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Hipshot Rickenbacker bridge replacement

#41
First off, excessive tailpiece lift is not a sign that the bass was abused or strung with too heavy gauge of strings. It is a sign that the tailpiece is made out of pot metal. My original bridge lifted excessively even though the bass was strung with normal strings it's whole life. That said, I replaced it with another Ric bridge purchased from Rickenbacker. It almost immediately exhibited minimal tail lift. It hasn't moved since and I reckon I can live with it.

I don't think the Hipshot is ugly, but I don't think it looks as good as the stock tailpiece. Since I have no problem adjusting mine, I will keep it.
 
#42
Glad I read this thread! I had just ordered one of these earlier today, but after reading about the wobble and clanking problems, I just cancelled it!

Sounds like this would create more problems than it solves! Will just take my chances with the stock bridge.

Besides that, the price of this thing seems excessive compared to other third party bridge replacements for other brands such as the Babicz full contact bridge for the Jazz Bass which looks just as nice but sells for nearly half the price with free shipping!

There is no excuse for problems with this product considering the premium they are charging for it!
 
#44
i had one - i dont know which model exactly. wasn't happy with it and sold it.
i think it has a flaw in the design.
other Hipshot bridges like the A style or D style and the Gibson style have little "walls" between the saddles that keep them from moving and wobbling.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

the Ric style bridge lack that walls. and the gap between the saddles is the flaw, and annoying..
i tried to put some materials between the saddles to prevent the from moving but it didn't help or altered the sound for bad.
if Hipshot will implement this wall to their RIC style bridge, it will be much much better IMHO.

anyway, the original RIC bridge without the mute pad and the mute screws, is much nicer and east to play. also IMHO. and even palm muting is easier.
and if muted sound is needed, i can always put some foam.
 
#45
I have the original bridge on my 88 ric. three screws holding it down..and two on the very rear to prevent tail lift.

I have wanted a hipshot for a while.....but now I am concerned because of the prior posts.

Is anyone using the hipshot rickenbacker bridge with any success?

And...there is a brand new design on hipshots website. does not look functionally different....but did anyone get to use on of those yet?


Thanks.....

Rokkitt
 
#48
tomersg said:
i had one - i dont know which model exactly. wasn't happy with it and sold it.
i think it has a flaw in the design.
other Hipshot bridges like the A style or D style and the Gibson style have little "walls" between the saddles that keep them from moving and wobbling.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

the Ric style bridge lack that walls. and the gap between the saddles is the flaw, and annoying..
i tried to put some materials between the saddles to prevent the from moving but it didn't help or altered the sound for bad.
if Hipshot will implement this wall to their RIC style bridge, it will be much much better IMHO.

anyway, the original RIC bridge without the mute pad and the mute screws, is much nicer and east to play. also IMHO. and even palm muting is easier.
and if muted sound is needed, i can always put some foam.
Click to expand...
the walls would prevent lateral adjustment but good points
 
#49
I like how the original bridge looks, but its a train wreck functionally. Let's review:
1. Intonation screws hard or impossible to access with strings in place.
2. No individual height or string spacing adjustment.
3. Made of zinc alloy, AKA "pot metal" prone to bend under normal string tension.

I actually like how the hipshot looks, better than all the common badass solutions, and though not perfect, a huge functional improvement over stock. The fact that Ric has not upgraded this bridge with a few easily implemented engineering improvements that would not change the overall look one iota after nearly 50 years of knowing they had a problem is inexcusable on what is otherwise a superb bass.
 
#50
slowburnaz said:
Actually, I'm one of those 350 or so Rick players with this bridge. It's a great bridge, with one minor (major) drawback:

On mine, at least, the height adjustment screws on the bridge saddles don't sit in the threads right, I guess. This causes one side of the saddle to lower after playing for a little while due to the vibration of the strings. This kinda sucks because that causes the action to change slightly while you're playing, and it of course also affects the tuning.

I've heard of people putting fingernail polish on the screws. I guess this kinda gums up the threads so the adjustment screws won't rattle loose. Haven't tried it, though...
Click to expand...
Get some of this:
Loctite 0.2 fl. oz. Threadlocker Blue 242-209728 - The Home Depot
 
#53
tomersg said:
tried when i had mine. didnt help to much.. and very bad smell...
Click to expand...

