Do I need a roller bridge for a Bigsby?
Do I need a roller bridge for a Bigsby?
Roller bridges are worth it if you have a guitar with a Bigsby style tremolo system for better tuning stability and relieving the break angle of the strings. Roller bridges also provide less resting pressure and friction than a tune-o-matic bridge. We could see these pieces on some of Gretsch and Gibson guitars.
What is a Bigsby Bridge?
The Bigsby vibrato unit is installed on the top of the guitar and includes a ‘rocking bridge’, not a ‘roller bridge’. When the arm of the Bigsby is pushed down towards the top of the guitar, the bridge rocks forward causing the strings to loosen, lowering their pitch.
Does bridge affect tone?
The bridge is an essential link in the tone chain, ranking right up there with your guitar’s pickups and the wood the body is made from in setting the core tone of the instrument, especially if you want to hear deep, harmonically rich resonance throughout the body of the guitar.
Do Bigsby bridges stay in tune?
They don’t stay in tune, they don’t have as much travel as a Strat and, the no 1 complaint, they’re a nightmare to restring. If you’re a regular to the shop, you probably already know we’re a firmly pro-Bigsby establishment, so we thought we’d spend a few moments with you to unpick the myths and give you some tips.
What is a Tom guitar bridge?
Tune-o-matic (also abbreviated to TOM) is the name of a fixed or floating bridge design for electric guitars. It was gradually accepted as a standard on almost all Gibson electric guitars, replacing the previous wrap-around bridge design, except on the budget series.
How good are Bigsby tremolos?
For many, the Bigsby still ranks as the best sounding and most beautiful vibrato ever made. It’s the sound of subtle note dipping and chord sustaining, and when it comes to achieving the fluttering wobbles of rockabilly, nothing less than a Bigsby will do.
