To Bigsby or Not to Bigsby

In the collectors world, at least the 335 and 345 collectors world, the addition of a Bigsby means a drop in the value of your vintage piece. Most folks will tell you a Bigsby (or Maestro or Sideways) will lower the collector value by 25%. Some say more.  I think 25% is probably about right but why? Just about every Stratocaster ever made has a trem (really a vibrato since it changes pitch but that's another entry) and they are worth all kinds of stupid money-in fact a hardtail is worth less on a Strat. Go figure.  SG's all had Maestros and while they may not be quite as collectible as a 335, nobody gives it a second thought. But on a 335, well, that another matter.  What's wrong with a trem on a 335?  I don't use one so I don't see any reason to add an extra half pound to my guitar but if it saves me that much money maybe it makes some sense. If you're collecting as an investment, don't buy one with a Bigsby. The best investment is going to be the most desirable incarnation in the best most original condition possible.  Everybody likes to talk about the "mojo" of the guitar they're selling but we all know it just means wear and tear. Back to the Bigsby...sorry the ADD kicks in a lot-we'll cover mojo later.  If you use a Bigsby or other trem, then by all means, save some money and buy one with a trem.  Better yet buy a "convertible one" you know, the ones I wrote about a few days ago with the "Custom Made" plaque covering the stop tail studs.  This advice doesn't apply to the ES 355 because nearly all of them were factory equipped with one sort of trem or another.  I'll go a step further-if you're going to get a 335 or 345 with some kind of whammy bar, I would suggest you go with the Bigsby rather than the sideways or the Maestro.  First reason-the Bigsby leaves fewer holes in the top of the guitar should you want to remove it. Second, it just works better as a unit. The sideways version looks a lot cooler but the guitars just don't stay in tune very well and the thing is just about worthless as a tremolo.  The Maestro, to my eye, just looks wrong. It works OK and the simplicity of the design is kind of interesting but it looks like it belongs on an SG.  Even the Epiphone "trem-o-tone" looks better on a big guitar like a 335 (or a Sheraton or Riviera) than a Maestro. If you thought I was going to solve the mystery of why some guitars are worth more with a tremolo and some less, I can't. It makes no real sense. But a lot of guitar collecting makes no sense. Things like rarity are almost irrelevant, but I''ll discuss that another time.

Below: Bigsby on a 67



















                


 Right: Sideways on a 62 ES 355











Below: Maestro on a 64