Hipshot fixed bridge with thicker baseplate

[David.Bernstein]

I built a Warmoth HH telecaster recently with the Hipshot bridge. Flat body (not carved) so neck pocket is not angled. No 720 mod. I bought both versions of the Hipshot bridge: the one with the 0.125" thick baseplate, which Warmoth recommends, and the thicker 0.175" baseplate. After setting up the guitar with fairly low action (1.25 to 1.5 mm, bottom of string to 12th fret distance) I found that both bridges work. Ended up using the thicker one because with the thinner bridge the saddle height screws were extended pretty far. I'm sure this would have been fine but I just liked the thicker plate better. Below is a (not very good) picture of what the saddles look like after the full setup. Basically posting this in case someone out there is wondering what the difference is in practice.

 

[JohnnyHardtail]

Thanks for posting about this. What if warmoth could offer a slightly deeper neck pocket for use with hardtail bridges, around 0.050” deeper than standard. What do you think?

 

[David.Bernstein]

Yeah I wonder. Either bridge works technically so not sure it's worth their trouble to offer yet another option.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Perhaps the increased mass of the baseplate may result in an increase in resonance…

 

[JohnnyHardtail]

I don't know about the benefit of increased weight. I only tried the standard height Hipshot bridge sold by Warmoth, and it's a fairly substantial piece. However the ground wire can be a problem if it causes a "flatmount" hardtail bridge to not sit flat on the wood, so that's the first point for attention IMO.

 

[Steve_Karl]

I still have do do some micro measuring before committing to either the .125 or .175 but I am 'suspecting' I'd not be able to get a high enough action with the .125.

UPDATE: I measured my old 1980s hard-tail Warmoth and even the .175 won't give me a high enough action -
and I even have it set pretty low right now.

My (Unknown brand name) Bridge mesurements
Floor Height = ~.086 to ~.089
Low E from the body ~.570 Top of String - Bottom of String ~.534
Hi E from the body ~.543 Top of String - Bottom of String ~.533
Measurements of the string from the body were done as close to the saddle as possible.

Attached see the specs for the .175 model.

 

[ender_wiggum]

@Steve_Karl I'm getting similar results.

I'm installing the .125 hipshot using standard warmoth strat neck pocket and neck... I'm also using the biggest frets they offer, and I can't get the action high enough to be proper. To be fair it isn't far off. Looking at my other Warmoths (with Schaller 475 and tune-o-matics), it looks like the .125 would likely never work for my setups. Gonna 3D print a shim to simulate the .175 and see if that does it.

 

[Spud]

And this is why I advocate sanding the turtle off or nearly off of the neck to get a good setup = no crazy angled upward saddles.


It's the Spud way. Hear me now and believe me later.

 

[ender_wiggum]

I made two shims:

* 1.25 mm (making my .125 bridge a .175)
* 3 mm (that I figured would be better based on my measurements)


1.25 mm worked, but the height adjusters were still towards the upper end of adjustment.
3mm flipped it, and now I'm about 25% of adjustment from the bottom... I like that better.

Optimal would be about 2 to 2.5 mm for my guitar.