Retrofret Presents: Restoration of the 1949 Bigsby "Butterball" Paige Solidbody Electric Guitar

On the advent of what would have been Paul Bigsby’s 115th birthday, Retrofret invited Bigsby historian and roots musician Deke Dickerson to the shop to examine and play the finished instrument. This inevitably led to a jam session with the 1951 Bigsby mandolin also at Retrofret
(played by Brooklyn musician Rob Hecht). Fortunately this monumental event was videotaped, and we’ve got a link to Dickerson’s visit and these two incredible, historic instruments below.
This particular Bigsby instrument is very significant for a number of reasons, besides its being played in a legendary band. It was only the third Bigsby electric guitar made, out of a total of 23 known electric solidbodies. It was the first Bigsby electric guitar to feature two pickups - the first two being single-pickup instruments. It was the first Bigsby guitar to sport pickups with individual adjustable polepieces on the pickups (the earlier pickups had a single non-adjustable “blade” magnet running under the strings as on his steel guitars). It is also the only Bigsby electric guitar ever photographed in Paul Bigsby’s hands (courtesy of a few snapshots taken in a 1949 visit to the Bigsby shop by a young Forrest White, who later worked at Fender for many years).
“Butterball” Paige kept the guitar for less than two years. After Paige’s departure from Ernest Tubb’s band, the instrument can be seen in photos being played by another legendary country musician, Kenneth Ray “Thumbs” Carllile, a virtuoso guitar savant who played with the guitar laying flat on his lap with his left hand over the neck instead of under, almost like playing a piano. Thumbs is probably the only player who ever played this instrument who didn’t mind the oddly placed pickup switch, and he used it with “Little” Jimmy Dickens’ band for several years in the 1950s.
Thumbs may have been the country-western guitarist who left the instrument behind in a house in Palmer, Alaska, after a wild all-night gathering of country-western musicians. He was last photographed with the guitar in 1956 and from there the trail ran cold, until many years later. The damaged but significant instrument had been pulled from decades of repose in a closet and was about to be thrown into a dumpster by the owner of the house, who had no fond memories of the hillbilly musicians who used to have drunken all-night jam sessions there.
The instrument was saved by the woman’s grandson as it was being heaved into the trash. The young man, a budding guitarist himself, published a photo of the guitar on an online forum looking for information. Deke Dickerson, eagle-eyed Bigsby acolyte and founder of the obsessively complete online blog “The Bigsby Files” compared the photos posted online to vintage photos of the Paige/Carlille guitar, and noticed the visual similarity in the grain pattern of the wood on the top of the guitar. When the unique birds-eye maple figuring of the wood proved an exact match to the vintage photos, Dickerson realized he was looking at the long-lost Butterball Paige/Thumbs Carllile instrument, re-surfacing after decades.
Retrofret, known for their museum-quality restorations and repairs, received the Bigsby guitar and began the exacting task of making the guitar look and play as it did when it left Paul’s workshop in 1949. Retrofret’s founder and head luthier, Steve Uhrik, was no stranger to Bigsby instruments. A few years back he had brokered the deal to sell Country Music Hall-Of-Famer Lefty Frizzell’s original Bigsby customized SJ-200 acoustic guitar to another Hall-Of-Famer, Merle Haggard. Uhrik’s best friend, the now-deceased Bob Guida, had an extensive collection of original Bigsby instruments and memorabilia that were often used at jam sessions in the shop and for research by visiting members of what they referred to as “The Bigsby Brain Trust”. Retrofret, despite being in the Gowanus section of industrial Brooklyn, New York, three thousand miles from where the guitar was originally made in California, was the logical choice to take on the restoration.
Happy 115th to Paul Bigsby, the inventor of the Modern Electric Solidbody Guitar, Retrofret-style!
For more information on the Bigsby 10 string electric mandolin, visit our website:
retrofret.com/products.asp?Pro...
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Video and Editing by: Teale Failla
Website: teale.weebly.com
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[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Merci beaucoup for the backstory. I have to say I'm most impressed with the guitar wranglers. Guitars are restless and like to be roam, to see that collection so docile was testament to good training.

