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3 point bridge replacement.
- Thread starter Peaveylover
- Start date
The simplest item to add on some basses where the string saddles have to be adjusted wayyyy back and they catch the silk is to add a back bar:
For Sale - Mod Bar for Gibson/Epiphone 3 point bridge
For Sale - Mod Bar for Gibson/Epiphone 3 point bridge
Love the babicz. I believe that’s what Gibson is using now as their 3point bridge, but not sure if it’s on all models.
Well... It's your bass; do what you think is right. However... I have a couple of basses with the Gibson style 3-pointer; an Eastwood copy of Gibson's old Flying V Bass, and a '13 Gibson Thunderbird. IME, the only Real problem with the 3 point bridge - other than the threaded inserts wanting to leave home on some basses - is that sometimes, all 3 collars are not in full contact with the posts. Which results in loss of tone and structural wobblies. On the Eastwood, someone at the factory put the saddles in 2-1-4-3 order on the screws - and then cut the saddle notches. Annoying and stupid, but a fairly easy fix. Works like it should, now... I also had an '18 Gibson T-Bird with the factory installed Babicz full contact bridge. When I tell you that I still own the '13 T-Bird - but not the '18, that should give you a hint as to which bridge I like... To me, bridges should be easy to set up and intonate, with a minimum of fiddling around - and stay that way, until I decide to change them. And, if the saddles are in the right order, and all 3 collars are in firm contact with their posts? A 3-point bridge is the cat's ass, AFAIC. IMO, most people that complain about them, do so because they're people who absolutely have to be fiddling with things that don't need to be fiddled with - because they can't stand not to. And, there simply ain't much to fiddle around with on a 3-pointer. Which is the whole idea in the first place. The Rube Goldberg-looking contraption that is an Alembic's bridge is the same way. In spite of all the bits, pieces, and machine screws and nuts, it's really the same as a Gibson 3-pointer. Just as easy to set up and intonate; and once you're done - it stays that way... To be honest, I think the Babicz Full Contact bridge is a nice bridge - if it's finished and put together right. Which was so not the case with mine. I had to take it completely apart; attack every one of the parts with jeweler's files and 1000 grit emery cloth; reassemble; and repeat, until it worked like it was supposed to. And even then? It was harder to set up than the bridge it replaced. No, thank you... If you have to have a bridge you can fiddle with? Get the Hipshot or the Babicz. If you want easy-peasy, set and forget? Keep the one you have. Just make sure it's making good contact with the 3 posts...
Hey @dalkowski - I am facing this exact dilema right now - Epiphone Allen Woody (which I love!), 3 point bridge (which I don't). I was worried that the Hipshot and the Babicz were meant for flat tops. the AW epi is arched - how did you solve that issue?
Thanks!
I'd also suggest sometime when you have all the strings off, take a phone pic or write down some measurements of where the bridge is sitting height-wise when it's where you want it. Then pull the bridge off, and put a TINY bit of lube on the threads of the three posts and re-insert back to the spot you notated.
Over time, they can get a little gunked up and be hard to turn, this will head that off.
I prefer the HipShot, but lots of guys use the stock bridge with no problems. Up to you.
Over time, they can get a little gunked up and be hard to turn, this will head that off.
I prefer the HipShot, but lots of guys use the stock bridge with no problems. Up to you.
I reached out to Hipshot. I wasn't the first to come to them with the issue; they sent me a pad to place under the bridge to protect the top.
Pro tip (that may have already come up in this thread): Pull out the (sleeves?) that receive the mounting posts and apply a drop of super glue to each to prevent pull-out.
Good luck, lemme know how it goes!
I see. Thank you very much! if you don't mind, another follow up - I've read here and there that the hipshot was too thick and the strings were to high up from the top, causing the action to be super high. I'm assuming that's not the case, right? do you have a picture to show the profile- string height from the top and maybe the pad (what material is it? like felt?) - just so that I can see what I'm aiming for? Thanks again!
Saving money is cool, but getting exactly the action you want is the real payoff from learning to do your own setups.
