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chrisa



Joined: 13 Aug 2004
Posts: 48
Location: Dayton Ohio

PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2004 1:31 pm    Post subject: cornfest video 2 Reply with quote

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mojobebop



Joined: 14 Aug 2004
Posts: 10
Location: nyc

PostPosted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 12:40 am    Post subject: ja modifications Reply with quote

i'd like to see them
with the push/pull
pickup selector thingy
but thats about it.
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ja #138
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bclaire



Joined: 12 Aug 2004
Posts: 44

PostPosted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 6:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why anyone would spend that kind of money for a hand-built custom shop guitar and then think about modding it is beyond me. It's a signature design and designed by the artist for a specific sound etc. If you want to mod a guitar, I would think it would make more sense to buy a 'regular' Gibby of some sort...
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mojobebop



Joined: 14 Aug 2004
Posts: 10
Location: nyc

PostPosted: Wed Aug 18, 2004 3:25 pm    Post subject: ja modifications Reply with quote

i think it's just human nature.
i'm not saying i would actually do it.
i'm thinking more along the lines of
in my ideal, there would be a few variations
of this particular guitar.
i don't think anything should be sacrosant you know?
the only real change that occured to me was to
alter the sound from existing pickups, tho i wouldn't
want to have it done, after the fact.
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Russ Land



Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 9
Location: Middle Earth

PostPosted: Thu Aug 19, 2004 4:38 am    Post subject: Mods? Reply with quote

I can't bear to mod a guitar that's in reasonably original condition. My style needs a Bigsby, and I've struggled for a year and a half deciding whether to put one on my 2001 LP Standard (see pix at JA 163). I may do it yet, because I love the guitar, but I'd rather buy one that either had one from the factory or one that some punk already yanked the PU's and put in some battery-powered abomination, then used the guitar for a doorstop for a couple of years and stick a Bigsby on that one. I just prefer them in their natural condition.

Just got my JA, S/N 163. I think it's the finest piece of work Gibson has produced in recent memory. Mods? I wouldn't do any. However, I might change a couple of things in the as-built design, minor as they may be:

First, I've never been a fan of the Kluson-style tuners. Put something beefy on there - Imperials, or design a really GOOD tuner for a change. It would probably help the sound a bit, too.

Second, although I like the 45-degree angle of the P/U switch very much, the Bigsby is always in the way. Put the switch near the upper cutaway. Half a million LP's can't all be wrong.

I do like the P-90 idea. Coil tap switch might be a nice feature. Also, with the size, fully hollow body, and Bigsby, it might be a really nice platform for a Filtertron-style pickup.

163 in Kansas
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Russ Land



Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 9
Location: Middle Earth

PostPosted: Sat Aug 21, 2004 4:29 am    Post subject: JA Mods Reply with quote

After reading my last reply, I thought maybe I should clarify. I wouldn't actually endorse doing ANY of those things to a Johnny A.

163
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Gitfiddler



Joined: 15 Aug 2004
Posts: 26
Location: Sittin' on the dock o' the Bay...

PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2004 2:33 pm    Post subject: JA Mods?? Reply with quote

The original JA design concept was a modification or hybrid of a Gibson Les Paul, ES, and 25.5 scale Archtops.

In my opinion, Johnny A. and Gibson's Custom Shop have already done all of the 'mods' to this great instrument. Smile
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drjackh2nd



Joined: 24 Aug 2004
Posts: 9
Location: Indianapolis

PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2004 1:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree it would be tough to improve. i am still though trying to figure out how to loosen up the bigsby. i have 2 other guitars with factory bigsbys (gretsch 6120 and a gibson custom shop es295) and each of these has a much more sensitive bigsby that allows me to maintain that soft touch with my right hand and still get the great johnny a soulful tremolo. the bigsby on my JA 077 is stiff, requiring me to "palm" it with significant downward force. i just picked up (via phone) JA 134 - the trans black one i found on the registry - today! spoke with dave at the music zoo in NY and he was feeling the bigsby on that one, saying it was kinda stiff as well.
ADVICE from my fellow JA pickers welcome!
thanks guys
jack in indy
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Russ Land



Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 9
Location: Middle Earth

PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2004 5:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dr. J, have you noticed any difference in tuning ease or stability between the stiff bigsby's and the looser ones? I, too, have Bigsby's on several of my guitars and, although I don't really have problems (except the pain-in-the-arse of restringing) with any of them, it does seem like the stiffer ones require less fiddling with the tuning keys.