[@peachmelba1000]

Sincerest thanks to Paul Bigsby for his amazing innovations, and the scant few, but beautiful instruments he produced.

[@master00booya]

So badass, thank you saving and restoring it

[@butteredbiskit3497]

Wow! That guitar couldn't be restored in any better condition than what it is now. It must have cost a fortune! A real treasure.

[@franzkafka77]

From Skip in New Orleans: "A pair of Bigsby pickups was given to me at the 1990 New York guitar show by Mr. Gordon Dow. I was told they were removed from a D'Angelico instrument in New York City. One pickup was installed in the sound hole of a Grammer acoustic guitar by Billy Penn at Outlaw Guitars. That guitar was eventually sold to Mr. Dan Courtney at Chelsea Guitars. The other pickup which was non-functioning at the time was given to Mr. Bob Guida for use in a Gibson ES 175. Bob remains forever in my prayers here in my city below sea level. God bless you Mr. Steve and Happy Trails Mr. Deke. As always, Be Well."

[@DaveJacoby]

It's always good to see old guitars working again. Love the story.

[@mallorga1965]

Great job of recovering a true piece of history!

[@boozoochavis7506]

Way to go Deke - good job that man! Thanks for keeping this old flame alive, the old Gibbys and Fenders are really cool but these are the dinosaurs from which all others descend. Makes me proud to be a guitar geek!!

[@tealescope]

It was a real pleasure to work on this video with the folks at *****! Thanks for inviting me!

[@rocketpigrecords3719]

Great story! Geez, 20 something guitars, no wonder they're never seen and rarely talked about. Cool sound, too!

[@macpage7609]

I remember that guitar, Butterball Paige is my uncle.

[@nocturnal7312]

To bad your uncle didn't pass it on down to you, They are around $275,000.

[@brez-ed9dd]

Butterball sure could cook, on that thing!

[@wvbigt]

That's just the way Butterball spelled it. The cemetery he is buried in is full of people with the last name of Page. He's the only one spelled Paige.

[@philipmcglasson533]

Not uncommon

[@bluegrassmovie12]

Great story, history in your hands there Deke! I have a picture of me holding Bigsby #2 with RC Allen who owned that guitar. He passed away about 5 years ago and not sure what happened to that guitar. We thank you for restoring Bigsby #3.

[@robroy4058]

I think we can all agree that Merle Travis was one of the most influential musicians of the previous century. Thanks Paul bigsby for working with Merle and making history. *Merle also designed the 6 in line headstock*

[@Amoeba744]

Deke is awesome for keeping these priceless instruments alive and available for us to see.

[@blackjackthompson1017]

Very interesting! I wasn't aware of the history of solid body guitars pre Fender. I'm glad the history of these guitars is being preserved and the information is being passed on.

[@mrbowerypine.8077]

Wow! Thanks Deke, amazing story... Keepin' the flame alive :) Buy the book folks it's a super read.

[@gigsup]

Extremely well done, thoroughly enjoyed this!

[@Fdezco66]

Wow! ...what an incredible journey for that guitar. I'm just amazed you were able to restore it. Amazing.

[@cesalt2408]

So appreciate this unique guitar history. Thanks for posting!

[@domsawyer8953]

What an amazing story and restoration! Thanks for sharing.

[@BabyBoomerChannel]

Thank you for saving and restoring the important piece of history. Great work.

[@rikvee]

a stunningly successful restoration, and a beautifully clear explanation of it all as well, thank you for preserving a guitar with so much significance!

[@zolazingo]

wonderful video, enjoyed it very much , a great piece of musical history for sure, nice work and thanks for putting this together gents!

[@jkjk-hk9lb]

Great history and the guitar looks and sounds amazing!

[@marcusohara57]

Thanks Deke for all the great information about this guitar. Bigsby was a genius.

[@jfinester]

The violin taipiece was suggested by Merle Travis when he sketched out his guitar design for Paul Bigsby, according to an article about Paul written by Merle Travis in Guitar World magazine-I believe iin the first issue in 1980, with Johnny Winter on the cover.

