4 Strings Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I'm having a bass built by Ruach and I'm looking to use British where I can. Can't find any UK manufacturers for the hardware, any ideas? Things seem to so easily default to US or far East. East pre-amp, Armstrong pups, Newtone strings, even the sycamore body was chopped down here, but tuners and bridge - they're not rocket science surely there are some manufacturers here. I'd even go for European. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Horse Murphy Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I don't know whether Status manufactures their own bridges and tuners, but if they do they sell them via their website Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ash Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 If you can't find anything UK made Schaller are the obvious European choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share Posted August 26, 2013 [quote name='Old Horse Murphy' timestamp='1377507392' post='2188145'] I don't know whether Status manufactures their own bridges and tuners, but if they do they sell them via their website [/quote] Thanks for that, had a look. Not too inspiring, tbh, although they sell a d-tuner. I'm hoping for open back tuners and individual bridges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I'm gonna make some bridges eventually. Kind of low priority, since plenty of choices about. Making metal necks is where the hotness is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete1967 Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 I had exactly the same thought process a while ago and came up blank. As already mentioned Schaller is the obvious choice (have a look at the BM Light tuners - they're brilliant) if you're considering European, or ABM do great bridges (but not tuners sadly). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 [quote name='Pete1967' timestamp='1377603079' post='2189203'] I had exactly the same thought process a while ago and came up blank. As already mentioned Schaller is the obvious choice (have a look at the BM Light tuners - they're brilliant) if you're considering European, or ABM do great bridges (but not tuners sadly). [/quote] Thanks, new one for me, had a look, they do individual bridges too, but not as string through like the Hipshot (I'm sure the string could go over the bridge and through the body after it but this would mean a certain distance would be required to the end of the body, the Hipshot allow the string to go through within its length and also the bolt mounts the bridge through the body. I'm trying to mount the bridge as far South as possible) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 ETS from Germany do an individual bridge, quite nice but it won't go string-through. Why can Germans make this sort of thing but not us? I know, I know, we're good at service industries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 The only UK-designed bass bridges I know of are the ones specially for Gus, Wal and Enfield. I know that Simon Farmer makes all the Gus bridges himself (along with all the other metal-work on the Gus guitars and basses) I don't know if the the bridges for Wal or Enfield are made in the UK or somewhere else to the maker's specifications. I don't know if any would be willing to sell you one of their bridge assemblies separately to a bass or indeed if any of them are appropriate to your design - the Gus one, which I am familiar with, requires quite substantial routing both front and back and probably relies to a certain extent on the extra strength the carbon fibre shell gives to the Gus bass body. Looking further afield you can buy aftermarket bridges from Schaller, ABM and ETS all from Germany although I know both ABM and ETS have had production and supply issues in the recent past. I know of no European manufacturers of machine heads other than Schaller. TBH the US makes and Gotoh have pretty much sewn up the rest of the market and their product range is so diverse that there seems little point in trying to re-invent the wheel to compete. None of luthiers mentioned above bother with making their own machine heads. You could, I suppose, replace the buttons with locally made custom ones if you really wanted to keep as much of the bass as possible UK-made. BTW does anyone actually know if the Schaller parts are made in Germany still or just designed there and the production out-sourced to somewhere cheaper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete1967 Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1377607893' post='2189309'] BTW does anyone actually know if the Schaller parts are made in Germany still or just designed there and the production out-sourced to somewhere cheaper? [/quote] Stentor told me that Schaller only manufacture in house, in Germany, a statement supported by their website [url="http://schaller-electronic.com/hp801/Produktion.htm"]http://schaller-electronic.com/hp801/Produktion.htm[/url], but it doesn't say so explicitly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Could totally bend you a bit of tin to order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 (edited) [quote name='Pete1967' timestamp='1377610766' post='2189349'] Stentor told me that Schaller only manufacture in house, in Germany, a statement supported by their website [url="http://schaller-electronic.com/hp801/Produktion.htm"]http://schaller-elec.../Produktion.htm[/url], but