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Can I put a Bigsby tremolo on a fender Jaguar hh?

Hey, Ive had a fender jaguar hh special (not baritone) for almost a year now and i love it. But i miss the wammy capability that is standard on strats. Ive been working with guitar repairs for about four years now (im 15) but i hav never installed a bugsby tremelo. For anyone who has done this befor, can it be done safely with the fender jaguar hh special? and if so what bugsby model…it doesnt need to specifically be that brand either…just give me some feed back…is it a safe idea? if so wat bridge would be the best addition to the guitar?

Hi, Gerard! Adding a Bigsby tailpiece to your Jaguar HH is certainly possible, but if by “safely” you mean it would be easily reversible, then no! Once you put the holes in to mount the new bridge and tailpiece arrangement, there is no turning back without an entire refinishing exercise. I cannot really recommend this modification, but the parts are readily available from sources like Stewart-MacDonald. You will need a tailpiece (see http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Bigsby_vibrato_tailpieces/1/Bigsby_Vibrato_Tailpieces.html ) and a rocker bridge (see http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Bigsby_vibrato_tailpieces/5/Bigsby_Vibrato_Tailpieces.html , or better still, http://www.stewmac.com/shopby/product/5276 ). Remember, you cannot do deep tone dips with the Bigsby; the system produces a much more subtle vibrato effect. Lastly, if you ever decide to sell your Bigsby-equipped Jaguar, you will have substantially devalued it; even if removed, the holes and depressions will be visible. Thankfully, you did not go with the stock Fender Jaguar tremolo model! In my opinion, the tremolo arrangement on the Jaguar, Mustang, and Jazzmaster guitars is absolutely terrible for staying in tune. The design does not allow for enough string pressure against the bridge to keep it firmly anchored, and when you rest your palm on it or depress the bar rapidly, the bridge does not always come back to the same position relative to the strings. Frankly, you would be better off buying a Fender Standard Stratocaster for those times when you have the whammy urges! Best regards, Dana

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