Titanovation Titanium adjusters

[flatback]

Michael from TITANOVATION is sending me a few pair of these adjusters, so that I can show them to luthiers and bassists. He is also going to send me a bridge with them cut in as a sample of how they work. I will have these in the next few weeks and if any luthiers are interested in checking them out, write me an email and I will send them out as interest and availability dictates.
their web site is
http://www.titanovation.com
I am a bassist not a luthier and my interest is curiosity and the well fare of my instrument, and also an interest in innovations that make sense.
( I have no affiliation with the company)
It would be great to have some of the trusted luthiers on this page take a look at these adjusters and offer their opinions.

[mpm]

it looks like these folks are using MPM as their company acronym, just wanted to let y'all know 'it ain't me babe....'

[flatback]

Hey Mike,
There ain't no confusion about your fine work...I love my MPM tailpiece, it's interesting...though, both MPM's seem to be working on new innovative ways of thinking about the bass.
All the Best,
Piro

[jonas]

Their acronym "MPM" only stands for their titanium height adjusters. The adjusters full name is "Moser Patent Mechaniken", which means "Franz Moser's Patented Mechanical adjusters" or so in English.

[flatback]

Hey Jonas,
I have read your web page and found it very informative. Thanks for keeping such a detailed page. Have you tried these adjusters and or Toby Timbers contact Pick up?
I am interested to hear others perceptions and comments.
All the Best,
Piro

[jonas]

Originally Posted by flatback

Hey Jonas,
I have read your web page and found it very informative. Thanks for keeping such a detailed page. Have you tried these adjusters and or Toby Timbers contact Pick up?

I haven't tried them both yet, but I have met both Tobias Poehling, and Franz Moser (Inventor of these MPM adjusters) + Michael Bergbaur (from the manufacturing company "Titanovation") at the Musikmesse (music fair) here at Frankfurt some weeks ago. Tobias' pickup sounded very good, as far as you can evaluate this at such an event like a music trade fair ... the drawback is that you can't use the standard height adjusters with this pickup. That's why Tobias suggests to use the MPMs.
I'll get a pair of the MPM adjusters soon, too, and will report how they work.

[flatback]

Yup you're right Jonas

[jonas]

Originally Posted by flatback

I wonder why it seems so difficult to get some of the luthiers who frequent these pages to weigh in on subjects like this? Even critically?
There is nobody to say hey this is junk science or what a great idea or this is why it won't work or whatever. Kind a curious cause a lot of bass players are interested and I would think that at least one or two luthiers might want to share their philosophy of the bridge and adjusters and all....
Maybe not.
all the best,
Piro

Hey, Piro, it's weekend. Let them have some days off ;-)

The idea of more flexible bridge feet isn't new at all. Hans Rödig, a german violin maker, has published a book in the 1950ies called "A new view on violinmaking" ("Geigenbau in neuer Sicht", available in German only, publishing house = Bochinsky, Frankfurt). Rödig's thoughts served as inspiration for Franz Moser's MPMs (height adjusters).
And also German bassmaker and -restorer Heiner Windelband (www.suennenblink.de) has read this book: since many years, he uses bridges with thinned bridge legs, to let the feet (and therefore the bass' top) move more flexible. (The attached pic is from Windelband's website.)

[flatback]

Jonas,
Thanks for the info. That is exactly what I was interested in. I talked to a luthier here in Ca. and she said she uses bridges with longer more flexible legs, but standard adjusters.
Thanks again for the information,
All the Best,
piro

[Jeff Bollbach]

My opinion re adjusters is that there is going to be no real discernable difference in tone with different materials[aluminum. wood, titanium, etc]. What's important is functionality. These titanium guys look like they would work fabulously and I love that they can pivot on the ball fore and aft. [This might lead to some problems though]. I think that they are a little too high tech maybe, perhaps too expensive. As usual I could be wrong.

ps-Hi Jonas! Glad you're on Talk Bass!

Piro-would that luthier be Lisa Goss?