Re blue locktite

Hmmm, had not thought about that but it could create an odor in an enclosed environment. That said we are talking a very small amount required and if it is buried in the threads you can reduce this. Note, I am far from not in expert in this but reading this it is a skin irritant, too

Invalid Link Removed
 
#54
I installed a new hipshot on my 74 4001 because it had active tail lift when I put on a set of chromes. I ended up not liking the chromes on it but kept the hipshot. I think it looks great and has no saddle wobble. It is nice to be able to adjust the individual string height and spacing. The main issue I have with the original bridge, other than tail lift, is not being able to palm mute. Palm muting is great with the hipshot. The original bridge on my 75 4001 has been very stable and I have only had to adjust it a couple times in 30 years!
74 4001.JPG

rics.JPG
 
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#57
Just changed out the original bridge for a new Hipshot brass/chrome bridge on my '76 4001. Love it! Feels chunky and solid. I don't know if it adds any sustain or changes the sound, but it improves the feel of the bass. With the old bridge, which had been lifted for years, plucking the strings created a slight rattling feel. Hard to explain. It was similar to the feel I get when I play many semi-hollow basses. I prefer a feel that is more solid and chunky. The hipshot got me there.

I was concerned that I might experience the hipshot "saddle wobble" that many people have described. This bridge has no such problem.

I resisted the urge to buy the product from eBay for $130, instead of $175 from hipshot directly. I noticed that the eBay SKU was "5RK400C", while the hipshot SKU was "5RK400BC". Don't know if they are different products or not. But I thought, it would be a shame to save $45 and get an older version of the bridge. In the end I paid full price from hipshot. It arrived fast, and took about an hour to set up, including intonation. I just pinched the ground wire between the bridge and body. Easy peasy.

BTW, gregmari, thanks for posting the pic above that shows 2 Rics with 2 different bridges. There don't seem to be many comparison pictures out there on the interweb.
 
Last edited:
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#58
The rattle you heard on the original bridge might have been the saddles vibrating, a problem inherent to the design when flat bottom saddles meet a radiused sub-saddle, the part that adjusts for height. I shimmed mine with adhesive copper tape, which worked on the buzz. Those Hipshot are nice looking too though, some people say the brass bridge makes it body heavy, how’s it feel?
 
#59
Gilmourisgod said:
Those Hipshot are nice looking too though, some people say the brass bridge makes it body heavy, how’s it feel?
Click to expand...

Feels fine. I like a heavy, chunky piece of wood for a bass. I haven't really noticed that the weight of the Ric has changed much since adding the brass bridge. That said, I have been playing sitting down - I don't even have strap buttons on my Ric currently.
 
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#60
T-boneParish said:
Just changed out the original bridge for a new Hipshot brass/chrome bridge on my '76 4001. Love it! Feels chunky and solid. I don't know if it adds any sustain or changes the sound, but it improves the feel of the bass. With the old bridge, which had been lifted for years, plucking the strings created a slight rattling feel. Hard to explain. It was similar to the feel I get when I play many semi-hollow basses. I prefer a feel that is more solid and chunky. The hipshot got me there.

I was concerned that I might experience the hipshot "saddle wobble" that many people have described. This bridge has no such problem.

I resisted the urge to buy the product from eBay for $130, instead of $175 from hipshot directly. I noticed that the eBay SKU was "5RK400C", while the hipshot SKU was "5RK400AC". Don't know if they are different products or not. But I thought, it would be a shame to save $45 and get an older version of the bridge. In the end I paid full price from hipshot. It arrived fast, and took about an hour to set up, including intonation. I just pinched the ground wire between the bridge and body. Easy peasy.

BTW, gregmari, thanks for posting the pic above that shows 2 Rics with 2 different bridges. There don't seem to be many comparison pictures out there on the interweb.
Click to expand...
I think the difference between the 5RK400C and the 5RK400AC is one is chrome and the the other is aluminum over chrome. Or not.
 

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