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Headless bridge sources
- Thread starter markanini
- Start date
- Jun 6, 2004
- 6,351
- 543
- 66
- Disclosures
- Owner and builder Clementbass
+1 on Hipshot.
If you think Hipshot is expensive, have you priced ABM and ETS's ?
Headless is not cheap unless you get the horrible, cheapo, made in china variety.
Don't forget you'll also need a headpiece too.
Dirk
If you think Hipshot is expensive, have you priced ABM and ETS's ?
Headless is not cheap unless you get the horrible, cheapo, made in china variety.
Don't forget you'll also need a headpiece too.
Dirk
IMO Hipshot is worth the price.
I've bought the "cheap" 60$ e-bay bridge and regret it. The knobs are not knurled, it's rather "scratched" metal. They are slippery. I had to disassemble the whole thing and file some parts as they were not machined precisely and I had issues tuning.
Save and buy the real thing unless you plan to do a practice build for cheap.
I've bought the "cheap" 60$ e-bay bridge and regret it. The knobs are not knurled, it's rather "scratched" metal. They are slippery. I had to disassemble the whole thing and file some parts as they were not machined precisely and I had issues tuning.
Save and buy the real thing unless you plan to do a practice build for cheap.
I, too, bought the $60 Chinese headless deal out of curiosity. Don't waste your money, it's pretty junky. Will it hold strings? Yes, but I'd never put it on an instrument I'd want to play more than once, let alone a customer's instrument!
Look, I'm trying to upgrade a broken OEM part in a Steinberger-copy that was probably made in Korea some 15 years ago. It might be pearls before swine but I like the bass and think it's worth while keeping it functional but the Hipshot costs three times as much as ETS and ABM and I've not even counted in import tax(I live in Europe).
Make a new string claw or find out if there are claws available. I remember seeing Steinberger claws on eBay. Or maybe this will fit MILLBROOK - Basson tallat
If you have trouble ordering this one let me know and I'll help.
Marko
If you have trouble ordering this one let me know and I'll help.
Marko
That's my unit and it's priced a bit less than the manufacturer of the bass offered a replacement for! Otherwise the pricing between OEM and German hardware was virtually the same so the German parts were attractive. Though considering there might be a requirement for custom parts to match the dimensions of the OEM part or extra pices to fill the voids(only looked at a mechanical drawing for ABM) which would adds cost and lead time it makes the OEM piece a strong contender for me!
I've used Steinberger, ABM, ETS and I'll test the Hipshot on my next build. Both ABM and ETS are good - ETS being the better value. The Steinberger is a solid no nonsense unit, a workhorse really.
Forget the China knock offs, that's 60 bucks thrown away.
Forget the China knock offs, that's 60 bucks thrown away.
Thanks, miziomix. I consider the original bridge functional at best. Did you ever try a steel bridge? I understand ABM offer such an option and I've always wondered what it's like on bass. I heard some clips of mild-steel hardware on guitars and it sounded killer to me, big fundamentals without swamping mids and nicely extended highs and no peaky-ness.
I haven't. I have made brass and aluminum bridges and I kinda prefer brass - except for the weight. Probably because the sound - or tone, or feel...
- of brass over the years has become kind of a benchmark to me. But now I'm curious..........Brass seems nice, I swapped the stock stop-tail on my Les Paul-copy with a brass ABM one and the guitar came alive as the saying goes. Specifically I found the tone became full, sweet and bell like. Before that I tried a Gotoh aluminum stop-tail, didn't like it as much. I guess it's a matter of taste. The differences I observed might have some to do with the fit of the mounting studs between the parts, ABM being the tightest fit. Either way I like my ABM brass part 
What's the functional issues of that assembly? Today i drilled the holes for the tuners...
Those I have seen mount regular tuners sticking out of the body. Warwick makes one.
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The problem I see with that is that is going to be even more difficult to keep the bass in tune.
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The problem I see with that is that is going to be even more difficult to keep the bass in tune.
