I do love a semi-acoustic, and I love a Bigsby.  So why not put one on a 335?

While I’m at it I’m going to change the bridge for one with rollers saddles since Bigsby tremolos are notorious for not staying in tune.  I’m also going to fit a String Butler as the headstock shape on Gibsons can also lead to tuning stability problems.

There’s one thing that I don’t really like about the standard Bigsby though,  and I’ve never worked why they do it, but why the stop that doesn’t allow you to swing the arm up over the strings?

It’s quite easily fixed though, just file off the stop….

Like that…

What should be the easiest part has proved to be a little more difficult.

The posts for the old bridge are far too slim and are screwed directly into the body

The posts for the new bridge sit in an insert so I need to drill out the holes and press them in.

Spot on.

The new bridge is a little wider but I think it’ll look OK

So back to the Bigsby.  First thing, establish a centreline and work out exactly where it will sit.  The hole for the strap button is a good clue, but not guaranteed to be right!

With the bottom anchored in place I fitted the strings.  That way I can make sure I get the screws for the top in exactly the right place.

Not forgetting the String Butler.  It ensures that the strings travel over the nut in a straight line before going around the posts (which have neat bearing inside) to the machine heads.

All in needs now is a setup and It’ll be ready to go.

The bridge height will obviously need to be set

As will the intonation.

So there it is, ready to go, and looking fantastic.