Ouch!! Help needed

lincolnblue

This evening I was playing guitar at my church Carol service.  I had my acoustic and my 6 month old Gretsch Electronmatic centre block. Whilst about to start a song on the Gretsch,  somehow the strap came off and it dropped to the floor.

The Bigsby arm and spring have bent and so it's unplayable. It's a Bigsby liscened but can anyone advise whether I might be able to get away with just replacing the arm and spring or will I need a whole new Bigsby?

I've straightened the arm a bit but it makes no difference. Really gutted!


https://i.imgur.com/SLQ21ON.jpg ;
https://i.imgur.com/Q2rcUPW.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/m07W2rR.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jhlOdc8.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/pJGm0zv.jpg

timhulio

The spring has bent? Can it not pop back into its hole? No reason you shouldn't be able to straighten the arm though. I'd take it off the guitar first though.

I know Allparts sell replacement springs and arms. They sold me one for an old Bigsby on my Framus a while back.

lincolnblue

The spring looks like it's  bent/squished so it doesn't sit straight vertically. (If that makes sense?) It's just bending the strings flat so it won't stay in tune

lincolnblue

When it dropped,  it did so face down do the Bigsby arm took the hit

ICBM

It looks like the spring just isn’t sitting in the cup correctly. Take the strings off and you should be able to put it back.

I would be very surprised if you’ve done any serious damage to it apart from bending the arm, they’re solid alloy castings.

lincolnblue

Thanks. I certainly hope so! 

Funkfingers

timhulio said:

No reason you shouldn't be able to straighten the arm ... take it off the guitar first.

You can probably beat the handle back into shape with a rubber mallet. 

lincolnblue

Thanks all for your advice. I took the strings off, re-positioned the spring and roughly reshaped the bar and it seems to be working. The bar feels different and I can't remember what angle it should be at but I can live with that. 

I guess if I really wanted to the bar itself can be easily replaced?

Cabicular

ICBM said:

It looks like the spring just isn’t sitting in the cup correctly. Take the strings off and you should be able to put it back.

I would be very surprised if you’ve done any serious damage to it apart from bending the arm, they’re solid alloy castings.

Yeah I would be more worried about the floor.
you can get a replacement arm if you are really worried

lincolnblue

Cabicular said: 

ICBM said:

It looks like the spring just isn’t sitting in the cup correctly. Take the strings off and you should be able to put it back.

I would be very surprised if you’ve done any serious damage to it apart from bending the arm, they’re solid alloy castings.

Yeah I would be more worried about the floor.
you can get a replacement arm if you are really worried

Ha! It was on carpet so is fine! I'm so relieved it wasn't more serious. A new strap will be bought though as I think the slot must have been too loose

Corvus

The arm is virtually flat as standard, they're made of cheese so easy to bend back to shape.

Was it the standard screw-on strap buttons coming off, they've caused more than one unwanted ventilation in a Gretsch as the body dives down and the jack punches in. Jackplates, straplocks, 90-deg jacks are all popular tweaks because of it.

lincolnblue

Corvus said:

The arm is virtually flat as standard, they're made of cheese so easy to bend back to shape.

Was it the standard screw-on strap buttons coming off, they've caused more than one unwanted ventilation in a Gretsch as the body dives down and the jack punches in. Jackplates, straplocks, 90-deg jacks are all popular tweaks because of it.

The button didn't come off, it was the strap that slipped off it. I may put proper strap locks on too

TheMarlin

Always put straplocks on a Gretsch.  I never trust those Gretsch screws. 

Wisdom awarded to Bill.  Just bend the arm to where you like it. 

Cabicular

TheMarlin said:

Always put straplocks on a Gretsch.  I never trust those Gretsch screws. 

Wisdom awarded to Bill.  Just bend the arm to where you like it. 

As another multiple Gretsch user I also agree with this advise
i have a big box of thos Gretsch screw straplocks somewhere
added bonus.. you need to buy fewer straps

lincolnblue

Cabicular said:

TheMarlin said:

Always put straplocks on a Gretsch.  I never trust those Gretsch screws. 

Wisdom awarded to Bill.  Just bend the arm to where you like it. 

As another multiple Gretsch user I also agree with this advise
i have a big box of thos Gretsch screw straplocks somewhere
added bonus.. you need to buy fewer straps

Any particular strap locks you'd recommend?

tampaxboo

put in an insurance claim; 'act of god'.

ICBM

lincolnblue said:

A new strap will be bought though as I think the slot must have been too loose

Buy some Dunlop straplocks - the plastic ones that fit on the existing buttons - or two bottles of Grolsch .

TonyR

Cabicular said:

TheMarlin said:

Always put straplocks on a Gretsch.  I never trust those Gretsch screws. 

Wisdom awarded to Bill.  Just bend the arm to where you like it. 

As another multiple Gretsch user I also agree with this advise
i have a big box of thos Gretsch screw straplocks somewhere
added bonus.. you need to buy fewer straps

Yep, another multiple Gretsch owner here too and all of mine have strap locks on.

I’m a bit of a purist and really wanted to keep the original strap buttons, but they are so impractical I couldn’t justify it.