The Babicz FCH-3 bridge is another alternative. It uses all 3 mounting bolts and comes with a shim that can be used to compensate for varying neck angles and string height preferences.
@@The84thProblem it has a couple features the Hipshot doesn't have like the shim and you can lock the saddles down so you don't have to gunk the screws up with locktite. These bridges are costly because they are made in small batches.
It would have been great to have a little before & after comparison to hear the difference the hipshot bridge makes. Aesthetically it looks much better and seems easier to use, but an audio comparison is the most important part.
Thanks for this video, it was very helpful. I just replaced the stock 3-point bridge on an Epiphone Rumblekat with the Hipshot, and I was looking for info on it.
A couple points on the Hipshot bridge installation on my Epiphone EBO Bass : mine had buzzing on the frets everywhere and the bridge small separate allen nut by itself back behind the string saddle height allens doesn’t seem to do shit and one of them has actually stripped and can’t be removed even even and I was completely unable to intonate the bridge at all , so which bridge is the actual piece of crap
How did you ever get it fixed. I have a epi . Classic pro & if I decide to put a hip shot on it I'll just have a music store install it properly so I dont regret it and dont sound like shit with fret buzzing or other complacations. 🤔🎸
Hi, I installed this bridge on my epiphone Woody Allen RumbleKat. As it is now the bridge is still slightly raised above the soundboard, yours is on the board right? Also, oddly I cannot intonate my strings properly with my set of new strings (Tomastik JF324), the range is not enough .... As theoretically the range is the same as the old bridge this leads me to conclude I've done somthing wrong. Any insights on how you actually mounted the bridge are appreciated! Finally, I think there is a design flaw in the bridge: the saddles can move sideways in their rails, which causes a very noticeable rattle on my G string (and my D string to a lesser extend). Nothing that can't be solved, but not what I expected on a 130 Euro bridge ....
I ordered one but it came with 4 identical screws, not the ones I needed to replace my Black Bird bridge (it's the Gibson Nikki Sixx model, not the Epiphone). Anyone knows if there is a way to get the right screws for it elsewhere?
Yes, actually you have to REALLY increase (not far from max)the height of the saddles, otherwise strings are touching the fretboard. I guess the babicz has a kind of optionnel plate you can install between the bridge and the bass might be useful in this regard.
Haha i was taking apart a bass I got like last year (I know that's a while ago) and I decoded to change the strings. I couldn't even figure out how to restring the shit bridge that comes on these things! The saddle intonation adjuster keeps the ball on the end of the string from fitting on! LMAO. Anyway thanks for the video, helped me realize its not just something I'm doing wrong. Thinking I'll get a hipshot here soon LOL.
No it wasn't informative.What's the point if you don't take off the other bridge and show how you install the Hipshot?All the info you gave about adjustments comes with the bridge.IMO.
@@BoundByGundams Haaa thanks dude. Ya it's so bad lol. I'm considering the babicz full contact as well , but will likely go with the hipshot just because I've heard from people directly that it's good. Cant find much on the Babicz.
Thinking of putting the Hipshot on my GIbson SG bass...I'm interested in the Babicz but damn! Major price jump for something that seems like comparable quality to the Hipshot, which also has the advantage of looking really, really cool--cooler than the Babicz! But a $150 price jump to get the Babicz?! I dunno, something tells me that Gibson might have s piece of that company if they don't own them outright....
Yeah, I agree the 3 point bridge is worthless. The new SG Bass I am getting has a 12 inch radius neck. So, I will see if Stew Mac has a gauge that will help me set up the string height, and also we need to find out what the third hole does is on the string height adjusters. I will get back to you guys when I find out, and if anyone knows go on and post please. It would be nice to have a really good video on how to set this bridge up right. Also, what is the deal with gibson not going on and making a bridge like the hipshot. Nobody cares about reproductions because bass player only care about the sound, and we want good sound, And remember with out the Bass players there is no Rock and Roll. The Bass player is the most important member of any band and without a good bass line there is no hit song and no one will get up and dance. Best William St Clair
WILLIAM ST CLAIR I plan to make a follow up video relatively soon about this bridge now that I’ve had it for a while. It’ll basically be a review and how to work with it.
