My method of keeping the Bigsby in tune was to remove it from my guitar, install a regular stop bar tailpiece, and carefully place the Bigsby on a shelf. It stays in tune perfectly now ;)
Nice video! I put washers under the mounting screws on my B50 Bigsby on my Duojet. That spaced it off the body of the guitar slightly so I could tighten them up without twisting the frame. It works great!
Thanks for the bigsby tip, I didn't realize that the bridge on a gretsch was supposed to be that loose. I'm glad I watched this so I don't do something dumb and ruin it. 👍
Dylan, thank you for this valuable lesson. Great video! I knew about the friction at the nut and saddles but wasn’t aware of the B50 mounting. I’ve seen other TH-camrs swapping nut and bridges with expensive substitutes to fix the same issues … they should watch your video, fix the issues and spend their patreon money on a set of Dylan PUPs.
Great video. I've been looking at the G5220 for a very long time with the Gretsch Humbuckers and the standard bridge. After watching your two videos, now I'm leaning toward the G5210 with the P90s and Bigsby. Thanks, but now the choice is even more complicated.
Thanks Dylan. The tension roller on my Bidgby was binding, but I loosened one screw and now it rolls without issue. I wish I had learned that a year ago, I've been chasing my tail with other fixes for what took a quarter turn of a screwdriver to fix.
Very nice! I know not everyone has or wants to spend money on nut files, but great tip on a lower end guitar to clean up the slots - worthwhile regardless of bridge. Pickup sound good as well!
Thanks for another really helpful video. Maybe I've just been lucky, but the budget Bigsby on my G5230T Electromatic Jet has been surprisingly good. It took a few days' playing to settle in, but it's been as good as gold ever since through multiple string changes - including being strung for Nashville tuning at one point.
Replacing the Bigsby tension bar with a 6mm steel rod will help reduce the string break angle, a high break angle can rock the bridge studs backwards and forwards, which is bad.
Every thing looks very nice but i could not tell any difference with the new pickups fitted, it may be my beat up hearing and i was listening through Sennheiser headphones.
One of my first electric guitars had a burr on the saddle for the high E string. I was a machinist and their lack of attention to cleaning this up properly bothered me. My first experience with 9s I thought they just broke easy at first. I leaned on an acoustic, and tens feel thin already.
They manufacture these in mass. Not really something to place blame on. This is the kind of thing that can easily be resolved in the first setup. Or leave it and let the strings find their natural home after a few hours of playing.🤗😁🤔
Dylan slowly dragging those files across reminds me of that blackboard scraping scene in "Jaws"... "Dead black eyes like a doll's eyes...". Anyhow, Gretsch Jets make Les Pauls look like expensive junk to me.
This may be a stupid question but I'm noticing the main thing here is that on the tune up its important to retune several times after depressing the arm in between until it keeps bouncing back to normal, it's not doing it the same when I go to lower tunings like D# or D is there a reason for that? its an authentic bigsby on a reverend buckshot.
about the roller bar on the bigsby, and as a comparison with a fixed tail piece wrap, would it be any tunning/stability/intonation difference if we put the strings over the roller instead of under?
I have no problem with the way those pickups sound, especially the bridge one with dirt. I have one of those new Kramers with a banana headstock, and I'm about to make my third nut for it. The angle of the strings going from the nut to the pegs is giving me problems. I will try to be sure that the slots are not burred.
Just a thought on the bridge and the nut when you’re filing as gently as you can wouldn’t it be better to put some thing like beeswax or Chapstick maybe a little Vaseline in there so that it’s got some kind of lubrication and will stop from cutting too hard? just a thought thanks .
That wasnt what he was after. He was getting rid of sharp edges, burrs, small bits to eliminate any binding at the contact points. Kudos to him for mentioning the possibility of over tightening the mounting screws, especially on a carved top. Those nylon bushings on the imports gotta go tho. Needle or sealed bearings to replace and they're inexpensive. @DylanTalksTone - I came to ask since you removed the stock pickups, are those P90's standard soapbar spec with a chrome surround? Or are they 2 different bits? Pot values? Thanks for the gut shots btw.
I think I’d use something less abrasive than a nut file. It sounds nasty. I think I’d try a piece of 320 emery cloth. That way it will not only deburr, but polish the saddle. Leaving no scuffs, thus allowing the string to slide more easily.
