Hyperbass Bridge

[Ben Coffin]

I'm considering doing a bass build similar to Michael Manring's Hyperbass, but I was curious, what kind of bridge does he use on that thing? Its clearly a bridge designed for a headless, but what is it and how exactly does it work?

[Kalyptic]

The bridge on his Hyperbass is a completely custom bridge, not a headless bridge.
You should probably check out the video on youtube where he explains the Hyperbass, im sure you have already.
Bad news is i dont think its a production bridge. But you could try contacting Zon to find out more about the bridge or if you could get one custom made.

[Angus]

The bridge is custom made for Zon and they won't sell them seperately. It has nothing to do with being headless, at kalyptic mentioned.

I made a similar bridge for one of my own instruments a couple years back, but it was so labor intensive that I won't build another.

[Ben Coffin]

Ok so I just read a thread on here where Manring explained the bridge, and I've seen that youtube video as well Zon definetly wont sell one seperately, but I'm wondering what would be a decent bridge to put in such an instrument. Hipshot A is a thought, but maybe a Kahler tremolo, but I'm afraid that between the detuners and tremolo the thing would never stay in tune.

[fretlessrock]

I've installed a few Hipshot detuner bridges on guitars, and from what I can tell the Hyperbass bridge is a derivative of that. Is it made by Hipshot on a custom basis? I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are built by hand.

Another thing to remember: MM runs very light strings at very low tension. You won't be detuning a set of Blue Steels!

GL

[Kalyptic]

I found a bridge on the hipshot website that apears to be a guitar version of what we're looking for.
http://store.hipshotproducts.com/car...ct_detail&p=33
Perhaps they might make a custom one for bass.

[Angus]

Originally Posted by fretlessrock

I've installed a few Hipshot detuner bridges on guitars, and from what I can tell the Hyperbass bridge is a derivative of that. Is it made by Hipshot on a custom basis? I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are built by hand.

Another thing to remember: MM runs very light strings at very low tension. You won't be detuning a set of Blue Steels!

GL

The Hyperbass bridge came out long before Hipshot released the Trilogy. Hipshot's detuning bridge is an entirely different animal- it cannot be used to retune midsong as it is not nearly as precise a mechanism. You can set each string to change tuning seperately, but the overall string has to be retuned after each flip of the level on the Trilogy- it is meant to speed up tuning changes between songs or during a set, but cannot be used like the Zon bridge. They work pretty clumsily, actually.

They also won't make a bass one, at least as of a while back. But it is not intended to have the same on-the-fly retuning capability that the Zon bridge does, as it is an entirely different action mechanism.

And you could use heavy strings just fine. He just doesn't because it allows for a wider range of tunings up and down from standard (and he says because it stresses the neck less, but that really isn't much of a concern with those necks).

[fretlessrock]

My experience with the Hyperbass bridge is limited to asking Manring about it after a show in Boston a few years back. I told him that I had installed a few Trilogy bridges and he agreed that it was "similar" to the Trilogy, and he let me look at the Hyperbass mechanism... and it sure looks "similar" to the Trilogy.

I don't agree about your impression of the Trilogy for on the fly tuning because I've installed them, and used them, and done it and it works. MM spends about 20 minutes dialing in the Hyperbass bridge so it stays in tune during tuning changes (he sat on stage and did it while the room filled up, so I am not guessing), and it isn't perfect, but it is good. The Trilogy isn't perfect either, but if you set it up right and take the time to fine tune it right it does indeed work "on the fly".

I would *love* to get both of them on the bench for a comparison, but until then I have to go on what I have seen and heard and done.

[Angus]

Yeah, I mean I'm saying this from the perspective of having a Hyperbass (used to- waiting for a new one to be completed), owning two Trilogies and making two of my own detuning bridges. The function of the Trilogy and the Zon bridge are quite different. The Zon bridge is more like the old Kubicki bridge, or even more similar to a Kahler floating cam bridge.