# Fixed Bridge for a 7, Hipshot or ABM?



## AfroSamurai (Sep 26, 2011)

Hi guys, 

I'm spec'ing a custom 7 and I'm having a difficult time trying to decide the bridge. I've narrowed it down to either a hipshot fixed bridge or an ABM fixed bridge (like the one you find in Mayones guitars).

So basically I would like to hear your opinion on these bridges and if you have played both, I would love to hear which one did you prefer and why.

Thanks!


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## sibanez29 (Sep 26, 2011)

Go with a hipshot, super sturdy. Also, get hipshot locking tuners.


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## scherzo1928 (Sep 27, 2011)

I love the feel of hipshot bridges. Besides, you can get them with a thicker base plate, which is super awesome.

+1 to hipshot tuners as well, unless you go with gotoh 510s haha.


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## AfroSamurai (Sep 27, 2011)

> I love the feel of hipshot bridges. Besides, you can get them with a thicker base plate, which is super awesome.



Do you have to make a special order for the thicker base plate or it's a standard option?

Also, I was planning to get sperzel locking. Are the gotoh's much better?


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## IB-studjent- (Sep 27, 2011)

Gotohs are much better, they have an 18:1 gear ratio which is pretty slick. Sperzels are fine though.


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## sk3ks1s (Sep 27, 2011)

AfroSamurai said:


> Do you have to make a special order for the thicker base plate or it's a standard option?
> 
> Also, I was planning to get sperzel locking. Are the gotoh's much better?



Two thicknesses come standard on most of their fixed bridges...
.127" and .175".

And yes, Sperzels all the way!!!


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## technomancer (Sep 27, 2011)

Also keep in mind that if allparts doesn't have that ABM bridge in stock you could be looking at a LONG wait (4 months or more in some cases)


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## vansinn (Sep 27, 2011)

technomancer said:


> Also keep in mind that if allparts doesn't have that ABM bridge in stock you could be looking at a LONG wait (4 months or more in some cases)



I'm fairly sure orders can be placed directly with ABM.
It's possible though that this is only when they have special offers and sellouts..


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## HaMMerHeD (Sep 27, 2011)

Sorry to threadjack....

Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly is the purpose of the locking tuner?

Maybe it is because bass tuners are so much larger, but I've never had locking tuners on a bass, and I've never had tuning stability problems.

Are the locking tuners mostly a tremolo thing?

Back on topic: Hipshot all the way.


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## AfroSamurai (Sep 27, 2011)

technomancer said:


> Also keep in mind that if allparts doesn't have that ABM bridge in stock you could be looking at a LONG wait (4 months or more in some cases)



That's a good point, I guess I'll have to contact ABM and get a time estimate. Anyway, any of you guys have actually played a guitar with that bridge? I don't want to discard it yet, it looks like a solid bridge.



HaMMerHeD said:


> Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly is the purpose of the locking tuner?



In my experience a good non-locking tuner is as good as a locking one. I prefer locking, because I don't like to wrap the string around the tuner, but it's just a preference thing.

Back on the Hipshot bridge, everyone agrees to go with the thicker base plate? I guess the tone get a tad brighter, but also you get more sustain, is it the case? Also, shoukd I go with the graphite saddles?


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## Stealthdjentstic (Sep 27, 2011)

ABM only if you're going fanned.


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## HaMMerHeD (Sep 27, 2011)

AfroSamurai said:


> In my experience a good non-locking tuner is as good as a locking one. I prefer locking, because I don't like to wrap the string around the tuner, but it's just a preference thing.
> 
> Back on the Hipshot bridge, everyone agrees to go with the thicker base plate? I guess the tone get a tad brighter, but also you get more sustain, is it the case? Also, shoukd I go with the graphite saddles?



I have always felt that wrapping the string around the tuner post is an important part of tuning stability. But again, I play bass, and bass tuners are different.

The thicker baseplate on the bridge is to accommodate greater string height. If your fingerboard stands off from your neck more than 1/2" or so, and your pickups are raised high, you'll need a thicker baseplate.

The argument has been made that a heavier bridge has various contributions to tone, but I don't buy it.


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## AfroSamurai (Sep 27, 2011)

Stealthtastic said:


> ABM only if you're going fanned.


Can you elaborate a little more? Also, I'm not talking about the ABM single saddles.



HaMMerHeD said:


> The thicker baseplate on the bridge is to accommodate greater string height. If your fingerboard stands off from your neck more than 1/2" or so, and your pickups are raised high, you'll need a thicker baseplate.
> 
> The argument has been made that a heavier bridge has various contributions to tone, but I don't buy it.



Thanks for the info, though I'm not sure how much the fingerboard stands off from the neck. So my next question would be, is there any drawback on getting the one with the thicker base plate?


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## Stealthdjentstic (Sep 27, 2011)

I dont feel the extra dough is worth it. I only had a chance to try the single saddles last week though.


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## AfroSamurai (Sep 27, 2011)

As far as I know, the ABM fixed bridge (not the single saddles) costs about the same as the Hipshot.