I'd be interested in using a Bigsby Chinese knockoff ... I'm using one for a cigar box guitar... the spring seems very stiff to me...suggestions on springs?
Hey Dylan thanks again for another great video helping other bigsby lovers. I have a situation right now with a gretsch 2210 that i want to upgrade and add a bigsby b70 however this one comes with a wraparound bridge that i want to replace with a roller bridge and there is where i have a problem. Most roller bridges have 53.50 to 54 mm post spacing but the wraparound bridge i want to remove match the stoptail piece instead which is larger so no standard roller bridge fits. Obviously the reason for this is the wraparound has both functions, (bridge and stoptail) in one piece with its post spacing having the stoptail distance instead of the bridge distance. Any tips that would help me here? Thanks in advance brother.
The guitar sounded beautiful Dylan it really did you pick up sound great and the so does your guitar I was surprised to hear you say that a plastic chips came off the nut because I know on my electromatic which is a bit older I think it's a 2019 got it just before covid started I have a hollow body double cut it has a new bone not in there a graphtec newborn and CTS parts I thought all that came stock with the with the new version of the electromatic I think that started after 2016 the 2017 or something like that but who knows maybe they stop doing that I'm not mistaken I ever be 70 with the trapeze piece sale please I love that guitar I want to get new pickups for them I like the way they sound they're filtertrons that pull them blacktop filtertrons I don't know if the new ones that are also some kind of blacktop filter if you make filter filter filter trim pickups I don't know if what is the amp or whatever you were playing us through was visible on the video because I can't see but yeah it really sounds great and I was curious what you were playing throughI mean you really got that glenstone with p90s and that's pretty cool anyway great video thanks for posting it sincerely Bob the blind bedroom guitars
I know in the past you've said you don't make filter'trons because they're time consuming and difficult to make. Would you be opposed to doing a limited run? Or is it likely if not?
I think your pickups sound a little bassier than the stock pickups. I agree that it needs better tuners. I also think it was a mistake to put a bigsby on this guitar. I have the 5210 without the bigsby.
We all have different tastes, and we all have different ideas about what a guitar needs, so please don't take this as a personal insult if you like Bigsby's, Floyd Roses, and other varieties of wiggle-sticks on guitars. Whatever you like is fine, and I wish you nothing but happiness in your guitar playing adventures--but I decided in the late 90's that whammy bars would have no part in my playing style, and I have happily never looked back. There are trade-offs that come with using a whammy bar, and they're not trade-offs I'm willing to make. I will go out of my way to find a hardtail version of a particular guitar before I will ever tighten another tremolo spring again, as long as I live.
Pity you don't make Staple-P90 pickups. The inference being you'd make exceptional ones. The next Gretsch I'm likely to get is a baritone, and I must confess those pickups leave much to be desired. How hard would it be to put a set of your dog-eared P90s in these guitars?
The bridge not allowing the strings to move making the bridge flex back and forth is poor mechanical design. I installed a roller bridge. Keep the bridge mounts stable and let only the strings be affected by the Bigsby. And tuning stays stable.
Main problem I have with my bigsby is filling the holes in my guitar after I came to my senses and pulled it off. After filling the holes I put a water slide over the scars and that water slide decal sounds 100% better than that French fry cutter I removed.
I know this channel is about guitars and pickups, not mainly about your playing, but you don't suck. I enjoyed the sounds you made.
My method of keeping the Bigsby in tune was to remove it from my guitar, install a regular stop bar tailpiece, and carefully place the Bigsby on a shelf. It stays in tune perfectly now ;)
I was just wondering if the Bigsby could be removed. Thanks!!
I love my bigsby.
I've put a coin in the spring well to get more travel in the bar.
Graphite in the nut really helps too.
Whammytastic!
Which coin.... how many cents.... Heads up or down.... does that matter to match the spring for more travel?
Nice video! I put washers under the mounting screws on my B50 Bigsby on my Duojet. That spaced it off the body of the guitar slightly so I could tighten them up without twisting the frame. It works great!
Thanks for the bigsby tip, I didn't realize that the bridge on a gretsch was supposed to be that loose. I'm glad I watched this so I don't do something dumb and ruin it. 👍
That purple is a killer color man
Makes me think of “Barney”. I like it a lot
I just bought a roller bridge for my Gretsch, and it solved any issues . Never seen someone grinding away at the saddles before.