it doesn't say so explicitly. [/quote] Written explicitly on [url="http://schaller-electronic.com/hp172463/Just-a-moment.htm"]http://schaller-elec...st-a-moment.htm[/url] "Schaller is – as it was back then – an owner-managed company with 100% of its production "Made in Germany".". Also on [url="http://schaller-electronic.com/hp292161/That-s-Schaller.htm"]http://schaller-electronic.com/hp292161/That-s-Schaller.htm[/url] "All of Schaller's products are manufactured completely in-house in the company's production facilities - 100% Made in Germany." Edited August 27, 2013 by neepheid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 A BBoT would certainly go with the 'utility' nature of the bass! For tuners, Rubner make incredible tuners for double basses, we're talking with them right now to see if they can adapt one of their designs. They are mostly tapered and have holes rather than Fender's slots and the wonderful perpendicular drilling for the string end. The Rubners are amazing value and stunning, especially the 'French' style. Have a look... http://rubner-markneukirchen.de/onlineshop/product_info.php?info=p140_french-bass-mechanic-140- 117.html&XTCsid=2f12a9f89aa9a9b23af01aaa8627634e (It's in German, so you'll have to dig about a bit. If you come across their catalogue pdf, that's the easiest to get around) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete1967 Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 [quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1377612687' post='2189376'] A BBoT would certainly go with the 'utility' nature of the bass! For tuners, Rubner make incredible tuners for double basses, we're talking with them right now to see if they can adapt one of their designs. They are mostly tapered and have holes rather than Fender's slots and the wonderful perpendicular drilling for the string end. The Rubners are amazing value and stunning, especially the 'French' style. Have a look... [url="http://rubner-markneukirchen.de/onlineshop/product_info.php?info=p140_french-bass-mechanic-140-"]http://rubner-markne...s-mechanic-140-[/url] 117.html&XTCsid=2f12a9f89aa9a9b23af01aaa8627634e (It's in German, so you'll have to dig about a bit. If you come across their catalogue pdf, that's the easiest to get around) [/quote] You might want them to advise on how heavy an adapted product is likely to be. IIRC Rubner specialise in machining out of brass (I haven't looked at the website as I'm on my mobile and my info is some years dated so apologies if I'm talking complete cack) which might weigh a bit, and it would be a shame to end up with neck dive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 [quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1377612687' post='2189376'] A BBoT would certainly go with the 'utility' nature of the bass! For tuners, Rubner make incredible tuners for double basses, we're talking with them right now to see if they can adapt one of their designs. They are mostly tapered and have holes rather than Fender's slots and the wonderful perpendicular drilling for the string end. The Rubners are amazing value and stunning, especially the 'French' style. Have a look... [url="http://rubner-markneukirchen.de/onlineshop/product_info.php?info=p140_french-bass-mechanic-140-"]http://rubner-markne...s-mechanic-140-[/url] 117.html&XTCsid=2f12a9f89aa9a9b23af01aaa8627634e (It's in German, so you'll have to dig about a bit. If you come across their catalogue pdf, that's the easiest to get around) [/quote] Not knocking your build (or Mr. Foxen's kind offer), but TBH I can't see the point of buying British if all you are doing is replicating an existing non-British design. Also unless those DB machine heads are British-made (seems unlikely AFAICS) there seems little point in choosing them over Schallers which are designed for bass guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 (edited) [quote name='Pete1967' timestamp='1377610766' post='2189349'] Stentor told me that Schaller only manufacture in house, in Germany, a statement supported by their website [url="http://schaller-electronic.com/hp801/Produktion.htm"]http://schaller-elec.../Produktion.htm[/url], but it doesn't say so explicitly. [/quote] I bought a new Schaller guitar bridge last month. I can confirm that it is marked "Made in Germany" on the box and on the underside of the bridge itself. Also, there is at least one manufacturer of classical guitar machineheads in the UK, such as Rodgers, but AFAIK they don't offer tuners for other instruments. Given that a set of their guitars tuners costs as much as a decent student classical guitar, I dread to think what a specially made bespoke set of bass tuners would cost! Edited September 2, 2013 by Beer of the Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Don't know how "high end" you want the parts to be but the Trevor Wilkinson tuners & bridges are UK designed & are pretty good quality, probably not made here though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 I've not read the whole thread but ETS are an EU option for bridges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted September 3, 2013 Author Share Posted September 3, 2013 But not for string through type, unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Ch guitars sell all sorts of odds and sods . Checkout the eBay site. He's a Geordie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.