Question for the Bigsby owners out there

[Stevenems]

I'm contemplating ordering a new Atom. One of the things that has me thinking is whether or not I want a Bigsby tremolo.

My current guitars all have fixed bridges, so tuning stability isn't ever a problem. I also like the way I can bend one string and the other strings stay in tune. Still, every now and then I get tremolo-envy and I wonder if there is a tremolo out there that would let me have my tremolo and still be in tune on all strings when I'm not actively moving the tremolo arm.

So here's my question: Does the TAG Bigsby let me keep the fixed bridge tuning stability that a non-tremolo Atom would have, or does it end up acting pretty much like other tremolo types in this regard? Other than looking really cool and actually being available on an Atom, what's the advantage of a Bigsby over, say, a Floyd Rose?


Thanks,
Steve

[Rhys]

i've had a fixed bridge atom and currently have one with a bigsby. i've never been much of a trem player, but man i love the bigsby. i don't notice any tuning stability issues.

[frtlssinseattle]

I own an Atom with a Bigsby and ditto for me on what Rhys has written.

[stevem7]

A Bigsby really isn't a dive-bombing kind of vibrato unit anyways, so it's shallower range of motion shouldn't cause major tuning issues. Brian Setzer never has problems with his!

[tom]

they are completely different things. bigsbys are all about subtlety and floyds are dramatic.
stability has not been an issue for me and i also use a drop d tuner. i find myself longing for the bigsby whenever i play a guitar without it. the down side is that it does restrict the ease of getting to the controls as it is a big thing on top of the guitar. that's at least worth considering.

[Stevenems]

Thanks for the info guys. That helps quite a bit.

[Janine Doubly]

Yeah, the motorcycle style spring on the Bigsby and its offset relationship to the bridge basically makes it almost impossible once your strings are stretched to have the tuning issues. Totally different than a Floyd whose springs are right on the opposite side of the fulcrum of the bridge. I love Bigsbys and use them extensively. I do drop D tuning, lots of double stops and palm mutes and they stay solid.

[Stevenems]

Thanks Janine. That's exactly what I wanted to know.

~Steve