That was really helpful (I have a Gretsch Electromatic 5622T). Thanks Dylan
Thanks! Was looking to expand my Bigsby knowledge and you knocked it out of the park man! Liked and subscribed
Dylan, thank you for this valuable lesson. Great video! I knew about the friction at the nut and saddles but wasn’t aware of the B50 mounting. I’ve seen other TH-camrs swapping nut and bridges with expensive substitutes to fix the same issues … they should watch your video, fix the issues and spend their patreon money on a set of Dylan PUPs.
I have this guitar in antique white and love the pickups, but damn yours sound sweet!
Great video. I've been looking at the G5220 for a very long time with the Gretsch Humbuckers and the standard bridge. After watching your two videos, now I'm leaning toward the G5210 with the P90s and Bigsby. Thanks, but now the choice is even more complicated.
Thanks Dylan. The tension roller on my Bidgby was binding, but I loosened one screw and now it rolls without issue. I wish I had learned that a year ago, I've been chasing my tail with other fixes for what took a quarter turn of a screwdriver to fix.
Very nice! I know not everyone has or wants to spend money on nut files, but great tip on a lower end guitar to clean up the slots - worthwhile regardless of bridge. Pickup sound good as well!
Very cool! I've been waiting for this one. I'm gonna do my Gretsch this weekend. Those pickups look killer!
Thanks for another really helpful video. Maybe I've just been lucky, but the budget Bigsby on my G5230T Electromatic Jet has been surprisingly good. It took a few days' playing to settle in, but it's been as good as gold ever since through multiple string changes - including being strung for Nashville tuning at one point.
Duesenberg Les Trem does not have the bar and there is no tuning stability issues.
She's a beauty and now sounds fantastic 💯👍🏻😎
Replacing the Bigsby tension bar with a 6mm steel rod will help reduce the string break angle, a high break angle can rock the bridge studs backwards and forwards, which is bad.
….. watch the video again…. Very slowly
Looks and sounds great
Pickups were the difference! And I have a Gretsch available for such!
Thanks!
Thank YOU!!!
You truly are a bigsby meister. Thanks
Every thing looks very nice but i could not tell any difference with the new pickups fitted, it may be my beat up hearing and i was listening through Sennheiser headphones.
I like the look of the black tops on the pickups; pity to lose that. It's just coloured metal or plastic, isn't it?
My question is why wouldn't just replace the bridge with a roller type?
Those p90s look sick!
One of my first electric guitars had a burr on the saddle for the high E string. I was a machinist and their lack of attention to cleaning this up properly bothered me. My first experience with 9s I thought they just broke easy at first. I leaned on an acoustic, and tens feel thin already.
They manufacture these in mass. Not really something to place blame on. This is the kind of thing that can easily be resolved in the first setup. Or leave it and let the strings find their natural home after a few hours of playing.🤗😁🤔
Dylan slowly dragging those files across reminds me of that blackboard scraping scene in "Jaws"... "Dead black eyes like a doll's eyes...". Anyhow, Gretsch Jets make Les Pauls look like expensive junk to me.
I've got one of those on my Gretsch baritone. The handle fell off recently. I think I'm gonna rip it out and bolt on a hardtail.
This may be a stupid question but I'm noticing the main thing here is that on the tune up its important to retune several times after depressing the arm in between until it keeps bouncing back to normal, it's not doing it the same when I go to lower tunings like D# or D is there a reason for that? its an authentic bigsby on a reverend buckshot.
about the roller bar on the bigsby, and as a comparison with a fixed tail piece wrap, would it be any tunning/stability/intonation difference if we put the strings over the roller instead of under?
The new pickups sound great - more top end clarity and glassiness. What is the output on those?
Really helpful information. Your pickups and a little knowledge and tlc, you have made an already cool guitar into a truly great guitar. Thank you DTT
I have no problem with the way those pickups sound, especially the bridge one with dirt.
I have one of those new Kramers with a banana headstock, and I'm about to make my third nut for it. The angle of the strings going from the nut to the pegs is giving me problems. I will try to be sure that the slots are not burred.
Just a thought on the bridge and the nut when you’re filing as gently as you can wouldn’t it be better to put some thing like beeswax or Chapstick maybe a little Vaseline in there so that it’s got some kind of lubrication and will stop from cutting too hard? just a thought thanks .
That wasnt what he was after. He was getting rid of sharp edges, burrs, small bits to eliminate any binding at the contact points. Kudos to him for mentioning the possibility of over tightening the mounting screws, especially on a carved top. Those nylon bushings on the imports gotta go tho. Needle or sealed bearings to replace and they're inexpensive.
