To Bigsby or not to Bigsby...

F30

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that is the question.
I just bought a second M75 just because they are a really unique guitar and I really like the tone.
But I also wanted to get second one so I could have one with a Bigsby.

So using my paint program I put a Bigsby on the Goldtop.
Slightly out of scale and the lighting is different on the doner guitar pic I got the Bigsby from but here's a before and after again just to see what it would look like.
165157355.jpg

165162080.jpg
 

kakerlak

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I might try to find a way to get a B-3 or B-6 on there instead of the B-7. I've seen them done w/ B-7s and the leading edge of the Bigsby is awfully close to where the bridge wants to be. I think, in practice, you might end up with a pretty sharp break angle that would tend to cause the bridge to wander forward unless you pinned it and might also tend to cause the strings to catch in the saddles.
 

F30

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good point, I'll have to do some playing around on the bench and see what happens.
 

F30

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here's an eye opener
large.jpg

this is about what angle I found when trying to workout using a Guild Bigsby with no tension bar
 

GAD

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As the infamous fronobulax once said, "not everything needs a Bigsby." :culpability:

I love a good Bigsby, but I'm not a fan on that guitar (or most solidbodies).
 
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New member here - I just came to this forum to ask the exact same question! I too have an M-75 which I love, but I do find myself wanting a bit of the Bigsby wobble in some of the songs I play.
I have a B6 and tried it, but found the break angle over the bridge wasn't workable (there was barely any angle to it, as per the pic above). What I really want is a proper Guild branded unit, but I can't see where I can get hold of one. That group photo above at least confirms that the B7 should work.

I'm still in a dilemma though, because I prefer the look of the stock harp tailpiece. I'm also wondering if there will be any negative impact on the tone if I put a B7 on it?
 

Quantum Strummer

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This is a variant of the problem with the original Les Paul bridge/tailpiece design: you need a wrap-under. I don't see a way out of this that doesn't involve drilling a couple holes in the top for a moderate-pressure tension bar, not something I'd wanna do to a hollowbody. I can't imagine those B7s work very well on an M75…

-Dave-
 

matsickma

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I wonder if a tension bar could be added to a B7 by adding a tube or rod to the front of the B7 by drilling and tapping two holes into the large aluminum sections?

M
 

Walter Broes

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M-75's, old and new are a little bit of a hassle with Bigsbies because the neck angle is kind of in-between. Not steep enough for a B3, a little too steep for a B7.

The way to do it (and a friend of mine did this succesfully) is get a B7, grind off the lip in front of the spring cup (easy to do, it's all aluminum) and drill a hole through the spring cup for the mounting screw that normally goes through that lip. That's how the Guild B7's were configured.

Then proceed to install the B7 as you normall would, but shim it with big rubber washers under the front mounting screws, so the whole thing is tilted upwards a little. That way, you still have the benefit of tension bar's extra downward string pressure, but you lessen the (too) steep break angle some. Works great when set up right, and looks right too.

And yes, of course a B7 needs holes in the top of the guitar. Man up and drill them already! :)
 

F30

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Great idea. There are certainly many ways to achieve a different break angle.
Here's a couple: 1st being a small aluminum block between the Bigsby at strap mount which would put the B7 in approx. Les Paul distance from bridge.
Or you could remove roller sleeve at tension bar and use just the axle like a Towner
original.jpg
 
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eltuce

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165162226.jpg

Who ever owns this group likes Bigsby's and the M75


Hmmmm...... Guilty as charged. With the exception of the '54 in the middle, they all have Guildsbys now.
 

matsickma

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Definitely the way to go on the B7... mimmic the Guildsby. In my earlier comment I referenced a B7 mod. I should have said a "B3 mod".

M
 

Walter Broes

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the B7 in approx. Les Paul distance from bridge.
Thing is, on a typical tune-a-matic Les Paul, the break angle is too steep as well. B7's were originally developed for the first generation Les Pauls with the awkward trapeze tailpiece the strings went under. (52/53 Les Pauls). The hole spacing on the original hinge even matches the Les Paul trapeze tail. And those guitars hardly have any neck angle at all, so the B7 was well-designed for them. And if they sit further back, as they do on Gibson ES335/345/355 guitars, the break angle's fine too.
 
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