To B5 or not to B5

[BatUtilityBelt]

That is the question. I have this old mint Douglas Gravity that plays great, but is one of 2 top-loaders that might want this B5. The other is an Affinity Squier, but that would require a bridge change.

Without:

Without Bigsby Small.jpg

With:

With Bigsby Small.jpg

[BatUtilityBelt]

For reference, this is the Squier:

Without Bigsby small.jpg

[mozz]

Do Bigsbys favor rosewood or maple?

[BatUtilityBelt]

Do Bigsbys favor rosewood or maple?

No, the mounting screws have to be made of metal.

[mozz]

I'm just being sarcastic/silly/stupid/word of the day. What i mean is, i think it will go well on either guitar. Does the type of saddle have any effect on returning to tune?

[idiotsdelight]

You're gonna have to mod that modern bridge if so.

The Gravity is easy. I did it to my ash Monoprice. I specifically bought it being a top loader. No ferrules/clean back was what I wanted. I was going to mod the stock ashtray (I still might) but this cutaway bridge showed up on Phil Luthier as a blem. Drop in replacement.

Get your Bigsby centered where you want it and mark it's fore/aft position and drill your pilot holes. Be mindful of your finish. That will look great with a Bigsby. I love mine.
*Trying to add images for you.

Btw, I just dug out my Gravity to put double creams in it.

[SamIV]

Wish I would have kept my Gravity.

[BatUtilityBelt]

I'm just being sarcastic/silly/stupid/word of the day. What i mean is, i think it will go well on either guitar. Does the type of saddle have any effect on returning to tune?

No worries, we're all good here. I think the brass barrel saddles have more chance of maintaining tuning than the 6-in-liners, but that's not my main concern in which bridge supports a B5 better. To make the break angle right for the B5, the back of the bridge (surround? wall?) needs to be slotted away, probably with a dremel and cutting wheel. The 3 brass saddle bridge looks friendlier to that process than the 6 saddle bridge too. For some reason, I'm also concerned about not leaving visible abandoned holes, so the idea of a bridge change makes that a problem.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Wish I would have kept my Gravity.

I'm glad I did, but the more I play it today, the more I realize it needs different pickups too.

[BatUtilityBelt]

You're gonna have to mod that modern bridge if so.

The Gravity is easy. I did it to my ash Monoprice. I specifically bought it being a top loader. No ferrules/clean back was what I wanted. I was going to mod the stock ashtray (I still might) but this cutaway bridge showed up on Phil Luthier as a blem. Drop in replacement.

Get your Bigsby centered where you want it and mark it's fore/aft position and drill your pilot holes. Be mindful of your finish. That will look great with a Bigsby. I love mine.
*Trying to add images for you.

Btw, I just dug out my Gravity to put double creams in it.

Agree 100%, and glad to hear you did it too. I don't mind cutting slots in the stock ashtray. That's so much easier than finding a lefty alternative bridge plate that would cover any remounting ugliness. I'll definitely treat the finish carefully to spot and drill. Thanks.

[idiotsdelight]

I'm just being sarcastic/silly/stupid/word of the day. What i mean is, i think it will go well on either guitar. Does the type of saddle have any effect on returning to tune?

No worries, we're all good here. I think the brass barrel saddles have more chance of maintaining tuning than the 6-in-liners, but that's not my main concern in which bridge supports a B5 better. To make the break angle right for the B5, the back of the bridge (surround? wall?) needs to be slotted away, probably with a dremel and cutting wheel. The 3 brass saddle bridge looks friendlier to that process than the 6 saddle bridge too. For some reason, I'm also concerned about not leaving visible abandoned holes, so the idea of a bridge change makes that a problem.

With a Bigsby I'd recommend a grooved or threaded saddle. The monoprice came with intonated brass saddles like yours but the strings will slide during bends if they're not set in a groove. I used chrome with a groove.

I was gonna drill out the existing top loader holes making them large enough for the string to pass through and on to the down bar. No need to ugly up your bridge by cutting/filing. You can figure out your Bigsby string break angle and location perfectly AFTER you enlarge the holes. Make sense? I have pics for you but the site is acting up.