163
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drjackh2nd



Joined: 24 Aug 2004
Posts: 9
Location: Indianapolis

PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2004 11:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

163

not really. i guess i have been fortunate. other than the 2 JAs, i have 3 guitars with bigsbys - a '64 ES330TD, a '98 reissue of the ES295, and a 2002 Gretsch Nashville. Each of these guitars has a nice "soft" bigsby (all factory installed) which is very responsive. the gretsch has great tuning keys that just "feel" right but none of the guitars seems to have tuning problems. I recently set up both my JAs with .011s - one with brites and one with flat wounds - and the tone is much richer than when I had the .010 brites on JA077. I usually stretch 'em out before playing by working the bigsby pretty hard, tune up once, and I'm good to go in most cases.
The guys at the store which is a major gretsch dealer in this area (indianapolis) recommended taking a quarter (or a nickel? - whichever one fits - apparently one of those coins fits perfectly) and placing it under the Bigsby handle at that round junction over the spring. Said it would add leverage to the handle and make it more responsive even though it might not change the tension. i haven't tried that yet....How does that sound to you?
Jack in indy
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Bigs_Bee



Joined: 10 Aug 2004
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 4:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

drjackh2nd wrote:
163

not really. i guess i have been fortunate. other than the 2 JAs, i have 3 guitars with bigsbys - a '64 ES330TD, a '98 reissue of the ES295, and a 2002 Gretsch Nashville. Each of these guitars has a nice "soft" bigsby (all factory installed) which is very responsive. the gretsch has great tuning keys that just "feel" right but none of the guitars seems to have tuning problems. I recently set up both my JAs with .011s - one with brites and one with flat wounds - and the tone is much richer than when I had the .010 brites on JA077. I usually stretch 'em out before playing by working the bigsby pretty hard, tune up once, and I'm good to go in most cases.
The guys at the store which is a major gretsch dealer in this area (indianapolis) recommended taking a quarter (or a nickel? - whichever one fits - apparently one of those coins fits perfectly) and placing it under the Bigsby handle at that round junction over the spring. Said it would add leverage to the handle and make it more responsive even though it might not change the tension. i haven't tried that yet....How does that sound to you?
Jack in indy
Hi Jack in Indy, The reason your other Bigsby equipped guitars have a "looser" vibrato feel is because unlike the JA Model, the do not have the retainer bar resulting in the string having a free path from tailpiece to bridge. As for the bar being higher off of the pickguard giving you increased bar movement, stock Bigsbys come equipped with a 7/8" spring. JA uses a 1" replacement spring. A coin or a washer will also help raise the bar but can cause increased noise from the spring rubbing back and forth against the coin. Also make note that heavier guage strings will put more string tension on the neck resulting in more pulling tension on the Bigsby which will in turn lower the vibrato arm. Hope this helps!
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drjackh2nd



Joined: 24 Aug 2004
Posts: 9
Location: Indianapolis

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 10:54 pm    Post subject: bigsby tension Reply with quote

thanks Bigs Bee!
i really appreciate your thoughts on the tension of the JA bigsby.

(and, btw, for some reason i didn't get a notice that you had replied so apologies for not acknowledging sooner your comments. thanks for taking the time)

i have noticed with my JA134, with the brite wire .011s, i enjoy the feel of this guitar more than the JA077 and have been playing it more. In the process, the bigsby seems to be loosening up a bit. i will keep after it and see if it doesn't get eventually where the 295 and the gretsch are.

good point about the coin under the arm and the potential noise.

jack in indy
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Russ Land



Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 9
Location: Middle Earth

PostPosted: Thu Sep 16, 2004 5:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hadn't thought about the lack of a retainer bar making the feel of the Bigsby a little looser, but that sounds reasonable to me. I have Bigsby's on JA 163, my ES 135, a Hamer Monaco, a '90 RI 335 dot, and I had one on the '73 Gretsch Tenneseean I sold recently Rolling Eyes . All of these units had the retainier bar, but there was noticeable difference in some of them. For example, the Gretsch had the loosest by far. Also the oldest - - coincidence? Maybe Gretsch spec'ed lighter springs. I've used the coin trick to shim the spring on a couple of guitars - works just great.

