Indeed. My brass bits just rest on the surface, don't penetrate: it's held on by string tension alone
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Hofner Ignition series violin bass bridge replacement
- Thread starter Dick Pountain
- Start date
Indeed. My brass bits just rest on the surface, don't penetrate: it's held on by string tension alone
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If you start from the premise that they're mad at us because they lost the war, then it's perfectly rational... It also helps to understand that, like a Rickenbacker, "Bass" means the neck pickup, and "Treble" means the bridge pickup. Everything else, though, just seems like spiteful revenge...
There's a good chance the German bridge is taller. I bought an ebony German one to replace the bridge on my Rogue VB-100, but the Hofner bridge (without a Lot of work) was just too tall. The feet on the base are much thicker - which makes it taller, and the bridge itself is quite a bit taller. It would be much more trouble than it's worth to modify it, so... there it sits. And, it wouldn't have worked, anyway; my VB-100's a lefty, and the bridge is not. And, I see no way to make it a lefty, either...
Wow, that Gretsch bridge looks really interesting. I'm looking at replacing the bridge on my Hofner knock off, a 50s Kawai built Apollo. Existing bridge is rosewood and thought I'd get an original Ebony one - but, and to the earlier question - I've read the German bridge will not work on the Ignition or Contemporary Hofner as the body curve is different. Even though those are modern China/Indonesia made, my thinking is the same issue might be true of my 60s made in Japan. bass. I'm very tempted to try that Gretsch.
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It’s amazing to me that after all these years, and given the number of Hofner basses and their clones, that nobody has made a drop-in replacement for tte floating bridge with fully adjustable intonation. If I had the machining skills, I’d do it myself.
That's a cool looking bridge, but it doesn't solve the fundamental problem with Hofner style floating bridges: you can only ever intonate the E and G, the A and D will always be approximations. In a way that bridge is worse because there is no adjustment at all for A and D, at least the Hofner has some movable fret piece saddles so you can get close. I've seen some decent home-made solutions cobbled together, but this seems like a missed business opportunity for somebody with a small machine shop. The market isn't huge, but the problem is pretty simple" mount a set of fully adjustable saddles on a floating wood base. Hasn't this been done before? Am I missing something?
Another issue with German Hofners is illustrated by this factory tour video, circa 2012. I have no reason to believe they are doing it any different given the outrageous retail price. Skip to 17:00 and watch the guy (no doubt extremely skilled) freehanding the fret slots. I don't care how good you are, that's going to result in some slightly "iffy" intonation above the 12th. I kind of envy the anachronistic 1950's tech approach that Germany's strong economy, generous benefits, and ironclad unions allow, like looking back in time to 1950's American manufacturing.
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Afraid I'll have to disagree with you, re the Gretsch bridge. The floating Nashville Tun-O-Matic bridge on my '94 Gretsch Broadkaster has always been easily intonatable - with any of the strings it's worn. And, because it's pickups have always made it sound like crap, I've tried a lot of different strings. I'll admit that there have been a couple sets that required a slight angling of the entire bridge to accomplish it, but for the majority of the strings I've tried? No problem at all. The adjustable saddles have always able to intonate the bass. That's including the TI Jazz Rounds it's wearing now...
How do you adjust intonation for A and D? Looks like it's just a threaded bar with roller saddles, so you can adjust string spacing and height at each end, and angle the bridge to intonate E and G, but A and D will always be "good enough" approximations. Maybe I worry too much, but the A and D on my son's Jay Turser are definitely a little out as measured with an electronic tuner, and audibly above the 12th fret, and that's on a bridge where it's even possible to adjust the A and D with the little fret inserts. Note that the Hofner guitars DO have more standard, fully adjustable metal saddles, mounted on a wood bridge for nice tone transfer on some of their guitars Why didn't they do this on the basses? Inquiring minds.....Afraid I'll have to disagree with you, re the Gretsch bridge. The floating Nashville Tun-O-Matic bridge on my '94 Gretsch Broadkaster has always been easily intonatable - with any of the strings it's worn. And, because it's pickups have always made it sound like crap, I've tried a lot of different strings. I'll admit that there have been a couple sets that required a slight angling of the entire bridge to accomplish it, but for the majority of the strings I've tried? No problem at all. The adjustable saddles have always able to intonate the bass. That's including the TI Jazz Rounds it's wearing now...
Sorry, but you're thinking about a different bridge. The roller bridge you're referring to, is one that's used on some Gretsch guitars that have a Bigsby tremelo, since they're considered the "best" bridge to use with one. There's one on a Gretsch White Falcon Bass because... well, it's a White Falcon. The picture above shows a Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge; as you can see, it does have individual, adjustable saddles. If it looks like a Gibson guitar bridge, that's because, essentially - it is. Why is it called a "Nashville Tune-O-Matic"? I have no idea... There isn't a lot of adjustment, but... if you locate it on the bass correctly, there's usually enough. And, because it's a floating bridge - on the basses, anyway - it can be angled a little, if necessary. On most Gretsch guitars with these bridges? They're pinned in place at the factory - like the one on my '23 Gretsch Electromatic Classic guitar. They get... moved... quite often, otherwise. Guitar players get a little vigorous, sometimes. I don't play that hard, but there's some violin bowstring resin under the bridge base on my Broadkaster - just in case...
Oh, and in case you're wondering? No, it won't work on a Hofner - or any other violin bass. It's too tall, and the string spacing is way too wide (don't ask me how I know)...
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They are hollow basses that are built almost exactly like a double upright bass, that wooden floating bridge and the tailpiece is what makes the hofner basses sound like an upright. So, like others I use a different ss bass w/ standard metal bridge to get more of an electric bass tone.
