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GAD

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How much do you have to spend to do the project correctly? Do you have the skill to drill new holes in the top and bottom of the guitar, if it requires them? You wouldn't want to put a lame looking Bigsby and do a amateur job on installing. If you can get a cool setup and install it like it was supposed to be there, I'd say to go ahead.
A bigsby for a hollowbody like the X180 should not require any holes in the top, but it does need three holes on the bottom by the strap peg. The hinge on the Bigsby let's it flip up. There are felt pads on the bottom so that it doesn't mar the surface.

BTW if it's not a Guildsby, don't bother. :) (some will disagree with me here, especially because period correct Guildsbys are hard to come by.

Here's the one on my X170T:

Guild-1999-X170T-Mars-Guildsby.jpg
 

GAD

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Mods will be relieved "I still favor No Mods", at one time hooligans running around on Vespas ;]

I assure you that it is every mod's fervent wish that we didn't need mods.

I would kind of like to see Al tooling around the valley on a Vespa, though...
 

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How much do you have to spend to do the project correctly? Do you have the skill to drill new holes in the top and bottom of the guitar, if it requires them? You wouldn't want to put a lame looking Bigsby and do a amateur job on installing. If you can get a cool setup and install it like it was supposed to be there, I'd say to go ahead.
If you can source a seventies or eighties Guild Bigsby, they have the same screw pattern. You don't need to drill *anything*, they use the same screw pattern.
 

GAD

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If you can source a seventies or eighties Guild Bigsby, they have the same screw pattern. You don't need to drill *anything*, they use the same screw pattern.

The problem is finding one of those. They're not exactly common. Maybe try Hans?
 

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But will it work with a wooden bridge? Wouldn't that need to be changed too?
"work"? Yes. Work well? Not so much, and the metal bridge/saddle really brightens up the tone. And then there's the matter of fitting the bridge to the top, which if not done well I'd think would damage the top over time.
 

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Ah, I see it now, passed over it originally because I'm primarily a flattop lover, but I "get" archtops, I love jazz too.
With my poor French I'm not sure but I believe you said you live in the US, you're French but only speak a little Francais(?)

Anyway, in tha first post I was tinknig primarily of getting the right bridge to go with the Bigsby in on that top. Neck angle would play a role, too.

After first post I thought I recalled discussions about Bigsbys exerting extra force on the top, and may need reinforcement, but not entirely sure about that. There's lots of previous discussions about adding Bigsbys to hollow bodies, though.

Again, Ralf will probably have insights, and correct me if I'm wrong.

Or a couple of the other owners. I was wondering myself for example if the Bigsby (and bridge?) from the Corona X-160 Rockabilly might work?

One other thought: You may get more feedback if you post the question in tech, like "Can I Put a Bigsby on my X180?" Makes your purpose clear. ;)
You got the French right
 
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