What's left of a Bigsby on eBay

Matthew Carlin · Post by **Matthew Carlin** » 30 Apr 2012 6:48 pm

Looks to be what's left from a triple neck?

Any guesses to who's it was ?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-1949-PA ... 058wt_1027

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 30 Apr 2012 8:32 pm

Looks like road-kill.

Robert Jenkins · Post by **Robert Jenkins** » 1 May 2012 4:55 am

Todd Clinesmith could likely make something of this. If I had the money, I'd be inclined to let him have a go at it.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 1 May 2012 5:22 am

I'm tempted to ask the seller if he has an pictures.

Curt Langston · Post by **Curt Langston** » 1 May 2012 6:00 am

Save it for the winter. It's kindlin!

Whew! I'm nauseated!

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 1 May 2012 6:51 am

this is an early one too - note the old style keyhead casting - be hard to match up this neck with Todds molds, they are different. (maybe he has the old mold??) but thats about all you could do.
certainly needs to be saved / restored - i dont see this as a basket case by any means -it will be interesting to see what it sells for - i guess Todd will be getting A LOT of calls on this one.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 1 May 2012 10:57 am

The bridge/changer end is not a Bigsby made,nor is the pedal rod assembly/thingy. Someone at some point clearly had an idea how to "improve" things on an "ancient" thing $:\$

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 1 May 2012 2:06 pm

And the pickup has been rewound and the 1949 Klusons are missing, and so is Hal Seaver's name on the apron. Other than that, it looks great!

THIS IS AN ERROR ON MY PART. IT SHOULD BE SEAVERS' . There is an s at the end of his name.

Matthew Carlin · Post by **Matthew Carlin** » 1 May 2012 3:06 pm

Thanks Chris, I had a sneaking suspicion you would know the story behind this guitar.

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 2 May 2012 9:55 am

Excuse me, I should have written Seavers' with the apostrophe after the s.

Thanks to the three of you who caught my error.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 2 May 2012 10:28 am

that's ok chris.
a misplaced apostrophe is not a catastrophe!

christophe

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 3 May 2012 10:05 pm

After seeing on eBay the terrible abuse this once exceptionally fine Bigsby guitar has suffered it caused my aging olde mind to have a flash-back......

During the mid-60's while playing at the popular Division Street Corral here in Portland, my attention was attracted to an area of the dance floor near the front of the bandstand where I immediately recognized an old musician friend by the name of Bobby Gibson.

He was accompanied by an unfamiliar older gentleman.

At the break they both approached me and my QUAD BIGSBY. Bobby was grinning ear to ear and the older fellow was just staring wide-eyed at my guitar up on the stage.

Turns out, it was Paul A. Bigsby himself and after a few tearful moments he grabbed me and told me how happy he was for my having taken such good care "of HIS GUITAR". I found that to be a very touching moment in my playing career.

Had Paul lived to see this disaster on eBay, I'm afraid it would have broken his heart.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 4 May 2012 7:15 am

The last I looked the bidding was approaching $2,000.

admin · Post by **b0b** » 4 May 2012 9:37 am

Rick Barnhart wrote:I'm tempted to ask the seller if he has any pictures.

Laughed out loud!

Geoff Cline · Post by **Geoff Cline** » 5 May 2012 7:06 am

Ray Montee wrote:After seeing on eBay the terrible abuse this once exceptionally fine Bigsby guitar has suffered it caused my aging olde mind to have a flash-back......

During the mid-60's while playing at the popular Division Street Corral here in Portland, my attention was attracted to an area of the dance floor near the front of the bandstand where I immediately recognized an old musician friend by the name of Bobby Gibson.

He was accompanied by an unfamiliar older gentleman.

At the break they both approached me and my QUAD BIGSBY. Bobby was grinning ear to ear and the older fellow was just staring wide-eyed at my guitar up on the stage.

Turns out, it was Paul A. Bigsby himself and after a few tearful moments he grabbed me and told me how happy he was for my having taken such good care "of HIS GUITAR". I found that to be a very touching moment in my playing career.

Had Paul lived to see this disaster on eBay, I'm afraid it would have broken his heart.

Great story Ray. I'd like to think that Paul's heart would have been so "gladdened" by one of his guitars selling for over $200K recently that the subsequent "eBay aberration" would only elicit a sigh...or a laugh...or "what the..?!?!?

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 9 May 2012 11:39 am

It looks like it is missing the left rear leg and the original center latch for the case.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 9 May 2012 11:54 am

shoot - you could put a loafer pad on that back neck and use the outside neck as your bar a/la Tom Morrell and you'd have yourself a fine steel. with mojo.

i (hope) we'll see this one in a year or so restored back to its former glory - originality be damned, its a Bigsby.
wont be me though, i've got a closet full of basket cases to easily rival this one. plus my Clinesmith is due on my doorstep any day now.

Tom Keller · Post by **Tom Keller** » 11 May 2012 11:54 am

Wow, these things must really be rare $2800.00

Niels Andrews · Post by **Niels Andrews** » 11 May 2012 1:09 pm

Is that what it sold for?

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 12 May 2012 2:10 pm

Parts is parts....

Chris Lucker · Post by **Chris Lucker** » 12 May 2012 2:55 pm

Those are one of the rarest of the Bigsby endplates and a rare version of Bigsby necks. Not many Bigsbys were made that had these necks or endplates.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 13 May 2012 5:59 am

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

The Steel Guitar Forum

What's left of a Bigsby on eBay

What's left of a Bigsby on eBay

Correction

This pile of junk-Bigsby chassis................

Re: This pile of junk-Bigsby chassis................