The Bigsby Vibrato

Which Guitars Should Have Them?

Tremolo is a rapid fluctuation of the volume of a note, while vibrato is a fluctuation in pitch. The origin of this nonstandard usage of the term by electric guitarists is attributed to Leo Fender, who also used the term "vibrato" to refer to what is really a tremolo effect. So, we can blame Leo for the confusion of these terms still in use today.

The Bigsby vibrato unit is typically installed on the top of the guitar. It works in conjunction with a unique rocker bridge design. The arm of the Bigsby is spring loaded and attached to a pivoting metal bar, around which the strings of the guitar are installed.

In comparison, other vibrato devices such as the Floyd Rose and the Fender synchronized tremolo (or Strat-style) are inset into the body as well as placed on top of the body and offer a much different feel and sound than the Bigsby. However, the Bigsby is highly controllable within its range of motion, so a player achieves a very consistent and recognizable effect with it.

Bigsby vibrato units are factory installed on Epiphone, Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Guild, and Hamer. My personal feeling is that some guitars are made to serve the Bigsby style vibrato well. On the other hand, there are guitars which I feel do not (should not) accommodate the Bigsby vibrato bridge. In fact, it should be against the law! For both aesthetic and functional reasons, some guitars SHOULD NOT BE FIT with Bigsby style vibrato bridges.

Below are horrible examples (in my opinion) of Bigsby style vibrato being fit to the wrong guitar.

Now, I’m all for modifying guitars and finding new ways to create unique and clever sounds but there are something we just should do. I can almost buy into a Bigsby on a Rickenbacker but to put one on a Strat, a Les Paul or even a Telecaster? I say no! Of course, this is entirely my opinion. Let a Strat be a Strat! If you want to play a Bigsby, buy a Gretsch! I’m no purest but I’m pragmatic.

Notable guitarists using the Bigsby unit include Cliff Gallup, Horton Heat, Les Paul, George Harrison, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Greg Sage, Brian Setzer, John Lowery, Andrew Stockdale, Neil Young, John Cipollina, Billy Zoom and Bernard Butler. It is a key component to some player's Rockabilly, Surf Rock and Country sounds.

My good friend Gary Fitch submitted these photos. We continue to have a fundamental disagreement  about this subject. I’d love to hear from you on this subject. Email me HERE.

One final think....

Interesting Bigsby Headstock Debate. I read this interesting article about Paul Bigsby’s headstock designs. Apparently, the debate continues as to what influence, if any, the headstock design of the Merle Travis Guitar by Paul Bigsby had on Leo Fender's subsequent line of four and six string solidbody electric instruments. Actually, Bigsby created a number of different guitar models bearing a headstock similar to the Travis instrument prior to Fender's 1950 introduction of the Esquire.

According to writer Tony Bacon, in The Fender Book, "It's difficult to judge whether the design of Fender's first solidbody electric guitar was influenced very much by Bigsby's earlier instrument. George Fullerton says that he and Leo knew Paul Bigsby and had seen Merle Travis playing a Bigsby guitar. Dale Hyatt, however, is less sure: 'I can't really say there was any truth that Leo copied Paul Bigsby, they just both made something at the same time.'" [The Fender Book by Tony Bacon and Paul Day, page 15, continued on page 18].

It's also interesting to note that in the late 40s Bigsby's shop was in Downey, California, only fifteen miles away from Fender.

Five headstocks side-by-side:

A = 1947 Bigsby Merle Travis

B = 1949 Fender "Snakehead" Esquire Prototype

C = 1950 Fender Esquire

D = 1954 Fender Stratocaster

E = 1966 Fender Stratocaster

For a full history on the Bigsby vibrato bridge and guitars, click HERE.

For information on setting up all kinds of vibrato bridges, click HERE.