whamy bar, bigsby?
could someone explain what these devices are for? I have seen them all over the place but i dont really get what they are for. Is it like having a dynamic capo of something. Wouldnt some strings go out of tune if you pulled/tightened them all the same amount. Maybe someone has a good link explaining how they work.
thanks
It lets you bend all the notes at once by tightening/loosening the strings together. The advantages are that you can get them all, letting you bend full chords, and you can bend pitches down (really far) as well as up. The strings won't all be perfectly in tune when you use it, and some guitars stay out of tune when you let it return to center.
thanks paul,
i cant imagine anyone would really want a guitar with a bigsby that got a guitar out of tune!
another question. who would have one, i mean, should every electric guitar player have one on their axe or is it for people with some specific sound in mind?
Depends on what you play. For some of the 'dive bomb' sounds, you can't do without one... for surf music, or finely vibratoed harmonics (think Heart), it's also essential.
I took the Bigsby off my jazz box and replaced it with a stop tail. I just didn't need it for that kind of sound. On my Strat, I keep the bar in the case - I might use it on one gig in five. But when you need it, you'll be glad you have it.
The tuning issues are certainly there, but you'll pick up little tricks. If you pull a strat-style bar up after a big bend, and then release it, the tuning seems to 'center' a little easier.
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Tuning isn't really an issue with the good hardware on the guitar. Mine never ever goes out of tune when dive bombing. Floyd Rose Tremolo's come with locking nut's and you can buy locking tuners that will do the same thing. Think of EVH on Eruption.
