Bridges for bigsbys: Which do you prefer?

parker_knoll · Oct 5, 2009

to reply to myself, it looks like the bigsby bowtie bridges are compensated for an unwound G, at least in this picture.

http://www.wdmusic.com/sorkin_bowtie_bridge.html

Presumably one could just use the top section of it on a standard bigsby bridge.

Darryl Hattenhauer · Oct 5, 2009

to reply to myself,

No problem. Unless you start flaming yourself.

Smiert Spionam · Oct 7, 2009

Interesting discussion -- and it's good to hear about some new possibilities. I assembled my own unwound-compensated aluminum Bigsby bridge on a rosewood base, and like it a lot on my X-440. Still pretty bright, but I think it's a little less fizzy than an aluminum base.

Walter, your SS idea reminds me of the move to brass tele bridges in the '70s. I wonder what a Bigsby bridge would sound like in brass....

;- )

Might actually be a nice match to the Franz pickups -- darker and beefier, but not as dramatic as the shift to tunamatic or all wood.

edited to add:

Ah -- just looked at the Compton site. Interesting! Exactly what I was thinking of.

Smiert Spionam · Oct 7, 2009

btw, I'm pretty sure the bowtie bridges have different post spacing than a regular archtop bridge. I went through this a few different ways when I was gathering the parts for mine a couple of years ago -- I ended up using the Guild-spec bridge from Elderly (tough to find now, I guess) on a Stew-Mac rosewood base.

Walter Broes · Oct 7, 2009

Smiert Spionam said:
Walter, your SS idea reminds me of the move to brass tele bridges in the '70s. I wonder what a Bigsby bridge would sound like in brass....

;- )

Might actually be a nice match to the Franz pickups -- darker and beefier, but not as dramatic as the shift to tunamatic or all wood.

edited to add:

Ah -- just looked at the Compton site. Interesting! Exactly what I was thinking of.

My tune-a-matics sound just fine with the Franzes, nothing that dramatic about it, and the trebles are fatter than with the Bigsby bridges, not as "pingy".

The Compton idea is great - but the "compensated" name for them is very misleading - they're straight saddles! Fine for a 25 1/2 " scale guitar, but with a set of 11's with a plain G, on a 24 3/4", I'm fairly sure they won't intonate, bummer!!!!

Smiert Spionam · Oct 7, 2009

Understood. It looks like there's a bit of an 's' curve to it, but only minimal -- it's a bit of a stretch to call them compensated. If the hole spacing lines up (I need to double-check), I might give one a shot just for kicks. I also typically use unwound 11's on my 25.5" X-440 -- it might handle it ok, and might not.

I've also been thinking of trying a set of heavier Thomastik George Benson roundwounds on it -- I use the 14s on my ES-175. I wonder how they'd agree with this sort of bridge.

northbayj · Oct 8, 2009

Smiert Spionam said:
Interesting discussion -- and it's good to hear about some new possibilities. I assembled my own unwound-compensated aluminum Bigsby bridge on a rosewood base, and like it a lot on my X-440. Still pretty bright, but I think it's a little less fizzy than an aluminum base.

Walter, your SS idea reminds me of the move to brass tele bridges in the '70s. I wonder what a Bigsby bridge would sound like in brass....

;- )

Might actually be a nice match to the Franz pickups -- darker and beefier, but not as dramatic as the shift to tunamatic or all wood.

edited to add:

Ah -- just looked at the Compton site. Interesting! Exactly what I was thinking of.

Smiert, I love how you had to groove the aluminum gradually further away from the mid point of the bridge - so your D and G are right in the middle of their assigned bridge space but the high and low E are far to the outside. Getting the string spread right and situated over the polepieces accurately is never easy on an archtop.

Melitta bridges: had one on my 68 Duojet, and that guitar always had tuning problems. Not sure if it was the bridge, but it was probably part of the problem.

Smiert Spionam · Oct 8, 2009

All the credit for the bridge work goes to Bill Giebitz -- he's a great luthier here in Austin. He radiused it nicely, too.

