Es-1gt

[DeOrr]

Hello everyone,

New to the forum. I do not play guitar at all. My son has been playing for little over a year...pretty good for teaching himself. I am looking at building the ES-1GT for him, my question is: I have a bigsby b7 and wondering if it would be possible to install it on this kit? Is there enough wood to attach? I'm not sure if this kit is completely hollow or is there solid wood 2/3 of the way down in the center? I apologize up front if I do not use correct terminology but will learn. I just want to support my son in his love of playing guitar.

Thanks,

Dan
New to Forum
New to Guitars

[Simon Barden]

Hi Dan and welcome. The B7 is certainly designed for Gibson ES 335-style guitars (the guitar the ES-1GT is based on), so that's a good start. The kits certainly have a solid centre block that runs quite a way back, though I don't know if it it runs all the way back the to tail end. As far as I can make out, the original construction varied with Gibson through the years. Some had a centre block that ran all the way from neck to tail, and others had blocks that ran back to a bit beyond the stop tailpiece. I've got a feeling the kit is rather like the latter, as it takes less time and effort to profile the block to the curve of the top.

The B7 tension bar sits a lot further back than the stop tail on a standard 335, so if it is a 2/3 long block type, the locating screws will probably just be running through the ply top. However, I don't think the screws do too much more than help locate the trem, and there should be enough strength in the top to support the downward pressure, as the B7 can be used on fully-hollow archtops as well.

If you don't want to risk it, there is this adapter plate you can get http://www.vibramate.com/vibramate-v7-335-install.php that is designed to fit on a standard 335 and uses the stop tail piece stud holes to fit a B7 without the need for any extra hole drilling in the top. It's more cost, plus there's no guarantee that the kit size dimensions are exactly the same as a real 335. Also the kit hardware uses metric sized stud holes and screws, and it might require replacing the studs with true Gibson-sized ones to make it all fit. However, it does give your son the option of removing the Bigsby at a later date if he then prefers a non-trem guitar without leaving screw holes in the top that need filling.

If you do decide to get a kit and add the Bigbsy, I'd suggest getting a replacement roller bridge, which does a lot to help keep the guitar in tune.

A lot of conjecture there, but I just don't know. For a definite answer, email Adam Boyle, the PBG owner, and he should be able to give or get you the full answer (details at the bottom of the PBG home page).

[DeOrr]

Hi Dan and welcome. The B7 is certainly designed for Gibson ES 335-style guitars (the guitar the ES-1GT is based on), so that's a good start. The kits certainly have a solid centre block that runs quite a way back, though I don't know if it it runs all the way back the to tail end. As far as I can make out, the original construction varied with Gibson through the years. Some had a centre block that ran all the way from neck to tail, and others had blocks that ran back to a bit beyond the stop tailpiece. I've got a feeling the kit is rather like the latter, as it takes less time and effort to profile the block to the curve of the top.

The B7 tension bar sits a lot further back than the stop tail on a standard 335, so if it is a 2/3 long block type, the locating screws will probably just be running through the ply top. However, I don't think the screws do too much more than help locate the trem, and there should be enough strength in the top to support the downward pressure, as the B7 can be used on fully-hollow archtops as well.

If you don't want to risk it, there is this adapter plate you can get http://www.vibramate.com/vibramate-v7-335-install.php that is designed to fit on a standard 335 and uses the stop tail piece stud holes to fit a B7 without the need for any extra hole drilling in the top. It's more cost, plus there's no guarantee that the kit size dimensions are exactly the same as a real 335. Also the kit hardware uses metric sized stud holes and screws, and it might require replacing the studs with true Gibson-sized ones to make it all fit. However, it does give your son the option of removing the Bigsby at a later date if he then prefers a non-trem guitar without leaving screw holes in the top that need filling.

If you do decide to get a kit and add the Bigbsy, I'd suggest getting a replacement roller bridge, which does a lot to help keep the guitar in tune.

A lot of conjecture there, but I just don't know. For a definite answer, email Adam Boyle, the PBG owner, and he should be able to give or get you the full answer (details at the bottom of the PBG home page).

Thanks Simon! I had researched that the 335 had full blocks in some and blocks just past tailpiece. I thought the top would have enough strength to support it, if there wasn't a block behind it. Just thought I would get some input on it. I do have the vibramte b7 bracket, but I think the body of the 335 is to long to be able to use it?

[DeOrr]

Also, I did email Adam, he is out of town till the 16th.

[Simon Barden]

Ah yes, he mentioned in another post that he was off to Music Messe in Frankfurt, Germany. He must have already left.

It would be a question of measuring the overall length of the B7 and the Vibramate bracket when joined together, then I'm sure someone here would be able to measure an ES-1 kit to see how far the distance from the tail end of the guitar to the centre of the stop-tail piece is. If it's just too short, then you could think about getting the ES-1GT kit and installing some studs yourself for the Vibramate to screw into.

The ES-1 kits are pretty much Gibson dimensions, but I don't have an ES-1 to measure, and I don't have a real 335 any more either. As Vibramate make two lengths of mounting bracket for the B7, then I suspect Gibson have changed the size slightly over time as well. I know the bodies got thicker and the two horns went from being fairly rounded, to more pointed for a while.