putting a trem bar on a tele maybe a bigsby?

R

Ree Fungorio

New member
I have an Am Std Tele i think is a 94 with everything stock. I love this guitar alot but i want this guitar's tone and feel with the option of a trem bar. I don't recall ever seeing any teles with a tremelo. I'm not into dive bombing or anything like that at all; I just find myself using the whammy a little on my strat more and more often.

I talked to a guitarist I really admire (Dave Schramm) and he said his favorite guitar is a 60's reissue tele that he put a Bigsby on.

the only Bigsbys I ever see are on 60's SGs or semihollows and stuff. I like the position of the (?) handle. they seem like they'd be easier to use than this weird strat deal I am grabbing.

Say I find a Bigsby or similar apparatus on Ebay. Is my guitar gonna stay in tune? Am I gonna hate the way it plays? Is it going to cost a lot to have someone do it?

thanx
mark
 
Yes, I have indeed seen Bigsby tremolos on Telecasters before. If you can, just play around with a Bigsby on a vintage Gibson ES-xxx, SG, Les Paul, or Guild clone thereof to get an idea if you could stomach a Bigsby tremolo unit.

I for one am not too hot on them, but that's me. I guess if I woodsheded with one I might eventually get use to the clunkiness of their actuating arm. One good thing about a Bigsby though, they don't spoil the tuning as easily as a stock Stratocaster tremolo.
 
Leave your Tele alone. You would also have to install some kind of roller bridge so that the strings can freely move across them. If you install one of these "detuners" on your guitar (assuming that you could find someone to set it up so that it would actually stay in tune), be advised that the tone of the guitar will not be the same. A large part of the Tele's tone formula is the way the strings are anchored to the body, a bigsby will not have anywhere near the downward string tension at the bridge. A Strat when set up as designed by Leo with the tremelo only going down & not up will stay in tune very well ( if you know how to tune it & use it) Strats and Teles are very similiar in construction yet sound different due to the tremelo or no tremelo design: note that Strats without tremelos(not real common) sound like Teles. If you really want a trem, get a strat. If money is an issue, check out the cheaper mexican models they are an excellent value. If you need any detailed advice on how to get a strat to stay in tune, let me know, I have been hammering on them for over 25 years...
 
REE,
Word from Daddy-O---- Bigsby on a Tele is WAY
COOL!!!!! You will not need to install a roller bridge. The Bigsby made for Teles is a all-in-one unit. You simply remove the stock tailpiece/bridge and install the Bigsby and you are ready to go.No routing or mods. As long as you are using decent strings your guitar will stay in tune just fine.....I should know. I own three vintage guitars that have bigsby's installed. They're great things to have. I'm curently looking for a 60's Tele with a bigsby. GO FOR IT......Check out Vintage Guitar Magazine for an original Bigsby made for Fender in the '60's and '70's. They sell for around $125. They were made just for Teles and have a Fender "F" die cast into the body plate. Reprodution Bigsby's for Teles sell for around the same price. WAY COOL DO IT>
 
I would get a G&L ASAT with Tremolo. They are pretty common and have tone to die for. They are much better than getting a modded Fender. Plus, G&L does it stock and is under warrently. And it will blow any fender away, guarenteed. Leo lives in the G&Ls.

MIKE
 
Thanks yall for your comments. Daddy what the heck I'll give it a try. Do I just have to swap the pickup and screw it on? I'm about as mechanically inclined as my grandma. Last time I picked up a solder iron I burned the house down.

Ree
 
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