Great, I am glad you are doing that, and thanks for making the video. Again, The bass players are the most important members of any band, and it really pains me when people like Elton John do not acknowledge how important the bass player is to his songs. No Rock Star would ever become a rock star or a super star if they had not had a really great bass player. I think a lot of bass players do not understand how important they are to the music. And that is why players like Led Zepps player, Jones, kind of stopped playing. People don't realize that the bass is Rock and Roll. Also, what do you think about the thunderbird sound. I have never really checked one out because I have been playing a Fender Jazz. I play through the ampeg amps. Works for me. The new Boogie amps are just too bright and I have to tone them with an Alembic FX-1, which is the old fender dual showman preamp basically, as I understand it. Still, it is all about trusting your ears and not some brand name. Best William
WILLIAM ST CLAIR I also play a jazz which is my main bass but if I want to bring the oomph I bust out the Thunderbird. It’s just screams rock and roll and sounds like it too. It really does have a lot of bottom end so much so that the tone knob really doesn’t do much. Most people say it only sounds good with a pick but I play it mostly finger style. This would definitely be my main bass if it didn’t weight 15 tons. But that’s what you get when the whole thing is mahogany.
“If you got strings on your bass and they’re hooked up to this piece of shit...” you killed me dude!!😂😂
The Babicz FCH-3 bridge is another alternative. It uses all 3 mounting bolts and comes with a shim that can be used to compensate for varying neck angles and string height preferences.
This is good to know because the Hipshot is not nearly tall enough for my 2010 Gibson.
It’s also significantly more expensive.
@@The84thProblem it has a couple features the Hipshot doesn't have like the shim and you can lock the saddles down so you don't have to gunk the screws up with locktite. These bridges are costly because they are made in small batches.
It would have been great to have a little before & after comparison to hear the difference the hipshot bridge makes. Aesthetically it looks much better and seems easier to use, but an audio comparison is the most important part.
Thanks so much for the video very helpful, especially the link to buy the bridge.
yeah, I would have hoped to see the install....thats why I searched on "Installation/Information Tutorial".......thanks though
Did you find a install video for the hip shot bridge installation?
@@edwinhernandez9276 unscrew -> rescrew->done
@@inevitablecraftslab thanks much appreciated. 😎👍
I agree that the epiphone stock bridge is a peace of crap, I have goth bass And the hip shot bridge is the best thing that ever happened
Thanks for this video, it was very helpful. I just replaced the stock 3-point bridge on an Epiphone Rumblekat with the Hipshot, and I was looking for info on it.
Thats a weird lookin gundam
I have the epiphone goth IV and I'll most likely be getting this what would i do with the third hole at the top?
A couple points on the Hipshot bridge installation on my Epiphone EBO Bass : mine had buzzing on the frets everywhere and the bridge small separate allen nut by itself back behind the string saddle height allens doesn’t seem to do shit and one of them has actually stripped and can’t be removed even even and I was completely unable to intonate the bridge at all , so which bridge is the actual piece of crap
How did you ever get it fixed. I have a epi . Classic pro & if I decide to put a hip shot on it I'll just have a music store install it properly so I dont regret it and dont sound like shit with fret buzzing or other complacations. 🤔🎸
Price has gone up. I paid about $130-135 off eBay.
Hi, I installed this bridge on my epiphone Woody Allen RumbleKat.
As it is now the bridge is still slightly raised above the soundboard, yours is on the board right?
Also, oddly I cannot intonate my strings properly with my set of new strings (Tomastik JF324), the range is not enough .... As theoretically the range is the same as the old bridge this leads me to conclude I've done somthing wrong. Any insights on how you actually mounted the bridge are appreciated!
Finally, I think there is a design flaw in the bridge: the saddles can move sideways in their rails, which causes a very noticeable rattle on my G string (and my D string to a lesser extend). Nothing that can't be solved, but not what I expected on a 130 Euro bridge ....
