Bigsby Tuning Stabilizer
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 16 окт 2013
- Here's a little device that I invented to help out Bigsby users with their Bigsby B5 / B7's when mounted on Les Paul Style guitars. There's not enough distance from the end of the guitar to to bridge causing the tension roller to be too close AND too low in relation to th bridge. This creates too steep of an angle as the strings pass over the bridge and under the roller. The problem is TOO MUCH downward pressure on the saddles and TOO MUCH tension on the roller causing it to not roll as smoothly as it should.
If this looks like something you may want to try, drop a line.
Check out Bricksbiggsfix.com 
Видеоклипы
Hey people, I bought this product and installed it, and instantly, I saw the improvement. No more binding issue on the roller bridge, tuning goes back to its original tune, and it's simply just amazing! Buy this to get rid of detuning issue of your bigsby!
Recently got the stabalizer for B7 for my Gibson CS-356. This device with the addition of a 1" spring for the bigsby has made a huge difference. Thanks.
Amazing that you actually patented this. I hope it makes you a fortune my friend. What a great solution...
I just bought a double neck 5566, it was shipped across the country and even before I played it , I saw that there was going to a problem with that crazy break angle over the tunomatic bridges. I'm ordering some locking roller bridges , and I will probably be out in the workshop soon, copying your modification on my lathe. Thanks for the video !
I just came here to look at this product before purchasing and was very surprised when you said you had a patent pending. I didn't realize you are actually the creator which is awesome seeing how it seems to have worked out quite well for you over the years and it seems like a pretty ingenious fix to a bigsby, like doing the reverse of a buzzstop on a jazzmaster.
AWESOME! I just installed my tuning stabilizer, it went on easy, and does exactly what it was made for, improves tuning stability. My Pro Jet would not stay in tune because of the string break angle, it was very annoying. I purchased this device, and now the guitar stays in tune, it's that simple. Customer service was excellent, shipping was fast, the stabilizer is very well built. If you're having tuning problems with your Bigsby, get this roller bridge today!
I bought one of these just about 2 years ago for my Epiphone Wildkat. It works fantastically to keep my guitar from going out of tune. Installation was pretty easy.
I recently bought a really nice used Gretsch pro-jet, which needs the same treatment.
Good information. Thanks. I just ordered the kit to upgrade my 2013 Gibson Elliot Easton "Tikibird" Firebird the angle is radical IMHO and it is fighting me to stay in tune. Thank you very much!
👍 🙏 Maximum Respect and Peace ~ Loo 👊 😎
Works very well , got mine yesterday and I love it. Placed it on with my vibramate which makes it slightly higher, yet stays in the saddle fine
Glad to hear that. It can be iffy with Vibramate. For sure doesn't work with Les Paul and VM. What guitar was that on?
Very cool.
I have an ES 339 so I went with the B3 and a device I won't name, that works similarly to yours.
Great to know there's another option for future builds.
Great job!
I've installed one of these on my PRS Starla with Bigsby B50 and couldn't be happier! Extremely stable now and happily stays perfectly in tune even with heavy bar use! Highly recommended!! Also added the Super Squishy Spring and and I am in trem-heaven now. Great product that does what it is advertised to do! Thanks Bricks Biggs Fix!!
Did you use this one on the B-50, or the one for the B-50 on his sales pages? The one for the B-50 appears to be slightly different than this one he is showing. I would prefer this one, if it works with the B-50.
Rather than start an argument, I'm glad you found a solution that worked for you... without any permanent changes.
I got my bricksbigsfix today and just put it on an Epiphone riviera with a B 70. Tuned it back up and man o man !!!! The diffrence is incredible! If you uses bigsby you GOTTA have this y'all.
I just put one of these on my lonnie mack reissue.. it holds tuning much better and the stratocaster dive bomb tuning technique seems to work. I've been playing with it for a few hours. My install was not so easy...but Gary Brower stringed instrument repair made it happen. Thx G. I'd recommend this roller.
That was a really nice presentation! I'm impressed. I'm waiting for my B7 to arrive in England (it's sat somewhere in a shipping depot in Florida right now :-( ). Fitting it to my LP with a V7, so I'll not be needing this raiser, but it's good to know it's out there for future reference... I've been looking at the pros/cons etc of fitting Bigsbys to all sorts of guitars & it's an interesting subject... there are many problems, but they were also used & loved by many for years going back. So I've held back on buying a Riviera / Wildkat & gone for fitting the B7 to my LP - I have a roller bridge here & with the V7, I think I should be good to go. I like your solution for the shorter guitar though... great invention!
