Bigsby vs Licensedb by Bigsby

Blueingreen

ICBM said:

The only reason the replies are predictable is because the nonsense about how hard it is to restring them is equally tedious. Bending the ball end is not some esoteric 'insider' trick, it's so easy that I still can't believe anyone thinks you need to do anything more complicated.

And I'm not prepared to shut up about it because the problem is *not* the Bigsby, and anyone considering fitting one or buying a guitar with one on deserves to know this before they make things needlessly difficult for themselves.

And really, the 'Anderson mod' makes things far worse because it's then difficult to get the old strings out of the bar. Even cutting them as close as you can to the bend doesn't always work and you then need to grab the ball end with pliers and pull it out, with the risk of slipping and gouging the top of the guitar. So I would definitely not call it any kind of upgrade, in fact quite the opposite.

  Nonsense. Google Bigsby and restringing and you'll find dozens of people saying they've found restringing guitars with Bigsbys a pain in the backside, including ones who know the bending technique and have had it demonstrated to them.

And here's the thing; if it's hard for them, it's hard for them: QED.  That it's easy for you is irrelevant.  That you think it ought to be easy for other people is irrelevant.  The only criteria in determining whether people who tried this found it difficult is whether they tried it and found it difficult.

ICBM

Sorry, but you just flat-out don't know what you're talking about.

By your own admission you've never owned a guitar with a Bigsby or tried restringing one, but you're determined to tell me that it's hard because you've read it on the internet…

The whole reason I think this needs challenging every time is because when myths like this get repeated, they become even harder to dispel.

Gagaryn

Blueingreen said:

ICBM said:

The only reason the replies are predictable is because the nonsense about how hard it is to restring them is equally tedious. Bending the ball end is not some esoteric 'insider' trick, it's so easy that I still can't believe anyone thinks you need to do anything more complicated.

And I'm not prepared to shut up about it because the problem is *not* the Bigsby, and anyone considering fitting one or buying a guitar with one on deserves to know this before they make things needlessly difficult for themselves.

And really, the 'Anderson mod' makes things far worse because it's then difficult to get the old strings out of the bar. Even cutting them as close as you can to the bend doesn't always work and you then need to grab the ball end with pliers and pull it out, with the risk of slipping and gouging the top of the guitar. So I would definitely not call it any kind of upgrade, in fact quite the opposite.

  Nonsense. Google Bigsby and restringing and you'll find dozens of people saying they've found restringing guitars with Bigsbys a pain in the backside, including ones who know the bending technique and have had it demonstrated to them.

I googled like you suggested. All I got on the first page of results was tips on how to do it. It's a simple enough thing to do if you have hands - I really don't understand the problem - or your attitude.

Danielsguitars

I've only fitted a b7 recently and it's the first one I've done, I just did what's been said, bend the string before putting on the pin, I do thread it under the bar first but no complaints and it's quick enough

I'm doing another one as I like it that much

Sassafras

In the late 60s I had a mate who was completely blind and he could restring a Bigsby in no time flat, so they can't be that hard to do.
I agree with @ICBM ; that the internet just perpetuates the myth that they're problematical. Once you've done it a few times it becomes second nature. Anyone who thinks otherwise is doing it wrong.
Or would be better suited to a brass instrument, not much to do on those.

marktheharp

I re-strung my bigsby no problem. I just changed one string at a a time to keep the tension. P.O.P.(piece of piss)

Blueingreen

ICBM said:

Sorry, but you just flat-out don't know what you're talking about.

By your own admission you've never owned a guitar with a Bigsby or tried restringing one, but you're determined to tell me that it's hard because you've read it on the internet…

The whole reason I think this needs challenging every time is because when myths like this get repeated, they become even harder to dispel.

If you're going to disagree with me at least do me the courtesy of reading what I said.

I'm not claiming it's hard because I read it on the internet.  There is a clear distinction between the following propositions:

1. Many people have reported that Bigsbys are a PITA when restringing.  A reasonable inference is that people who lack aptitude for that kind of thing struggle with them.  Based on my experience of similar things I believe I'd be in the category of people who struggled. On that basis that I wouldn't buy a guitar fitted with one.

2. I know for a fact Bigsbys are a PITA when restringing because I read it on the internet.

The first proposition is the one I made;  the second is not remotely the kind of thing I'd say and is a straw dog of your own manufacture.