[@firsteerr]

great looking guitar , and what an amazing sound

[@wendellpeters5083]

I'm from Hawai'i, moved to Bixby Ok twelve years ago. The locals pronounce Bixby as Bigsby, so when I saw the title Bigsby Guitar I thought, wOw! a guitar made in Bixby long time ago, but no, it's not. Hahaha. That's a great guitar, looks like a cross between a Strat and a Les Paul. Thanks for this awesome post.

[@brez-ed9dd]

That is so cool. Sounds great too. Thanks Deke.

[@rudemooddudehamburg]

One of the best guitar channels on KZbin! Love all your Videos! The Old stuff same as the new stuff!

[@Vazmusic]

Such a great story! Cool looking guitar as well.

[@gordyschwarz8483]

Thank you so much Deke great shoot .love the guitar cannot wait til june to meet ya Gordy Schwarz

[@stude1953]

Nice video

[@mamutcat]

Just finished The Stat in the Attic. And just stumbled onto this video. An excellent bookend to an excellent story.

[@peteandrews7169]

Fantastic!!

[@markashdown1314]

Brilliant work Deke. Fascinating. Mark in Granada Spain

[@ogzdwz]

Super rare n nice music n story,Exellent

[@rockabillyman682]

What a superb work/ restoration job by Retrofret! Wow.. And, Deke, thank you for the very interesting history of this beautyfull Bigsby guitar. These guitars must be very rare. At first, years ago, I saw the Grady Martin doubleneck Bigsby on youtube and always wondered what kind of guitar this would be. But now I know :) Think I never can effort one! ;) but I enjoy my '59 Harmony Rocket and '62 Kay Speeddemon. Cheers, Reem Groot

[@johnthrelfall5]

Great restoration job! Marvellous presentation of factual history, and good playing. I notice you found a way to play it on the other knee. 🙂🎸👏👏

[@t4texastom587]

R. I. P. The Texas Troubadour, ERNEST 🇨🇱 TUBB Tommy "Butterball" Paige 🎸 Billy Byrd🎸

[@mgn5667]

So This is the End of the Line of Old School Guitars !!!!!!....i got a book or 2 on guitars back in 1990 and it has history of these guitars...So this guy in the video is searching for rare guitars and he comes up with the Electric Holy Grail Guitar... omfg im gonna pass out....

[@brockstapper6609]

Love this!

[@johnrichard9606]

a fascinating story !

[@psychoprosthetic]

Great antediluvian tone. Really nice to hear how they did it in the early days.

[@willw3900]

So cool

[@musicofanatic]

What a great opportunity to study and document the construction of this guitar with that rim piece busted out. The photo of P. Bigsby holding that guitar was taken by Fender's Forrest White. C'mon Dickerson...what about the E7 in bar 12 of that closing piece...you missed it every time around!

[@DeadKoby]

I saw Deke play on tour with Rev. Horton. Great show!

[@fjhumphries]

I had an original bigsby vibrato on a cheap 60’s guitar (maybe a kay) Got it at a thrift store in the late 80’s.

[@paulsimmons5726]

Cool story and a fantastic job on the guitar. They, Fender, reissued these guitars a few years ago as I can remember that their website had Fender, Gretch, and a few versions of these. I looked a while back and couldn't find them. I guess these guitars are once again out of production. Cool guitars though! Thanks for the video and story.

[@stepitupandgo67]

How is the first solid body ever made still the most beautiful? Thanx Deke

[@gtechbluesman]

I was born in 1949... I like that guitar... 😉

[@flip3213]

wow sweet story

[@johncmichelson2890]

thks for the great video , interesting gtr and story : ) jcm

[@mmarino200666]

Cool guitar Deke

[@bristolfashion4421]

Really interesting - I guess Leo Fender was around at the time, with his pencil and notebook poised for action... !!

[@zhiracs]

The LaBaye 2x4 also had a stupidly placed selector switch. In fact, Eastwood's reissue has it moved up to the top of the body per the request of Devo's Bob Mothersbaugh.

