bridge replacement for a weird old teisco

[RBS_Johnson]

I`m sure you could make a dozen different saddles until you find the right intonation. It wouldn`t be worth it for me, especially since I like to try different gauge strings and alternate tunings occasionally. Fender saddles will not fit on that base plate, they are too wide. I`m sure with machine work you could make fender styled saddles to fit.

Arial Bender(and others who are saying to mod the bridge for individual saddles), mine actually already has four holes where the screws would go. It just used the outside two holes for the single adjustable [DEL]piece of shrapnel[/DEL] saddle. Not a pretty bridge, definitely meant to have a cover. That said, a way easier route to go would be a threaded saddle bridge and a P bass style bridge cover.

That Danelectro bridge is way cool. It looks kinda low profile for this though.

 

[scotch]

The Dan-o bridge is cool, but only if the sring spacing happens to work out.

Does this bass have square pole pickups? Pictures, man! PICTURES!!!!!

 

[ngh]

Digging up this old thread! I have been playing the teisco out more recently and the bridge has been giving me hell again. Still need to find me a replacement. Not only is it impossible to intonate but the sharp edges on the one saddle keep snapping strings. I even tried rounding it off with a file but no dice. Here are some pictures I took a while back. Will upload more when I get to the practice space later.

 

[ngh]

The pickups are the ones with the rails not the square poles so there is a bit of leeway vis a vis spacing. The one thing is even with the current spacing the outside strings are pretty close to the edge. As far as the height, there is a good amount of meat on the body at the neck joint so I could probably open up the neck joint about a half inch to get the height down if necessary. A buddy of mine recommended a hip shot a type bridge, any thoughts on these? Once again I'm not afraid of serious mods to get this thing playing but would rather not do any real woodwork if only because it's a pain to do.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Not sure about replacement bridges but you could get the saddle height down with a shim at the end of the neck pocket that's away from the bridge. That might help with the string breakage.

 

[Haroldo]

A crapshoot, but a generic musicman type bridge might, might work. I dunno.....

Invalid Link Removed

 

[scotch]

I put a Fender style stamped bridge on my Decca branded Teisco. The vintage version with the threaded barrel saddles. Allowed enough string spacing flexibility and works predictably well. Just had to shim the neck a little for optimum height.

 

[Iamgoodformetal]

I think a Danelectro would blend in perfectly with the instrument. Same era, similar looks.

View attachment 2216858

I'd say this is still your best option.
Link Removed

 

[96tbird]

You certainly have a high lift to contend with. 3/4”!!!

If it was mine, I’d forgo shimming the neck at a forward angle to fit a low bridge. It would drive me crazy to look at a neck jacked up even higher or angled away from the body line. NUTS! I’d make a wood or steel shim About 3/8” to go beneath a new bridge. Hipshot vintage style bridge of the proper string spacing would be an excellent choice. 4 String Vintage Bass Bridge

If you contacted Hipshot and showed them the pics, they’d likely help you with fabricating a custom shim to go under the bridge.

 

[Haroldo]

You certainly have a high lift to contend with. 3/4”!!!

If it was mine, I’d forgo shimming the neck at a forward angle to fit a low bridge. It would drive me crazy to look at a neck jacked up even higher or angled away from the body line. NUTS! I’d make a wood or steel shim About 3/8” to go beneath a new bridge. Hipshot vintage style bridge of the proper string spacing would be an excellent choice. 4 String Vintage Bass Bridge

If you contacted Hipshot and showed them the pics, they’d likely help you with fabricating a custom shim to go under the bridge.

A wonderful idea.

 

[Iamgoodformetal]

You certainly have a high lift to contend with. 3/4”!!!

Definitely this. Wasn't seeing that picture right, thought it needed to be lower.

