Check out this lovely, early 60s Bigsby, Sand-Cast B6 Selmer licensed Vibrato, US Patent No. D-169,120”. These are as rare as hen's teeth. The tail tab has been changed to a custom-made, solid brass 3-hole arrow tail tab, synonymous with the early '50s models. It was likely originally fitted with the later 50s style 4-hole tail tab! Worldwide shipping available.

For the nerds amongst us, here is an interesting history:

The original Bigsby US patent was granted in March 1953. There have been small design changes over the years, but most are difficult to date accurately. Wording on the front of the tailpieces varied over time. Original US castings stated “Patent Pending”, then around 1954 “Patent D,169,120”, until about 1960 when they went to “Patent No. D, 169, 120”. Early Bigsbys had a slotted head screw, changing to a Phillips head screw, holding the arm to the top of the spring compression unit. On newer models, starting around 1961/62 or so, the screw was changed to a rivet-style design. Arms are often lost and replaced with different style fixings. Earlier US models had three-hole tail tabs; this changed to a four-hole tab in the late 1950s. String retainer pins appear to have been originally threaded pins with an Allen (hex) head, drilled through the axle. This was later changed to straight pins forced into blind holes in the axle. US bearings are sometimes stamped KAYDON KN-060910. As usual, the above design changes were not implemented overnight, and often Bigsbys can be found with a mixture of features. In the early 1960s, Bigsby licensed production to Selmer for manufacture in the UK. These were originally intended for Hofner guitars but were also sold separately. There are subtle design differences between the Selmer units and the US units. It is reported that John Lennon used a Selmer-produced B5 on his famous Rickenbacker 325. It is unlikely that Selmer units followed the continuing design changes implemented in the US, such as the change of arm screw from Phillips to dome head. Selmer units were sand cast from original US Bigsbys, not the original moulds. Therefore, the Selmer Bigsbys are fractionally smaller, not that you would notice. There are a number of variations, suggesting that Selmer moulds were produced from a range of US Bigsbys with different features, often a mix, including three-hole tabs, usually associated with early US models. Most are stamped on the back “Made under Licence granted by Bigsby USA”. This is stamped into the metal after casting. The bearings are usually inscribed “B-610 Torrington, Made in England” Wording on the front face states “US Patent No …” Selmer string retainer pins are threaded with slot heads, drilled through the axle. Sometimes the pins are removed to allow stringing through the axle. Screw threads are imperial on both US & Selmer models.