How To Install Bigsby B5 "F" Logo and Vibramate on a Telecaster by Scott Sill

[@stringthing593]

I have often thought of getting a tele and have someone fit a bigsby,never knowing that no extra screw holes were necessary.Coming across your video has been invaluable to me.Many thanks sir.

[@sillennium]

You are welcome

[@freedumbfree2055]

Thank you for this video! I did the same setup with my white (rosewood fretboard) player series left-handed telecaster. I owe you thanks, for the fun I have with it set up this way.

[@sillennium]

You are welcome, enjoy!

[@djay6651]

That bridge is super sweet.

[@sillennium]

Thx, it is a killer addition

[@reocarnahan9879]

Great video and great guitar. I have a MIM Tele myself and this looks like a great way to add a Bigsby. Did you need to shim the neck at all or have any playability issues afterward?

[@sillennium]

No need to shim the neck. Its possible you may need to depending on your setup but very unlikely.

[@sillennium]

No playability issues either

[@emilloffler1216]

Looking closer at my Fender Player model Telecastor it has the 4 screws holding down the bridgeplate, so I am fairly sure I can fit a Bigsby Vibramate without drilling holes in the body of my guitar.

[@sillennium]

Did it work?

[@emilloffler1216]

@@sillennium I have not done it yet, but I will install one in the future, it is a must for me. I like doing Venture's instrumental covers, and my Fender Telly Player model sounds better for those than my USA made Fender Stratocastor in my view. I wish I could get a Fender Jazzmaster rather, but that is a bit difficult for me for I don't know how long.

[@rg316828romanos]

Great video! I love the ease of this system but was curious if it caused any intonation issues because of the different break angle caused by adding the B5 and fact that the vibrante adapter adds more height to the B5 versus mounting the B5 directly into the guitar without the adapter plate.

[@sillennium]

No I have not noticed any issues

[@thegadfly1951]

Intonation is a function of the length of the string, not the break angle of the strings at the bridge. However, adjusting the height of the saddles can effect both intonation and break angle.

[@MetalKidDanny]

Thanks for the video! It helped me to install the same Bigsby with Vibramate on my Tele Thinline' AV 69'

[@sillennium]

Awesome glad to hear

[@johnd942]

Very well explained. Encouraging. Well done!

[@sillennium]

Thx much appreciated

[@littleleaf8541]

I’m going to try this, man. Tysm!! I got a 74’ American fender semi acoustic I want to Bigsbyfy asap

[@sillennium]

Make sure you have the right number of holes! Good luck you will love it

[@littleleaf8541]

@@sillennium according to the website, I need to get the American shorty ! Can’t wait til I can afford it

[@handymanthatcan7380]

Scott. Great video, that has given me the confidence to attach a B5 to my Squier FSC. But I have a question. Whats the music playing around 9-10 mins?

[@sillennium]

Its just some free background music you use that is supplied by KZbin.

[@genarogomez1212]

Great video. Just got a Tele and was considering this mod.

[@sillennium]

Thx its fun non permanent mod

[@emilloffler1216]

Thank you for this, as a guitar guy with 5 high end guitars it's a very informative learning curve for me to want to fit one.

[@sillennium]

You are welcome

[@stephennnnnnnnnnnn]

Helpful video. Just what I wanted to see.

[@sillennium]

Glad it helped. I hope you have an easy time installing one of these on your tele

[@FakeGlasses]

Great video, used it to go step by step adding a bigsby with vibramate to nos 61 custom shop. Plays great, looks great. Any experience with damage to finish from the vibramate? Thoughts and tips re same?

[@sillennium]

None that I have seen. Thx and don't forget to subscribe

[@uptopmikep7065]

Great install video. Need to romp on that Trem though. Show us what it can do. Don’t be scared of that deep dive!

[@sillennium]

True I should have. Although a Bigsby isn't really known for dive bombs, lol

[@jimmoyer8703]

Great video! Curious, what strap locks did you use?

