The Gretsch G6120LSB is now home

Modern Saint

Modern Saint

Starve your Fear, Feed your Dream!
It all started with GAS from this thread -

http://markweinguitarlessons.com/forums/threads/gretsch-6120-lsb-gas.68110/#post-1126717

And after waiting for a month for it to clear the holding rule, the G6120 is now home. As usual I go through the steps of cleaning the guitar and fretboard, apply some oil (Dr. Ducks) to the fingerboard, change the strings and then set action and intonation.

Well since this is my first experience working with a Gretsch guitar, so I was in for a delight. Little did I know that the bridge is movable bridge. Had to reset the placement as well as intonation to get it right. In my tiny mind I am thinking why is the bridge moveable? So my plans were to maybe use some double sided thin tape and have the bridge sit on that once the proper intonation point was found. Little did I know the maintenance involved on a Gretsch - gonna love this axe!.

However I wanted to investigate further and found this.







To add insult to injury, this is also my first experience with a Bigsby tremolo so I have learned a lot with the guitar purchase.

As for the fun of playing, I can feel Chet flowing under fingers as I continue to work on his stuff.
 
I once read an interview with Setzer’s guitar tech. He claimed that the movable bridge was developed so touring musicians could quickly move the bridge to compensate for small changes in neck relief due.
 
The floating bridge is just a holdover from the acoustic archtop days.
A small amount of hair spray on the back of the bridge will keep it from moving. Tape is not recommended, as it will absorb vibrations from the bridge.

Congrats on the Gretsch!
 
Modern Saint said:
It is a whole new world!

I have no issues with Floyd equipped guitars but this one just blew my mind as I have never used Bigsby's before.
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you are fine with the Floyd but the Bigsby blew your mind? That's like saying I have no problem using my smart phone, but the land line push button phone mounted on the wall blew my mind :grin:

I have only owned 1 Bigsby equipped guitar, a Gretsch I 10 years ago and I installed Bigsby. I don't remember it being difficult to use or maintain. I really want another guitar with a Bigsby.
 
Chad said:
you are fine with the Floyd but the Bigsby blew your mind? That's like saying I have no problem using my smart phone, but the land line push button phone mounted on the wall blew my mind :grin:

I have only owned 1 Bigsby equipped guitar, a Gretsch I 10 years ago and I installed Bigsby. I don't remember it being difficult to use or maintain. I really want another guitar with a Bigsby.
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Yes a Floyd.

Started using a Floyds back in 1983 and never had issues. As for Bigsbys, this is new territory. I bought HIAR's Bigsby for a future Tele (may put it on my Partscaster Tele for now) and was dumbfounded on how the strings were attached - just never seen them close up or used them. It would be the same for Floyd user who have never encountered them.
 
Modern Saint said:
Yes a Floyd.

Started using a Floyds back in 1983 and never had issues. As for Bigsbys, this is new territory. I bought HIAR's Bigsby for a future Tele (may put it on my Partscaster Tele for now) and was dumbfounded on how the strings were attached - just never seen them close up or used them. It would be the same for Floyd user who have never encountered them.
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I think it took me a minute or 2 to figure out how to put the strings on because I had never used one and installed it myself, so I didn't get to see them on in the first place. Maybe its because I had to figure it out myself, but I never had any problems restringing it. I have heard people complaining about that and they even make a thing to mount on the Bigsby to make it easier to change the strings.

Fender_1952_tele_reissue_vibramate_spoiler_1.jpg
 
Chad said:
I think it took me a minute or 2 to figure out how to put the strings on because I had never used one and installed it myself, so I didn't get to see them on in the first place. Maybe its because I had to figure it out myself, but I never had any problems restringing it. I have heard people complaining about that and they even make a thing to mount on the Bigsby to make it easier to change the strings.

Fender_1952_tele_reissue_vibramate_spoiler_1.jpg
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Cool!

FWIW - I am one to make things work the way they were designed. With that said, I will just go with it. The first video posted above shows IMO the easiest way to do it. When I strung up my Gretsch, I made the bends by hand and now will use my needle nose in the future.
 
Get yourself a Compton or Tru Arc bridge bar bridge. Leave it floating. It's very simple to place it right, just intonate the 2 outside strings. Once you have it set, If you are changing strings then just mark the position with some masking tape, or change strings one at a time.
If the bridge moves on you while playing, put some violin rosin on the base then set it up. Won't hurt the finish and will stick it good. A soft bass rosin is the best but any fiddle rosin will work.
 
Man up and pin the bridge.

I saw a good tip for changing strings on a Bigsby. After you bend the ball end and put it on the pin, pull the string tight and put a capo on the neck. That will keep the ball from falling off the pin while you put the other end in the tuner and wind it up.
 
Congrats MS! The floating bridge won't take any time to get used to. I had a 5120 that had a floating bridge, and after watching the same videos, restringing was easy (well, except for the whole Bigbsy thing, but I'd had one before, and you get used to restringing that, too).
 
There's a trick to loading strings on a Bigsby. You can either use foam blocks to hold them in place on the pins, or pretension them (by capoing them before threading the ends into the tuners, or I just pull/sort of twist with my fingers).

As for the bridge - double sided tape under it, or sufficiently heavy strings (I use 11s on my Country Club), do a decent job of keeping the bridge in place.

Congrats on your new 6120! :thu:
 
ellengtrgrl said:
There's a trick to loading strings on a Bigsby. You can either use foam blocks to hold them in place on the pins, or pretension them (by capoing them before threading the ends into the tuners, or I just pull/sort of twist with my fingers).

As for the bridge - double sided tape under it, or sufficiently heavy strings (I use 11s on my Country Club), do a decent job of keeping the bridge in place.

Congrats on your new 6120! :thu:
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Thanks ellengrtgrl - it is now loaded with 11's.
 
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