T-Bird ST Reissue. Adding a trem?

barrycreed

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Saw a new one of these for a not so bad price locally. I already have the 200 reissue with trem, which is in bad shape, neck is like a banana but that's another story.
I think the ST might be good and reliable as a non trem model. Would they neck angle cause any issues for potentially adding a vibramate/bigsy?
I have used the Dues. Les Trem before on an Epi SG, and it was so easy to install and use, but the Bigsby "might" look cooler.
Also, anyone ever swapped out the pickups on the reissues? Any recommendations without having to alter pickguards etc, just drop in replacements? Something filtertron-ish?
 

guitarslinger

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Here’s mine with Vibramate. Please note that the Vibramate will not allow the Bigsby to sit flush against the body. This hasn’t caused any playing or stability issues for me at all and, per Vibramate, is completely within design parameters.
603DDDBB-CF50-4314-A80E-9ACCD5157FEE.jpeg
 

matsickma

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Definitely cool!
I have be considering a similar modification but haven't settled on the approach just yet.
Been thinking of adding Dearmond type pickups along with a vibrato. Still in conception stage.
I would like a pickguard with the center of the guitar covered by the pickguard like the earliest of Thunderbirds from the 60's.

Hey Guitarslinger,
A few months back on eBay someone was selling a wide variety of colored and patterned pickguards for the NS TBirds. Is that where you purchased yours? I don't remember those pivkguards have the holes for direct mounting in a pickup but I may be wrong.

M
 

guitarslinger

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The one you see in the photo is from ”Pickguardian”. They’ve always done a good job for me. I had to send in the old guard, but, I‘m sure he made a pattern from that.
The idea of installing a pair of TV Jones pickups has some appeal to me for this guitar. If I remember correctly GAD said they were an aaaalllllmmmmooooosst fit with the original guard.
 

barrycreed

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White one bought but i won’t pick it up for a while. i’ll definitely be looking at a Les Trem or Vibramate.
Now, to keep the other tbird with trem or not. i do like all the switching options but have had issues with it since i got it but nothing a good set up couldn’t cure...
 

barrycreed

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Picked up the hardtail last week. Must say I prefer it to the trem version. Just all around feel, so will look into a Les Trem most likely as it won't alter feel a whole lot.

I've read about the pickup issues. Any upgrade or mod suggestions?
 

barrycreed

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So so so, LONG time no post. Bringing my thread back from the dead!! I sold my hardtail. I bought a Les Trem for it, which I didn't quite seem to get right on installation nor on feel, so abandoned it and swapped the guitar for a tele.
Just picked up a Polara S100. Love it. Bought and sold one a few years back, and glad to be back to one.
I digress.
The T Bird 200 I had a few years back was a nightmare. Neck bowed like hell. Thinking of another one because they look cool
The only fear I have are possible tremolo unit issues. Would I get away with some shoegaze type gentle vibrato pushing as I play chords v say a JM or Jaguar?
 

chazmo

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Welcome back, Barry. Sorry to hear about your T-bird.

Lots of love around here for the S-100 models of all years... By the way, I don't know if anyone pointed you at GAD's blogs about his guitars. I think he's reviewed more than one of each of the models you've been talking about (although no idea about the vibrato).

Best of luck!
 
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You know, browsing this thread has gave me an idea….would it be feasible to install a bigsby on a Newark S-100?? I’ve flirted with the idea of picking up an SG and trying that, but if the guild could accommodate it….that would be a no brainer. My only concern is the location of the hard tail…
 

GAD

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You know, browsing this thread has gave me an idea….would it be feasible to install a bigsby on a Newark S-100?? I’ve flirted with the idea of picking up an SG and trying that, but if the guild could accommodate it….that would be a no brainer. My only concern is the location of the hard tail…
Guild modified the Bigsby to fit the S100s. If you look at vintage pics they’ve cut off the hinge and screwed it to the top.


getttxwb6fsykfhc4mor.jpg
 

DrumBob

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Here’s mine with Vibramate. Please note that the Vibramate will not allow the Bigsby to sit flush against the body. This hasn’t caused any playing or stability issues for me at all and, per Vibramate, is completely within design parameters.
603DDDBB-CF50-4314-A80E-9ACCD5157FEE.jpeg
Who made your pickguard? I like it.
 

guitarslinger

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That’s from “Pickguardian“. They‘ve made a number of guards for me through the years all of which have been perfect fits and top quality.
 

matsickma

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The ideal Guildsby to add to a Thunderbird body is the model used on SF4,5 or1DC. That model has the roller tensioner built into the Guildsby. You can then modify it by removing the hinge and cutting it about the Guild logo in a manner similar to the model GAD showed above that is used on the 70's S100 Deluxe.

The reason for my suggestion is that the seperate tensioner of the type used on the Deluxe will become too close to the bridge resulting in a extreme string angle over the bridge. Additionally the version used on the Deluxe overall is a bit longer resulting in the two "tips" about the metal Guild logo will extend about a 1/4 in over the bottom of TBird. You may be ok with that or you may want to grind it down. However those Guildsby are hard to come by. The roller type is a better fit. It also lays out in a way that almost covers the hard stop body inserts plus has a added benefit of raising the Guildsby up a bit to reduce the abrupt angle of the tensioner to the bridge.
 

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matsickma

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Note... I just realized this thread deviated from a TBird to a S100 to a Polara. S100 I assume is a SGish guitar and the Polara an old Guild S100 from the 60's and not the Jetstar of today.
My discussion was related to the TBird with a hard stop.
If the SGish S-100 is the guitar in question then either the Guildsby with separate tensioner like the S100 Deluxe or a modified type like on a SF 5 or SF1 DC with Guildsby would work.
 
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I love those old Guild branded Bigsby style tremolos. So cool. I will say though, if it were between a B5 and a Les Trem, I'd go with the Les Trem. I have one on one of my Les Pauls and I love it. I bent the arm right in the middle about 10 degrees, which improved the feel as well as makes it look more congruent.
 
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