The Hipshot has landed!

gearhed289 · Post by **gearhed289** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 8:47 am

Got my new Hipshot 4000 series bridge last Friday. Installed it on my modified 4003S immediately for a gig in Detroit on Saturday. I was told that this is from the second run of these, though it showed up with no packaging (wrapped in bubble wrap) and no mounting screws. I guess you're supposed to use the original screws, though some longer ones would be a good idea for the two that go into the routed area. The holes did not line up exactly, but they're close enough. The first thing I noticed is that this thing is HEAVY! I mean, it's a freakin boat anchor. If you're affraid of some extra weight, you don't want this bridge. It does tend to make the neck feel lighter though. This also means the resulting tone is darker. Again, if you want a vintage Ric tone, this is not for you. I think aluminum would have been a better choice than brass for the base. Having said all that though, I think it's a keeper for me personally. I've had a Schaller on this bass for a few years now with the usual wood filler block/plastic cover over the routed area. I've been really happy with that, but I think this Hipshot has a more even response from string to string. The whole bass seems to feel super solid now. I'll get some pictures up next week. It's living at the rehearsal spot until after Friday's gig.

henny · Post by **henny** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 12:15 pm

Nice. Good when non-rev mods go well.

Looking forward to the pictures.

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 12:39 pm

Tom, where were you playing in the D? Were you in town for the music conference?

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 6:09 pm

gearhed289 · Post by **gearhed289** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 4:26 am

Played at St. Andrew's Hall for the Motor City Music Conference, yes. The best I can do for a pic right now is from the Detroit Free Press. Here's a link:
http://www.freep.com/photos/2005/mc2snaps0425/index.htm
I'm like picture #17. Just keep hitting "next".

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:22 am

gearhed289 · Post by **gearhed289** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:52 am

Thanks Ken! I've been unable to post pictures of any reasonable size here, even at 72 DPI. Any tips before my Hipshot photo shoot?

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 10:43 am

Stay with medium resoluton photos. As far as getting any photo to post depends on what program you are using. If it is MS Photo Editor I can help. I first crop off anything that doesn't add to the pic, Then I use image to resize in pixels, save it and check the properties. If it is too large in KB I play with saving it adjusting the pic quality until I meet forum limits. I did this one at work with some other MS program that I am not as familer with but, it was still managable. Some other forum members have more elaborate programs that do a better job. I am just a novice.

jps · Post by **jps** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 1:15 pm

A three knob 4000! What do they do?

gearhed289 · Post by **gearhed289** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 7:32 am

It's a '89 4003S. Electronics gutted. (1) EMG 35DC in the treble position through an EMG BTS preamp. Vol/bass/treble. DW mirrored pickguard, vintage knobs, 4004L TRC.

And thanks for the photo tips. I switched to 36 DPI and can barely tell the difference.

www.tomthebassplayer.com

jps · Post by **jps** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 2:05 pm

That's an interesting setup for a Rick!

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 2:16 pm

Is that your main axe? I wanted a mirror pickguard!

gearhed289 · Post by **gearhed289** » Sun May 01, 2005 11:31 am

Some new pics:

gearhed289 · Post by **gearhed289** » Sun May 01, 2005 11:40 am

Modern and Vintage:

End shot:

jps · Post by **jps** » Sun May 01, 2005 11:54 am

Now that you've had it for a while, what is your impression of the bridge?