Hipshot bridge discontinued?

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Wed May 16, 2007 6:37 am

Forgive me if this has been discussed before, but I read on another bass forum that the Hipshot Rick replacement bridge will soon be discontinued due to copyright issues? I keep putting off buying one of these because of the ongoing promise of an official updated bridge design from RIC...
Can anybody shed any light onto this subject for me?

Thanks.

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Wed May 16, 2007 6:38 am

I just bought one last night. I hope I get it.

redrickmi · Post by **redrickmi** » Wed May 16, 2007 7:07 am

I saw them on their web site a couple of days ago. They were available in chrome, black and gold.

jim_morris · Post by **jim_morris** » Wed May 16, 2007 12:58 pm

I haven't heard anything like that. The bridge is still for sale in all the same places it has been. Could be just a rumor.

loendmaestro · Post by **loendmaestro** » Wed May 16, 2007 1:06 pm

I was just informed offline that this topic was briefly discussed here in the recent past & was deleted for certain reasons.
My apologies if this thread caused any additional hassle.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed May 16, 2007 2:16 pm

it would be a shame if that bridge gets taken off of the market ... it is superior to the real part ...

it is just way to hard to get certain Ric replacements parts ... that is one of the down sides of owning a Rickenbacker ... some parts are next to impossible to get ...

johnallg · Post by **johnallg** » Wed May 16, 2007 5:17 pm

"The bridge is still for sale in all the same places it has been."

Where for the aluminum one?

cwk · Post by **cwk** » Wed May 16, 2007 8:09 pm

I agree with Jeff.I have been looking at a replacement harness for my 80 4001 but all I could
get was the duel jack from Ric.Some time later I'd like to replace the bridge on my '74 but it seems as though I may not be able to get a Hipshot when I have the time.Bummer...Someones gonna make a killing selling them under the table.

outlaw · Post by **outlaw** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:52 am

There's a few on eBay right now.

http://search-desc.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=unknown&sbrftog=1&catref=C12&from=R10&fcd=1&satitle=rickenbacker+hipshot&sacat=20829%26catref%3DC6&fts=2&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=50322&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=2%26fsoo%3D2&coaction=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search

I just got a black Aluminum one off eBay a couple weeks ago for $99.

It's definitely lighter than the brass one, but still a beefy chunk of AL.

Hipshot will have to retool to make the footprint shape of the replacement bridge be different that the RIC one...

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Thu May 17, 2007 1:36 pm

(grumble grumble)

redrickmi · Post by **redrickmi** » Thu May 17, 2007 2:21 pm

They are available in brass, or aluminum, in chrome, black or gold, from the HipShot web site. Good luck with your searches! I like mine...

johnallg · Post by **johnallg** » Thu May 17, 2007 2:50 pm

And at least $25 more from them. (grumble, grumble)

gothbin · Post by **gothbin** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:25 am

I bought one in time, mounted it and made the intonation very easy on the new bridge. Now the bass has more bass and midtones and the high tones are more clear. In one word better!!! If Ric tries to get rid of Hipshot, then they should come with a solution first. The Hipshot doesn't look like a Ric part so leave it be for the people who want one for their Ric. Like Fender is going to sew Bartolini for making PU's or so.....

If Ric is really bussy to stop Hipshot making the bridge then they hit the consumer. Sorry John Hall for saying this, but I had to get from my chest.....

johnhall · Post by **johnhall** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:41 am

We have no problem whatsoever with them making a bridge/tailpiece combo with the exact same functionality as their current part. What we object to is the "package", the appearance they "borrowed" from us. As such, we've done nothing to affect the consumer; they could have taken the time to develop their own format rather than a shortcut- it's that shortcut that created this problem, nothing we did.

incubus2432 · Post by **incubus2432** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:56 am

I feel that the package options are somewhat limited for Hipshot due to the mute route on the 4001/4003. The only other shape they could have would be a big square or they could have used some sort of trim plate like the old Badass mod. This may be an irrelevant point of course but I would think Hipshot may have just adapted one of their "A" style bridges if it weren't for the giant hole it would leave. It's shape is dictated by this specific application.