[@sillennium]

I used the new Schaller S-locks. I have a video on them

[@NUCCIOMARK]

Thanks to this video and the one for the B7, I now have Bigbsy's on both my Les Paul and Tele so ,again, Thank You! The one for the Tele (a R.Kotzen model) took longer because I also had to swap the bridge/saddles. Also, I used the regular B5 Bigsby, not the F logo and I noticed that unlike the F, mine did not have a screw under the spring of the arm. The screw for that side of the Vibramate adapter is located on the frame itself, closer to the bridge. I still have to set it up properly but it seems that I will not need a shim. The only problem so far is that I noticed that , unlike my Les Paul, the case for the Tele does not close easily. Even with the arm pulled back, I still have to push down a bit hard which makes me wonder if that's going to create problems in the long run to the spring. What do you think?

[@sillennium]

It shouldn't, but not sure what case you have so i can't say for sure

[@NUCCIOMARK]

@@sillennium It is a genuine fender case so perhaps I'll check with them. I just played for about an hour and the tuning stability is better than expected. There is something weird happening with the B and E saddle, the screw on the B side, after using the arm for a while and bending the string, moves up. In other words, after playing it for a while the screw comes upward on it's on and so the saddle gets lower … These are the Vibramate replacement saddles...

[@sillennium]

@@NUCCIOMARK make sure both set screws aren't too different otherwise they will not sit right and they will move. One must be way taller than the other

[@81ghale]

CARMELO PALUMBO it’s probably normal to be snug in a case. You can see how much weight he put on it when he closed that end compared to the headstock end. Should be ok though as long as it’s just the spring compressing some.

[@daguirre0307]

Great and Cool video. I have a Elite Telecaster, is possible in this one

[@sillennium]

Nice go for it

[@skettles]

Thanks scott

[@sillennium]

Np, hope it helped

[@darrellm3410]

Great video... but why not just take old bridge off without the extra step of removing the saddles? You didn't use any of the old bridge setup anyway.

[@sillennium]

I wanted to demonstrate the vibramate saddles

[@irazida]

Great instructional video that convinced me to start assembling the Bigsby myself. I'll get down to it next week. 2 questions: How can I be sure of the correct mounting height for the pickup? And is the use of a graphtech saddle necessary or recommended? Thanks for your help! 🎉😊

[@sillennium]

I would measure them before removing the strings and pickups. That way you can put it back how you liked it before

[@irazida]

Thank you for your advice. That’s what I did with great results. I also improve my Bigsby, putting a softer touch spring for beautiful and controlled vibratos.

[@sillennium]

Awesome work

[@tal2565]

Thanks for your video, very usefull. I'm trying to fix a Bigsby Original B5 Vibrato kit on a mexican fender telecaster but the ashtray got only three screws in state of the original 4 screws. Shal I make new holes to fix it or should i just change it and get a 4 holes ?

[@sillennium]

No get the 3 hole kit

[@tal2565]

@@sillennium thanks si much for your quick answer. I think i explain it thé wrong way. The guitar have an original ashtray with 4 holes exactly as on your vidéo. The set i ordered and i'm trying to fix is a three holes and they don't fit in the 4 holes. So in state of making 4new holes i should probably Try to get an original ashtray with 4 holes ? Have a nice day

[@JDCASTERPE]

Thanks' for it! Can you give us the list of the exactly parts? Hugs!

[@sillennium]

It's in the video

[@emilloffler1216]

Am wondering if the brass saddles will not make my Fender Telecastor Player model sound a bit brighter than I would like it too. Mine has 6 independent steel adjustable saddles. Which may be better for when I reset my pitch intonation.

[@sillennium]

They are real nice. I dig them

[@lydmo8287]

Thanks for the vid. I'm wondering if any shims or modifications were needed to the neck or the neck pocket. I've read many comments on other forums that said a shim is required. My Tele is perfectly set up now, just want to make sure I don't head into a world of trouble before I do this.

[@sillennium]

I did not need a shim on mine. It plays perfect

[@lydmo8287]

@@sillennium Thanks for the reply. Did you notice any change of tone on your guitar after you installed the Bigsby?

[@sillennium]

No I didn't

[@cliffb2454]

Just have to correct this. The bridge plate is not the "ash tray". The chromed bridge cover that originally came with a Tele was referred to as the "ash tray". Everyone took them off so, they're no longer supplied with most Teles.

[@sillennium]

Yeah likely said that not realizing I said it

[@dandelionboy7820]

So you didn't need to shim the neck to compensate for the additional height added by the vibramate plate?

