hi guys not sure this is the correct place to post this (new to this) Im after a vintage anniversary and want to add a bigsby although i would not drill any holes in the guitar is there any reason i couldn't drill new holes in the Bigsby to match the holes in the guitar (from then original G bridge

thanks

Generally that would not be a major modification, so the value should stay relatively intact. Best to match the holes as much as possible. Alternatively look at a Vibramate, which allows you to put a Bigsby on without drilling.

I drilled the holes in the Bigsby hinge rather than the guitar itself. It took maybe 15 minutes.

There's a photo if you scroll down a little here:

http://gretschpages.com/for...

That said I don't think adding holes to an Anniversary will be a value killer as they are pretty low priced already--my project was with a 50s duo jet which I was not keen to add holes to.

I did the Bigsby conversion on a 1960 Anniversary as well and just slapped it on. There, the bigger issue for me is that the neck angle for the fixed G tailpiece somehow got changed when the Bigsby went on and the guitar could use a reset now.

thanks for the info although i couldn't find any vibramates for a hollow body

thanks Knavel glad it can be done, makes more sense to me to alter a bigsby than a guitar

also based on this what is a 58 or 59 6118 or 6125 anniversary worth ?

Drilling the Bigsby can be done. Might want to add an extra metal plate:

thanks Knavel glad it can be done, makes more sense to me to alter a bigsby than a guitar

also based on this what is a 58 or 59 6118 or 6125 anniversary worth ?

That's the most desirable era of Anniversaries because of the filtertron pickup(s) and the trestle bracing.

Value though depends on what version of the 4 you have (sunburst or green; one or two pickup).

But those models in particular are ones I would be disinclined to add holes to.

Here is my 59 Anniversary--

nice guitar (wanna sell it ?)

im looking at a green 58 single (great condition)

I have 3 other Gretsches I'd like to sell before thinking about whether, ultimately, I would keep this green Anniversary. The bigger problem is that I reside in one continent and the guitar resides on a different continent. So nothing will be happening anytime soon on the sales front.

A couple of things I would add. First, if you do get the 58 and do the Bigsby hinge drilling, if you get a modern Bigsby be sure the hinge is solid and not that one with the big oval hole as the opening in the oval hole I think exposes the most important hole on the bottom of the body--the lower one--which you need to ensure you can screw down into.

I suspect to some extent this is why Mike2000 above was recommending the second metal plate--to fill that gap.

This will not be an issue if you get a so-called V-cut "Gretsch by Bigsby'' type, since they have the solid triangular hinge.

However, the V-cut Bigsby is not "period correct" for a 58, the B6 with the black enamel is...and that's the one that has this oval opening.

Here's what I'm talking about and this is how the vintage ones all are (PS this Bigsby ain't from 1960--it's no earlier than 1962): http://www.ebay.com/itm/BIG...

I've seen sometimes ebay sellers with old style B6s but that have the triangular hinge. Here's one although it's gold (and I would add, not a Duane Eddy style one despite the representation, but it does make the point I'm talking about): http://www.ebay.com/itm/Big...

The other point is that, from what I've read here in this forum, the 58 version of the Anniversary with the heavy trestle is rarer than the 59 version with the light trestle.

I don't know if this means anything value-wise but if you do diligent google research you might find those discussions and maybe they will help you out. Whether the guitar has an original Gretsch case or not also affects value a little.

I don't know a lot about the value of the single pick up anniversaries. I have a fairly early hi lo tron 1960 as you saw in my other thread and I sliced it to pieces and actually made it a useful guitar.

worth a try haha thanks again this has been very helpful Dave