If many people report that stringing a Bigsby was not easy for them, then it was not easy for them.  It's a simple tautology, unless you think they are all liars.  As I said before whether or not you find it easy, whether any number of other people find it easy, whether you believe you can objectively demonstrate that it ought to be easy, are all irrelevant.  It is nevertheless a demonstrable and verifiable fact that some people don't find it easy.  And since that's all I'm claiming, it's all I need to prove.

WezV

Sassafras said:

In the late 60s I had a mate who was completely blind and he could restring a Bigsby in no time flat, so they can't be that hard to do.
I agree with @ICBM ; that the internet just perpetuates the myth that they're problematical. Once you've done it a few times it becomes second nature. Anyone who thinks otherwise is doing it wrong.
Or would be better suited to a brass instrument, not much to do on those.

Did he go to a blind school?  Was he taught how to tune pianos?  


My Grandads brother was a blind piano tuner, one of 2 careers he was offered training for at blind school. I imagine stringing a bigsby would not be a challenge to someone used to dealing with those sort of tuning pegs / tensions.

BloodEagle

I don't find it easy for the record 

Whitecat

ICBM

Blueingreen said:

it's all I need to prove.

All you've proved is that you came here to start an argument about something you admitted in your first post you know very little about.

For anyone else who is actually interested in the reality of it rather than internet myths, this the trick:



That's it. That and nothing more. If you do that the string will stay on the pin and won't pop off even if you let go of it, so then it's no more difficult than stringing a stopbar.

Schnozz

ICBM said:

Blueingreen said:

it's all I need to prove.

All you've proved is that you came here to start an argument about something you admitted in your first post you know very little about.

For anyone else who is actually interested in the reality of it rather than internet myths, this the trick:



That's it. That and nothing more. If you do that the string will stay on the pin and won't pop off even if you let go of it, so then it's no more difficult than stringing a stopbar.

Unedited video of you using just two hands and stringing all six in one go (particularly the higher strings you can't grip/keep tension on)

Gee us all a good chortle

ICBM

Schnozz said:

Unedited video of you using just two hands and stringing all six in one go (particularly the higher strings you can't grip/keep tension on)

Gee us all a good chortle

Dear god… have you even read the post?

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO KEEP TENSION ON THE STRINGS.

The whole point is that if you bend the string like that, it stays on the pin. Do I have to repeat that again?

And yes, I can restring the whole guitar in very little more time than it takes to do a stopbar, using nothing more than my hands.

Schnozz

ICBM said:

Schnozz said:

Unedited video of you using just two hands and stringing all six in one go (particularly the higher strings you can't grip/keep tension on)

Gee us all a good chortle

Dear god… have you even read the post?

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO KEEP TENSION ON THE STRINGS.

The whole point is that if you bend the string like that, it stays on the pin. Do I have to repeat that again?

And yes, I can restring the whole guitar in very little more time than it takes to do a stopbar, using nothing more than my hands.

Lol - I've had a B5 for half a decade

Just because you bend the string with pliers/over your thumb, it doesn't make it stay on the peg

If it does for you then show us

stickyfiddle

I've always kept a little tension on the string throughout the process. But that isn't hard if you have two hands. I don't even kink it as much as @ICBM

It's only remotely non-trivial if you're combining a Bigsby with Fender slot-head tuners. 

BloodEagle

I keep the string on the peg using nothing more than my own sense of self satisfaction 

Sassafras

I don't even need to use my hands. I hypnotise the strings and bend them to my will.
You don't need pliers, vises, mole-wrenches or any other tools unless you're physically incapacitated. 

ICBM

Schnozz said:

Lol - I've had a B5 for half a decade

Just because you bend the string with pliers/over your thumb, it doesn't make it stay on the peg

If it does for you then show us

Yes it does.



I'm not holding the other end of the string.

If it doesn't stay on the pin for you, you aren't bending it like in the picture above.

I'm really trying to be helpful here, but I feel like I'm banging my head on the table. It just completely baffles me why some people seem to deliberately want to make something so easy into something they claim is so hard, and then will argue about it indefinitely with someone who *knows* it can be done the easy way.

WezV

stickyfiddle said:

I've always kept a little tension on the string throughout the process. But that isn't hard if you have two hands. I don't even kink it as much as @ICBM

It's only remotely non-trivial if you're combining a Bigsby with Fender slot-head tuners. 

I keep tension on whilst stringing too, but I tend to do it whatever bridge/tailpiece I am stringing

Danielsguitars

So do we know if the licensed are as good or do we just get an original, I'd probably go for an original one anyway