[@HMJohnsonGuitar]

Wow!

[@unorthodoxparadox2339]

Now i feel like converting my guitar into a Bigsby

[@elizabethbroome484]

Back in the 1960's a hoard of Texans & Okies from UA 798 layed out the Alaskan Pipeline. Maybe someone had Butterballs old guitar.

[@TheVampire989]

Nice story- great job, and wonderful restoration- nice sound Now I wish I hadn't thrown out that double necked guitar, it was broken anyway- just kidding KC

[@retrofret]

+TheVampire989 Thanks KC... my heart stopped for a moment thinking of a double neck in the dumpster!!!

[@edwardlouisbernays2469]

Carvin Guitars in the late 1950's started making Double Necks, Larry Collins had a Carvin (Keisel) doulbe neck.

[@harrisholt12]

Do you still have the early production Bigsby?

[@bigbo1865]

The lost two neck bigsby guitar is on a march 31st 2009 video on KZbin. Titled Bigsby guitar Grandpa's Bigsby..😮 It is the lost bigsby..For Sure..!!!

[@Amoeba744]

I think those guys are joking around I'm pretty sure that was a repro guitar made by a luthier today. The birdseyes in the maple on the two guitars also dont match up.

[@Andresrodrigofloreromiranda]

yo quiero esooooooooooooo guitarra mandolinnnnn

[@patrickcummins976]

Country guitar legend Grady Martin played a Bigsby double neck guitar in the 50's on the Ozark Jubilee Television show hosted by Red Foley. Why would you said there was only one Bigsby double neck when there were clearly at least two built?

[@U2BER2012]

So...In reality, Paul Bigsby first came up with that Headstock design; not Leo Fender?

[@crazycat1345]

Merl asked Paul to make a guitar like a violin that is why the tail piece looks the way it does.And Paul was a pattern maker by trade.

[@dr.krinkleweldon5934]

Body looks like a LP. Was that Les Paul's shape or Paul Bigsby?

[@sambac2053]

the switch was possibly an after thought

[@americanmetalhead3954]

Hmmm, that body shape looks so familiar, hmmm, that headstock shape looks so familiar.....

[@chrishmmm2202]

I don’t know about bigsby being first-Slingerland marketed a solid body electric guitar (the songster- not a lap guitar) in the mid 1930s. At least 10 years before bigsby

[@chrishmmm2202]

Songster 401, specifically.

[@bigfootingermany]

With so much of the original destroyed in specific key locations, how much of the original is still there? Destroyed headstock, new neck and headstock? Maybe the inlay was saved? Top was destroyed with chisels and holes drilled in it. New top? Side with chunk out of it. New side? Different pickups. Maybe some of the hardware was reusable? Still a great piece of history though. I always wrongly assumed that Leo built the first solid body electric.

[@Amoeba744]

Same neck, headstock, and finish. Everything was able to be fixed the only really "new" thing on it is the piece to fix the hole and one reproduction pickup.

[@NathanielDowell]

Les Paul and Leo Fender both built prototype solid body electric guitars prior to the Bigsby, but Bigsby was the first to create one as a viable commercial product, making the original at Merle Travis' request. Fender had a solid body shop guitar he'd built that was rented out to musicians who were in town, and Les Paul had "The Log". The Bigsby proved the concept and spurred Fender to finally build his own version.

[@OFR]

I may be wrong, but I've always heard the man's name as Thumbs CarLEEL, is how people pronounced it to me... spelled Carlyle, but pronounced that way with a long E....

[@JerryRiceBall]

Did you know that even though Butterbean had a mean left hook, he played the guitar right handed?? The more you knee-yo!!!! 🌈

[@johnsmith-bk4ps]

I coulda had keiths bygsby for 30k. Blew it

[@garyharris1932]

Formally owned by Thumbs Carsile, Kelso Herston and others.

