Vibramate Bigsby mounting kit

QUICKTEST
MISCELLANEOUS
February 2011 Guitarist 135
CONTACT: AllParts PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.vibramate.com
Two modulation effects
offer some c las sic tone s
CONTACT: Westside Distribution PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.t-rex-effects.com
(the company is affiliated with
the Gretschgear.com website)
or from AllParts in the UK.
This is an innovation of true
genius and, as long as your
guitar boasts a standard tune-
o-matic and stud tailpiece, you
should find a kit to fit. [SB]
Vibramate Bigsby
mounting kit
approx £47
T-Rex Tonebug Phaser
& Chorus Flanger
£145 each
A foolproof method of fitting a Bigsby
to selected guitars
T-Rex gets the modulation bug
For a genuinely vintage look
and wobble performance, only
a Bigsby will do, but retrofitting
one to your guitar can be a
chore. However, if your guitar
has a standard tune-o-matic
bridge and stud tailpiece, all
you need is a Vibramate
mounting kit and you’re away.
They’re available for carved top
guitars, such as a Les Paul, or
flat-tops, such as an SG. There’s
even a version for a Flying V.
You’ll need to buy the Bigsby
separately, and depending the
choice of vibrato, the kit
comprises a simple baseplate
designed to fit the two holes left
by the removal of the tailpiece.
Th e t wo latest pedals in T-Rex’s
more affordable Tonebug
series, the Phaser and the
Chorus Flanger, cover classic
modulation territory. Both have
rate and depth knobs and a
switch to select two different
effects – a choice of ‘modern’
and ‘vintage’ phasing in the
Phaser while the other pedal’s
name should give you a clue…
Sounds
Balancing the Phaser’s two
knobs offers up a range of
usable sounds from a very slow
shift through to fast warbling,
the vintage tone being
reminiscent of some seventies
phasers – warmer and more
rounded than the modern,
which is a brighter more
complex effect, not unlike a
rotary speaker at some settings.
The plate is screwed into these
holes and the Bigsby is secured
by four screws, with no extra
drilling required.
In Use
We were supplied with a V500
in black to fit to our flat-top
Washburn Idol. We must
concede to some trepidation
before fitting the unit, but it’s
no exaggeration to say that it
took us less than 10 minutes to
set the Bigsby B500 in place and
string the guitar back up.
Verdict
The units are available either
directly from Vibramate.com
A rich rotary emulation is also
in the Chorus Flanger’s
repertoire, along with more
standard chorus and some sick
pitch variations if you overcook
the depth knob. All positions of
that knob work fine for the
Flanger setting though – you
get a gem of a flanger with a
great range of familiar sounds.
Verdict
Not everyone can afford to buy
into the T-Rex experience, but
the Tonebugs offer a more
affordable way in and a useful
‘twofer’ functionality – two
distinct phasing sounds will
increase your tonal options, and
it’s unlikely you’ll use chorus
and flanging in the same song,
so a pedal that can give you
both has to be a smart addition
to any pedalboard. [TC]
The Bottom Line
We liked: Ease of installation;
choice of models
We disliked: Nothing
GUITARIST RATING
The Bottom Line
We like: Solid build; two
distinct sounds in each pedal;
more affordable than T-Rex’s
standard range
We dislike: They’re still not
exactly cheap
GUITARIST RATING
GIT338.rev_quick 135 12/23/10 9:28:40 AM