck, and you're left with a bad sounding bridge with too many parts.

.

I (and a lot of Bigsby-using players!) use the old-fashioned ABR-1 Tune-a-matic with the retaining wire. The saddles in these are kind of "loose", which is sort of a design flaw you can make work to your advantage with a Bigsby : when you use the Bigsby, the saddles move with the saddles to an extent, and that helps maintaining pitch.(tuning).
They're not an engineering marvel and not the fullest, most resonant sounding bridge out there, but I like what they do for a hollowbody, there's a certain twang to them "better" bridges don't usually have.

You can get TOM bridges from most suppliers, including our Guild Forum administrator (and Allparts dealer) Dklsplace. Guild forum or no Guild forum, highly recommended.

Thank you Walter. your post helps clairify the bridge issue on my SF.

Me being an electric NOOB & all. I was leery of the EBAy plethora of "Roller Bridges" for under $20.00. Seems like a bucket full of moving parts for $20; figured the critical parts surely can't be all that precise.

Cross roller bridge off my list. 8) Still working out the tune o matic concept.
 

carljoensson

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Hi Walter,
Thanks for interesting info! It seems a nearby shop carries ABR-1 Tune A Matic bridge - so that's nice to know. One question though: Do you know if I could just add this bridge on top of the wooden base for my CE-100DP? I think I've got the original wooden bridge. And when I've measured it (without dismounting the bridge) I get a reading of 73,9 mm between the screws. However the ABR-1 -bridge for sale says 73 mm? Would that work? Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions, I just don't know how exact it needs to be.

Otherwise I guess I'll just have to buy one of these that fits, right?:
42921-397.jpg



THanks,

Carl
 
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