[Ken McKay]

Looks like they would adjust themselves to changes due to top movement between seasons. The Treager book has a section writen by David Brownell who describes a method to fit standard adjusters in a way that allows that kind of movement without the ball valve.

But that is titanium slick!!

[flatback]

Thanks Jeff i was really hoping that you would let us know what you think about these adjusters. The Luthiers name is Hanna. I used to go to Lisa when I lived in L.A. and cannot say enough fine things about her. When I first started playing she would work on my bass and treat me with kindness and respect despite the fct that I didn't know where the scroll was. And she does such fine work.
I know michael at Titanovation is concerned about the price of the adjusters and I think they intend to figure out a way to make them more reasonably priced.
Can you elaborate on the problems you think they might pose?

[Jeff Bollbach]

Originally Posted by flatback

Thanks Jeff i was really hoping that you would let us know what you think about these adjusters. The Luthiers name is Hanna. I used to go to Lisa when I lived in L.A. and cannot say enough fine things about her. When I first started playing she would work on my bass and treat me with kindness and respect despite the fct that I didn't know where the scroll was. And she does such fine work.
I know michael at Titanovation is concerned about the price of the adjusters and I think they intend to figure out a way to make them more reasonably priced.
Can you elaborate on the problems you think they might pose?

Hannah Mayne?
I guess my concern would relate to the ease of how the bridge would move longitudinally. Players should be aware of forward or backward movement but many are not. If the bridge moves forward very easily with string tuning then we might have a few more cases of it falling. But these adjusters would sure cure a lot of bridge warping!

[jonas]

I just want to share a picture of Franz Moser's newest invention with you: an adjustable raised saddle. He has calculated the saddle's angle in a way that the tailpiece rope's length can stay the same, no matter what height you choose. Clever.

[Ike Harris]

Originally Posted by jonas

I just want to share a picture of Franz Moser's newest invention with you: an adjustable raised saddle. He has calculated the saddle's angle in a way that the tailpiece rope's length can stay the same, no matter what height you choose. Clever.

I've been looking for something like this but I'm a little shy about putting screws into the bottom of my bass.

[jonas]

Originally Posted by Ike Harris

I've been looking for something like this but I'm a little shy about putting screws into the bottom of my bass.

The screws aren't necessary, the saddle also works without them. However, it's fits better with the screws, and the rather small holes can easily be retouched in case of a removement of the saddle.

[flatback]

Again thanks Jonas,
I was inquiring about the saddle too.Thanks for posting the photo. Looks interesting...I dont see where the screws are...Do you have it installed on your bass? The bass in the photo looks unfinished.
All the best,
piro

[jonas]

Originally Posted by flatback

Again thanks Jonas,
I was inquiring about the saddle too.Thanks for posting the photo. Looks interesting...I dont see where the screws are...Do you have it installed on your bass? The bass in the photo looks unfinished.
All the best,
piro

No. I haven't installed it yet. Michael Bergbaur has sent me the pic, with the bass is still in white.
Franz Moser promised me to send me a saddle, but it hasn't arrived yet.

[flatback]

I just received the adjusters from titanovation, so i'll be sending them out to those of you who expressed interest. They are really great mechanically. Basically they have a sleeve that has the threads on it so that instead of a wood against metal friction when adjusting, it is threaded metal on both sides. this makes turning the wheel even under pressure really easy. The ball and socket mechanism looks really well made and it prevents warping of the bridge and adds freedom of movement (which they claim) allows the bridge to vibrate more freely enhancing the resonance of the instrument. I am having them cut into a bridge now so we'll see. But just on a mechanical level these are great adjusters very light (titanium) and beautifully crafted.
I have three sets of adjusters and one bridge with adjusters cut into it, if any other luthiers or bassists are interested PM me and I'll send em out as I get em back (US only)
Again my only association with Titanovation is that their product looked interesting and I offered to review it for these pages and to show them to my luthier and others.

[Ed Fuqua]

Any worries about the sleeve just turning loose in the bridge? You know, instead of the screw moving the adjusters, it just spins and spins and spins...