I got and installed it on a gibson ES339 one week ago and it works perfectly, thank you!
Cleverest device ever invented. It stabilizes tuning just after installing it, even minutes after changing the strings. It makes the Bigsby smother and it allows you to do deeper dives both down and up. Never such a small piece gave me so much happiness. So many headaches gone just after putting the piece in place. Highly recommended.
I agree with this statement. I Installed a B50 on a Reverend Sensei a while back, a guitar I really like(d). The Bigsby was fairly close to the bridge, and was a tuning disaster and felt stiff and gritty and I didn't use vibramate so there was no turning back without some ugly holes left behind. I installed this roller device and a Reverend roller bridge, and the tremolo works just incredibly well now - dive bombs, scoops, Neil Young whammy time..now the the guitar is one of my first choices for long gigs again, i don't even bother with an inline tuner. This is a great investment! Thanks!
Brilliant. I love tremolos so I installed a bigsdy on my Gibson Les Paul and it would not stay in tune. Really irritating. Can not stand guitars that do not stay in tune so I was going to trash my add on bigsby. Hard to believe bigsby would do this or not provide an option. Will be ordering one and thank you for fixing this.
Great invention, works well. Good sounding guitar to.
I have been lucky enough to get one of these tuning stabllizers and install it on my SG guitar and it works Great. My Bigsby is a B5 and the angle between the bridge and tension bar was quite steep and this unit really corrected the angle to a much lesser degree. Before the install the Bigsby was stiff and the guitar would not stay in tune with its' use. I can truely say that this stabilizer really works for me and I am more than happy with it.............
I got one of these for my Epiphone Wildkat with a bigsby along with the squishy spring. The roller works like a charm. The spring is really nice but what I found was that very light movement and release of the bigsby there was still a very slight sharp or flat tone depending on if you pushed or pulled. I'm talking extremely small movement that you would probably never really do and such a slight tune difference you can't really hear it. If I use the stock spring which is a little heavier that problem is solved so I'll stick with the stock spring. This could be affected by the strings being used as the spring has to overcome the string tension to get the "neutral". I also installed a roller bridge which was a great help and lubed the nut. This setup works perfectly even with very soft movements of the bigsby. Great product!
Jim64 thanks for answering my question about the spring.
Hi Bill
Review of the Tuning Stabilizer:
I just fitted one of your tuning stabilizers to my G5435T Electromatic Pro Jet. The Bigsby is the B50. The difference is fantastic. Previously the feel was not great. It was very unresponsive and I had to push down much too hard and too far to get any sort of response. Definitely not like a Bigsby should be. Also the tuning would be out every time, so it was pretty much unuseable.
I live in England and the delivery time was about 2 weeks but Bill said the post might take a while so that was expected. Fitting was pretty easy. The hardest part is getting the split clip off, and Bill includes a much better one to fit once you have the stabilizer in place. The whole process takes about 5 minutes including detuning and retuning strings.
After fitting the tuning stabilizer the B50 now works exactly like a well set up Bigsby should. It is much lighter and more responsive to use and tuning is spot on. I just played for about half an hour, including Brian Setzer's version of Sleepwalk which has much Bigsby action - and it stayed in tune with no problem at all.
All I can say is that if anyone is looking for a solution to harsh feeling Bigsby, or tuning issues, or both - get one of these!!!
All the best
Gaz
Gawd ! what a sound and nice playin too.
That is really cool !
I hope you succeed, it’s a fantastic idea.
hi from England. fitted mine today. great, a lot better. thank you.
You're a genius! Very cool invention :)
Awesome. I will be ordering soon. Great mind!
Very well done!
What a great fix. Right now the Bigsby on my 5435TG is basically unusable, and is little more than ornamentation. I need a gold thingy, but I note you're out of stock as of December 2018.
Ran out of sealed bearings. My supplier is based in California and those awful fires have disrupted the postal service, so there is a delay. Then we got that dang earthquake....... just like ants rebuilding the ant hill, things should get back to normal.
very cool invention
I bought a Bricks for my Epi Wildkat..Bought a roller bridge..Works perfect.
Nice one mate, plus You had a great sound
Ingenious Thank you very much!
I just bought a used Gretsch (G6659T) and the pictures on Reverb showed one of these on the B7. I was concerned some weird mod was made. Now I'm happy :)
Sweet! Since this video the BBF for B5 and B7 has gone to a new version (V2) that does not require the re-use of the stock axle. If you find the old version like in this video, it's still a great mod, but it's just a tiny bit harder for re-stringing. Principle is still the same. Decreasing the excess tension is key.