How would you go about adding the B5 to the Squier? I've never seen anyone do a six saddle bridge with a B5.

[BatUtilityBelt]

I was gonna drill out the existing top loader holes making them large enough for the string to pass through and on to the down bar. No need to ugly up your bridge by cutting/filing. You can figure out your Bigsby string break angle and location perfectly AFTER you enlarge the holes. Make sense? I have pics for you but the site is acting up.

I hadn't thought about just enlarging the holes. I'll look at that in daylight. It makes sense. And I do like palm muting, so it matters somewhat.

How would you go about adding the B5 to the Squier? I've never seen anyone do a six saddle bridge with a B5.

Oh, I don't think I would do it with that Squier bridge. I think I'd try to find a different bridge to accommodate the Bigsby better.

Edit: On the saddles, I just ordered these saddles in case the old ones don't work well with bends. I can see that point too, since the strings are less constrained at the saddles with a Bigsby.

[thepezident]

Opened thread expecting it be about power chords.

[mozz]

They are compensated saddles. Don't know if you have used them before, there is a correct direction they install in, lefty may be reversed.

[idiotsdelight]

IMG_20250311_181733537_HDR_AE.jpg

IMG_20250311_181753090_HDR_AE.jpg

IMG_20250311_181810577_HDR_AE.jpg

Those saddles you show are a good choice. I wouldn't notch the existing compensated brass saddles. Bigsby use will eat away at the brass.

Also note I removed the outer sleeve of my downbar when I removed the nylon bushings for bearings. I wanted to see if the break angle behind the saddles was sufficient. It's reversible. You have a real American Bigsby that has bearings already.

[BatUtilityBelt]

They are compensated saddles. Don't know if you have used them before, there is a correct direction they install in, lefty may be reversed.

Yup. I thought about that after buying them too. I'll have to see whether they work or not. Or maybe I'd have to resort to the old "bend the screws" tele intonation method. Hopefully not.

[mozz]

I like that tele. Comment about the background: I had to put masking tape with a description on a lot of my cases, so if i wanted a particular instrument i didn't have to open 20 cases.

"Yup. I thought about that after buying them too. I'll have to see whether they work or not. Or maybe I'd have to resort to the old "bend the screws" tele intonation method. Hopefully not."
I think they get set up like a LP, 1-2-3 staggered low strings, 1-2-3- staggered high strings. 1 side is deeper, one shallower. I would think nickle or chrome would wear better than brass, but it's not for going crazy like a Floyd.

[honyock]

personally, I would mod the Squier. The ol' Gravity is cool as is.

an option for the Squier bridge, if you have a drill press, pop holes for barrel saddles centered between the E/B, G/D, A/E.

Since you are ditching the string through anyway, you could lower the position to center of each saddle hole to go between the 4 holes to allow the most meat for drilling through. I have a couple vintage ashtray bridges that have the saddle holes set up just that way. It reduces the break angle when used with the top loaded configuration.

[nomadh]

I think I had that same Douglas burl (ash I think). damn good guitar. In the end I also had the sx contoured ash tele so I kept it and sold the Doug. I also have the bsb affinity. No idea on the b5. funny coincedence but mine are right hand

[BatUtilityBelt]

personally, I would mod the Squier. The ol' Gravity is cool as is.

an option for the Squier bridge, if you have a drill press, pop holes for barrel saddles centered between the E/B, G/D, A/E.

I hear you, but I'm now really leaning into putting the Bigsby on the Gravity for a variety of reasons. The Squier appears to likely need more parts swapped to take the Bigsby, and sourcing lefty parts is prohibitively difficult. For example, that bridge plate is common unless you're lefty, then it's extremely rare. But mainly, I already like the Gravity more than the Squier. I'm not convinced a pickup swap, electronics upgrade, and Bigsby would make the Squier a favorite. But I think those mods to the Gravity could do that.

To be a bit more apparent, the guitar I really wanted to Bigsby is this J. Joye Diner, but being a string-through, the Bigsby wouldn't have been as natural a mod. I think the Gravity is a reasonable compromise from that perspective.

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