I'm afraid I don't have pics, having sold the bass a while ago. Otherwise I'd be delighted to oblige. If memory serves the material was like felt. No complaints about the action here — certainly nowhere near "super high" — but everyone's different.
Feel free to shoot any other questions and I'll do my best.
This should actually be done anytime you are adjusting the string height, especially if you are raising the string. Best practice is to do this whether you are raising the entire bridge or an individual string. De-tuning and re-tuning is preferable to buggering up a screw head or marring the finish from a slipped screwdriver.
Reviving this thread to let you know I am "upgrading" my Epiphone Flying V bass Babicz bridge to the proper Babicz bridge specifically made for Epiphone basses-just recently upgraded my original, *truly* beat-up 3 point bridge for the Babicz 3 point bridge made for Gibson models. It works fine, but makes contact with the body only on the "3 points" (identical to the original, but with way more adjustability.) Just purchased the Babicz Epi version because I loved the one I got, but want to make "full contact" with the body.
*And* once I receive the new Epiphone bridge from Babicz, would like to offer my *used* gold-plated Babicz made for Gibson basses at any price you think it's fair. I sadly do not have any real Gibson bass-were I rich, I would get the "inverne green" reverse Thunderbird, but that hardware appears to be nickel plated regardless (unless you change all the hardware). So I may not have any use for my new but now used Babicz bridge, and it would be a shame if it gets no use, as it's truly excellent.
You *can* use it on an Epi bass, but: a) careful with the ever slipping out ferrules! (I made it work, they are fully inside the bass) and b) it may not be possible to go super low string action, as the Gibson version of this bridge adds a few mm at the shoulder mounts. Mine works fine, but has minimum action maxed out on the E and G string-main reason I purchased the Epiphone replacement, even though honestly I have more than good enough low action-better than with the stock bridge!-and technically did not need this made-for-Epiphones Babicz bridge. Just loved the design and wanted it to work as intended.
Very resonant tone unplugged, for what it's worth, even with only 3 point contact on the bridge. Plugged in it does not matter that much of course. Love it much more than stock-the original looks great IMO, but it would benefit from an update design wise-though Iam sure Gibson/Epiphone are more than happy with the status quo, and will keep using them forever in many of their basses regardless. The stock bridge has problems with some strings and setups, and is great if you are happy with the setup you already have (just be careful not to pull out the saddles by accident in the case of Epiphone basses!)
So yes, I am pro stock bridge if it's working properly for the player-often it does not, and I am thankful to both Hipshot and Babicz for their hard work in these alternatives.
Any questions, let me know. Happy bass playing to all.
*And* once I receive the new Epiphone bridge from Babicz, would like to offer my *used* gold-plated Babicz made for Gibson basses at any price you think it's fair. I sadly do not have any real Gibson bass-were I rich, I would get the "inverne green" reverse Thunderbird, but that hardware appears to be nickel plated regardless (unless you change all the hardware). So I may not have any use for my new but now used Babicz bridge, and it would be a shame if it gets no use, as it's truly excellent.
You *can* use it on an Epi bass, but: a) careful with the ever slipping out ferrules! (I made it work, they are fully inside the bass) and b) it may not be possible to go super low string action, as the Gibson version of this bridge adds a few mm at the shoulder mounts. Mine works fine, but has minimum action maxed out on the E and G string-main reason I purchased the Epiphone replacement, even though honestly I have more than good enough low action-better than with the stock bridge!-and technically did not need this made-for-Epiphones Babicz bridge. Just loved the design and wanted it to work as intended.
Very resonant tone unplugged, for what it's worth, even with only 3 point contact on the bridge. Plugged in it does not matter that much of course. Love it much more than stock-the original looks great IMO, but it would benefit from an update design wise-though Iam sure Gibson/Epiphone are more than happy with the status quo, and will keep using them forever in many of their basses regardless. The stock bridge has problems with some strings and setups, and is great if you are happy with the setup you already have (just be careful not to pull out the saddles by accident in the case of Epiphone basses!)
So yes, I am pro stock bridge if it's working properly for the player-often it does not, and I am thankful to both Hipshot and Babicz for their hard work in these alternatives.
Any questions, let me know. Happy bass playing to all.
