Bigsby B3 vs B5 vs B7: Which Model Fits Your Guitar?

Short answer: the model number is mostly a question of what your guitar's top looks like. Flat-top solidbody (Telecaster, SG, Les Paul Junior)? Think B5. Carved top or semi-hollow (Les Paul, ES-335)? Think B7. Thin hollow or Gretsch-style archtop? Think B3. After that, the bigger decision is whether you're willing to drill, because a Vibramate mount can make the whole question reversible.

I've had a handful of Bigsby-equipped guitars across the bench, from a budget-line PRS to a gold three-pickup Black Beauty, and the same two questions come up every time: "which one is that?" and "will it stay in tune?" Here's how I sort it out.

The quick model map

Bigsby's own pages describe the three models people ask about most in plain terms. The B3 is "designed for use on thin electric hollow and semi-hollow guitars." The B5 is "designed for flat top solid body guitars" and is commonly found on SGs, Les Paul Juniors, Telecasters and Rickenbacker 325s. The B7 is "designed for use on arch top electric guitars" and is a string-through design.

• B3: the classic Gretsch-style vibrato. A tailpiece that sits further back, with no tension bar, so the strings leave the bridge at a shallower angle. Weighs about 10.4 oz (296 g) per Bigsby.
• B5: the "horseshoe." It mounts directly to the top with four screws and has no long tailpiece reaching toward the strap button. About 10.1 oz (287 g).
• B7: the long tailpiece with a tension bar that holds the strings down behind the bridge. Heavier, at about 12.5 oz (354 g), and the one most players picture on a Les Paul or 335.
• The cousins: the B6 is a larger-archtop version, described as a B7 without the tension bar. The B11 is a late-1960s Ted McCarty design that works like a B3. The B16 is for Telecasters. The budget B50 and B70 lines use nylon bearings in the roller.

Why the number matters: break angle

The reason a Bigsby feels different from model to model is the angle the strings make as they leave the bridge. A steeper angle feels tighter and more aggressive; a shallower one feels looser, and often described as "spongy." That's why the B3 and B6 feel slacker, and why a tension bar changes things so much. It also means the same model can feel different from one guitar to the next. A B7 on a Les Paul doesn't feel quite like a B7 on a 335, because the geometry under it is different.

Illustration (not a photograph): how break angle changes between a stopbar, a Bigsby with a tension bar, and one without. Angles are exaggerated for clarity.

What it looks like on real guitars

This is the long tailpiece on the Gibson Custom Shop 2026 '57 Les Paul Custom Black Beauty Reissue I had on the bench. The listing calls it a factory Bigsby and doesn't name the model, so I won't guess at the number, but the long-tailpiece style is the one you associate with carved-top Les Pauls. The description notes the Bigsby "operates smoothly and gives you everything from a slight shimmer to more noticeable movement without taking away from the natural sustain of the guitar."

Photo: gold Bigsby on a 2026 Gibson Custom Shop '57 Les Paul Custom Reissue, from a listing that has since sold.

At the other end of the cost spectrum is the PRS S2 Starla currently in the shop, which carries a Bigsby B50. It's a good reminder that the "budget" B-series parts are a real thing, and that a Bigsby doesn't have to mean a vintage-spec one. My bench notes on that guitar: the Bigsby "operates smoothly and holds tuning fairly well," at 7.72 lb on my scale.

Photo: the Bigsby B50 on the PRS S2 Starla in Vintage Cherry, a listing that is currently available.

To drill or not to drill

Most Bigsbys are top-mounted, which means no extra routing, but you'll usually be putting new screw holes in the top. If you don't want to do that, a Vibramate plate uses the existing tailpiece inserts instead. Vibramate makes V5 kits for the B5 and V7 kits for the B7, including a V7-LP for carved-top Les Pauls and a short-tail V5 for tight spots like an SG Classic with its large pickguard.

That's how this Vintage Cherry SG Standard '61 was set up. The listing notes the Bigsby sits on a Vibramate plate with "no drilling or permanent alteration," and that the original stopbar, studs and hardware came with it. It's the version of this mod I'm most comfortable recommending on a collectible Gibson.

Photo: Bigsby on a Vibramate plate on a 2020 Gibson SG Standard '61, from a listing that has since sold.

Two cautions from Vibramate's own FAQ that I'd pass on. The plate needs properly secured inserts; loose ones let it shift and sit unevenly. And soft finishes like nitrocellulose can be marked even with the felt padding, so check the contact area before and after. I'd also be upfront that a Bigsby, drilled or not, changes what the guitar is worth to some buyers. If you're weighing that, our guide to mods and resale value goes through it, and if you'd rather sell a guitar as-is, the Cash Offer page is the quickest route.

Will it stay in tune? Where I land

This is the real debate, and it's worth being fair about it. Players who love Bigsbys say a well-set-up one is perfectly stable for the shallow, expressive dips it's meant for. Players who've fought one say the angle, the nut and the saddles make it a constant headache. My take: a Bigsby is an expressive, subtle vibrato, not a dive-bomb system, and most tuning complaints trace back to the usual suspects rather than the model number: a binding nut, unstretched strings, and a bridge that doesn't roll. A roller bridge, a well-cut nut and properly stretched strings fix most of it. I go deeper in Do Bigsbys Actually Stay in Tune?, and if you're adding one, putting a Bigsby on a Les Paul or SG covers the mounting decision in more detail.

How I'd choose

• Flat-top (Tele, SG, Junior, Special): a B5, mounted either by drilling or with a Vibramate V5.
• Carved top (Les Paul) or semi-hollow (335): a B7, or a V7-style Vibramate if you want it reversible.
• Thin hollow or Gretsch-style: a B3, and expect that looser feel.
• Want it tighter: look at a model with a tension bar rather than assuming the heavier one is "better."

If you want to see how a Bigsby changes a guitar's personality, browse the guitars in stock.

FAQ

What's the difference between a Bigsby B3 and B7?

The B3 is shorter, has no tension bar and gives a shallower break angle, so it feels looser. The B7 has a longer tailpiece and a tension bar, so it feels tighter. Which one suits your guitar depends mainly on its top shape.

Which Bigsby fits a Les Paul?

A B7 is the usual answer for a carved-top Les Paul, and Vibramate makes a V7-LP kit for mounting one without drilling. A B5 can also work on flat-top Les Paul models like the Junior.

Can I put a Bigsby on without drilling?

On many Gibson-style guitars, yes. A Vibramate plate mounts to the existing tailpiece inserts and is reversible, though it needs secure inserts and can mark soft finishes.

Does a Bigsby hurt tuning stability?

It can if the nut, saddles or strings aren't sorted, but a properly set up Bigsby is fine for its intended light vibrato. Expect Floyd-style dives to go out of tune.