'nother tailpiece/bigsby question

teleharmonium

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Brothers, does changing from a "harp" tailpiece to a Guild Bigsby require drilling different holes in the bottom of the guitar body ?
In pics, the mounting looks the same, but yet it seems you usually can't do a change like that without some kind of collateral damage.

I was thinking how cool it would be to have a Bigsby on my green '66 T100, but I have major reservations about modding vintage stuff, especially when it has made it this far with no changes.

Needless to say, the best option would be for me to keep it as is plus find and score the right SF III with DeArmonds in black or green, but they are getting hard to find and afford. When I first got this T100, I was considering changing it to DeArmonds, but the mickey mouse pickups have grown on me. This guitar sounds a lot like a good Rickenbacker, and plays better when it comes to jazz chords.
 

Walter Broes

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teleharmonium said:
Brothers, does changing from a "harp" tailpiece to a Guild Bigsby require drilling different holes in the bottom of the guitar body ?
Yes. You might be able to use one, in the best case two of the existing holes, but usually you have to drill different holes.

There is one option you have, and that is to drill new holes in the Bigsby hinge that correspond with the existing holes in the guitar. I've never done that, too much trouble, but I've heard of it.
I don't really think that a clean professional Bigsby installation would really devalue your T-100, especially if you put a Guild Bigsby on it - I've done the mod to both my vintage X175's without thinking twice about it.
 

teleharmonium

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Thanks Walter. I hadn't heard about drilling extra holes in the Bigsby. That sounds preferable to me. I have a good repairman that I'll talk to about it. I don't see myself selling the guitar, so it's not so much a devaluing concern, I just hate to be the first guy to mess with it when it has made it 40 years with no changes and hardly any fret wear. I often cringe when I see modded gear so I'm trying not to have a double standard about it. I haven't even changed the strap buttons on either of my Guilds.
 

billydlight

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Actually the holes in a Guild Bigsby should line up perfectly with a harp tailpiece from that period. At least they did when I did it.
 

teleharmonium

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Well, that would certainly be nice. I guess I'll find out one way or t'other, and I'll report back about it.
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

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Tele,

From my limited experience, there is a lot of variation in the holes of Guild tailpieces. So it's hard to know if new holes are needed until you have the parts in front of you. (And I assume you have your parts in front of you.)

I don't hesitate to change something if I can later return it to original without any trace of the change. I do hesitate if the change can be detected, such as new screwholes. On the other hand, I've made changes if they won't show unless you take off the part. So I've drilled new holes for swapping harp tailpieces and bigsbys if the holes of one would be hidden by the holes of the other no matter which is on the guitar. But I wouldn't do that with guitars that are in fine condition, or a rarity like a Guild greenie.

Also, If I were to change a Guild around 1960, I'd check the Moust book for the year when Guild started using their own bigsbys, and if the guitar is older than that I'd use a Bigsby bigsby. I'd be reluctant to put a Bigsby bigsby on a guitar made before Guild was using Bigsby bigsbys.

Years from now, are we going to be talking about GAD Guilds versus Guild Guilds?
 
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