Gideon K Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Hi folks, I've been having an ongoing problem with a bass of mine. It's to do with the bridge. I have an old Cimar 4 string bass. It's a copy of a Gibson Grabber. The bridge is one of those Gibson-style 3-point bridges that has always been wonky but then one of the hooks broke. I hate the bridge design anyway because the saddles aren't individually height adjustable and so forth. Initially, I was looking for something more along the lines of the Fender P/J Bass bridge, but I'll skip that part of the saga and go on to the bit about plunging for a Hipshot Supertone bridge. It was between that, and a Babicz one. The bit that sold me was that they fit straight into the holes that are already there and the string spacing width-wise would be fine. However, once I had installed the supertone bridge (using the original pin/screws from my bridge since I don't have an Allen key that fits the screws that came with the supertone), and restrung the bass I found that the saddle height on the bass was just way too high for my guitar. Even at their lowest, the saddles are about 1.5cm off the surface of the wood and my strings have a large slope and increasing action up the neck, making intonation and action impossible. Basically, I need a lower, less chunky bridge. My question to any of you who have them or have experience of them, what are the base-to-saddle heights of the a) Babicz 3-Point Bass bridges, and Hipshot 2-Point bass bridge? The latter looks like it might fit better, but I can't tell due to dimensions, the UK shop I bought the supertone from (and will be returning it to) does not seem to stock the 2-point bridge. I could order it in, but would prefer to know that what I'm ordering has a chance of actually working. Out of frustration, I just ordered 10 quid 3-point style bridge to fit into my bass until I can get this problem sorted, as it is my main bass and even though it is far less than optimal, the old-style design at least works on a basic level. I hate them though, they're compromised, not easily adjustable, flimsy, and simply a bad design. Why don't any of these new-fangled brands publish their height dimensions along with length and width on their websites? So far I have had zero response from either of the companies mentioned, which is sad. Any help or info greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shockwave Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 (edited) I ordered a 3 point Hipshot supertone for a custom RD bass I had made with the same problem as you. A quick email to Hipshot and they will produce you a custom lower profile supertone for not alot more dosh. Edited January 23, 2017 by Shockwave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gideon K Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 [quote name='Shockwave' timestamp='1485184870' post='3221875'] I ordered a 3 point Hipshot supertone for a custom RD bass I had made with the same problem as you. A quick email to Hipshot and they will produce you a custom lower profile supertone for not alot more dosh. [/quote] Cheers, I'll give it a try. I've tried emailing them before, using the email form on their site but never get a response. I'm going to try a direct mail to them. How did you go about contacting them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 I'll try and help with the Babicz FCH bridge. The base plate is 7-8mm thick and the saddles ride on metal runner (1mm) and are held in place by a small (and slightly) offset Allen bolt (1-2mm); the bolt isn't diectly under the string, which makes sense. With the saddles at their lowest point it's feasible that the hex bolt could (and I emphasise 'could') make contact with the strings, but it's unlikely, so realistically the mininmum body to saddle distance you could go would be 11-12mm. I have two of these on Thunderbirds and the bottom of the saddle on the E string is a good 2cm above the body surface, so there is a ton of clearance from the fixings. You have to be of the mindset that these were designed as a replacement for Gibson models with their neck/pitch angles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 I'd also add, the Cimar, if it's a bolt on neck, take the neck off and shim it at the furthest point with a cut of sandpaper (it compresses less under pressure). Give the truss rod a tweak and boom, you're sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 http://fullcontacthardware.com/users/49443/photos/photo/49443_2631027.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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