Bigsby
Bigsby
Also known as: Paul Bigsby, Bigsby Guitars, Bigsby Vibratos, Bigsby Electric Guitars
UnclaimedBigsby is an American manufacturer of vibrato tailpieces for electric guitars, founded by motorcycle shop foreman and machinist Paul A. Bigsby in Downey, California in the late 1940s. Bigsby's original vibrato, designed in collaboration with guitarist Merle Travis, became the first commercially successful whammy bar system and set the template for every pitch-bending tailpiece that followed. Pa...
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Bigsby is an American manufacturer of vibrato tailpieces for electric guitars, founded by motorcycle shop foreman and machinist Paul A. Bigsby in Downey, California in the late 1940s. Bigsby's original vibrato, designed in collaboration with guitarist Merle Travis, became the first commercially successful whammy bar system and set the template for every pitch-bending tailpiece that followed. Paul Bigsby also built a small number of pioneering solid-body electric guitars and pedal steels that influenced later designs by Leo Fender and others.
The company's core catalog centers on its vibrato tailpieces, organized into the Kalamazoo Series (B3, B5, B6, B7, B12, B16) for traditional archtop, semi-hollow, and flat-top installations, and the Lightning Series (B30, B50, B60, B70, B500, B700) aimed at modern builds. The units are factory-installed on instruments from Gretsch, Gibson, Epiphone, Fender, Guild, and others, and have long been associated with rockabilly, country, surf, and rock tones.
After Paul Bigsby sold the company to Ted McCarty in 1966, Bigsby changed hands several times, eventually being acquired by Gretsch, and later becoming a subsidiary of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Alongside the production vibratos, Bigsby has issued limited-edition guitars that reinterpret Paul Bigsby's original solid-body designs.
Bigsby has 9 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Guitar Bridges and Tailpieces and Solid Body Electric Guitars. Their gear is featured by 16 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Pop, and Electronic. Notable users include Nancy Wilson, Alex Turner, and Kirk Hammett.
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