[@SDPickups]

Unfortunately the "replica" pickup isn't going to sound like an original. Bigsby used 40 gauge plain enamel wire. No one makes plain enamel 40 wire anymore, plus the old wire is way different than any modern magnet wire. I've documented the heck out of this and had Elektrisola analyzed a good pile of 16+ vintage plain enamel magnet wire off P90's, PAF's, and some Fender pickups as well, covering a range of 40 years time span. We did this in about 2006-7. They did numerous kinds of tests then educated me on what they were and what the results meant compared to modern wire. But the kicker is that since 2007 when we did that, I've obtained a fair pile of vintage 40's-50's, and earlier and later PE wire, so I know what the old wire sounds like in person, extremely well. My theories at the time all proved to be true once I wound with old wire and played it. The other failure will be the pole pieces. In the early 40-50's common hardware fasteners were made of very low carbon. In our time the carbon content is much higher, gives a very different sound. You can't buy those alloy fasteners now unless you have them custom made, and some of those alloys were almost pure iron, which is not possible to have made anymore. There IS alnico currently being made now that sounds like vintage magnets do, so thats not a big issue. There have been some companies I've seen a few years ago making "Bigsby" pickups, but inside all they are is P90's and completely miss the point; the covers were real thin too. I've been looking for Bigsby pickups for about 18 years now, only ever found one and it was over a thousand dollars, ouch. Bigsby was a maker of wood model parts to be used for sand casting molds for aluminum casting. He was motorcycle guy and I guess he worked where they made engine covers etc. I've never been able to find any 40 gauge PE wire, just occasional 38 gauge PE as used in the Charlie Christian pickups. The old wire is very hard to find and getting harder these days. Its great you restored that guitar, but keep looking for an original pickup for the bridge to finish it off. Nice score.

[@BigDwww]

Fender must have copied that headstock style

[@markjoy4511]

Merle Travis suggested that headstock design to Paul Bigsby when he built a solidbody for Travis. Leo Fender saw that guitar before the Broadcaster came out.

[@kylemoran4343]

If ya go way back in history, that headstock design originated with C.F.Martin back in the 1800's and C.F. got that design from a European luther… It's all out there for anyone to research. "What goes around, comes around". Love the discussions about anything GUITAR. Loved Deke's books as well !!

[@taylordiclemente5163]

The scroll headstock comes from JG Stauffer of Vienna.

[@oldsyphilitic]

@@taylordiclemente5163 If you ever see the wonderful film 'Black Cat, WHite Cat' a scene shows Yugoslav gypsy musicians playing in a hospital. The two guitarists are playing guitars that have the typical Stauffer headstock and might well be original Stauffers.

[@taylordiclemente5163]

@@oldsyphilitic I would like to see that. I'll look it up. Thank you!

[@snapfinger1]

It doesn’t have a Bigsby. Fender sues a lot of folks over the headstock design they lifted from PB.

[@bhollyfanhardin9627]

this guitar like most bigsby guitars are not solid bodies there hollow or semi-hollow just look at the piece of the body wood that is missing....you can clearly see the guitar is mostly hollow just like the Meryl Travis one is....Leo Fenders guitars were/are true solid bodies.........

[@oldsyphilitic]

a fascinating account of a historic guitar. Recently, Fender issued a cease and desist to an independent guitar maker over a headstock shape similar to Fender's. It is highly unlikely that Paul Bigsby ever issued one to Fender. Then again Staufer was gone for over a century and so couldn't have issued a cease and desist to Bigsby. It's a shame Fender is so mean spirited.when it is clear that their headstock design wasn't original.

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

Hmmm! Gibson copied authentic me thinks! Looks like a Les Paul with a Fender CBS era headstock!

[@48mastadon]

Bigsby should be suing Gibson over the body design and Fender over the headstock. What is it that Gibson says?...."Play authentic..."

[@americanmetalhead3954]

Looks like Gibson copied a guitar, looks like Fender copied a headstock...

[@ogzdwz]

This guitar is not solid body guitar??This guitar looks hollow body guitar....am I wrong about it....?

[@retrofret]

Its a solid body with chambers... but call it what you want, its a super cool guitar!

[@nutsocket]

great video--thanks for sharing

[@rustyjames4962]

Pretty cool story about the geetar