Excellent video. Came here looking to see if an SG with a fixed bridge could be fitted with a vibrola. Got that answer and some good tips on guitar building/modding in general

Thank you for not subjecting viewers to non essential chatter. Gives me a better idea on whether I want to do this or not. Thank you very much!

I'm installing a short Maestro unit and a roller bridge on a Epiphone L P Mark2 Special next week. The tail piece anchors sit about 2 mm above the face of the body. Not planning on filling the holes🤠, but a great solution for grounding/ filling is flat top Allen/ hex/ star screws of the proper thread/ size. Just get the same finish as your trem, and adjust the height for contact.

For my FB VII, I modded the trem arm with sheet rubber and a few jazz picks turned into washers finished with a locking nut. It stays put very well.

Bob, just teasing on the owl comment! Great vid...thanks to you, I have decided to add the trem system to a Firebird I am going to build.

Great video this help me a lot!!!

holy fuck man that looks really fuckin killer. cant wait to install my sg with the same vibrola! my only worry is that it might not stay in tune very well, but your video gave me a lot of hope...

Mark the two upper holes with an OWL hahahaaa Where do I get an owl? I'm installing one of these on a client SG today. Thank you so much for the video :) Victor...

Great video. I bought a Maestro clone on eBay (long tail) to put on my lefty SG 60's Tribute, but the shop here in Nashville just said the neck angle is not right for it. The bridge is set for good low action... and the bridge is too low like that to have proper downward pressure on the top of the Maestro. Can't seem to find info on how high the bridge would need to be for it to work (angle of the neck is not easy to measure)... so I can find my next SG and make it happen. The only Gibson lefties with the vibrolas are out of my price range. Any idea of what I could look for? What measurements are you speaking of in the comments... when you say to take measurements? How can I know? thanks!

Put one on my Gibson Firebird after seeing your vid. . They say it kills sustain. Nonsense, setup, and even more sustain. They say it will not stay in tune. Nonsense, setup, it will stay in tune. They say it looks killer. True, I agree. Cheers man, from NL, very cool vid. Thx!

"All Guitars in track are recorded with this SG after the mod.": so it sounds like it stays in tune pretty well... ? Thanks for the upload: looks stunning ! \m/

Awesome. I just got one for my guitar. I might just take mine to a luthier tho. But is there a way to cover the holes on the side? I thought it would cover that. I mean I guess functionality is more important which is why I got it but my OCD 😬

Thank you for a great guiding video! One question, doesn't it lose its grounding when you pull up the vibrola arm and make a big ground noise or zap your hand?

Love my '61 Reissue Gibson SG, but man was it unplayable from the factory. Beautiful finish, neck made me WANT to play on, and it just looks great all around. It's just a disappointment that Gibson offers these with Vibrola (like I bought) but never addressed how easily they go out of tune. I so much as looked the Vibrola arm the wrong way and it's back to tuning the strings after EVERY SONG. Had to put in work to set it up with paying more money to upgrade the trash Gibson ABR-1 Bridge to rollers, locking tuners, and a sacrifice to the guitar gods that it would finally stay in tune (used nut sauce and all the other tips/tricks). All of that and I'm now happy to say I can play up to TWO songs before having to retune. Ended up getting an Epiphone SG to compare/contrast. I rarely reach for the Gibson one now and I'm gonna sell it in a couple months if the Epiphone keeps up staying in tune consistently. All I had to do with the Epiphone was swap out the PUPs with the Whole Lotta Humbuckers and she sings at my gigs! The Gibson SG looks a little better than the Epiphone SG, but get the Epiphone version if you're looking for tuning stability. The LP I got still sounds better than the Epiphone, though. It's a mixed bag.

Great video! Where'd you find the tailpiece?

Great vid. How well does it stay in tune if you dont use the tremolo bar?

One thing I have noticed installing the Maestro on a client guitar is: the end strap pin is not on the centre line (it is 5-6mm too low). Make sure you take your centre-line from the neck and bridge not where the strap end-pin is! My Maestro is positioned correctly but the strap pin is not. I decided not to move the strap end-pin after the Maestro instrallation as it is not that important. Hope this helps someone. Victor...

