power chord hack said:
What, other than the stamp, is different from standard Bigsby bridges?
These are still listed in the 2010 Bigsby parts catalog BTW...
Hello pch,
Maybe you should have another look at the 2010 Bigsby parts catalog. Neiher one of the bridges you posted photos of are available from Bigsby these days:
Your first example:
Is an older conventional Bigsby bridge, probably from the '60s. I can't tell if it was made for Guild but as Hideglue pointed out, it has a modified top part, which enables it to rest flat on 'the thumbwheels and not 'rock back and forth' as it was designed.
Your second example:
That's one of my own photos. It's a similar bridge as in example 1. You can see the 'Guild Spec.' text on the bottom and the 'pointed end parts' that rest on the thumbwheels, which allow the bridge to 'rock' with the movement of the Bigsby handle. The 'Guild Spec' bridge was made by Bigsby for Guild as you would expect.
Both these bridges are what I call the 'vintage' style. Here's a photo of what a clean one looks like:
http://www.guitarchives.nl/guitarsgalore/parts_detail.php?id=39
During the '70s Bigsby replaced the original 'vintage' style by a somewhat lighter alloy bridge that was not 'casted' and therefore looks much cleaner; it also sounds a bit different.
Here's a photo that shows the newer one:
http://www.guitarchives.nl/guitarsgalore/parts_detail.php?id=40
That's the 'conventional' Bigsby bridge that is still offered in the Gretsch catalog these days.
Note that all the forementioned bridges were designed for use with string sets that had a wound G-string.
Now the 'Guild Special' bridge that is listed in the Bigsby parts catalog is a somewhat more recent 'Guild' part that was first used on Bigsby equipped Guild archtops during the second half of the '90s. It is not the same as the 'Guild Spec.' bridge pictured in Example 2. It is what I refer to as the 'updated rocker bridge', which allows the use of string sets with a plain G-string.
Here's what it looks like:
http://www.guitarchives.nl/guitarsgalore/parts_detail.php?id=42
I'm not sure if that last bridge is actually still available from Gretsch/Bigsby but it would be nice if it was. I've been 'sold out' for a while.
Sincerely,
Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl