Guyker or other Headless hardware - Starting point

[chinjazz]

Hello fellow bass builders...

I'm in the contemplation stage of possibly giving a headless build a try. I wonder if a lot has happened in the last few years for good headless kits.
there's a standard looking design like this Guyker one I've seen which is a copy no doubt. This for about 100 seams reasonable, but......
This one might be considered junk, or has questionable build quality..

Anyone have experience with this one, or others?

Cheers!

 

[Barticus]

Hello fellow bass builders...

I'm in the contemplation stage of possibly giving a headless build a try. I wonder if a lot has happened in the last few years for good headless kits.
there's a standard looking design like this Guyker one I've seen which is a copy no doubt. This for about 100 seams reasonable, but......
This one might be considered junk, or has questionable build quality..

Anyone have experience with this one, or others?

Cheers!

I don’t have experience with their headless system, but have their other tuners and brass nuts and they’re good quality.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I tried one Guyker guitar set and didn’t have great luck with it but that was just one so maybe not a condemnation of all of them. I like the Nova bridges. I’ve used one four string bass and one guitar one and I have a five string bass setup waiting for a build.

https://reverb.com/item/62563577-nova-guitar-parts-5-string-headless-bass-bridge-19mm

You’ll have to look around for other string and spacing options. I don’t see @Passini shop up on Reverb at the moment. He’s the proprietor for Nova and they’re usually a little less than Plutone when he has them in stock.

 

[chinjazz]

I tried one Guyker guitar set and didn’t have great luck with it but that was just one so maybe not a condemnation of all of them. I like the Nova bridges. I’ve used one four string bass and one guitar one and I have a five string bass setup waiting for a build.

https://reverb.com/item/62563577-nova-guitar-parts-5-string-headless-bass-bridge-19mm

You’ll have to look around for other string and spacing options. I don’t see @Passini shop up on Reverb at the moment. He’s the proprietor for Nova and they’re usually a little less than Plutone when he has them in stock.

Thanks for the insights Matt! I'll browse over and look into Nova next.

 

[SpyderX]

I feel like Guyker has upped their game the last 3-4 years. If its an initial test build and you don't mind spending the money, no harm in trying. You may be able to switch it out later for a Nova or a Hipshot - or build yourself a new bass

 

[pingvuiini]

I am not a builder, but in the past few years I think the most innovative headless hardware has been the top mounted bridgepieces from Riviera. With the top mounted design it is no longer necessary to cut a notch or arch in the butt of the body to access and protect the tuning knobs. They are more expensive than the Guyker hardware and probably require advanced routing skills, but I really like how the Rivieras preserve the nice, full round butt. I think top mounted headless hardware will become much more popular in the near future. In fact, I think the new Dingwall headless multiscale bass is using Riviera hardware.

 

[Alex Xander]

The Guyker bridges don't have thrust bearings and instead have a nylon washer that can get very sticky.

The bridges that come on the headless Sire basses are available on Aliexpress. They are excellent quality and fairly affordable.

 

[RonC72]

Im building a headless currently and I’m using ETS hardware. All made by hand in Germany. You have to wait for about 8 months after placing your order but it’s definitely worth it. They are made exactly to your specifications. Very good quality for a decent price.
ETS hardware

Another good choice would be ABM, also a small company from Germany. I used an ABM bridge on my previous build (not a headless though), but they do make headless parts too. Also great quality and service.
ABM

I have no experience with Riviera but their system looks very good too, very innovative. A fellow guitar builder I know used Nova, also very good quality and their bridge with the base plate makes it easy adjustable.
And ofcourse Hipshot makes nice stuff but also quite expensive.

 

[chinjazz]

The Guyker bridges don't have thrust bearings and instead have a nylon washer that can get very sticky.

The bridges that come on the headless Sire basses are available on Aliexpress. They are excellent quality and fairly affordable.

Thanks Alex! While over at Aliexpress I also saw a few others at good price points as well. Some may be worth the cost just for experimentation.

 

[chinjazz]

Im building a headless currently and I’m using ETS hardware. All made by hand in Germany. You have to wait for about 8 months after placing your order but it’s definitely worth it. They are made exactly to your specifications. Very good quality for a decent price.
ETS hardware

Another good choice would be ABM, also a small company from Germany. I used an ABM bridge on my previous build (not a headless though), but they do make headless parts too. Also great quality and service.
ABM

I have no experience with Riviera but their system looks very good too, very innovative. A fellow guitar builder I know used Nova, also very good quality and their bridge with the base plate makes it easy adjustable.
And ofcourse Hipshot makes nice stuff but also quite expensive.

Thanks RonC72! Both ETS and ABM seem like great options, not just for headless either .

