Firebird friends / vibrola-stop tail dilemma

Steve Craw · Apr 1, 2015

Nullard said:
Hey Steve,

any feedback on how you proceeded to fill in the stud holes and how you grounded the vibrola, if you did at all?

The ground wire was located in the treble-side hole for the tailpiece stud. I removed the threaded insert, fished the existing ground wire, soldered another wire to it, and just attached it by slipping it under the base of the Maestro where a screw would hold it tight.
I filled the stud holes by cutting plugs from some old Mahogany that I've had for many years. On the ground wire side, I left a small notch in the plug to allow the wire to stick out. For finish,I drop filled, using super glue as the finish, multiple applications, level and polish.

Nullard · Apr 4, 2015

So, the installation went fine, just super pissed off at crazy parts for selling their units as perfect vintage replicas and now I just can't close my guitar case "à la All Parts"...

Got in touch with Andy at Crazy Parts, quite impolite still and keeps telling me it's the exact same angle as his 69 SG and that they sold more than 300 units without anyone complaining... 13 degrees like the vintage ones...

...

[/URL][/IMG]

lanman · Apr 4, 2015

Not sure I would have done that but I hope it turns out the way you planned! In my experience the neck angle had a lot to do with the performance of the Lyre Vibratos. In my experience the neck angle of the guitar affects the break angle at the bridge and how low your action can be set. Sometimes you loose the low action option. While your break angle looks good, your bridge looks a little high. Did you have to raise the action to get that break angle?

lanman · Apr 4, 2015

That's a great looking FB BTW!

Nullard · Apr 4, 2015

Thanks Iainman!

haven't touched the bridge height, and no playability issue except that the vibrola angle is nothing like the one on my original NR Firebird... Thus resulting in that stupid trem arm in the air while it should rest close to the guitar's body.

Sending it back to Crazy Parts in the hope of a faulty unit -the 1st out of 300 it'd be then...- but still gutted after asking specific questions before purchase and drilling the guitar and getting quite unprofessional answers... :bigal

latestarter · Apr 9, 2015

I'd suggest that if that Vibrola comb was at the same angle as the strings there would be no "handle in the air" issue. Once again, we have a Vibrola spring angle issue, which is a shame as I'd hoped CrazyParts got it right. As per....

garywright · Apr 10, 2015

Nullard said:
So, the installation went fine, just super pissed off at crazy parts for selling their units as perfect vintage replicas and now I just can't close my guitar case "à la All Parts"...

Got in touch with Andy at Crazy Parts, quite impolite still and keeps telling me it's the exact same angle as his 69 SG and that they sold more than 300 units without anyone complaining... 13 degrees like the vintage ones...

...

[/URL][/IMG]

.looking at your setup ...it's completely out of whack ..to start with the bridge comb is flat ..no, actually it's angled the wrong direction plus the spring has no angle.

j45 · Apr 10, 2015

lanman said:
In my experience the neck angle had a lot to do with the performance of the Lyre Vibratos. In my experience the neck angle of the guitar affects the break angle at the bridge and how low your action can be set.

Yep, that's right... No two are the same, well over a dozen old reverse Firebirds, no two had same ABR-1 heights, pickup heights, and especially the break angle from the trem to bridge. Most I had to be careful when swinging the arm back to but in case so the handle wouldn't scuff the wood but some the handle did sit up high enough to hit the case lid. Just the way it is.... I love old Firebirds but each needs its own special attention to set up correctly. I did find ALL of my non-reverse Firebirds to be much more unstable with tuning than reverse models. I believe the neck through body has a lot to do with that.

latestarter · Apr 10, 2015

J45, my 64 reverse V is very stable tuning wise. I wonder if those tuners and the reverse string length thing has anything to do with it.

garywright · Apr 10, 2015

latestarter said:
I'd suggest that if that Vibrola comb was at the same angle as the strings there would be no "handle in the air" issue. Once again, we have a Vibrola spring angle issue, which is a shame as I'd hoped CrazyParts got it right. As per....

I agree Grant and didn't read this before my repetitive post above ....btw, this firebird is beautiful ! :salude

R4R7Custom · Sep 5, 2018

This seems the appropriate thread to revive for my question, which is:

Has anyone had success installing a Vibrola on a 2014 or later Firebird? "Success" defined as the Vibrola working and the guitar staying in tune with moderate Vibrola wiggling.

I want to buy a newer model with the Steinberger's and "convert" it to a FB VII by installing a middle pup and Vibrola. But I notice the angle of the neck is quite steep and requires a very high bridge and stoptail. So I'm wondering if the Vibrola will work with such a steep break angle?

TIA for any replies...

AA00475Bassman · Sep 5, 2018

My 2016 was ordered with the vibrola and worked fine , two days after playing I sent it to have a stop tail installed . I really can't stand the tone with the spring steel tail on most Firebirds .

R4R7Custom · Sep 5, 2018

AA00475Bassman said:
My 2016 was ordered with the vibrola and worked fine , two days after playing I sent it to have a stop tail installed . I really can't stand the tone with the spring steel tail on most Firebirds .

Thanks for your reply.

Would you happen to have a pic of your guitar with the Vibrola on it? I'd like to see where they put it in relation to the bridge.

Firebird friends / vibrola-stop tail dilemma

Steve Craw

Formerly Lefty Elmo

Nullard

New member

lanman

New member

lanman

New member

Nullard

New member

latestarter

Well-known member

garywright

Well-known member

j45

Active member

latestarter

Well-known member

garywright

Well-known member

R4R7Custom

Member

AA00475Bassman

Well-known member

R4R7Custom

Member