I ordered one but it came with 4 identical screws, not the ones I needed to replace my Black Bird bridge (it's the Gibson Nikki Sixx model, not the Epiphone). Anyone knows if there is a way to get the right screws for it elsewhere?
I would reach out to them
Thanks for the video
Can you get lower action than with the stock bridge.
Yes, actually you have to REALLY increase (not far from max)the height of the saddles, otherwise strings are touching the fretboard. I guess the babicz has a kind of optionnel plate you can install between the bridge and the bass might be useful in this regard.
This is not a 3-point bridge. This is the 2-point version.
Haha i was taking apart a bass I got like last year (I know that's a while ago) and I decoded to change the strings. I couldn't even figure out how to restring the shit bridge that comes on these things! The saddle intonation adjuster keeps the ball on the end of the string from fitting on! LMAO. Anyway thanks for the video, helped me realize its not just something I'm doing wrong. Thinking I'll get a hipshot here soon LOL.
No it wasn't informative.What's the point if you don't take off the other bridge and show how you install the Hipshot?All the info you gave about adjustments comes with the bridge.IMO.
Glad you said it, this was the least informative "Installation/Information Tutorial" I've ever seen.
how did you end up liking this bridge? I'm thinking of getting one. My 3 point is getting this wierd bend to it and is a biotch to set up!
James Cassidy love it. Gives the bass a lot more oomph because it’s full contact to the body. Would never go back to that 3 point pos
@@BoundByGundams Haaa thanks dude. Ya it's so bad lol. I'm considering the babicz full contact as well , but will likely go with the hipshot just because I've heard from people directly that it's good. Cant find much on the Babicz.
Thinking of putting the Hipshot on my GIbson SG bass...I'm interested in the Babicz but damn! Major price jump for something that seems like comparable quality to the Hipshot, which also has the advantage of looking really, really cool--cooler than the Babicz! But a $150 price jump to get the Babicz?! I dunno, something tells me that Gibson might have s piece of that company if they don't own them outright....
Yeah, I agree the 3 point bridge is worthless. The new SG Bass I am getting has a 12 inch radius neck. So, I will see if Stew Mac has a gauge that will help me set up the string height, and also we need to find out what the third hole does is on the string height adjusters. I will get back to you guys when I find out, and if anyone knows go on and post please. It would be nice to have a really good video on how to set this bridge up right. Also, what is the deal with gibson not going on and making a bridge like the hipshot. Nobody cares about reproductions because bass player only care about the sound, and we want good sound, And remember with out the Bass players there is no Rock and Roll. The Bass player is the most important member of any band and without a good bass line there is no hit song and no one will get up and dance. Best William St Clair
WILLIAM ST CLAIR I plan to make a follow up video relatively soon about this bridge now that I’ve had it for a while. It’ll basically be a review and how to work with it.
Great, I am glad you are doing that, and thanks for making the video. Again, The bass players are the most important members of any band, and it really pains me when people like Elton John
do not acknowledge how important the bass player is to his songs. No Rock Star would ever become a rock star or a super star if they had not had a really great bass player. I think a lot of
bass players do not understand how important they are to the music. And that is why players like Led Zepps player, Jones, kind of stopped playing. People don't realize that the bass is Rock and Roll.
Also, what do you think about the thunderbird sound. I have never really checked one out because I have been playing a Fender Jazz. I play through the ampeg amps. Works for me. The new Boogie amps
are just too bright and I have to tone them with an Alembic FX-1, which is the old fender dual showman preamp basically, as I understand it. Still, it is all about trusting your ears and not some brand name.
Best William
WILLIAM ST CLAIR I also play a jazz which is my main bass but if I want to bring the oomph I bust out the Thunderbird. It’s just screams rock and roll and sounds like it too. It really does have a lot of bottom end so much so that the tone knob really doesn’t do much. Most people say it only sounds good with a pick but I play it mostly finger style. This would definitely be my main bass if it didn’t weight 15 tons. But that’s what you get when the whole thing is mahogany.
Looks amazing! Have a video with a sound demo? I'm after the Kickass bridge.
Precise Audio Blog no but I could make one
Would be amazing
Thanks, dude. You are correct. That original bridge is a piece of trash.