@@BricksJamRoom When I zoom in I can see that it is the V2.
I just installed my bricksfix on my Gary Clark jr. Epiphone Casino. It took like 5 minutes. I didn't have to remove my strings just loosen them. The new design has Allen bolts instead of retaining clips. The hardest part was removing the stock retaining clip from the axle. The bricksfix really relieved the hardcore string angle and tension. My only gripe is now the tremolo arm seems to stick up a little farther. I will email him to see if his spring fixes this problem otherwise great install. Just tape up your guitar around the area so you don't Mar up the Finish removing that stupid clip. You might need a magnet to find it when it pops into the carpet....lol
I just received mine yesterday video coming soon on my channel on my guitar build.
Bought it. Works great on my Gretsch Electromatic Duojet !
Wow! I'm grabbing one this pay day.
Mine arrived yesterday.
Haven’t installed it yet but I’m expecting good results.
Just bought this. Your the man ! Now for the tailpiece off center fix. ugg. Any suggestions on it ?
Kudos on a great idea, I will keep this in mind for any guitar I get with a bigsby. Does it work with the string spoiler?
Just order mine today🔥
i put my strings above de roller except the high E
stays well in tune works fine enough for me
but your stabilizer looks better i must say
what a great idea! you should be proud man! ;o)
BTW, the email address is at the end of the video.... bricksbiggsfix@gmail.com
Hey Brick, I've got a Bigsby B5 with a Vibramate on an Epiphone SG, I've been looking for a good set up that can stay in tune WITHOUT any locking nuts or anything like that. Been down that road and it was a hassle. So far your device is the best solution that I've seen in my research besides maybe switching out the nut on the headstock to be a bone nut. I'd definitely be interested in trying it out, how much are they and how could I get my hands on one? Thanks!
C.J.
I have a B3 on an 'SG' with a Downer tension bar and Golden-Eagle Roller-Bridge and it has a pretty steep angle,like this guitar in the video, I can raise the tension bar(its where the roller is on the B7).What is the best angle to have the strings set at? IOW, what angle will the roller have its best shot at actually rolling?
Hi. I have a limited edition black and gold Pro jet. B5 bigsby. Same tuning problem. Where can I get one of these?
what a tone
I have a 70s Gibson SG with a factory installed/embossed Bigsby would this work on this?!
This Bigsby has a thinner roller than stock Bigsby tremolos but, it has thick inserted bushings...
Tollchuck, it is close, but no. The tension between the string attachment point and bridge prevent the strings from moving toward that area.
try the stetsbar way better than a bigsby and it stays in tune ,,, no drilling , no routing , no problems , and they make them for strats , tele"s les pauls , sg"s and others , and they work very very good with no mods ,,, try it thats stetsbar , made by Eric Stets
That pink floyd touch is indeed something I am doing aswell haha.
That is David Gilmore... not Pink Floyd.
@@paha881 It is a solo from Another Brick In The Wall. Pink Floyd.
Your creation looks the business! Would you ship to the UK? Out of interest, does the product/ change in break angles affect the stiffness of the Bigsby travel? Love the smoothness of the B3 on my Tennessee rose but the B5 on my PRS is comparatively quite stiff and less responsive.
While the nut is the usual suspect for tuning problems with vibratos, the tension roller is a problem for another reason as well. A shallower string angle behind the bridge allows more harmonics to sound when playing and also eases string tension.
String tension is the same. If string tension were different you'd be getting a different pitch.
@@Thoracius Well, of course you tune to or play whatever notes you wish regardless of string tension. String tension and string pitch are entirely different things
A 440hz "A" played on a string that has less tension is the same fundamental note as a 440hz "A" played on string with heavier string tension. The following harmonics will be quite different though.
This is particularly true regarding scale length as well. A note played on a guitar with a 25.5" scale sounds different from the same note played on a guitar with a 24.75" scale. The strings on the shorter scale length have less tension than the strings on the longer scale length, but the fundamental notes are the same.
Hello, great sound and upgrade !!! Where to buy and how much does it cost ? Thansk a lot, best regards from France
Great invention - but you could also use a vibramate, than it's easier to put new strings on.
did you have to widen the holesfor your sperzel locking tuners?
Hi BricksJamRoom. I may be having a similar issue with a guitarfetish Xtrem archtop vibrato which is a Bigsby Substitute. It has a tension bar as well and individual rollers on each string. I realize your roller may not fit my trem since it is not a bigsby. has anyone ever tried putting a graphite sleeve around the tension bar? maybe it would glide better witht the tension than the metal. If your invention would fit my xtrem I would probably buy one from you - I would want to make sure my graphite nut slots are not the culprit first.