[@sillennium]

I did not

[@albertoperezpedrosa]

So, can I use my RSD bridge and just install the bigsby 5? Thanks!

[@sillennium]

Not sure on that one hopefully someone else who knows will chime in

[@Stripedincolour]

Is this a good option for a long term fit or do you suggest the other kit fixing it to the body?

[@sillennium]

Yes this is a long term install or short term that's the beauty of it

[@djangostan]

How has tuning stability been? Great video thanks

[@sillennium]

It stays in tune just fine. Its all about having good cut nut.

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

Awful - trust me

[@sandb1867]

Cool mod; I love the Bigsby on my Gretsch and would add one to my Tele. BTW, which tele is that? Love the color of the body and pickguard.

[@sillennium]

Its a Mexican made tele.... not sure beyond that. It's sort of a partscaster

[@sandb1867]

@@sillennium Is the pickguard 3-ply? Yours doesn't seem to have a black line around the edge.

[@jakewetton4030]

Pretty cool video, however I have a few questions. I have a squire 72 Thinline telecaster with the hardtail six saddle adjustable bridge. This guitar has no ashtray like a standard telecaster; instead it uses a hardtail bridge that's pretty much exactly like a hardtail strat. Would it be possible to get a kit that would work for this guitar? I've looked many places online and can't really find any info about this. If so, would I have to drill any new holes? This isn't exactly an expensive vintage guitar, so I don't really care if I have to drill new holes, I just want to make sure I'm.doing it right. I just love the pickups in this guitar, but want a bit more versatility with a trem arm. Also the guitar I have is an HH, it's the earlier model squire Thinline with the Fender branded wide range pickups. I hope someone here can help me, thanks in advance for any help!

[@sillennium]

I am not sure exactly but I know the folks at Vibramate respond back to emails etc. They will be able to help

[@mougabo]

do you usually have a lot of tuning issues with your guitar after installing a bigsby?

[@sillennium]

no none at all, but that is all about how good your nut is done.

[@translateslowly]

What about the 3 screw plates? Is there a vibramate for them? If not? Why?

[@sillennium]

I think they do but you can't use the Fender branded bigsby with 3 holes

[@marcelocarvalho5979]

I really want to put this on my Telecaster in Brazil, there are not many telecasters so by the way I'm from Brazil 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@sillennium]

Well I hope you can get one someday.

[@DavidMorales008]

Excellent

[@sillennium]

Thx

[@CaesarIJeon]

Great educating video~ Thank you very much

[@sillennium]

Thank you!

[@jameshalbert181]

I have an bone stock 07 MIM Tele my bridge has 4 mounting screws but no side rails. Will the Vibromate system work for me?

[@sillennium]

It should

[@jameshalbert181]

@@sillennium thanks

[@MANI-ri1fc]

Could you still screw the Bigsby on in the guitar without the metal underneath it?? Would it affect the height ?

[@sillennium]

Yes if you buy the Bigsby kit only you could screw it into the guitar. That of course would be "permanent" and put holes in your guitar.

[@MANI-ri1fc]

sillennium well I have the kit but it comes with the saddles they provide, but I would want the saddles you have in this video. Would it be the same concept as you did in the video? but I would want to screw into the guitar, would there be a difference in my tone?

[@sillennium]

I don't believe there would be any difference in tone. The saddles come from Vibramate so that is where to get those. Good luck on your install

[@MANI-ri1fc]

appreciate it man! Thank you for the fast reply!

[@emilloffler1216]

Does the Vibramate string spoiler come with the whole kit, or is it an extra you need to buy, please?

[@sillennium]

No that is seperate

[@MrPodgoon]

Thanks for very helpful video! Would i still be able to fit a tele with bigsby in the fender deluxe hardshell case?

[@khansolllo]

MrPodgoon yeah, it should fit in any hard shell case if you swing the arm in the clockwise-most position

[@sillennium]

Yes you will

[@sillennium]

Yeah i cover that at the end of the video

[@angelchavez9617]

What if my tv doesn't have a vintage saddles? is there another option?

[@sillennium]

Yes I believe so. They have all kinds of options. I would email the info at vibramate .com. for help

[@michaelharacopos6550]

I have an early 90s tele with 3 screw holes. Is there no way for me to put the F logo bigsby on mine? what if I didnt use the vibramate?

