If you have a B5 Bigsby on a Vibramate I would LOVE your help :)

[jdel77]

Hi guys, not sure where to post this but I need a Vibramate for my Japanese Epi Flying V.
I have the B5 Bigsby.
The post holes for the stop bar that the Vibratmate would lock into are about 83.5mm or 3 and 1/3 inches apart.
Does anyone have a B5 on a Vibramate and could confirm how far apart the stop bar post holes are either in mm or inches on the Vibramate, roughly from the centre of each post hole?

What is the difference between the Vibramate for the standard B5 and the shortened B5 for SG? Will either fit Vibramate plate fit the USA Bigsby B5.


Any help much appreciated.

 

[straylight2k]

I have a Vibramate for B5 and it fit perfectly on both my '02 SG and my current Reverend MIK Sensei. You shouldn't have a problem mounting it. All the B-5 Bigsbys should have the same hole pattern. Mine's US. B5s are the horseshoe shaped ones for flattop guitars like SG and Tele. Are you referring to the long tailpiece B7s for comparison?

 

[straylight2k]

the short tail one is designed specifically to clear SG batwing pick guards. Otherwise it's the exact same beast

 

[Space Hammer]

As Straylight has said the post holes distance will be fine.

the issue i'm seeing (that should be solved my buying the 'SG' version of the Vibramate) is that the pickguard (depending on what model of V you have) is pretty close to the bridge - see the overlap of the mounting bracket in this pic (not my guitar or pic btw, but this is a V with a B5 + vibramate...)

(you still may have to round off a small part of the pickguard or file down a bit of the Vibramate - the bit near the screw on the top right of the bigsby)

 

[jdel77]

Excellent info, thanks guys.
And yes, I mocked up the Bigsby on mine last night and it would appear that top right part of the Bigsby will over lap on the pickguard.
How exactly does the shorter SG plate fix this?
By 'shorter' do you mean that the the Vibramate doesn't reach up to the pickguard or would sit flush to it and that part of the Bigsby would over hang over the plate?

 

[jdel77]

Spoke to the Aussie distributor on the phone and grabbed a short SG plate from Ebay.
When it arrives I'll post back in case others want to check it out.
Personally I don't like like the look of the B7 + the big rear brace on a V. Totally detracts from the elegance of the guitar IMHO. We shall see.