 

[ngh]

Thanks for all the replies! I ended up ordering a hip shot a type bridge as it was the only substantial thing I could find that came close enough to the narrow string spacing. I have had the threaded saddle type bridges before and they drive me crazy. I think I'm a little too ham fisted with my right hand sometimes, and would occasionally pop the string out of place. Will consider making a shim to get the bridge up but I'm also considering just making the neck pocket a bit deeper. There seems to be enough wood there, and I have a buddy who is a luthier that I would trust to do the work.

 

[johnp352]

Just got a Teisco EB 220, and found this thread..so what is the consensus? keep the plate, try to jury-rig fender saddles? get a vintage treaded style like Scotch did? Go with a $100 hipshot bridge on a $6.95 bass (Goodwill, Montgomery Il. ) ? I was even thinking of a wooden hofner style bridge.

I will say one thing about this bass (and pics are coming but it's in pieces right now), before I took it apart I ran it through my efx and HeyZeus Christy, the pickups..square poles... are just what I am looking for sound wise.

This bass is pretty funny, it sports DECADES of misguided repairs. Somebody put a new nut on, and I guess they didn't know what a zero fret is, as the height sails right over it. I could not find a picture of this bass with 4 switches, only two..and there aren't any, for some reason the repair dude put in an extra set..that aren't connected. It's been refinished with black house paint, applied with what appears to be a dead (I hope) porcupine. But the bridge! There's no cover and that metal piece sticking up from the base is sharp. i suppose i could just saw it off..but why bother. The string spacing is 17mm.

 

[ngh]

Just got a Teisco EB 220, and found this thread..so what is the consensus? keep the plate, try to jury-rig fender saddles? get a vintage treaded style like Scotch did? Go with a $100 hipshot bridge on a $6.95 bass (Goodwill, Montgomery Il. ) ? I was even thinking of a wooden hofner style bridge.

I will say one thing about this bass (and pics are coming but it's in pieces right now), before I took it apart I ran it through my efx and HeyZeus Christy, the pickups..square poles... are just what I am looking for sound wise.

This bass is pretty funny, it sports DECADES of misguided repairs. Somebody put a new nut on, and I guess they didn't know what a zero fret is, as the height sails right over it. I could not find a picture of this bass with 4 switches, only two..and there aren't any, for some reason the repair dude put in an extra set..that aren't connected. It's been refinished with black house paint, applied with what appears to be a dead (I hope) porcupine. But the bridge! There's no cover and that metal piece sticking up from the base is sharp. i suppose i could just saw it off..but why bother. The string spacing is 17mm.

First thing I did when I got mine was just bend down that metal peice that sticks up so it is out of the way. that was a great start. I think I used a hammer. Wasn't pretty but did the job.

I ended up getting the hipshot with the smallest spacing they sell and it was a huge improvement. With the side to side spacing adjustments tweaked a bit it ended up working perfectly. I realized there was a shim under the neck that was responsible for the stock bridge needing to be so damn high so the height was not an issue at all in the end. The real miracle is the thing actually intonates now! worth the investment for me as I actually play this thing out often and it gets used on some recordings here and there. The sustain improved significantly and it plays and sounds better than ever.

 

[johnp352]

First thing I did when I got mine was just bend down that metal peice that sticks up so it is out of the way. that was a great start. I think I used a hammer. Wasn't pretty but did the job.

I ended up getting the hipshot with the smallest spacing they sell and it was a huge improvement. With the side to side spacing adjustments tweaked a bit it ended up working perfectly. I realized there was a shim under the neck that was responsible for the stock bridge needing to be so damn high so the height was not an issue at all in the end. The real miracle is the thing actually intonates now! worth the investment for me as I actually play this thing out often and it gets used on some recordings here and there. The sustain improved significantly and it plays and sounds better than ever. View attachment 3032835View attachment 3032836

THANK YOU..that looks great. Which hipshot is this? I assume it's the 17mm spacing. The total width turned out ok too?

I already feel like taking a hammer to this ;( but the pickups are fab, as is the Braz rosewood board.