@DylanTalksTone - I came to ask since you removed the stock pickups, are those P90's standard soapbar spec with a chrome surround? Or are they 2 different bits? Pot values?
Thanks for the gut shots btw.
I think I’d use something less abrasive than a nut file. It sounds nasty.
I think I’d try a piece of 320 emery cloth. That way it will not only deburr, but polish the saddle. Leaving no scuffs, thus allowing the string to slide more easily.
Great video. What are these nut files and where do I get them? Thanks…
Cool looking pickups!!
You r pickups are notably smoother and more crisp at the same time. Clarity.
I'd be interested in using a Bigsby Chinese knockoff ... I'm using one for a cigar box guitar... the spring seems very stiff to me...suggestions on springs?
Great video! Did you change any of the other electronics along with the pickups?
Hey Dylan thanks again for another great video helping other bigsby lovers. I have a situation right now with a gretsch 2210 that i want to upgrade and add a bigsby b70 however this one comes with a wraparound bridge that i want to replace with a roller bridge and there is where i have a problem. Most roller bridges have 53.50 to 54 mm post spacing but the wraparound bridge i want to remove match the stoptail piece instead which is larger so no standard roller bridge fits. Obviously the reason for this is the wraparound has both functions, (bridge and stoptail) in one piece with its post spacing having the stoptail distance instead of the bridge distance. Any tips that would help me here? Thanks in advance brother.
The guitar sounded beautiful Dylan it really did you pick up sound great and the so does your guitar I was surprised to hear you say that a plastic chips came off the nut because I know on my electromatic which is a bit older I think it's a 2019 got it just before covid started I have a hollow body double cut it has a new bone not in there a graphtec newborn and CTS parts I thought all that came stock with the with the new version of the electromatic I think that started after 2016 the 2017 or something like that but who knows maybe they stop doing that I'm not mistaken I ever be 70 with the trapeze piece sale please I love that guitar I want to get new pickups for them I like the way they sound they're filtertrons that pull them blacktop filtertrons I don't know if the new ones that are also some kind of blacktop filter if you make filter filter filter trim pickups I don't know if what is the amp or whatever you were playing us through was visible on the video because I can't see but yeah it really sounds great and I was curious what you were playing throughI mean you really got that glenstone with p90s and that's pretty cool anyway great video thanks for posting it sincerely Bob the blind bedroom guitars
I know in the past you've said you don't make filter'trons because they're time consuming and difficult to make. Would you be opposed to doing a limited run? Or is it likely if not?
where can i get pots for my gretsch G5210T ?? 3/8 wholes. thank you very much.JB.
Dylantalkstone.com
did you change the pots? ive heard they are split shafts? do standard cts ones fit or you have to go custom/metric?
I can't find that custom p90 you have here, do you still do 'em? If no, will your normal p90 fit?
I think your pickups sound a little bassier than the stock pickups. I agree that it needs better tuners. I also think it was a mistake to put a bigsby on this guitar. I have the 5210 without the bigsby.
So how did you fix the Bigsby ?!
???
We all have different tastes, and we all have different ideas about what a guitar needs, so please don't take this as a personal insult if you like Bigsby's, Floyd Roses, and other varieties of wiggle-sticks on guitars. Whatever you like is fine, and I wish you nothing but happiness in your guitar playing adventures--but I decided in the late 90's that whammy bars would have no part in my playing style, and I have happily never looked back. There are trade-offs that come with using a whammy bar, and they're not trade-offs I'm willing to make. I will go out of my way to find a hardtail version of a particular guitar before I will ever tighten another tremolo spring again, as long as I live.
Pity you don't make Staple-P90 pickups. The inference being you'd make exceptional ones. The next Gretsch I'm likely to get is a baritone, and I must confess those pickups leave much to be desired. How hard would it be to put a set of your dog-eared P90s in these guitars?
The bridge not allowing the strings to move making the bridge flex back and forth is poor mechanical design. I installed a roller bridge. Keep the bridge mounts stable and let only the strings be affected by the Bigsby. And tuning stays stable.
Main problem I have with my bigsby is filling the holes in my guitar after I came to my senses and pulled it off. After filling the holes I put a water slide over the scars and that water slide decal sounds 100% better than that French fry cutter I removed.
P90 king
Arrest that man!!