by JimN » 10 Jul 2010, 10:32
Didier is right about the Stetsbar not being cheap. Its price varies with the model and whether it is gold-plated, but up around the £200 mark in the UK, whereas a Bigsby might be about £120 for an American model and much less for an Asian-made licensed version. Cheaper still for a copy, of course.
However, the Stetsbar is more of an engineering creation than the Bigsby and so must cost more to produce and assemble. Another factor militating against lower price is that no (well-known) guitar manufacturer fits the Stetsbar as OEM, whereas the Bigsby was offered as part of the standard spec on many Gretsch and Guild guitars in the 50s/60s and was available as an option on some Gibsons (though never as a standard fitment at the time). I think the correct comparison is not with the price of the Bigsby, but with either the price - just imagine it - of having the guitar adapted for a Strat-type trem, or for fitting a Bigsby and then, at some later date, having to have the screw-holes made good, including a complete re-finish. You'd be looking at upward of £400 for an as-new re-finish on a Gibson.
Of course, the fact that the Stetsbar can be mounted and de-mounted to/from any guitar without any damage, including screw-holes, is a great selling point. There is another American company now selling special mountings for the Bigsby range which allow fitment without damage or adaptation, but the Stetsbar was first.
Ecca bought one some years ago when I drew his attention to it. I recall that he fitted it to a Gibson 335 and then to his Les Paul Deluxe, which he once dragged down to SMSE and demonstrated it. The unit was every bit as good as he had said.
HTH,
JN
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