Bigsby on a 6120

[Brian LeBlanc]

I'm new to stringing a Bigsby Vibrato

& put 2 dings in the guitar with strings poping off!

What's the Secret???

[Roger Rettig]

I dunno about a secret, but I used to put a bend in the ball-end of the string so that it would wrap itself around the shaft - a bit like when I put heavier strings on the steel.

RR

[Rick Batey]

...

[Bill Hatcher]

What Roger said. Take a pair of needle nose pliers and bend the twisted area right above the ball and make sure the hole in the ball is facing up and not sideways. Don't bend where the string starts.

That will help you easily wrap the string around the Bigsby shaft and onto the post.

[Brian LeBlanc]

Thanks - i'll do both!

String Gauges: 54 to 12

[Jerry Overstreet]

Here's a thread from the old forum with some info on the subject.
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum10/HTML/004545.html

[Brint Hannay]

I have managed to get through 43 years of guitar playing without ever dealing with a Bigsby until a short time ago. I have been feeling like an idiot (or that Bigsby was an idiot--actually, I may still think that) struggling to put strings on the d*@# thing!

I have long pre-bent the ball end of the low strings on C6th, so I can relate to that idea.

But do you guys put the string on the tuning peg first?

As a lifelong Fender (guitar) player, that idea never occurred to me till it was mentioned in a thread about steel changers with pins instead of notches--something else I first dealt with only very recently! (I must confess I don't like the idea, for either instrument--I'm finicky about how the string wraps onto the post.)

[Roger Rettig]

Brian

I'm with you! Much as I love my two Emmons LeGrandes, I wish they had the 'swallow-tail' idea that Sho-Buds had! Those pins scare me - I've never broken one, but they seem so vulnerable.

I've just bought a new Gibson ES-355. I opted for the Bigsby tailpiece because I've lusted after one of these instruments for forty years - and that's how I remember seeing the first one in England. However, I bet I never use that tremelo; it's not part of my playing. I recently put new strings on a Gretsch 6120 immediately prior to selling it, so I was reminded of that poor design all over again.

I have a Glaser B-bender on my G&L Asat Classic - that's another nightmare! The 'B' string has to be located in the bridge, then you have to maintain tension as you thread it at the machine-head, or the string will pop out; then, if you've already bent and trimmed the top-end, it's a real struggle to get it on. I've lost count of the '011s that I've had to scrap because of my clumsiness!!!

I think it's a bad idea to thread the string at the machine-head first - it's hard to control the 'wrap', and it's possible to twist the string, too.

RR

PS: Do any other steels use that Sho-Bud method? It's SO logical!

[Gary Boyett]

I actually like the 6120 Bigsby set-up. Maybe I have just been lucky but I think string changes are quite a bit faster with these.

I do one at a time and just loosen the string and pop it off the pin. When re-winding I put the same bend in the string and just hold s little tension on it until it's tight. I like the foam wedge idea though.

[Brian LeBlanc]

well...

the pins on my ShoBud...no problem

but the Bigsby is whole nuther thing!

(contorting and cussing @ same time)

I'm in-training to use the Bigsby on 75% of 2-note melody stuff...ie, lap-steel kind of sound

[Jack Stoner]

I had a 1961 PX6120 that I bought new and kept it until I foolishly sold it in 1985.

I used the Gretsch Chet Atkins strings on it for many years. I don't recall doing anything special to restring it. I did only replace one at a time so the bridge stayed in place but that's the only thing. I don't recall bending the strings, etc.