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Hipshot Rick tailpiece


NikNik
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I have an aftermarket 4001-style that I've fitted to a bass I've had lying around and the saddles appear to be some kind of cak alloy. Thinking about the Hipshot rather than the official Santa Ana crowd's model. Plus and Negs for Hipshot, please.

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Got a Hipshot on my Kasuga Faker - does everything right that the Rick unit does wrong. Intonation, individual string height, string spacing, no rattly mutes (ironically meaning you can palm-mute while using a pick) - and as a bonus it doesn't bend!

Only downside - mine is the brass version and it weighs six metric tonnes. If I was buying another I'd go for an ally one.

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6 hours ago, Bassassin said:

Got a Hipshot on my Kasuga Faker - does everything right that the Rick unit does wrong. Intonation, individual string height, string spacing, no rattly mutes (ironically meaning you can palm-mute while using a pick) - and as a bonus it doesn't bend!

Only downside - mine is the brass version and it weighs six metric tonnes. If I was buying another I'd go for an ally one.

Thanks.  The aluminium one will be good enough for me, I guess.

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The saddles can jump out of the grooves in the base. Down to the long shaft on the screw from the rear of the plate to the saddle and shallow grooves in the plate that the saddle screws locate into.

BTW, I moved your post asking for one into the wanted section 🙂

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Most of the people I know who have had them have had issues with rattling or saddle movement, which has put me off in the past. Also, my current 2 vintage Rics have the old aluminium tailpiece but routed for a later bridge (more intonation travel), so the Hipshot is unnecessary. If I ever get another newer Ric I might try one though.

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Wobbly saddle victim here - about 2 decided to collapse mid-gig some years back. Had to keep raising the saddles between every song!

Fair play to Hipshot, I got on to them, and they sent me a new set, from the States, FOC. Luthier fitted them, and they were fine. From what I read, the problem is very hit and miss whether you get it or not.

I think the current Ric bridges are stronger, don't bend like the old days, so I personally wouldn't change mine now, unless I really had to, or suddenly developed a taste for frequent palm-muting (matron!). 😃

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On 08/05/2019 at 23:32, Bassassin said:

Got a Hipshot on my Kasuga Faker - does everything right that the Rick unit does wrong. Intonation, individual string height, string spacing, no rattly mutes (ironically meaning you can palm-mute while using a pick) - and as a bonus it doesn't bend!

Only downside - mine is the brass version and it weighs six metric tonnes. If I was buying another I'd go for an ally one.

Bridges that are designed specifically for a particular instrument shouldn't need any adjustments other than individual string intonation and overall string height. Everything else - individual string height and spacing - should be fixed to suit the fingerboard radius and neck width/pickup pole spacing of the space so there shouldn't be any need to adjust these if the bass is made properly. 

Of course after-market units need these adjustments because the manufacturer has no way of knowing what kind of bass the bridge is going to be used with.

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3 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Bridges that are designed specifically for a particular instrument shouldn't need any adjustments other than individual string intonation and overall string height. Everything else - individual string height and spacing - should be fixed to suit the fingerboard radius and neck width/pickup pole spacing of the space so there shouldn't be any need to adjust these if the bass is made properly.

This, in theory, is of course true. However it's interesting how uncommon it actually is to see such bespoke bridges. And, thinking about it, curious that Leo Fender (whose entire ethos was about simple mass-production of electric guitars) specified fully adjustable bridges on the majority of his designs. You'd think a radius-matched tune-o-matic type would have been perfectly practical & more economical.

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15 minutes ago, Bassassin said:

This, in theory, is of course true. However it's interesting how uncommon it actually is to see such bespoke bridges. And, thinking about it, curious that Leo Fender (whose entire ethos was about simple mass-production of electric guitars) specified fully adjustable bridges on the majority of his designs. You'd think a radius-matched tune-o-matic type would have been perfectly practical & more economical.

You can use one BBoT over a range of necks.

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6 hours ago, Billy Apple said:

You can use one BBoT over a range of necks.

Well, of course you can, now. When Uncle Leo was conceptualising cheap mass-production basses & guitars, there wasn't a range of necks. Just the one. With his choice of radius.

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Big-up Bass Direct! The Hipshot arrived this morning and is now fitted. Came with two, spare intonation screws, one of which I am going to need right away as the G saddle only goes so far back before halting.

Time to get the strings back on.

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Hiho,I got flung off Rickenbacker forum for asking John Hall why they didn,t fit Hipshot bridge as standard-oops.

Ihad wobbly saddles but a email to hipshot and new non wobbly ones were sent very swiftly at no cost.Great customer service .

I love that I can palm mute without my palms getting shredded along with intonation etc and it looks so cool.

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55 minutes ago, bassmachine2112 said:

Hiho,I got flung off Rickenbacker forum for asking John Hall why they didn,t fit Hipshot bridge as standard-oops.

Ihad wobbly saddles but a email to hipshot and new non wobbly ones were sent very swiftly at no cost.Great customer service .

I love that I can palm mute without my palms getting shredded along with intonation etc and it looks so cool.

They are a very open-minded and receptive bunch of psychos.

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