Thanks for posting this video Bob. I apologize if someone has already asked the question but where did you get the vibrola assembly? Did you take it off another guitar or can you buy it from Gibson? Thanks!

Im wonder if there’s a way to install a vibrola without drilling like Bigsbys with vibramate

Hey man, great video. I’m thinking about buying the 2019 61 SG standard with the maestro vibrola and was wondering if putting a batwing pickguard on would be fine

What holds the tremolo arm assembly in place? Is it just string tension? I'm talking about the the part with the slotted string holders that you slide on at about 8:02. I just got one of these tremolo units but haven't installed it yet. My arm assembly doesn't fit snugly at all and would fall out unless the string tension is enough to hold it in securely. Great video BTW!

I really want to swap out the bigsby on my 1974 SG with a maestro but I don't think it would be practical enough

Awesome video man; could you explain a little more on like the ground wire and how to connect it? Is it like if I had the tailpiece touching the bushings it good? Thxs

Very instructional

A little late to the game here, but.... Did you notice any improvement in the guitar's balance? Did the head/neck heaviness change to any noticeable degree? I don't imagine you would know the weight of these parts, but would say they have some degree of heft to them or would you describe them as 'lightweight', let's say?

Is there really no way to cover those holes ? For examples with the screws of tune-o-matic?

Where did you source your vibrola unit from? Cant find a genuine gibson one anywhere it seems.

I've never used one and I can't quite see how this works but when you use the trem doesn't it disengage from the surface of the guitar where it is grounding with the tail pin socket and consequently create grounding noise?

Nice work. Where other than ebay do you buy the Maestro Vibrola? I would like on with the Gibson markings on the plate, most I've seen are plain.

Thanks for posting! Did you notice much difference in the tuning stability with this on? And did it make any difference to the tone?

how does it function at the end?

What does the ground wire have to do with the Vibrola? Ive been thinking about installing one on my SG standard and im a bit confused.

It looks great even without the tailpiece cover

I don't have an owl. Can I use an awl instead? And no demo?

How did you adjust the lower part towards the strap button?

It’s beautiful. Does it stay in tune?

Is the owl a hoot, snowy or barn variety?

You tune your guitar on its back and dont stretch your strings??

Is the tail piece cover necessary for function or is it purely cosmetic?

How much do they charge for this type of service?????????? I want to do this with my SG.

I am possibly going to be getting a sg with the maestro vibrola from Gibson, ive heard some bad things about the tuning and was wondering if you knew any mods or tips to help fix this?

Hi, where can I buy a chrome gibson vibrola maestro ? Thx.

I just recently bought the gibson 61 sg reissue in exclusive wine red and wanted to do this. The moment I saw the drill come out I removed the Vibrola from my purchase lmfao

Wanted to put a vibrola on my sg too but I don't want to drill it

how can you cover the old holes?

Would it be the same with an Epiphone SG

Would this work on an epiphone sg pro?

really love the background music man...acdc goes grunge lol

Where did you buy the Vibrola?

Why not put both E strings on to get the proper alignment

Where did you find that lyre Vibrola?

hey man can you show how to remove the vibrola only but not the tailpiece. it'll end up looking like angus young's sg at 1974. btw enjoyed the vid but unfortunately i can't do it XD

Where to buy one?

Great vid!! Now to find a owl and a 10ft wrench..... :-)

You still use this guitar ? Did you find yourself having tuning problems ?

Where do you purchase this owl 🦉?

Can i install it in les paul?

Why do most people say that the maestro tremolo is useless?

Is there enough break angle to keep the strings in the saddles? The vibrola tailpiece is a bit higher than the regular stoptail correct?

You’re not going to let us hear it in action?

awesome! would this work on my epiphone sg pro? probably a stupid question but i shouldn't take any chances for a $100 guitar part!

3:35 - "Mark the upper holes with an owl" ??? Did mean, mark the upper holes with an 'awl' ???!!! I don't have an owl but I do have an awl!

I like the maestro but I dont like the look of the old bridge screws in the guitar body. Plus drilling new holes on my body! Not a fan.

It looks like a 1969

lol owl

just a crime, in my opinion.