I have a 2001 Les Paul blackback with a nice (but not fabulous) flamed desertburst top. I love this guitar, it plays wonderfully even by LP standards. My style really wants a Bigsby though, and I'm debating whether to put one on. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery out there? Should I just buy a beat up LP and put on a Bigsby, or should I drill holes in the top of the one I really like? I hate to modify any guitar, or cover that nice wood, but doesn't it make sense to have it the way I really want to play it? I hate the thought of those studs being there after I remove the stop tailpiece. Also, if you add a $150 Bigsby to a Les Paul, it depreciates the value by about a third.

JA 163
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pigsmoke



Joined: 24 Aug 2004
Posts: 11
Location: st. loomis

PostPosted: Tue Sep 21, 2004 6:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

interseting thread. i had thought the difference between the B7 and B6 Bigsbys (the retainer bar) were obvious. Bigs_Bee has explained this perfectly. As for raping your Les Paul with an after market Bigsby, well, it's just scary. I figured it like this. I aint getting rid of any more guitars until they wheel me into a rest home and feed me with a spoon while I dribble on my bib. At that point, I wont care about the resale value of my guitfiddle collection. In 1985 my wife gave me a brand new LP standard. Last year I put on a B7 and I'm sorry I didnt do it a long time ago. The question you have to answer for yourself is, "is my guitar an investment, or is it a tool to make music with?". If it's the latter, then modify to your hearts content, otherwise, park that baby under the bed and bring it out once in a blue moon. Incidentally, the B7 on my LP is a little stiffer than the B6 on my 6120, it's the nature of the beast. Be sure there is no sponginess in the bar. mine was a little wobbly, but when tightened up it became much more responsive, stiff, but responsive.
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bluehugh2



Joined: 01 Oct 2004
Posts: 3
Location: Barrie, Ontario

PostPosted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 1:39 pm    Post subject: Trem Fix Reply with quote

I have been thru a fair bit of fiddling to get the Johnny A to play in tune with the Bigsby... here's what I did in order to get the guitar to dive bomb and stay perfectly in tune...if you want to put it on the Johnny A site(or not Wink, then that's fine...
1. Cut a new nut or recut the Gibson one - this is a MUST. I put in a new bone nut and then used my trusty pencil lead. the Gibson nut is too tight on the strings and all wrong for the Bigsby action (in most cases, that is). Have a tech who KNOWS cut the nut... it ain't easy unless you have the experience.
2. I find that the Bigsby does not have enough travel for my liking. I replaced the 7/8" spring with a 1"(available on-line from Allparts). The Bigsby arm will sit higher and dive further - but I like that!!!
3. The arm usually moves too much before the Bigsby trem action starts... I took out the small spring and got a Nut Kit from Allparts. Then, leaving the Gibson fiberboard washer between the Bigsby arm and the Trem itself, I simply used a small nylon washer and a metal washer with a lock washer next to the nut. Grease 'em all(use 2 or 3 or washers or whatever you need) and tighten the nut until there is no play but the arm still swivels. Make sure you have enough clear thread to tighten the nut - you don't want to strip it. I like the way the Allparts gold trem arm bolt has a cross head top for a screw driver - to fine tune the tension... this will be the only visible difference from the original Gibson one - which has a smooth top. take out the nylon washer if there is one used in conjuction with the original 7/8" spring - the 1" spring will give enough height.
4. You are now ready to fine tune... lube the points where the parts move with Nut Sauce or similar grease... If you don't stay in perfect tune, the problem is most likely a little extra filing necessary at the nut(call the tech).
For me, this proceedure meant that I get a very positive vibrato action with big dives possible in perfect tune, and the action of the Trem is not only immediate, but soft(the longer spring is spongier) and easy!
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