missing bigsbys list

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 25 Oct 2009 12:02 pm

did the bigsby have only one pedal

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 26 Oct 2009 7:43 pm

Back around 1953 or 1954 there was a fellow playing a Bigsby at the Bonton club just outside Moffatt Field in the San Jose area. He was supposed to be going to Stanford Univercity studying to be a Architect. I can't remember his name. Loie Tierney of Bab Wills fame was playi8ng fiddle and saxaphone.
This was a big hangout for Servicemen the time.

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 27 Oct 2009 3:43 pm

was the bigsby a t8 or d8 or was it something else.

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 27 Oct 2009 7:34 pm

Daniel:
It was either a D8 or a T8. I can't remember. If I went by the club and he was not there, I would sit in on the Bigsby which was OK. He had an A6th and a E13th tuning which I was famiiar with. Possibly, Bobby Black or Peewee Whitewing would know this guy.

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 29 Oct 2009 1:50 pm

so could this bigsby possibly be one that is missing or not known about.

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 11 Nov 2009 4:04 pm

does anyone know of some older country songs that have bigsby steels in them ive heard a lot of the old webb pierce music with bud isaacs.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 12 Nov 2009 5:50 am

Most of Hank Thompson's recordings between 50-58, most of Little Jimmy Dickens'stuff from the earlier part of the 50's ( w/ Walter Haynes & Buddy Emmons ), all the boogies by Tennessee Ernie Ford, most of Tex Williams' Capitol recordings, and the list goes on...

Darryl Hattenhauer · Post by **Darryl Hattenhauer** » 12 Nov 2009 7:34 am

Daniel,

I'm almost sure Vance Terry is playing a Bigsby on the two Billy Jack Wills cds. (In Sacramento, Billy Jack Wills is still the king.)

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=s ... &x=12&y=16

I suspect Vance is playing a bigsby on this Jimmie Rivers cd.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=s ... &x=11&y=20

Darryl Hattenhauer · Post by **Darryl Hattenhauer** » 12 Nov 2009 7:46 am

Jussi,

Are you playing the Bigsby on this knock-out jazz jam? http://www.myspace.com/lesterpeabodyguitar

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 12 Nov 2009 9:36 am

Darryl, yes, but it's not mine. It's Jeremy Wakefield's -49 non pedal T8. I had mine in a hotel room and didn't bother to drag it to that downstairs room where the jam was

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 12 Nov 2009 3:17 pm

about how many bigsbys were made between 1948 and 1950 and how many had pedals to me it seems like there were several t8 nonpedals.

Darryl Hattenhauer · Post by **Darryl Hattenhauer** » 12 Nov 2009 4:48 pm

Jussi,

That is some mighty fine playing, my friend. Power and finesse at the same time.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 14 Nov 2009 12:17 am

Thanks so much Darryl!

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 14 Nov 2009 7:18 am

do bigsbys break a lot of strings are do strings last a long time on a bigsby.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 15 Nov 2009 9:53 am

That would depend on your tuning. Keep in mind that Bigsbys were made and discontinued before modern E9 tuning was a standard. So if you use a high G# it may break a bit more often than on a modern guitar, but on the contrary to a common belief, a string breakage is not an issue on them if you use tunings that they were designed for. I have E13 with five pedals on the mid neck and I've never broke a string on it in seven years I've had it.

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 15 Nov 2009 1:09 pm

what about the tuning bud isaacs used called isaacs e9.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 15 Nov 2009 1:27 pm

Isaacs E9 did not have the high G# to A change, the potential string breaker.

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 15 Nov 2009 4:15 pm

ive got a question ive always heard the t8 bigsby was more popular why was it. in 1956 when paul bigsby quit building electric guitars did he stop doing the replacement necks and building mandolins.

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 16 Nov 2009 7:09 pm

i know bigsbys are like no other steel and that the closest to bigsby is clinesmith. What steels can have the bigsby sound or atleast close to it i noticed on youtube a fender 1000 used in a skeets mcdonald song on town hall party to me sounded a lot like a bigsby the song was what am i doing here i would like to know how he got his fender to sound like this.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 17 Nov 2009 7:38 am

60s era Carvin console steels sound just like Bigsbys thru a 50s/60s tube amp. Amps do make a big difference. I once played one of Murphs old Bigsgys thru my Session 400 and digital EFX and it sounded like my Sierra.

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 17 Nov 2009 2:17 pm

the bud isaacs d8 bigsby it sounds really good is it because of an amp .

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 19 Nov 2009 4:43 pm

does anyone have a bigsby with the plunger style changer i believe bud isaacs had that could that have been one reason his steel sounded so good

Eric Stumpf · Post by **Eric Stumpf** » 20 Nov 2009 10:50 am

Many if not most of the earlier non-pedal Bigsbys had pedals added in the early to mid 50's. Most professionals playing these guitars had to keep up with the times in what was a very competitive field. Bigsby commonly wrote the date of the later pedal installations in pencil on the underside of the guitar. Yes, certain model Carvin and Magnatone steels do sound a lot like the Bigsbys but it depends on the amps you play them through. Naturally you're not going to get close to a vintage Bigsby tone playing through, for example, A Nashville 400 or a Fender Steel King.

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 21 Nov 2009 2:24 pm

eric is that a t8 or d8 steel your sitting behind in the picture under your name whose was that originally.

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 21 Nov 2009 2:27 pm

ive got a question ive always heard bigsbys are rare and there may not be but about 60 to 80 around but it seems like im always hearing about a nother person all the time that ive never heard of before who owned a bigsby does anyone know how many steels he built or how many are known of.