rwillett Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 (edited) I'm contemplating my next guitar build and thinking about a headless bass. My six string 3d printed guitar is coming to completion. Still stuff to do but I think most of it is ready. Lots of people have done a six string 3d printed, not so many have done a bass guitar, probably due to the string tension. 3D printed elements don't handle stress as well as metal or wood. However some clever thinking gets around that problem. Certainly my six string printed guitar has no issues with string tension, mainly because there is a decent 15mm plywood backbone doing all the hard work. The 3d printed stuff holds stuff together and is very rigid, but I suspect a set of bass flats would pull things apart. I think I can get around this with a decent bit of 25mm plywod, though an 18mm or even 15mm might be enough. I need to test to check. Also I did see a Westone headless bass on eBay that made me thing. This is interesting as it shows my thinking isn't new. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/studio-still-life-of-a-1985-westone-rail-headless-bass-news-photo/103630647 Anyway, I thought I'd try a headless bass. I already have 97 MIJ Jazz, a Fender Mustang, a Mikro bass from Ibanez and a normal bass from Ibanez. One more of the same seems dull, so I've started looking. I can get pickups, switches, and controls easily, however a headless neck is a challenge as is a headless bass bridge. I can see bridges for £50 off eBay from Overlord of Music and I cannot find anybody saying anything good about them. Not even looked at headless necks yet. So are Overlord of Music bridges as bad as people seem to think? or are we being snobs? Thanks Rob Edited December 12, 2023 by rwillett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelDean Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 I've not had any experience with the Overlord stuff, but I've also only heard bad things about them. Mainly seems to be that the metal isn't suitable for the tension required. I'd be tempted to give this Guyker system a whirl. https://a.aliexpress.com/_EJeKZIh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 (edited) There's also this one: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805137334071.html https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805137478880.html Noticed it's been used on this custom bass I think, the builder is on here but can't remember his username: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166491723596 Edited December 12, 2023 by lemmywinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 Btw I hope you're using forum approved tone plastic in this build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwillett Posted December 12, 2023 Author Share Posted December 12, 2023 @MichaelDean @lemmywinks Thanks for this. Didn't think about Aliexpress. They do all look the same now. I wonder if they are cheap rip offs OR the chinese manufacturer is doing some quiet midnight production runs... Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwillett Posted December 12, 2023 Author Share Posted December 12, 2023 2 minutes ago, lemmywinks said: Btw I hope you're using forum approved tone plastic in this build! Er...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 (edited) 2 hours ago, rwillett said: @MichaelDean @lemmywinks Thanks for this. Didn't think about Aliexpress. They do all look the same now. I wonder if they are cheap rip offs OR the chinese manufacturer is doing some quiet midnight production runs... Rob There's also another bridge which uses a roller system, tbh I've thought about this one for conversions where the bridge is placed quite far back on the body and regular headless bridges would protrude. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802039467162.html https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256802700546368.html Just noticed this one as well, roller style again but doesn't need a hex key to adjust: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804119404535.html Edited December 12, 2023 by lemmywinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 I don't know why the Overlord stuff gets such a bad rap - it's a Steinberger copy, same as on the Hohners and Steinbergers during the 80s, etc - I'm not sure what the criticisms are but mine works OK. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 5 hours ago, TheGreek said: I don't know why the Overlord stuff gets such a bad rap - it's a Steinberger copy, same as on the Hohners and Steinbergers during the 80s, etc - I'm not sure what the criticisms are but mine works OK. There's a couple of things that can be improved on them - the top and bottom halves are slightly stepped at the back where they meet, and the washers are rather flimsy nylon. It's possible to file or sand the rear to even up the two halves, and swap the nylon washers for brass ones. I'd be inclined to use Guyker individual bridge pieces. Or get a Hohner B2/B2V (depending on how many strings you want), shave the wings down, and 3D print some wings for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamIAm Posted December 14, 2023 Share Posted December 14, 2023 There is at least one lunatic member on here who built their own headless tuner system! As it was a prototype, it does not look tidy ... but might seed some thoughts? S'manth x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Guitarist Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 I've used them twice and had good results, especially considering the cost. Things to note: Height adjustment is limited, you may need to recess the bridge into your bass body You must disassemble and grease the internals or turning the tuning knobs is a challenge The top end string holder is a little finicky to position for good results (string break angle vs truss rod access) Good things: They are easy to get in tune Once tuned they are very stable They are cheap 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 I have an Overlord headless unit on a micro bass - it's not as bad as I expected, though it isn't brilliant. They're certainly cheap for what you get. Adjusting intonation is a bit tricky as the saddles are a little too large/tight (at least on the unit I have) and lock together a bit - lubrication will ease this, though a bit of judicious filing is a better option. The paint is cheap and flakes or scratches easily. The string holder at the end of the neck takes a bit of getting used to - it's worth looking carefully at how it works before changing strings (note to self). I've not struggled with string height, though I've struggled seriously with intonation. This isn't solely a deficiency of the bridge, it's largely a function of the very short scale. In sum, I wouldn't use the Overlord if I was starting a project, though for the price, it's not an awful unit. I think Random Guitarist's post above captures the essence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwillett Posted December 19, 2023 Author Share Posted December 19, 2023 I have managed to secure four headless bass thingies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwillett Posted December 19, 2023 Author Share Posted December 19, 2023 I have managed to secure four single ABM headless bass bridges from a fellow BC user. ABM Headless Guitar Parts (abm-guitarpartsshop.com) I've not even opened the box yet, but I'll plan around these. Still need a bass neck but slowly getting there. Rob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three Posted December 19, 2023 Share Posted December 19, 2023 24 minutes ago, rwillett said: I have managed to secure four single ABM headless bass bridges from a fellow BC user. ABM Headless Guitar Parts (abm-guitarpartsshop.com) I've not even opened the box yet, but I'll plan around these. Still need a bass neck but slowly getting there. Rob Much the better option in my opinion, though generally much more expensive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwillett Posted December 19, 2023 Author Share Posted December 19, 2023 The gentleman in question was very fair in his pricing. I have no complaints at all. Rob 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three Posted December 19, 2023 Share Posted December 19, 2023 8 minutes ago, rwillett said: The gentleman in question was very fair in his pricing. I have no complaints at all. Rob We have some very wonderful basschatters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted December 20, 2023 Share Posted December 20, 2023 On 12/12/2023 at 18:28, TheGreek said: I'm not sure what the criticisms are but mine works OK. Most of the complaints I read were folk opting to blame Overlord instead of their ham-fisted attempts at installation. Have had no problems with mine, installation was a POP compared to the ABM mono saddles 👍 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prowla Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 They are rubbish; both the guitar and bass versions. I’ve written about the ones I’ve had; I’ve now replaced failed and second attempt bass ones with a Hohner one and a failed guitar whammy one with a custom one from a chap in Ireland. They are copies of the Steinberger ones, but are made of Swiss cheese and not up to the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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