Any tips for caring for a bigsby?

[mrbrown49]

Hey all, Just wondering if anybody here has any maintenance tips to keep bigsbys working well.

 

Thanks.

[lowbrow]

Umm.....use it frequently? Other than that, I believe they're maintenance free....they sort of have a break in period though...

[Tim Rhoades]

I usually take mine off once every year and let it soak overnite in a tub of mustard, i then wipe it clean and put it back on.

I haven't had any issues.:poke:

[guitarcapo]

There's not much that ever goes wrong with them. I've seen 50 year old examples that work fine. Maybe a drop of machine oil in the hinges once in a while to avoid squeeking but I would say that's about it.

Have you ever seen a worn out one..or one that broke from normal use?

[mrbrown49]

 

There's not much that ever goes wrong with them. I've seen 50 year old examples that work fine. Maybe a drop of machine oil in the hinges once in a while to avoid squeeking but I would say that's about it. Have you ever seen a worn out one..or one that broke from normal use?

 

 

No its not a question of wearing out. They are rock solid. I was wondering if anybody oiled it anything like that. Haven't had issues yet, but it is a mechanical system, so I was curious.

[Slomo]

I usually take mine off once every year and let it soak overnite in a tub of mustard, i then wipe it clean and put it back on. I haven't had any issues.:poke:

 

Brown or yellow?

[mrbrown49]

 

Brown or yellow?

 

 

is that where the brown sound comes from?

[docjeffrey]

I coat all of the friction points with Vaseline about twice a year, including the top and bottom of the big spring which will move around a bit in its housing. There are a lot of places where metal meets metal, and you have to keep them coated with the Vaseline or you will get friction noise right thru the pickups into the amp. Also, squeaking can develop in the hinge. So take it apart and give it the Vaseline treatment.

[mrbrown49]

 

I coat all of the friction points with Vaseline about twice a year, including the top and bottom of the big spring which will move around a bit in its housing. There are a lot of places where metal meets metal, and you have to keep them coated with the Vaseline or you will get friction noise right thru the pickups into the amp. Also, squeaking can develop in the hinge. So take it apart and give it the Vaseline treatment.

 

 

Thats the kind of stuff I was looking for. Thanks doc! I'll give that a try.

[docjeffrey]

 

Thats the kind of stuff I was looking for. Thanks doc! I'll give that a try.

 

 

You can use a toothpick to apply the lubricant and avoid having to take everything apart. But you might want to pull up on the handle and remove the spring (loosen your strings a bit before you do this) to get the Vaseline on the top and bottom of the spring. Work the grease in by playing the Bigsby vigorously--really whang on that bar for awhile.

[mrbrown49]

 

You can use a toothpick to apply the lubricant and avoid having to take everything apart. But you might want to pull up on the handle and remove the spring (loosen your strings a bit before you do this) to get the Vaseline on the top and bottom of the spring. Work the grease in by playing the Bigsby vigorously--really whang on that bar for awhile.

 

 

Great tips, I'll give that a shot when I get home tonight.

 

Thanks again.

[Tim Rhoades]

 

Brown or yellow?

 

I'm sure it doesn't matter, I've always used Gray Poupon Dijon mustard though.:poke:

[mrbrown49]

 

You can use a toothpick to apply the lubricant and avoid having to take everything apart. But you might want to pull up on the handle and remove the spring (loosen your strings a bit before you do this) to get the Vaseline on the top and bottom of the spring. Work the grease in by playing the Bigsby vigorously--really whang on that bar for awhile.

 

 

Doc, that really did the trick! Not a creak in it now, and it is easier to get it to return to the tuned position. Much smoother as well.

[guitarNed]

I put graphtech saddles on the Jaguar-type bridge of my CIJ Fender '52 Tele with Bigsby. It works a LOT better now. Before the upgrade, it tended to go out of tune after I used the Bigsby. The graphtech saddles generate silicon from the vibration of the strings; there is now less friction between the saddles and the strings. The guitar also sounds better.

[mrbrown49]

 

I put graphtech saddles on the Jaguar-type bridge of my CIJ Fender '52 Tele with Bigsby. It works a LOT better now. Before the upgrade, it tended to go out of tune after I used the Bigsby. The graphtech saddles generate silicon from the vibration of the strings; there is now less friction between the saddles and the strings. The guitar also sounds better.

 

 

I have rollers on mine. Its an ibanez artist. Mediocre when I got it, but with some p90s, a bigsby, phase switch, and a good fret dressing, it has become an amazing and versatile guitar.

 

I really have to thank alot of people here for helping me along the way with these upgrades.