early Gibson bridge spacing and solution and new slothead tuners

[sniper]

i just got off the phone with Hipshot and ordered a new two stud supertone for my reconstruction on the crispy crittered '66. Hipshot told me that for almost a year now they hae been making the two stud bridge with an elongated hole to address the earlier (angled) stud mount for the pre 67 Gibson basses.

one of the problems he said i might run into buying from a distributor is them having old stock types that do not have the elongated hole to address this problem. i ordered one from Hipshot directly.

this should be a viable solution for those of you wanting a newer type bridge to work on your EB2's. just be aware that the Hipshot bridge still sets on the wood of the body and might make an impression when mounted.

when it arrives i will let you know if it works for sure on the older angled stud mounts.

almost forgot, FWIW Hipshot will make, on special order, tuners for the open bass/slothead type head (think 70 and 71) as they have to have longer shafts for the strrings to wind around and they will reach so the shafts will be supported by the center section of the head. this will be no extra charge to the customer but will require a direct purchase from Hipshot. i talked to Josh. this modification will only be available on thier ultra lite tuners HB6 series.

[Pilgrim]

Great to hear!  I'm glad they're making that bridge that fits the earlier Gibsons!

[sniper]

i am going to give it the acid test next week and will report of it works or not. cross your fingers.

[clankenstein]

thats great news.

[eb2]

Hallelujah!!!!!

[eb2]

Also, as these things I believe can ride low, you could compensate for the top curve by sitting them on a couple of washers to clear the wood. 

[uwe]

Hallelujah!!!!!

Waitaminnit, weren't you the guy who quipped in the daze of yore that if you can't get intonation close enough on an old Gibson "then maybe you shoudn't be playing old Gibsons"? When did you have your Saul to Paul moment? 

[eb2]

Just being practical.  There have been more than a few EB's that I have run into that the bridge was just gone.  The poor EB-0s and EB-3s usually get molested with some miserable Badass or worse thing that can sit on the flat top, but with an EB-2, you can't even use that.  Big ole wax blob and arched top, and you need something to go on the studs, so that leaves you with very few options.  I was happy with the Kahlers but that is work, which these days I hate.  And I hate cobbling up old Gibsons.

Truth be told, with flats, a mudbucker, and the old slug bridge, intonation is always close enough.  If you want precise, clanky high end, they really are the wrong thing to give yourself a sore neck with.  I always just wanted something that fit.  Which is probably the motto of old Tarsus.

[Pilgrim]

... And I hate cobbling up old Gibsons.

Truth be told, with flats, a mudbucker, and the old slug bridge, intonation is always close enough.  If you want precise, clanky high end, they really are the wrong thing to give yourself a sore neck with.  I always just wanted something that fit.  Which is probably the motto of old Tarsus.

I agree with the first sentiment.  I hate cobbling up darn near any old bass.

I agree about the intonation.  My '64 Gibby EB-0 intonates just FINE with the original bar bridge and a nice set of Labella flats.  And the Badass that was on it when I got it went by-bye via Ebay.

[eb2]

If you attempt Gibson Mudbucker-esque tone with a P-bass, who needs intonation pefect there either?  I recall reading Carol Kaye's peculiar thoughts on intonating a Fender.  That is how that all works.

[sniper]

IT FITS!!!!!!
it fits my 66 crispy critter with the staggered stud placing. the elongated hole is on the bass side and it worked first time i tried it. Hipshot supplied four studs (two metric and two S.A.E.) along with the Allen wrench to adjust the intonation.

[sniper]

BTW i know its heresy but i decided to go the bolt on route for the neck replacement on the crispy critter.