Conference napalm::guitar

    I have taken my guitars to Mcduff next to Spags for some minor
    repair. I have liked the price and his work. I think frets  are
    about $10 each.
    
    

    I second that notion...  MacDuff's is the only place I'd let my
    baby go...Especially if it was 30 years old. 
    
    On the whammy... Aw, just drop a Floyd Rose in her!! ;-)
    
    	Craig
    

    Some Gretsch guitars came through with Bigsby tremelo tailpieces,
    however I believe they were made for Gretsch and stamped with the
    Gretsch name rather than the Bigsby name. You might be able to find
    one if you shop around, but I wouldn't recommend it. Your guitar
    is worth more is stock condition. Besides Bigsby tremelos are not
    too good. They throw the guitar out of tune if you whammy them too
    much.
    
    Good Luck
    
    Mark Jacques
    

Thanks so far.

I've seen some of MacDuff's work on a frind's D-28 and will go
elsewhere.  I hope your opposite (good) experiences continue.

I got the Gretsch from Billy Lee's in Worcester.  He recommended
someone at the Worcester Wurlies.  I've also heard that I should
check with Cambridge Music in the city.

BIGSBY, that's it.  I've looked pretty closely at one and it seems
that it could be plug-compatible with the current fixed tailpiece.
The bridge is different, too, but arch-top bridges are trivial to
replace.  I DON'T plan to do any cutting or drilling.  If it requires
modifications, I'll do without.

Happy Monday,
Dave

    Did you check with Billy Lee?  He had some nice old Bigsbys hanging
    around about a month ago.
    
    /rick

    To change from a stock tailpiece to a Bigsby would not involve
    changing the bridge anyways. All you have to do is remove the
    old tailpiece and attach the Bigsby in it's place. However,
    you might find that the holes for the Bigsby don't line up
    with the holes in the side (near the strap button). Usually,
    with a Bigsby you remove the strap button, attach the tailpiece,
    and the strap button is reattached in it's original hole. The
    Bigsby tailpiece has a cutout to allow for the strap button.
    
    If you have to drill even one tenny weeny hole in your guitar to
    do this, I would say forget it.
    
    Just my opinion.
    
    Mark Jacques
    

I'll try Billy Lee's.

There are three holes in my tailpiece, not counting the straplock post,
and the same three in the Bigsby-equipped Gretsch I saw.  The screws
were in the same RELATIVE positions, but I'm not sure if they were
EXACTLY the same.  Like I said, if it takes cutting, I'll forget it.

The bridge does need to be different.  Or at least it WAS different
and the difference seemed sensible.  The bridge on the one I saw
'floated', rocking back and forth as the strings were 'whammied'.
My bridge is ~solid, so the strings would have to 'slip' with
movement of the tremolo.  If they didn't slip back JUST RIGHT,
I'm outta tune.

Thanks, looks like I'll be busy this weekend.

Dave

Last Saturday, I went to Cambridge Music in Porter Square.  They have
oodles of nice used guitars, amps, and stompboxen -- well worth the
visit.

The repairperson (Jim?) looked over my Gretsch and had several bits
of good news.  First, I don't need new frets or neck adjustments or
nothin.  Second, all my fret buzz and neck alignment problems will
go away when I switch to heavier gauge strings.  He claimed that
older hollowbody's were designed to use the tension of heavy strings
to keep things properly 'loaded'.

Finally, Bigsby's are an absolutely direct, no cutting, no drilling,
no mangling, plug-compatible replacement for the stock tailpiece.
I'll owe him $65 bucks (plus the twenty on deposit) when I pick it
up this Saturday.

Thanks for the help,
Dave