bluebottle Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Hi guys anyone have a Hondo II Professional ? Just picked one up (MIJ) and the three point bridge has a distinct bow. Now its hard to believe that the strings have done this as it almost matches the fretboard radius and the bridge is one big chunk of metal BUT the only three point bridges I've ever seen have been flat. Anyone verify if they were supplied "bowed" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 I've got one and the bridge is 'bowed' as you say, I always assumed is was to follow the radius of the neck, you can get new bridges for them, just search for Gibson 3 point bridge, can't say I'm a fan of them because you can't adjust string height individually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebottle Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 [quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1483722746' post='3209607'] I've got one and the bridge is 'bowed' as you say, I always assumed is was to follow the radius of the neck, you can get new bridges for them, just search for Gibson 3 point bridge, can't say I'm a fan of them because you can't adjust string height individually [/quote] Thank you for that, I agree these bridges leave a lot to be desired and I guess thats why they have that radius. I have both the Epiphone EB0 and EB3 and their bridges are "flat" not bowed that is why I asked the question, well I'll replace the saddles on this bridge and enjoy it. I believe the Professional series were made by Matsumoku so I got a great deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Yes, it's a Matsumoku bass (good thing, most Hondos were Korean & not great quality) and yes, the bridge is bending as a result of 35-odd years of string tension - many Mat basses from this era have 3-point units made from cheese. They're not radiused, just rubbish, I'm afraid. I have a Matsumoku-built Westbury Track 2 which had a very bendy bridge when I got it: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:72631] Did a bit of research and this is a very common problem which turns up on lots of late 70s/early 80s Mats with these bridges. I found a period-correct baseplate for mine, otherwise the simplest solution is to replace it with an Epiphone or compatible unit, which will fit, or to upgrade with a fully adjustable Hipshot or Babicz replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebottle Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 [quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1483724293' post='3209632'] Yes, it's a Matsumoku bass (good thing, most Hondos were Korean & not great quality) and yes, the bridge is bending as a result of 35-odd years of string tension - many Mat basses from this era have 3-point units made from cheese. They're not radiused, just rubbish, I'm afraid. I have a Matsumoku-built Westbury Track 2 which had a very bendy bridge when I got it: Did a bit of research and this is a very common problem which turns up on lots of late 70s/early 80s Mats with these bridges. I found a period-correct baseplate for mine, otherwise the simplest solution is to replace it with an Epiphone or compatible unit, which will fit, or to upgrade with a fully adjustable Hipshot or Babicz replacement. [/quote] Pity, I rather liked the idea it was "radius'd" as Paul mentioned theres no way to adjust the string height separately, why oh why did Matsumoku use these bridges when on my Aria Pro II CSB 300 and 450 they have far more sensible bridges. Just Hondo's choice I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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