He's phenomenal -- he's done a couple of vintage refrets for me, and he brought my beat up '41 L-00 back from the dead. It's always fun to visit his workshop. You never know what you'll see: pre-war herringbones, D'Angelicos, Loar archtops, etc.

micmac · Oct 29, 2009

I decided to give a try to a Compton bridge as I want to swap the wood bridge of my X-150.
The Compton fits the bridge base better than the originalwood piece ( less " play " )
Did not have too much time to test it yet, but it looks like this Compton intonates well. I mean no better and but no worst than the original wood bridge. I can't compare with anything like a TOM , but it's good enough to my ears
It's an ALU bridge and I'm very happy with the sound: maybe not as jazzy but definitly more twangy
What's up ( compare to the wood bridge ):
no more boomy 6th E, better balanced string to string, more homogeneus , nice compression
Jangly but solid and sustained
What's down ( compare to the wood bridge ):
not as mellow and maybe a litlle less deepness
definithly a bit "pingy" but someone called it " snapy" , if I'm right ?

dbirchett · Oct 30, 2009

Brad Little said:
I'd be interested in what others use with the Bigsby. I'm in the process of "hot-rodding" my X_170, got a gold Guildsby, but think I should replace the wooden bridge for vibrato use. I'm thinking about either a Tune-o-matic type or a Bigsby Rocker Bridge. Any input appreciated.
Brad

Brad, I converted my X-170 a long time ago.

What you are going to find as you try various bridges is that the posts on the standard Guild Bridges are wider than most aftermarket bridges so you will have to replace the base as well. You will also find that the neck angle on the X-170 requires a shorter bridge than most. At least I did. At this point I don't remember if I went with a StewMac or GFS Tuneamatic, I think StewMac. But I really had to sand down the base to next to nothing on the feet. Good luck.

I have thought about a Gretsch or Gretsch type bar bridge, remembering the bridge on my Tennessean from so long ago but so far all I have done is think about it.

micmac · Oct 31, 2009

Walter Broes said:
Meh...when you look at the Compton bridges closely, they're a straight line too - no compensation!

Walter,
Compton intonates fine on my X-150. Actually, my luthier told me that this kind of bridge is theorically better matching a 0.11 / 0.49 string gauge than my former wood bridge. I can't compare with anything like a TOM , but it's at least good enough for my ears and for the ears of my luthier.
Hope this help

Walter Broes · Oct 31, 2009

Mic Mac - plain or wound G string?

micmac · Oct 31, 2009

plain G, Walter

Walter Broes · Oct 31, 2009

That's surprising - I haven't had much luck with a straight saddle and a 24 3/4 scale..., and I use D'Addario 11-49 strings.

micmac · Oct 31, 2009

I use the same D'addarios. Acccording to my luhier, compensation is all a question of compromise but he definitly prefers this Compton than Bigsby Alu Bridge which are made to compensate 0.13 / 0.14 gauge. Actually, this kind of bridge ( like the Compton ) is not a new thing for him : Jacobacci 's brother ( very popular french luthiers ) made something very similar during the 60's.

Comptons are not straight saddle as Gretsch's Rocking bar for instance: when you get this bridge, you see that it is not straight across the top, it has about a 1/8 inch setback on the bass side. That bridge is a straight round piece of metal with grooves cut in it on a lathe.

parker_knoll · Jul 20, 2010

has anyone tried the tru-arc bridges?

Very popular over on the Gretsch forums.

Still would love to find a Bigsby bridge compensated for unwound G. Does anyone know the post spacing on the Sorkin bowtie bridge? is it different?

Walter Broes · Jul 20, 2010

I need to update this - I've had a stainless steel Tru-Arc on my N°1 X175 for three or four months now, and I love it! Intonation is fine up until the fourtheenth, fifteenth fret (not strobe-tuner perfect, but good enough for my four piece band), and I don't break half as many strings as I used to.

Sounds great too, highly recommended!

parker_knoll · Jul 20, 2010

could you post a pic, Walter?

did it drop onto the original base?

Walter Broes · Jul 20, 2010

I have it on the base that came with the Tune-A-Matic I previously had on the guitar, the wood bridge is in a zip-lock bag somewhere in my partsdrawer.
As they're pretty much a custom-made item though, I'm fairly sure you could get any post spacing you want.

Here it is on my guitar :

parker_knoll · Jul 21, 2010

I'm enjoying your band, Walter

Bridges for bigsbys: Which do you prefer?

Senior Member

Venerated Member

Member

Member

Enlightened Member

Member

Member

Member

Junior Member

Member

Junior Member

Enlightened Member

Junior Member

Enlightened Member

Junior Member

Senior Member

Enlightened Member

Senior Member

Enlightened Member

Senior Member