It just don't look right!

[Jim Creech]

I was recently tasked with installing a Bigsby B-5 Vibrato on a Mexican tele. An easy enough job to be certain but I just don't think it looks right. IMHO some guitars just don't look good with a vibrato of any kind. I even saw one once on an acoustic Dreadnaught style. It just don't look right! What say you?305524

[Mike Cozad]

I think the guitar in the second photo has a broken string but the vibrato blends right in. You can't even really tell it has one..... :D

[george wilson]

You put it mighty close to the bottom edge of the guitar.

[Shawn Pixley]

I am not a fan of vibratos in general though I do have two guitars with them. I agree Tele's don't look good with Bigsby's on them. I think they would also throw off the balance as well.

[Jim Creech]

I don't know how the other pic got in there. Oh well, stranger things have happened. I agree with you Shawn. The only electric I have owned with a vibrato was a Gibson SG I had in the late '60's. Great guitar but I had no use for the vibrato. F.Y.I this unit was a kit Bigsby is selling. It included the vibrato, bridge and bridge pick-up plate with the holes for the bridge studs. All I had to do was remove the orig bridge and plate and replace with the new stuff, get the Bigsby aligned and installed and restring and set-up.
George, the location is where the kit instruction shows. If you look closely at the photo you will see that there is a land on the treble side that protrudes from the body and is only about 1/16" away from interfering with the pick-up plate. I do agree that it does look awfully close to the end of the guitar. Maybe that is one of the reasons that it just don't look right!

[george wilson]

It seems that there is not enough room on a tele for a vibrato!

[Jim Creech]

At least not a Bigsby style. I was looking through some of the stuff I have collected over the years and found another style, also screw-on, no routing that has a smaller footprint that would probably have looked better. Interestingly enough I also found a vibrato for a four string bass. I cannot recall ever seeing a vibrato on a bass guitar.

[Anthony Scira]

Yeah but as with most things. It is not what we think. It is what people pay us to do. I'm sure it looks awesome to your customer.

[Julie Moriarty]

I don't know how the other pic got in there.

I think it's a Whodunit. Who stole my boat engine?