Great idea looks good too. I cant tell from the video if both E strings ever "slide" out and become pinched in the extension arms of the new raised roller.the pinch point being between the arms and the roller? Is there enough room ? Does that ever happen?
tollchuck if you do drive bombs maybe. But thats not what a bigsby is for
Sweet! Is there a way to get channels cut in the roller in order to keep the strings lined up horizontally? Similar to the calaham.
Would this be appropriate for a B70? I am looking at getting an Epiphone Gary Clark Blak & Blue Casino with. A B70 and having never owned a Bigsby, I am leery of the legendary tuning problems!
just found you videos and I have a love hate with my b igsby, do you still make these and how do I order 1?
Hi, that device looks great - my Les Paul has the same acute angle issue you have remedied. Have you got those devices for sale yet? My LP has gold hardware so I'm curious to know if you can supply in gold and for how much?
Where can i buy that stabilizer thank you and Godbless you
So how do I get a hold of this?
I have a Epiphone Wildkat. The way I handle the tuning prob is. I do not use the bixby.
Do you sell one with a gold finish to match gold hardware? If so, how much?
This is exactly what I need. I bought a pre owned Epiphone Wildkat, not a scratch on the guitar. Whenever I use the bigsby B7 tuning either goes flat or sharp depending on which way you bend the tremolo arm. Will definitely be needing one of these.
The other problem I have is that I cannot intonate the G string. It is too sharp when played at the 12th fret. I've adjusted the bridge but the saddle won't go back any further, tried flipping it around still no luck. New nut maybe?
Also I cannot get the action, string height as low as I want, the p90 bridge pickup is quite high/tall in the Wildkat and string just hit of this if lowered.
Oh well trial & error, wondered if anyone else has had this issue??
Action
Lee Sabatino having the same exact problems with a new one i bought. I've used bigger strings, I've replaced the tunomatic with a roller, cut the nut slots wider and now thinking about replacing tuning keys with locking ones or maybe trying this gadget
Well my string height has now much improved thanks to some truss rod adjustment. Interesting to hear that your still having problems when installing a roller bridge. This was possibly my next task. Think I'll check this gismo out.
I have a Gretsch 5655T-CB-JR with a B70 Bigsby.When I put the strings on top of the Roller the High E literally pops out of the saddle piece when I Do A Bend of any sort so I Don't think this would work in my particular situation
Running the strings over the roller is a temporary test procedure to determine if tuning stability increases with tension reduction. We’ve done a lot of Biggsfix on G5655
Thanks for the great video. Two questions: 1. Is this a B7 you are working on (or will this work with the B7). 2. Where do I get one?
Bricksbiggsfix.com
Can you use that Bigsby on a LP Special model with bridge and tailpiece?
is there any chance you could make this in gold?
Does anyone know what the Gretsch guitar? He said it is a Electromatic Pro Jet but the only model that I found had B5 and different inlays
This is an older Pro Jet. It has a B7 on it because in my search for tuning stability I thought "surely putting a REAL Bigsby on it will help"..... It didn't, I've thrown more money at this guitar than it will ever be worth. Once I figured out the reason for tuning instability on these style Bigsby's I started supplying these little devices around the globe! I never got around to replacing the stock bridge since one of my attempts to fix things was to grind down the metal at the back of the bridge where the strings used to hit due to the extreme break angle (it is ugly now). Several of my customers have reported departure from their roller bridges, returning to the stock Tune-o-Matic's with fantastic results. It's hard to believe that so many of these guitars were manufactured with this flaw.
Would this be compatible with a b50 tailpiece? I have gretsch corvette that I stringed without the tension bar and tuning stability is good, now I'm having problems with strings slipping off saddles.
Yes. this provides just enough down pressure to keep the strings in place and keep it nice and soft. There is a guy who posted a video of version3 on his corvette
Honestly I order this for my gretsch guitar but the problem wasn't resolved, instead I compressed the spring on a vise over night and growled away the stabilizer, that was the problem, when the spring are new the have more tension that's needed, they have to be loosen up.
Ok back to square one! I'm kind of confused. In my earlier post I posted that I bought and put on the BTS-V3 version on my Gretsch G2655T. You also mentioned that the one in the video has evolved into the BTS-5712-V2 version, So my question is this did I put the correct one on my G2655T ( BTS-V3) or should I have ordered the BTS-5712-V2. Also what is the difference in the B50 Bigsby and a B5 Bigsby? Some tuning stabilizers are decribed as B5/B7, while some are describes as B50/B70. What are the differences. Thank you.