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## Sepultorture (Sep 27, 2011)

i actually found the hipshot bridge to be more comfortable than the ABMs, the abms i could feel the screws and that bothered me.

as for graphite saddles, they are great if you want to go wot bigger string gauges as you can file the grooves in the saddles to accomodate, also supposedly less chance of string breakage. tone migh be slightly and i mean slightly different as the strings resonating on graphite will be less then metal, as graphite can be a more absorbent to vribration, that's not something i can say with certainty though.

i wouldn't go Sperzel, and i still have them on my apex 2, i prefer something with a greater gear turn ration like 16:1 or 18:1, i turn the sperzels even tiny bit and you can go past pitch. Hipshot are good but i prefer the Schallers


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## cwhitey2 (Sep 27, 2011)

i love my hipshot, best/most comfortable bridge on the market IMO


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## AfroSamurai (Sep 27, 2011)

Sepultorture said:


> as for graphite saddles, they are great if you want to go wot bigger string gauges as you can file the grooves in the saddles to accomodate, also supposedly less chance of string breakage. tone migh be slightly and i mean slightly different as the strings resonating on graphite will be less then metal, as graphite can be a more absorbent to vribration, that's not something i can say with certainty though.



Thanks for the info! I asked about the graphite saddles, because either Nolly or bulb swear by them...can't remember who though  

I have no problem with my sperzels, though I would prefer something with a greater gear turn ratio. I guess I'll do some research.

It seems that the hipshot it's the winner...by far. I still would like to know if there is any drawback on getting the one with the thicker base plate?


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## nothingleft09 (Sep 27, 2011)

AfroSamurai said:


> Back on the Hipshot bridge, everyone agrees to go with the thicker base plate? I guess the tone get a tad brighter, but also you get more sustain, is it the case? Also, shoukd I go with the graphite saddles?


 
I have a hipshot bridge from a run a former forum member did. It's the thicker plate and has graphtec string saver saddles. It's extremely nice. I love mine. Course it's for a fixed bridge Ibanez RG (7621 to be precise in my case)


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## Sepultorture (Sep 30, 2011)

AfroSamurai said:


> Thanks for the info! I asked about the graphite saddles, because either Nolly or bulb swear by them...can't remember who though
> 
> I have no problem with my sperzels, though I would prefer something with a greater gear turn ratio. I guess I'll do some research.
> 
> It seems that the hipshot it's the winner...by far. I still would like to know if there is any drawback on getting the one with the thicker base plate?



only draw back of a thicker plate that i can concieve of would be that the hiehgt would be a little high if you wanted to adjust the saddles down very low, but i can't really see that happening, so really there shouldn't be one that i can think of


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## HaMMerHeD (Sep 30, 2011)

AfroSamurai said:


> It seems that the hipshot it's the winner...by far. I still would like to know if there is any drawback on getting the one with the thicker base plate?



At the lowest adjustment point, the strings will ride 0.05 (or 1/20) inches higher with the thicker baseplate than the thinner one.

This PDF should shed some light on it.


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## technomancer (Sep 30, 2011)

vansinn said:


> I'm fairly sure orders can be placed directly with ABM.
> It's possible though that this is only when they have special offers and sellouts..



Yes if you're in the US you can order direct from ABM in Germany... and pay the additional shipping / import duties and wait longer than going through Allparts.


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## JaeSwift (Sep 30, 2011)

Sepultorture said:


> i actually found the hipshot bridge to be more comfortable than the ABMs, the abms i could feel the screws and that bothered me.
> 
> as for graphite saddles, they are great if you want to go wot bigger string gauges as you can file the grooves in the saddles to accomodate, also supposedly less chance of string breakage. tone migh be slightly and i mean slightly different as the strings resonating on graphite will be less then metal, as graphite can be a more absorbent to vribration, that's not something i can say with certainty though.
> 
> i wouldn't go Sperzel, and i still have them on my apex 2, i prefer something with a greater gear turn ration like 16:1 or 18:1, i turn the sperzels even tiny bit and you can go past pitch. Hipshot are good but i prefer the Schallers



I actually find graphite saddles to be much more resonant than any other saddles I've tried. They're also a lot more punchy than most with a bit of a smoother (but very present) high end.


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## nothingleft09 (Sep 30, 2011)

JaeSwift said:


> I actually find graphite saddles to be much more resonant than any other saddles I've tried. They're also a lot more punchy than most with a bit of a smoother (but very present) high end.


 
I agree.


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## AfroSamurai (Sep 30, 2011)

Thanks for info!

It's pretty cool I can order directly, but it seems there is no love for the ABM bridge .

Also thanks for the info regarding thickness, pretty useful. I'm still doing research regarding the saddles, so I'm not sure which ones I'm going to order (if I end up going with the hipshot bridge).


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## technomancer (Sep 30, 2011)

AfroSamurai said:


> Thanks for info!
> 
> It's pretty cool I can order directly, but it seems there is no love for the ABM bridge .
> 
> Also thanks for the info regarding thickness, pretty useful. I'm still doing research regarding the saddles, so I'm not sure which ones I'm going to order (if I end up going with the hipshot bridge).



Yeah there's a lot of ABM stuff I like, but between that particular bridge and the Hipshot I'd probably just go for the Hipshot


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## Sepultorture (Oct 1, 2011)

technomancer said:


> Yeah there's a lot of ABM stuff I like, but between that particular bridge and the Hipshot I'd probably just go for the Hipshot



2nd-ed many times over


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## AfroSamurai (Oct 1, 2011)

technomancer said:


> Yeah there's a lot of ABM stuff I like, but between that particular bridge and the Hipshot I'd probably just go for the Hipshot



Is there a better ABM fixed 7? As far as I know you can get either this one or the single saddles and the single saddles are kind of expensive ($35 each).


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## technomancer (Oct 1, 2011)

AfroSamurai said:


> Is there a better ABM fixed 7? As far as I know you can get either this one or the single saddles and the single saddles are kind of expensive ($35 each).



I was pretty much talking about their single-saddle stuff


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