Joaquin Murphy's Bigsby surfaces

Lee Jeffriess · Post by **Lee Jeffriess** » 17 Oct 2006 6:24 pm

Mike, thats funny you should mention that, we were talking about that today on my lunch break.
Bob said that the guitar was in the Rock n roll museum in seatle? and, it has a 47 date and the pick up isnt a blade or a horseshoe.
Also I received a date citation, Bob told me the Barney Barnes T8 was june or july.
Thats two dates I have goofed up on now, one more and, Im toast.
Lee

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 17 Oct 2006 9:34 pm

Lee, you didn't really goof up, the date given for Barney Barnes' guitar in the VG calender is May 1st -48.
Another early one would be Frank Juricek's guitar, the one he sold to Walter Haynes. Frank told me Bigsby saying it was the fifth one built. Whether it meant it was the fifth triple neck or the fifth actual guitar PA built, I don't know. I believe he meant the fifth console triple neck. Mike & Lee, you guys know this guitar very well, right!? You should have Jimmy to check the date on it.

Lee Jeffriess · Post by **Lee Jeffriess** » 17 Oct 2006 9:47 pm

A repreive, I thought that guitar was May,I will check with Jamie on the Walter haynes guitar,but Im sure Mike knows the date on it to be honest I think I have only seen it once and, I thought it was 49?.
Lee

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 18 Oct 2006 10:01 am

"Thats two dates I have goofed up on now, one more and, I'm toast."

Wife's birthday....

Roger Edgington · Post by **Roger Edgington** » 19 Oct 2006 7:34 am

Chas, I love your D-8. That is a classy looking steel to me. Thanks for sharing the photo.

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 19 Oct 2006 8:11 am

Roger, thank you, it sounds as good as it looks and if you look closely, that's Joaquin's autograph next to the Bigsby logo.

Mike Black · Post by **Mike Black** » 24 Oct 2006 9:07 am

ccxxx

Chris Cummings · Post by **Chris Cummings** » 24 Oct 2006 2:09 pm

Just to say a very big thankyou to you guys for making this thread so informative and exciting !!

T. C. Furlong · Post by **T. C. Furlong** » 24 Oct 2006 5:16 pm

Fred Bova, here is exactly what a plunger style tone changer looks like on a Bigsby.
Top View

Underside View

I think the plunger system feels a lot like a modern pedal mechanism. It plays really smooth and believe it or not really stays in tune. It was discontinued because of the fact that you could only get about three tone changes on a neck and you would have to send the guitar back to Bigsby to have your setup altered.
TC

Fred Bova · Post by **Fred Bova** » 24 Oct 2006 9:08 pm

The Plunger! Just what I thought! I drew up the same style pitch changer a long, long, time ago, ( late '60's) after tinkering with the idea of adding a pull on an old Rickenbacker Lap Steel. Nothing like reinventing the wheel. Pushing UP relieves the angle of the string over the bridge so it lessens the possibility of breaking strings when the string tension increases. But as you tune the string with the tuning machines the wrap on the post can change the height and angle of the string coming off the post slightly, in theory affecting the amount of pitch shift ever so slightly. In practice it most likely does not matter at all, but having a fixed guide between the Tuning peg and the plunger makes sense. The only real issue is leverage amount and pedal stop so that it feels smooth and easy. For a simple Raise only setup this still is a very valid solution. As far as early designs go,I also always liked the idea of having the changer on the other side of the Tone Bar. The Tone Bar and Left Hand help to dampen any mechanical chatter from the changer from getting into the pickup.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 25 Oct 2006 1:38 am

Bigsby also used another style keyhead changer; a tuner was attached to a metal "finger" on the outer side of the keyhead. The finger went through the top and was pulled with a cable, so the whole tuning machine rocks back and forth when the pedal is pressed. The amount of raise was adjusted with a little screw on top of the key head. I have one of these on my guitar, raising the fourth string a whole tone. The same string is lowered a half tone with a bridge changer finger.
TC, thanks for the pics, those are the best shots of a plunger style changer I've seen. I guess those would be like what were on Speedy's guitar.

T. C. Furlong · Post by **T. C. Furlong** » 25 Oct 2006 4:02 am

Jussi, I took those shots because Fred asked about the plunger. My little Sony camera does pretty well. It might not be apparent in the picture but the outer two are a half tone raise on unison strings on one pedal. The other pedal is a single string lower (the middle plunger)

I'd really like to see a picture of the rocking keyhead tone changer. If you can send one or two, I'll post them here. Also, do you know what years the rocking keyhead was used?
TC

Mike Black · Post by **Mike Black** » 25 Oct 2006 5:08 am

TC, mind giving out the serial # of that steel?

T. C. Furlong · Post by **T. C. Furlong** » 25 Oct 2006 5:54 am

Mike, It's a June 1952 T-8.
TC

Lee Jeffriess · Post by **Lee Jeffriess** » 25 Oct 2006 3:09 pm

Jussi, does your T8, have those tuning key changers?,.
Jw, has them on his Mack Thomas guitar and, he told me they were done by Johnny Fry, who I guess did mods for Bigsbys ie roller nuts etc.
Lee
Im sorry,I should have read your post, more carefully.[This message was edited by Lee Jeffriess on 25 October 2006 at 06:22 PM.]

James Pennebaker · Post by **James Pennebaker** » 25 Oct 2006 5:28 pm

Because I am both curious and fascinated, what is the signifigance of the number "2" stamped into the top plate of the "plunger" mechanism. Does anyone know?

JP

T. C. Furlong · Post by **T. C. Furlong** » 25 Oct 2006 7:52 pm

Hi James,
I happen to know. The number 2 that is visible in the picture indicates neck # 2. There are also two other number 2's stamped on that plate that are not visible in the photo. There is one next to each plunger and they indicate which pedal actuates them. So the other single lower plunger has a 1 stamped by it(also not visible in the photo) because it is actuated by pedal 1. If you are still curious and fascinated, I could take a photo that shows all the numbers. I too think that the systems that Paul Bigsby had in place for identifying parts, their function and location are pretty fascinating. And he was thinking this up as he went because he was the first.
TC

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 25 Oct 2006 9:33 pm

Yeah Lee, there's one on mine, operating on the mid neck keyhead. It's definately a Bigsby made and not a mod, I just emailed some old pics to TC, hopefully they're clear enough to be posted here. I guess Bigsby used this type of changer whenever a customer asked for a lower and raise on the same string, like on my guitar which is a -63. Doyle Boyett guitar has one too and it's a -55. [This message was edited by Jussi Huhtakangas on 25 October 2006 at 10:46 PM.]

T. C. Furlong · Post by **T. C. Furlong** » 26 Oct 2006 6:29 am

Let's see if this is clear enough to see the rocking tuning key on Jussi's guitar.

TC

T. C. Furlong · Post by **T. C. Furlong** » 26 Oct 2006 6:36 am

These photos of Jussi's guitar are especially interesting because they were taken when the guitar was new. Wow, the maple on the front neck is fantastic.

Pretty cool
TC

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 26 Oct 2006 9:21 am

Good shot of the lowering mechanism which replaced the original spring actuated lever that pulled the string up to pitch. The pedal would then release the tension on the spring and the string would lower. Like holding a pedal down and then lifting your foot off of it.

You'll notice the pulleys that came from the airplanes, of the times. Bigsby used to frequent the Lockheed surplus yard.