Ah ****, my gear senses are tingling again.
Vintage 50's Stewart Wondertone w/ Bigsby & Gibson tuners - $450
Vintage Stewart Wondertone
This one has me a bit worried. I've always wanted an acoustic with a Bigsby, but I've always been weary of what mounting one on an acoustic could do. Obviously there are plenty of acoustics out there that can be purchased retail with a pre-fitted Bigsby, but where I start scrunching my eyebrows is when they're custom jobs post-purchase. What worries me even more about this one is that it's a genuine vintage 50's archtop. Who mounted the Bigsby? Was it mounted properly? Is the bracing on a 50's Stewart archtop strong enough to handle continual Bigsby usage without slowly warping or cracking? How much did the installation affect the tone and volume of the guitar?
But of course, when the price is that low for something that unique, I'm starting to get excited.
I suppose I better start asking the owner.
Anybody have experience with Bigsbys on acoustics or Bigsby installations in general?
Also, anybody own any 50's archtops? Are they generally a lot more fragile than modern builds?