You are good to go. The BTS-5712-V2 is the newest version of the stabilizer in this video. IT IS FOR USA made Bigsbys. You have the "licensed" Bigsby. Have you watched the video where I put the BTS-V3 on the Wildkat? That should be closer to your set-up. This is the first video that I posted on the matter. This was my first generation that I sold at first. Thanks!!!!
great video man!!.. how the patent went??
What Roller bridge are you using or recommend ?
Can I put this on my Gretch Broadkaster? The roller is farther from the bridge, but I still have to retune after every song. I’m wondering if it will still have enough tension to keep the strings in. Does anyone know?
We've sold a lot of these for Broadkasters. This video is from the original prototype. The current version is the BTSv2- check out BricksBiggsFix.com
It's posible to change Your tuning with the bigsby? I mean like drop D or DADGAD...or some Eb, there will be no intonation problems?
That depends on your bridge.
I have just installed a Bigsby B7 on my Epiphone Les Paul with the vibramate V7 ( so I shouldn't have a so severe angle) and it's going out of tune a lot! I'm actually waiting for my order of tusq nuts and saddles arrive to help me fixing this situation but I don't know if they will be enough! Maybe having a tension roller with proper bearing would be a great idea!
Definitely need to rule out nut issues and bridge hang ups first. The stabilizer is specifically for the annoying sharp/flat issues associated with the extreme tension on the tension roller. The 3 main issues causing instability are nut, bridge and tension roller. Fixing the tension roller often takes care of the bridge too, but a nut issue is only fixed by fixing the nut :)
BricksJamRoom yea I imagined this. As soon as my graph tech tusq stuff arrives I'll update my post!
Anyway yesterday I have tried to put some oil lubricant on the stock Epiphone nuts and nothing change...was thinking that the oil could have help me a lot but it didn't.
What can be done for the Bigsby that comes with the guitar?
I'd like to keep that look.
RCR Band im fairly sure that you can still do it the exact same way he did it
I came to the comments to see negative reviews but I suppose that I have to order mine real quick 😂😂😂
When this hits the market, I daresay you will probably be able to buy the Gibson Guitar Corporation within the first year!
What else did you try before roller bearings? Im looking at phosphor bronze PTFE - or even splitting the roller into sections, each section also having bearings. Just got a new WildKat can couldnt believe my ears!
I actually have tried a roller in 3 sections, each with sealed bearings. The best results came with reducing the tension though. If you can get away with it, bypassing the roller is great, but with most guitars with a tension roller, it is there for a reason, it needs some, but manufacturers are bound to 2 choices with Bigsby- no roller or a roller that may provide too much tension. One of my earlier attempts had the raised bar with no roller on it. It worked pretty well- just moved forward and backward on the pivot of the axle. My most current version attaches without the stock axle.
I need this!! When and how can we get one?
How much? Looks like just what I'm looking for.
Hello Bricks, just saw your vid and subscribed. How do I purchase this roller? Thanks
Bricksbiggsix.com
Thanks!
Ok, You convinced me. Where to click 'buy it RIGHT NOW'? :)
Where can I buy it??? I need it right now!!!!
thanks bud
To get it out of the way, I am just a beginning guitar player. So I'm learning how to play, and watching a buttload of 'how-to' videos on working on them as well. Not knocking your invention at all; this seems like a great thing. But dare I ask, why this, and not just a roller bridge? I only ask, because a lot of what I've heard is because of the sharp angle, the strings hang up in the bridge slots. Yes, lessening the angle, and thus the tension on the bridge will make great strides, but a roller bridge would appear to eliminate it completely. Am I wrong? As a FWIW, because it was my 60th birthday, and I thought I damn well deserved it, I bought my self the white/gold Wildkat Royale.
He clearly showed you that he is using a roller bridge, though.
Gold finish?
Needed on a tele?
Where can I buy one of these in gold from in the UK .. great vid 👍👍
BricksBiggsFix.com
Can you tune down also?
So how do I order this miracle invention? I have a B5 on my custom 24 fret SG shape neck-thru that I built...
BricksBiggsFix.com
Is this device what is now called the Biggsfix?
He should of said "there's no effective tremelo system that includes a tune o matic bridge". The saddles in the tom bridge saw on your strings when playing and the steep angle coming off the bigsby only worsens this. Thats where fender got it right with thier bridges.
what effect are you using?