Starfire III strings and bridge

[donald1956]

Hello! I am new to this forum. The reason I joined is I recently acquired a 1997 Starfire III with Bigsby. I am a collector but this is my first Guild and first guitar with Bigsby, So I need some information. I hope I am in the right place! It badly needed new strings. What kind were original equipment? I e-mailed Guild and they told me they were 10-46 nickel plated steel. I tried those but it didn't sound good. I then tried 11 flat wounds- even worse (dull, lifeless). Even the old worn out strings sounded better! Then I think I read on this forum that the aluminum Bigsby bridge is compensated for a wound G. True? Should I buy 10-46 NPS with a wound G? The only brand like that I can find is D'Addario. Good choice? Or does someone have a better suggestion? And speaking of the bridge- why does the curve of the aluminum base not fit the top? I can put a guitar pick underneath the center of mine. Was it designed that way? And how do you keep that raw metal bottom from scratching the top? would it be feasable to put something there to protect it, like sticking some very thin felt on the bridge bottom? Thank you in advance for the advice!

 

[danerectal]

I've heard that 11s with a would G are pretty nice and beefy. I wouldn't put any felt under the bridge because you want the most direct contact you can get in the name of sustain. The best solution to the aluminum bridge problem I could suggest is to try to use some kind of light and removable adhesive to attach sand paper to the body to use it as a sanding block for the bottom of the bridge and then polish the bottom so it's as smooth as possible and even with the top contours.

 

[capnjuan]

Then I think I read on this forum that the aluminum Bigsby bridge is compensated for a wound G. True? ... Why does the curve of the aluminum base not fit the top?

Hi donald1956; If you have the same bridge as practically every other re-issue Starfire III, it's just a piece of aluminum with offset slots cut it in it. The bridge doesn't form-fit to the top in part because, unlike an acoustic guitar, the SF's output is a function of the strings ratttling across the pickup poles ... and not the transmission of energy to the top. What kind of an amplifier are you playing through? Maybe it's unhappy with the humbuckers and not necessarily the strings.

Welcome to LTG! CJ

 

[guildzilla]

Re: the contour of the bottom of the bridge. Next time you have it off the guitar, try to bend the ends of the Bigsby bridge base just a little bit flatter, using hand and finger and thumb pressure. Do this gently until the bottom fits flush with the proper contour.

I've installed new Bigsby bridge bases a couple times in the past. I just shaped the base to fit as above.

A picture of your bridge, showing which compensation pattern it has, would help you get the best advice about it. Not all Bigsby bridges are compensated for a wound G. I used to have an SF III that had a bridge compensated for an unwound G (the Back-Middle-Forward, Back-Middle-Forward saddle pattern).

 

[Bluesbob]

I put Tomastik-Infeld flatwound 11's (w/wound G) on my '65 SF III. I like to play it through a small amp like a Princeton Reverb, straight in, no pedals. It won't do rock, but I have other guitars for that. What it does do it does really well, I think. Jazz or pop, rock-a-billy, country (to an extent), even some funky rhythm patterns sound great. I turn the amp up about half way and vary the volume with my attack. I set both tone controls wide open and both volumes up all the way, then back down just a little with the neck pup. I get a hint of leading edge breakup, but not enough to cause distortion for the remainder of the note or chord.
Before the TI's I used every brand of 10's on the market, and none of them sounded as good as this. Can't bend the G though, and it's easy to load up the mids, which is why a Fender or similar EQ (scooped) sounds good to my ear. My bridge is "pinned", so no problems there. As always, YMMV and JMHO.

Here's a pic (w/ my '63 Vibroverb RI):

I can get the same tone with this amp, but louder and w/ more mids. Thanks for the photo op.

 

[krysh]

welcome from cage # 607.
good taste in guitars, yes pics would be welcome, too.

 

[Guest]

I recently acquired a 2002 Corona Starfire III w/ SD-1 Pick-ups. Very Cool. Luv the finish. It supposedly was SET-up for 10's .... I am NOT all that Happy with INTONATION, some of the Open Chords are Blah and even @ higher registers (Bar chords before 12th) are somewhat Blah.... here's my question. AnyOne KNOW of a STOCK TuneOmatic or AdjustOmatic Bridge that would be a Simple "Dropin", basically as a SWAP-OUT for the Stock preset Alumin Bridge. It appears Gretsch Hot Rod Serries Bridge may be compatible... not sure. Thanks John

 

[Walter Broes]

My '61 SF III came with an aluminium Bigsby bridge as standard equipment too, but I put a Gibson ABR-1 Tune-a-matic on a rosewood base on it, and D'Addario 11-49 XL strings with a plain G.

 

[mad dog]

I don't have a SF III, but did experiment some with a Bigsby equipped, floating bridge guitar, a Gretsch roundup. That one came stock with the Bigsby aluminum bridge. I've never been impressed by the sound of it, so swapped it out for a Gretsch bar bridge. Same wooden base, but a thick, round slug of brass with grooves cut. There are two versions, one designed specifically for Bigsby use (the "rocker" bar), with more play in the mounting holes, so it can move. The one I got wasn't even the rocker version. Sounded way better than the aluminum bridge. Warmed it up a bit, increased sustain noticeably. It also worked better, go figure. Something to think about.

BTW. .11s, wound, sound just right with Bigsbys for me.

MD

 

[gusto]

This is good reading for me, ive been experimenting with bridges on my gretsch for 6 months ow. i just swapped out my tuno-matic for a bar bridge and now im going to a compensated aluminum bridge which i think sounds more vintage and gives more treble.