[@sillennium]

Yeah 3 hole will not work with the F logo but a regular bigsby will work with 3 holes

[@teedzay]

Did the Vibramate Spoiler help with the tuning stability or more of the new saddles?

[@sillennium]

The new saddles just make it easier to intonate the guitar when the bigsby is installed

[@teedzay]

sillennium thank you for pointing that out. Appreciate the honesty. Cheers!

[@henrykrusak8593]

How did u get Only The bigsby withought The other plate and bridge

[@sillennium]

I was sent what was needed from vibramate. There were parts I didn't need since i wasn't permanently installing

[@Fatherflot64]

So you didn't need to shim the neck at all??

[@sillennium]

Nope not at all. I guess some people do but no need on this one

[@trudge78]

Will there be any marks on the guitar if it is removed? Thanks!

[@sillennium]

No there should not be

[@captainpiefox9133]

Do you need to solder the grounding wire to the vibramate ashtray or does it not matter?

[@sillennium]

No you don't, it just needs to be touching it.

[@captainpiefox9133]

sillennium gotcha. Thanks man

[@karenmcspadden7240]

@sillennium still using this?

[@sillennium]

Yes I am.

[@karenmcspadden7240]

any thoughts on using the vibramate with a tele that has a forearm contour? A drilled Bigsby definitely wouldn't work but I'm wondering with the plate going in at the strap button if this could?@@sillennium

[@ibbypanch2573]

hey there - may be a bit late to this unfortunately, but do you still have the links to both the vibramate you used and the bigsby? ive been looking but cannot seem to find anything unforunately :( thanks!

[@sillennium]

You can purchase these at vibramate.com website.

[@kaydenkircher2076]

Would the work on a Squier Affinity? My bridge is attached with 3 screws, not 4.

[@sillennium]

That would need the American style version. You will need to install the regular B5 not the f logo

[@Archinhotheboy]

Would this work on the newer player teles? They don’t have the 4 screws…

[@tritonmosquito9348]

They have a three-screws version of this system. I just checked it for myself.

[@sillennium]

As Triton said... there are 3 screw versions.

[@chris_2714]

Is there a Vibramate option for a hardtail style bridge like on a Cabronita tele?

[@sillennium]

I don't think so

[@chris_2714]

@@sillennium hmm, too bad. Thanks for the quick response. Great video!

[@sillennium]

Thx

[@mauipalmandtreecare]

I bought the string through bar from callaham

[@sillennium]

Cool

[@jabohonu]

After using this Tremolo, it's good keeping the tunning ?

[@sillennium]

Yes

[@jabohonu]

@@sillennium okey thanks

[@SinnetSongs]

Anyone know if this will work on a tele with binding on the body?

[@sillennium]

It should binding doesn't add any extra size

[@duaneulman9915]

Thank you

[@sillennium]

You are welcome

[@SnyderChips07]

Great vid!

[@sillennium]

Thank you!

[@1953MMike]

Will this fit a Squire Thinline Telecaster?

[@blacklotus3205]

Mike Carr it should do.

[@sillennium]

Likely it will

[@SGTBUFFORD]

My ashtray is a 3 hole. Anything that can be done with this or no?

[@sillennium]

In what sense? Vibramate makes a set up for you, but just using the regular B5 and not the f logo one. Otherwise the setup is exactly the same

[@Vonte2island]

What’s the intonation process on this??

[@sillennium]

Same as normal since you still have the normal saddles

[@quag1481]

Can we do this on squier affinity teles

[@sillennium]

Not sure i would ask vibramate

[@marcospintor1333]

Does it make the guitar sound different?

[@sillennium]

Yes, you can change the pitch up and down with the arm on the Bigsby. Lol In all seriousness no I don't think it does. It may actually add a bit of sustain with the added metal. Depends on what school of thought you subscribe to

[@martintobias6319]

Marcos Pintor yes it will sound a little loosy when ur using 9s

[@lydmo8287]

@@martintobias6319 I use 10s. Do you have any experience with 10s on a Bigsby?

[@joshuarobbins9264]

My bigsby mount barely reaches the vibromate ashtray and "one" of the studs is not lining up... anyone else have this issue?