 

[Tj smith]

I just built a headless ebmm bongo and went with nova hardware. It was really high quality and easy to install.
I second Matt’s recommendation. Matt’s been helping me with a few questions here and there.

I actually gigged my headless bass this weekend and it worked out flawlessly.

 

[ctmullins]

ABM stuff is really nice and bulletproof. It’s also really heavy.

Nova stuff is nearly as nice for half the price. It’s also really light.

I have, but have not installed, the Guyker unit. It’s just okay. The saddle height adjustment is limited by insufficient clearance for the intonation screws. The string width adjustment is severely limited by the saddle piece being nearly the full width of the saddle. The design does not allow for removal of the claws. It is an inferior copy of the Hipshot design.

AliExpress is like gaming at a casino.

 

[FugaziBomb]

Guyker stinks. It would be one thing if they value engineered their own products, but instead they just ape off of other companies designs while cutting corners on material and labor. The cheap material they use is one thing, but the near slave labor that is used to manufacture and assemble the stuff should be criminal. No thanks - I'll pay a couple of extra bucks to a US company.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

I'll give you the best recommendation, don't cheap out.

 

[Barticus]

I’ve used headless components from Nova, Steinberger, ETS, ABM, Hipshot and Riviera.

Riviera is by far my favorite, but requires some precise routing for the tuners and the headpieces. And they are not cheap.

 

[Phreaky Phriday]

I have built a bass with riviera - well worth the extra $$ in my opinion.

I have built 1 bass with nova and 2 guitars - very nice hardware, but don't work as well for bass because of tuners sticking off the body. Depending on how you play, this might not matter

I am planning a budget bass build with guyker. Hardware seems nice, but HEAVY. Headstock string locker is also heavy (not going to use it). I bought some thrust bearingss to replace the nylon ones it comes with.

I would go with riviera or nova depending on how you feel about tuners sticking off the body

Weights of bridges, 4 string:
Riviera: 0.44 lbs
Nova: 0.54 lbs
Guyker: 1.1 lbs

 

[RonC72]

Guyker stinks. It would be one thing if they value engineered their own products, but instead they just ape off of other companies designs while cutting corners on material and labor. The cheap material they use is one thing, but the near slave labor that is used to manufacture and assemble the stuff should be criminal. No thanks - I'll pay a couple of extra bucks to a US company.

Never tried Guyker and never will..
I prefer a small European, American or Japanese or whatever company above these cheap labor copied products made of questionable materials. I won’t buy anything from Ali or Themu.
We gotta keep these small independent companies running.

 

[Dave Higham]

I am planning a budget bass build with guyker. Hardware seems nice, but HEAVY. Headstock string locker is also heavy (not going to use it). I bought some thrust bearingss to replace the nylon ones it comes with.

I had the same idea and then found it wasn't possible. The Guyker thread is15/32" dia. (.468" or 11.84mm) It's the diameter of the brass component that the string ball ends fit into. The tuning knob is a shell that screws onto it. You'd need 12x23 thrust bearings which would make your string spacing 23mm (0.9") and would look a bit wierd IMHO. Sending them back to China would have cost more than half what I paid for them, so I modified them, just to see if I could. This involved modifying the Guyker brass component and making two new brass components and ebony knobs. (I have a small model-makers lathe). It worked out OK but I wouldn't do it again or recommend anyone else to try.

 

[bassbrad]

I used a different Guyker bridge for my conversion, it's a bit heavier than I expected but it works very well. I have had good luck with Guyker parts, tuners, bridges and pickups on several of my basses as well a some assembled for customers.

Guyker CNC-Machined 5-String Locking Adjustable Headless Bass Bridge WB005

Shop Guyker WB005 5-string headless bass bridge with string lock, CNC-machined build, and slightly adjustable 18mm spacing. Verify fit before ordering.

www.guyker.com

Looks like there is a newer version in aluminum and available in different colors. Guyker WBA-005 Lightweight CNC Aluminum Alloy Headless Bass Bridge with Brass Saddles

 

[smart51]

I used the Guyker headless system on one of mine. It seems quite good, though it's not a bass I play a lot.

S

Post in thread 'Winter Build Off 2024 - Twisted Essence of Suffering'

Feb 28, 2024

This is my entry for Winter Build Off 2024 - Twisted Essence of Suffering or Best Bass for Doors

Specs
5 string, 34" scale
10mm spacing at the nut and 18mm at the bridge
Single passive Jazz pickup in a slidable pod
3 piece set neck and 3 piece body and fretboard made from a reclaimed door, possibly Khaya or Honduran Mahogany
2837g or 6lbs 4 oz
Guyker headless bridge and headpiece

Aims
I wanted to make something original, something that looked bent and folded. I also wanted to challenge the conventional way a bass should look. A bass needs a place to rest against the players...

• smart51

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