Tailpiece question--"prison bars"

[cassius987]

Another noobish question from cassius:

What's up with the "prison bars" that are parallel to the strings and occur above the foam mute pad? Are they just there to look sexy, or (as I would have to assume) do they fulfill a purpose? Does their presence affect tone in any way? I am no machinist so I can't guess how having "rings" of contiguous metal going above open air would affect tone/resonance/transmittance. They can't really do anything to hold the mute in place, because the strings do that topside, and the glue does that bottomside where it touches the metal strip that raises and lowers it.

Reason I ask is, it would be a lot easier for me to palm mute if they just weren't there. It might be garish, but what if you sawed them off to make room for palm muting?

[jps]

You can cut them off. IIRC, the 5 string tailpiece does not have those due to the extra string.

[rickenbrother]

IIRC, the 5 string tailpiece does not have those due to the extra string.

That's right, Jeffrey.

[johnallg]

Two from the registry:

[kiramdear]

Have you seen where anyone cut them off? That's interesting.

Not to divert but I'd like to restore the mute in my 4001 and use it; the foam has been hacked away. When I'm using a pick I usually frame my hand around the pickup cover and pick just forward and palm-mute just aft. The foam would give me a resonance "gate" that could be useful, I'm guessing, when trying to control the bottom open "E" string note that I love to use when possible.

I'd be curious if anyone's removed the mute. Seems like there might be a replacement bridge that doesn't have one? That might look nicer.

[johnallg]

Kira, I believe Dane Wilder has milled off the "teeth" on a bridge, and also Jeff Rath, IIRC.

To replace the mute pad, you have to remove the whole tailpiece, then clean the metal that holds the pad, and install a new pad. http://www.rickenbacker.com/cart.asp?vi ... cellaneous

And lastly, haven't you seen a Hipshot bridge? http://store.hipshotproducts.com/cart.p ... tail&p=215

[kiramdear]

Thanks, John.

Gee, a whole dollar for a replacement pad? That's gotta be the cheapest part on the whole bass, after screws.

Yeah, the hipshot. I hadn't really been shopping for a new bridge because mine is good. But if I wanted a change like that, I'd probably spend the hunski to spare the old bridge intact. One could sell it to offset the cost of a replacement. That pleases my sense of karmic balance a little bit better in general than contemplating a mod like that, unless there's no choice. Just my personal policy. Hipshot is not too bad looking either.

[cassius987]

I put a Hipshot on my 4003--but not my 4003FL, which came with a perfectly setup bridge. I'm still in the trial period with it but, even though I wasn't expecting much, so far the experience has been very positive. As for palm-muting with it it, once you have each string correctly intoned the saddles will be offset a bit and it's difficult to p.m. all the strings simultaneously. In my case, the E string is set about 1/3'' behind the other three which are all close together. I surmise that a stock bridge minus the "prison bars" is going to be easier to p.m. on for this reason.

[jps]

As for palm-muting with it it, once you have each string correctly intoned the saddles will be offset a bit and it's difficult to p.m. all the strings simultaneously. In my case, the E string is set about 1/3'' behind the other three which are all close together. I surmise that a stock bridge minus the "prison bars" is going to be easier to p.m. on for this reason.

Why would it be easier to palm mute (PM) with the RIC bridge vs. the Hipshot. Intonation settings would be the same with either bridge so I would think that PMing would be pretty much the same. The E string would still be about a 1/3" behind the others on both bridges if that is what it takes to set the correct intonation.

[woodyng]

wouldn't that still leave the 2 big adjustment screws on the outer edges...or,just as bad....2 big holes where they were? the hipshot is SO much easier......

[kiramdear]

Yeah, don't deface - replace.

I'm imagining a rick bridge with its teeth missing. Whatever the rationale, my inner artiste would every time I looked at her. The teeth have always been one of the beautiful styling details in my mind.

[cassius987]

As for palm-muting with it it, once you have each string correctly intoned the saddles will be offset a bit and it's difficult to p.m. all the strings simultaneously. In my case, the E string is set about 1/3'' behind the other three which are all close together. I surmise that a stock bridge minus the "prison bars" is going to be easier to p.m. on for this reason.

Why would it be easier to palm mute (PM) with the RIC bridge vs. the Hipshot. Intonation settings would be the same with either bridge so I would think that PMing would be pretty much the same. The E string would still be about a 1/3" behind the others on both bridges if that is what it takes to set the correct intonation.

The way the Hipshot saddles are, they are each independent, not housed on the same combined bridge. This is mostly a good thing. However it also makes them a little more difficult to evenly palm mute even if the intonation is set the same. Just speaking from experience after trying to p.m. behind the prison bars, feeling how it feels on my palm, then doing it on my perfectly intoned 4003 with Hipshot.

[jps]

Interesting, as I never had a problem palm muting this:

[cassius987]

How do you like the Hipshot on your fretless? I think the reason you don't have any trouble palm muting is because of the pickup guard's absence on yours. I normally don't consider mine in the way but now that p.m.ing appears more possible, I tried it out, and my fingers land right on the pickup guard meaning I can't do it without contorting my hand. I actually have better luck on the stock Ric bridge--with the guard on.

Did you experience any increase in noise after you removed the guard? I may have to remove mine.

Edit: Your EX?? You sold that pretty bass? It looks just like the one Hipshot uses to display the bridge on its site.

[johnallg]

It looks just like the one Hipshot uses to display the bridge on its site.

For a very good reason.....