[@sillennium]

Which bigsby which mount

[@sillennium]

Also 4 or 3 screw plate?

[@joshuarobbins9264]

@@sillennium 4

[@joshuarobbins9264]

@@sillennium "f" Logo. V5 stage 2

[@douglasrobertodacosta]

Can I put the B5 with Vibramate in a Jay Turser telecaster custom 69?

[@sillennium]

Does it match the vintage spec or modern American style spec?

[@douglasrobertodacosta]

@@sillennium I don't know actually. I have not even bought the guitar yet, but I'm already thinking about the upgrade of the bridge. :-) And in case, I would probably put the B5 with the logo of Bisby same. www.jayturser.com/products/electrics/jt-ltcust69.php

[@sillennium]

It looks to be vintage style with 4 screws in the ash tray.

[@69jomen]

You mentioned something about the string throughs...????

[@sillennium]

This set up still allows you to bypass the bigsby and still string your guitar through the body.

[@kenmasters007]

Do you lose any sustain or tone if the strings don't go thru the body ?

[@sillennium]

No I have not noticed but with the vibramate system you can quickly remove the B5 and string through the body with vibramates ash trays. You can even do a combination and create a b bender sort of thing

[@kaydenkircher2076]

I have a through bridge tele (no trem) and it sound better than my through body.

[@frankdonnelly8527]

amazing. I'm doing one now from scratch but won't have the luxury of doing internating later sadly.

[@sillennium]

Nice

[@ryanlevin1912]

would this work on a godin stadium ht?

[@sillennium]

Doubtful, this made very specific to a Fender telecaster

[@TPYgaming]

Does this ruin the paint under the Bigsby?

[@sillennium]

No it shouldn't. Only thing it could do is if you hang your guitar in a window and expose it to sun over time the area behind the bigsby and vibramate will be a different color

[@siavashmassoudi]

Is it possible to put a B50 / B500 with the same vibramate? Or does is HAVE to be a B5 only?

[@sillennium]

I think so but not completely sure. I think the b50 and b500 are just foreign made. But I certainly can't guarantee it as I haven't tried

[@MANI-ri1fc]

Hey man. My spring comes out don’t know, do you?

[@sillennium]

The spring between the bigsby arm?

[@MANI-ri1fc]

Yeah, like I can’t move around with and when the arm go back.. the washer and spring comes out.

[@sillennium]

If you remove the strings they can come out if your spring is coming out with strings on and tuned there is clearly something wrong.

[@mailvilla]

01/202020: I maybe you are pulling up "too far" and "too aggressively" on the Bigsby's arm. Bigsby do not have the range of motion as a Strat tremolo system. It is a very small range of motion for gentle movement. Sometimes I also pulled up too much and the spring pops out. So, I got some Elmer's Cement (not a permanent glue). It comes in a glass jar, and the lid has a brush attached to it that extends into the bottle. So, I just dabbed a lot into where the spring sits with the brush adapter and no more problems. This rubber cement does not harm anything and comes off really easily. When it dries it is rubbery texture. Keep in mind that you can damage a Bigsby system if you really pull up too hard, and yes - the rubber cement will not also hold either.

[@adr-c275]

what is the measurements of the bridge itself ???

[@sillennium]

I don't know

[@warthogA10]

Even nicer, you can use the bigsby as a b or g bender and run everything else through the body

[@sillennium]

Yeah that is a cool feature for sure

[@bobberjoe7550]

“Case shuts fine” and proceeds to push down on it LOL

[@sillennium]

Ok

[@dennykeildrums9243]

Please don’t tell me that last bit was serious with the case 😭

[@sillennium]

What do mean? Many people ask all the time does it fit in the case

[@sillennium]

I was there, wasn't hard

[@martintobias6319]

Looks cool & clean! Then D Nightmare starts soon as u do dive bombs & pull D tuning goes nuts! But there is a permanent fix for that issue coming out soon....*Bigsby tuning solve* Pat Pen.

[@sillennium]

Interesting

[@LTJR.]

Have I been wrong all these years I thought the pickup screwed into the bridge plate and the ashtray was the cover that we all, well, use as an ashtray.

[@sillennium]

You probably aren't, I probably used the wrong term

[@LTJR.]

