Hipshot "Stainless Hardtail Bridge" vs Warmoth "Flat mount bridge"

[harry]

I'm considering the Hipshot "Stainless Hardtail Bridge" with 2 1/8" string spacing for my telecaster deluxe project.

http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=328

Has anyone experience with this Hipshot bridge? How is the quality compared to the Warmoth "Strat® Flat Mount Bridge, Humbucker Spacing, Chrome" bridge? Is the quality significant better than the Warmoth bridge?

http://www.warmoth.com/Stratreg-Flat-Mount-Bridge-Humbucker-Spacing-Chrome-P583C705.aspx

I have read on this forum that some people don't get strings high enough when using these Hipshot hardtail bridges. As described in this post: http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=13689.5.

I have all my parts from Warmoth and it is a regular telecaster deluxe body with a vintage modern strat neck. Will I run into problems with the height in the neck pocket?

 

[Cagey]

There was something goofy about that Strat body referenced in the last link. I never did figure out what; I just fixed it.

Hipshot parts are nice - it's highly unlikely you'd be disappointed with any of their products. I've used a number of them and the only caveat I might offer is true of most hardtail bridges - you may want to buy some shorter saddle height adjustment screws. They usually need to be shorter if you do a lotta palm muting, lest they tear up the side of your picking hand.

Situations vary, so it's tough to say which ones or how many you'll need, if any at all. But, they're inexpensive so if you just wanna guess at it you won't hurt your wallet too much in the process by buying stuff you don't even need. Helps maintain the stock levels in the Drawer of Misfit Parts <grin>

 

[bagman67]

I used that exact bridge on my 'Hog and am very happy with it.


Bagman

 

[ragamuffin]

I have their other hard tail bridge and am very happy with it. It's built well and it noticeably improved my guitars sustain over the stock fender Mexican bridge I had.

 

[harry]

I have their other hard tail bridge and am very happy with it. It's built well and it noticeably improved my guitars sustain over the stock fender Mexican bridge I had.

You are talking about another Hipshot, right?

 

[ragamuffin]

I have their other hard tail bridge and am very happy with it. It's built well and it noticeably improved my guitars sustain over the stock fender Mexican bridge I had.

You are talking about another Hipshot, right?

Yup! The modern-ish hardtail

 

[harry]

Okay, thanks for all the answers

It seems that Hipshot is preferred over the Warmoth bridge...

I have to say to get the story straight that when I ordered the body and neck I added the add the narrow Warmoth bridge to the order because I thought it was the only option out there. But when I now know about the alternatives I start to get second thoughts...

I'm a little picky about the parts for this build so I want to get the "best" bridge out there with a "vintage" looking.

Hipshot seems like a very fine bridge, but the saddles don't have the "real" vintage look. After searching a little around the "raw vintage" saddles showed up. I like the concept but they comes without a bridge plate, so I have to use the Warmoth bridge plate with upgraded raw vintage saddles.

So, how important is the bridge plate for the sound and sustain? Or is the most important part of the bridge the saddles?

 

[stratamania]

Harry, if a "vintage" look is important to you something from Callaham, is probably closer to what you are looking for.

http://www.callahamguitars.com/#am_std_hardtails

 

[harry]

Harry, if a "vintage" look is important to you something from Callaham, is probably closer to what you are looking for.

http://www.callahamguitars.com/#am_std_hardtails

Thanks for your suggestion. I have seen these bridges and they seems very nice. The only problem is that the Callaham bridge has the american standard mounting holes, not the vintage. I have the "narrow spaced strat" bridge routing on my body. Callaham has one hard tail vintage bridge, but then the spacing is 2 7/32 not 2 1/8.

Sorry that I'm bothering all of you with my indecisiveness.

Lets frase the question a little simpler:
What other quality hardtail bridges is out there with 2 1/8" spacing and "vintage" mounting.

 

[stratamania]

Harry, I missed that on your mounting holes. I am not personally aware of other hard tail options out there meeting your criteria but I am more of a tremelo user etc. so it's possible there may be.

Another idea maybe to get the Warmoth bridge and some Callaham saddles with the look you are after. Perhaps someone can chime in if they have done this or something similar.

 

[stratamania]

Here is another possibility for using with the Warmoth hardtail and swapping the saddles.

http://www.highwood-guitarparts.com

 

[s1player]

I have not used that specific bridge, but have used Hipshot. But, on a previous build, used a Hipshot Vintage Strat Hardtail Bridge. And, hipshot even did a custom gold tone one for me. It is a fantastic bridge. I would not go to the trouble of swapping saddles to a vintage ones. I like the hipshot saddles better - having had the vintage saddles on a MIM Cray model.

In fact, using another Hipshot Vintage Strat Hardtail bridge in stainless steel on my current build.

 

[frown]

I'll throw my tuppence in here as I've recently completed a Warmoth build with a 'modern' Hipshot bridge that's been mentioned:

This is a Warmoth Replacement Tele Body with a custom option of the 'Hipshot Flat Mount SB 5105-010' bridge route as seen at the bottom of http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies/Options/BridgeRoutingOptions.aspx

While the bridge unit itself possibly isn't the one you're after, maybe the routing option is?

 

[harry]

Ok a little update from me as well.

The Hipshot bridges seems to be great products. I can't relay find any one that says any negative things about their bridges.

Regarding the bridge on my project, I went to a local guitar shop and they had the "raw vintage" saddles in stock. So, since I have a little hangup on the "vintage" look, and they had it in stock, and I did not want to wait two more weeks to get a bridge shipped from the US.  I bought a set and "upgraded" the saddles on the Warmoth bridge. 

I don't know if this actually will be any better than the Hipshot but I will give it a try. (And I actually don't know if it's "upgrading" anything as well, but the guy in the store convinced me that the raw vintage saddles was nice... )

Heres some pictures on the difference from the raw vintage saddles to the warmoth saddles.

 

[RYAN1987M]

Can anyone confirm if the Hipshot Bridge from the OP's original post will fit with the Warmoth Narrow Strat Flat Mount routing option?

For reference, this is the Bridge I mean -

http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=328

I know that the other, more modern Hipshot one, will not fit any of the standardly offered Warmoth routing options.

Thanks!

 

[TBurst Std]

Harry, if a "vintage" look is important to you something from Callaham, is probably closer to what you are looking for.

http://www.callahamguitars.com/#am_std_hardtails

Or Rutters

 

[RYAN1987M]

The Hipshot Hardtail Bridge 41200-M (Modern Spacing) fits my 'Narrow Strat Flat Mount' routed Warmoth Strat body perfectly!

2 1/8" (54 mm) spacing for me...