Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Why doesn't Hipshot make a replacement bridge with a muting system as an option? That's the only thing that's keeping me from buying one. I'd love to try it out, but unlike a lot of people, I actually use the mute. I cut the cushion much narrower so that it doesn't mess with intonation as much. Turn the knobs, retune quickly. Usually takes about 30 seconds. It'd be nice to have a mute-equipped bridge with modern saddle adjustment and, hey, they could even borrow from their nifty D-tuner design to engage the mute. Anybody with me on this, or am I the only one that feels this way?

Hipshots do come with a great working mute that takes only a nanosecond to employ/deploy....your palm.
I even prefer the Carol Kaye method of putting a piece of masking tape over the strings at the bridge,which is also a lot easier to do with the hipshot.....

woodyng wrote:Hipshots do come with a great working mute that takes only a nanosecond to employ/deploy....your palm.
I even prefer the Carol Kaye method of putting a piece of masking tape over the strings at the bridge,which is also a lot easier to do with the hipshot.....

Palm muting is great, and I do it all the time! But it's a completely different sound from a muted bridge, because you can attack the strings up by the neck and use your normal plucking technique.

I've modded many a stock tailpiece/bridge assembly to work just as well as the Hipshot, without the problems of the Hipshot, or the original part.

The mute is useful on the fretted bass, haven't found a need for it on the fretless. Dane's mod looks cool, the hipshot left me cold.

aceonbass wrote:I've modded many a stock tailpiece/bridge assembly to work just as well as the Hipshot, without the problems of the Hipshot, or the original part.

What problems?

Kiddwad57 wrote:The mute is useful on the fretted bass, haven't found a need for it on the fretless. Dane's mod looks cool, the hipshot left me cold.

How so?

meursault42 wrote:

aceonbass wrote:I've modded many a stock tailpiece/bridge assembly to work just as well as the Hipshot, without the problems of the Hipshot, or the original part.

What problems?

The Hipshot saddles don't have the usual "walls" between them that firmly align them (as on other Hipshot bridges), and the grooves in the baseplate do a poor job of this for those who play aggressively. The Hipshot saddles also rattle, their adjustment screws often freeze up, and they cannot be adjusted as low as the stock bridge can.

The mute on the fretted creates a decay that closely resembles an Ampeg Baby Bass. The fretless allows subtle shading of decay through both left and right hand techniques so dialing up the mute hasn't been necessary. Re the Hipshot: jump into all the miles of threads on this and other forums, there're many valid viewpoints pro and con, and you can find lots to choose from in the second hand classifieds.