@@sillennium ha! No worries I started out to tell you it was a well done video, concise with good details, then got sidetracked on comedians stealing jokes and by the time I got back to you I was critical.

[@sillennium]

Its all good, thx for watching hopefully it helps ya!

[@attilathehun0]

Looking at it I think if you had a cheap squire 3 bolt ash stray you might only need to drill one hole and still use the system.

[@sillennium]

I suppose so but that defeats the purpose of not perm altering your guitar. However with a squire maybe not as big of a concern.

[@attilathehun0]

@@sillennium That's the beauty of cheap guitar proper altering can actually a upgrade it.

[@sillennium]

Yep dig it

[@daniwest1370]

🤘🤘💪

[@sillennium]

Rock on

[@killer268]

You bought a set of saddles to avoid notching the screws? C'mon man. Otherwise great video, very informative

[@sillennium]

To be honest they were given to me by Vibramate, I am sure they wanted to feature as much of their hardware as possible. Thx for watching

[@killer268]

sillennium fair enough I can't knock you for that, I just saw that part and was like, uh people have done that forever with five minutes and a hacksaw

[@cosimocosta9046]

@@killer268 I'm not understanding - I'm looking to do a similar install and was convinced the Vibramate saddles where necessary to intonate the guitar - the dual access saddles seem to solve the problem of accessing the screws. Can this be avoided by using a smaller screw driver? Or is this a cash grab from Vibramate?

[@killer268]

Cosimo Costa you can take the screws from a standard set of steel or brass barrel saddles and notch the end of them with a hacksaw or dremmel and you end up with the exact same thing, but for $10-15

[@cosimocosta9046]

@@killer268 Brilliant! Thanks, you saved me $66 plus tax! Much appreciated! Wish I thought of that myself...

[@ThePaulinho12345]

show!!!!

[@sillennium]

Show? What do you mean?

[@jimmywilliams9664]

9:28 gotteem

[@sillennium]

Ummm what do you mean

[@chrisst8922]

I'm sure that's a good piece of kit but to me the B5 only serves to increase my feeling that the Telecaster's been designed by a committee.

[@sillennium]

I love it, but each their own right

[@capitolemiproducer]

The vibrato kit cost more than what you paid for the tele

[@sillennium]

Do you like it when it is done

[@carlitoxb110]

a bigsby tele is porn to my eyes

[@sillennium]

It is right!

[@christianvance1614]

God that string spoiler would’ve saved me so much time if I had one for my gretch but I feel like that’s cheating in a way. Gta endure the hardships of changing string on a bigsby by bending them around and then comeing off and getting pissed hahahaha

[@sillennium]

You can only use the spoiler after you have changed the strings O.G. style. Thx for stopping by

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

If you want to ruin your Tele tone and waste money - do this crap

[@sillennium]

I would disagree

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

@sillennium Well, you're bypassing the inner brass block and not stringing through the body. Sound / vibration will instead be going across the thick Fender finish and be absorbed by all of the added metal before resonating into the guitar. It sounds vastly different, and it's definitely not for me, it sounds like a more extreme version of the ashtrays with sting holes in the bottom rather than the base (and through the tele).

[@sillennium]

This system allows you to string through the body still if you don't want to use the bigsby. But either way you don't like it so cool but it isn't crap for sure

[@stefanowolf8865]

Comprato tutto il set , thanks ‘ 🔝⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@sillennium]

🤘👍🏻

[@XLBiker13]

The bridge plate is not the "ash tray" as you keep calling it. "Ash tray" referred exclusively to the chrome bridge cover that interfered with palm muting so it was removed and used as an ash tray instead. And the plastic washer goes under the Bigsby spring. Not above it in the recess of the Bigsby arm where you put it. Were you attempting to relic your fretboard or were you just too lazy to remove all of the finish? The "wear pattern" makes no sense. You apparently play all over the neck except never the A, D, and G string at fret 13 and 14.

[@sillennium]

You cracked the code..... that neck was reliced by Fender Mexico.... so complain to them on how the did the relic job

[@jonahpaz.]

I have a Chapman ml3 pro Classic (a type of telecaster). It has a curved body where the Vibramate is supposed to be placed. Would that curve be a problem?

[@sillennium]

Carved body? That won't work