Bigsby on a Gibson ES-275

[ptchristopher3]

Oh, the B6 string bar is ~5 1/2 “ in from the rim. The B3 will be slightly under 4 1/2 - call it 4 3/8”

Inches are idiotic.

[bob77362]

From my above measurements
Back of trapeze tailpiece (not the rim) - it only sticks back another 1/8" to the front of the bridge - note this is not to the center of the bridge saddles, is

5 7/8 + 2 3/4 = 8 5/8"

You can probably add about 3/8" to the center of the saddles, as an average, so about 9" total to the rim. I can't confirm till this evening.

[ptchristopher3]

OK, so at ~9” sort of between a B6 or B3, closer to the B6.

I would nonetheless check the break angle with each size. The shape of the top can mean a possible notable difference in break angle from one to the other size.

My opinion.

[Hammertone]

I'm not a fan of the B11 open hole look. ...

:^(
To each his own, I suppose. I think the B-11 and B-12 are both swell. Here's a B-12 in the field:

[bob77362]

That does look nice. I think it's the extra mass of the tension bar that completes it.

[bob77362]

I heard from Bigsby.

While standard installation of all of our tailpieces requires drilling, the Vibramate Company does offer some no-drill adaptor kits. As for the hinge plate on the B60, it is extremely unlikely that the holes would line up with the existing trapeze holes.

While the Vibramate Company doesn't offer a kit for the B6, there may still be a way to add one to your ES-275. They do offer a tailpiece kit that fits our B3 vibrato (similar to the B6, but shorter) with Ex. Short hinge plate. This hinge plate (Ex. Short, p/n 0495-0896, pin 0495-1635) can be installed on a B6 vibrato body. Assuming that there is one hole in the guitar to mount the strap pin that is within the oval opening of the Vibramate plate, this will work.

[neatomic]

:^(
To each his own, I suppose. I think the B-11 and B-12 are both swell. Here's a B-12 in the field:

oh yeah..the deluxe models!! haha

b11 and b12 are most aesthetically pleasing to me as well

but they are shorter like the b3/b30

sigh

cheers

[neatomic]

I heard from Bigsby.

While standard installation of all of our tailpieces requires drilling, the Vibramate Company does offer some no-drill adaptor kits. As for the hinge plate on the B60, it is extremely unlikely that the holes would line up with the existing trapeze holes.

While the Vibramate Company doesn't offer a kit for the B6, there may still be a way to add one to your ES-275. They do offer a tailpiece kit that fits our B3 vibrato (similar to the B6, but shorter) with Ex. Short hinge plate. This hinge plate (Ex. Short, p/n 0495-0896, pin 0495-1635) can be installed on a B6 vibrato body. Assuming that there is one hole in the guitar to mount the strap pin that is within the oval opening of the Vibramate plate, this will work.

yeah, of course ...b60 is not gonna line up mounting wise....(tho there are work arounds*)...but their other option is cobbling together your own bigsby out of parts... + vibramate! $$$$

* some people mount it with just the button screw until they decide if they like it or not...it will work


cheers

[fantomaz]

Did you go ahead with installing the bigsby?

I just bought an es 275 and I am considering it...

It seems gibson installed the B6 on certain 2018 models...

Does it affect the tone?

Thanks in advance...

[bob77362]

I didn't. I ended up returning both 275's I got during the big CME sale. One had serious cosmetic issues, the other, the one I wanted to install the Bigsby on, had a bad truss rod. Too bad, I liked the 275. New ones are not full hollowbody anymore. Let us know if you end up going with a Bigsby.

[fantomaz]

Mine is absolutely perfect sonically and aesthetically, but the guy I bought it from told me he had to have three different examples brought to the shop to find one that was perfect.

I really dont understand why they went for a centerblock for the 2019 models, the whole appeal for me was that it is hollowbody and sounds like one.

The B6 seems like the best proposition, I will order one and see how it goes.

I really dont understand the previous posts about rocking ABRs, It's a fully floating bridge so who cares? :-D

Will let you know how it goes....

[Doug B]

Do many jazz players use a bigsby tremolo? Most 'jazz' guitars don't use on from what I have seen-Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, Pat Martino, Wes Montgomery, etcetc

Just wondering.

[fantomaz]

It's not very typical but a lot of cats did and do. John Mclaughlin certainly springs to mind.

Besides, the es-275 is a fairly polyvalent guitar, you can tackle a lot more than the typical jazz bags with it, hence the lust for a bigsby. :-)

[JaxJaxon]

I would like to see a tremmalo system that rested on the back or heal and moved the floating tail piece. thus not haveing any undue pressure on the top.