r/gibson • u/AmPentatonic • 1d ago
Mod Bigsby Day!
Finally getting around to posting the Bigsby/Vibramate journey on my absolute favorite CS ‘68 Gold Top. Super satisfying, low hassle, highly recommend. Polish, condition, and strings along the way. I love a maintenance day.
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u/rrrrrrez 1d ago
I can relate to this post so much, even if I’m not performing minor surgery. Low tack masking tape, fret erasers, and fretboard oil equals a productive day off from work spent toward maintaining my sanity guitars.
Love the ‘68s with the crown inlay.
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u/AmPentatonic 1d ago
It’s a meditation the sure. Turned on some great music, didn’t talk to nobody, worked with my hands. Perfect day.
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u/JaimesLeftHand 22h ago
Gold Top with a Bigsby and the soapbar P90’s - congrats man you have my dream guitar lol
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u/AmPentatonic 22h ago
Mine too! Took hella saving up, but I got there eventually.
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u/sofaking_scientific 21h ago
This was also my dream guitar until I hurt my back 😭
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u/CheeekyBigBirdBoner 1d ago
Had you done an install before? I would be so nervous on an expensive guitar, but you did great and it looks so sharp. Love everything about it. I’ve wanted a gold top P90 for a while and seeing the bigsby just adds that extra touch of beauty.
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u/AmPentatonic 1d ago
First timer! Vibrate is the way. No holes to drill, totally reversible, and it automatically fixes the orientation of the strings in the correct alignment. I went slow and step-by-step and it turned out great. Bigsbys just look right on a gold top imo.
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u/WhenVioletsTurnGrey 1d ago
I'm a bigsby player, through n through. Yours looks amazing!
I ended up pulling the Bigsby from my Les Paul. The spring tension of the trem took some of the Snap from my Gibson. That, to me, was a big part of the charm, of the Les Paul.
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u/Various-Rock-3785 1d ago
Vibramate?
Wimp...
;)
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u/AmPentatonic 1d ago
Proudly wimping out, yes. Not overly stressed about the idea of drilling into the top, but man, getting the strings exactly straight? I’ll take all the help I can get. :)
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u/jammy62811 23h ago
This reminds me of one Joe Walsh had. I love it. I'm debating adding a bigsby or Les trem to my STD 50s.
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u/AmPentatonic 23h ago
Go for it! Vibramate makes it such a no-brainer. I prefer Bigsby over trem myself. It feels really intuitive to play. Also doesn’t hurt that it also makes my guitar look like Neil Young’s.
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u/BandicootHeavy7797 23h ago
How’s the tuning stability?
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u/AmPentatonic 23h ago
I was all ready for it to be a disaster and to make peace with tuning up every five minutes, but it’s actually brilliant. The guitar itself was already reliable for tuning stability, and I don’t feel I’ve lost a thing in adding the Bigsby on.
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u/snorkeling_moose 18h ago
I fucking love a bigsby, and the vibramate spoiler and mounting systems are lifesavers. Also a great company to work with, their customer service was second to none when I bought from them (both times).
I think I might have to invest in a goldtop with humbuckers, change all the hardware to gold stuff, and add a gold bigsby...
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u/Wonderful-Computer33 18h ago
Just installs the B7 on my 335 this week. So fair it’s been great. I also went with the vibramate.
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u/TheBraBandit 15h ago
Looks awesome, the big headstock and crown inlay are killer on a gold top. One tip though, thats a ton of fretboard conditioner. Too much can cause issues like a strange splintery texture to the wood, board swelling, inlay staining and lifting, and fret lifting. Usually putting a drop on a rag and rubbing the whole board is enough vs soaking it. Not trying to rain on your parade just trying to help.
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u/SumKallMeTIM 13h ago
Mine cracked the paint even more. And it was factory installed and properly stored.
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u/AmPentatonic 29m ago
That’s a bummer for sure. Cracked paint doesn’t worry me none though. You should see my car.
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u/Cold-Homework5389 6h ago
Don’t know how you like this…is incredible ugly, add a lot of weight to a heavy guitar and don’t work properly.
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u/AmPentatonic 30m ago
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
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u/Old-Wash-7777 18h ago
I know, let's make this already heavy 9+ lb guitar even heavier ... just why!
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u/AmPentatonic 17h ago
8.6 lbs baybeeee. And it’s magnificent.
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u/Old-Wash-7777 16h ago
Yeah, scales please, with the bigsby on, let's see.
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u/humbuckaroo 14h ago
The B7 adds roughly a pound. I have a Standard that's 9.7 without one, he'll be fine.
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u/DonColvinJr 5h ago
Oh no... I hate seeing that done to such a fine Les Paul. But... it is yours and if you are happy, it is not of any importance to anyone but to you.
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u/Brilliant_Fee_6923 1d ago
I think it bigsby looks great on a gold top P90. Great job and beautiful guitar!