starfire 4: modding w/ bigsby?

hi there, just bought a westerly starfire 4. while i'm really pleased w/ it, i like the sound of bigsbys. how difficult would it be to add one? is this a bad idea? i bought the guitar to play it - so i'm not too concerned about it losing value due to being modded. is this something i need to take to a shop? do i need to drill holes? and is a guild bigsby hard to find (can't seem to find them on the web)?

thanks for any help.

Hi redstarfire,

I have been planning to make a similar modifications to a later year Starfire 4 with a fixed stop instead of the Harp. A way I planned to do this without degrading the guitar or leaving the unused and unsightly stop studs is as follows:

First you have to get a Bigsby that DOES NOT screw into the front of the Guitar. If you want a Guild you have to scavange on eBay or contact Hans for some parts he may have available for sale in the comming weeks.

Next you use the Stop as the string tension rod. You can guide the strings through the stop or under it. You usually need to file down the sharp edges to allow the strings to slide. You need to consider if you want to file down the origional Stop or modify another for this application. I perfer the older Guild stops from the 1980 era for this application. These have GUILD stamped into the bottom. They are designed with a slot instesd of a hole to guide the strings. You need to file down the edge of the slot where the string exits to get smooth performance. You can pick up a NOS Guild stop on ebay from aiguitar. Al of aiguitar has one on ebay for around $5 at this time.

The way this works is you use a hollowbody archtop Bigsby and the Fixed stop as the string tension rod. You mount the Bigsby initially with only the single screw of the strap lug. You then run the strings UNDER or THROUGH the stop guide (depending on the stop you use).

After all the parts are line up you can install additional screws in the area of the Bigsby to keep it from twisting under the different stress's between the thicker and thin strings.

Next you add a roller or Bigsby bridge and your in business! The modification you made is only the addition of 3 holes on the bottom of the guitar to secure the Bigsby.

This looks good and can be returned to "almost" Stock without adding any holes to the body. (I like also like a Bigsby but at times tire of the lack of tuning stability. It is a good option to be able to return to a fixed stop.) Also make sure you have felt adhesive under all the contact areas of the Bigsby or the finish will get worn.

Note: If your guitar is pre 1980 and has the Harp type stop then forget everything I just said. You don't have to deal with the unused Stop Studs and add a Bigsby that screws into the front semihollow body.

Good Luck,

matsickma

matsickma - thanks for the response. my starfire has the stop tailpiece (which i neglected to mention in the original post.) since drilling is involved i'll probably take it to a tech if i decide to go through w/ it. i don't think i've seen a stop talipiece used as a tension rod. it seems to me that the guild bigsby i've seen on other starfire models has a tension rod. am i right in assuming that if i use a guild bigsy, i just need to drill three holes and remove the current stop tail piece?

thanks.

Hi redstarfire,

I assumed you had the Stop tail piece and so described a way to add the bigsby without having to leave the unused Stop mounting studs visible on the guitar. If you had a older model with the harp stop you could easily add the Bigsby and have it look like it came from the factory with a Bigsby.

When I get one of my guitars mounted the way I described I'll post it on this site.

Matsickma