Hipshot KickAss High-mass Bass Bridge for 5-bolt Fender, Black

I generally dislike the way hi-mass bridges look. My favorite bass bridge is the American Deluxe bent plate style because it has grooves to keep the saddles from moving side-to-side. However, it is a 3-bolt/string thru bridge only. Recently, I built a parts bass using a Player series jazz body. I routed it for a Precision pickup in the neck position (like a Reggie Hamilton sig). The stock bent-plate bridge was not adequate. Even with well-tensioned strings, the saddles would move side to side. Stability was an issue. Mixing a P and J pickup with the bridge pickup in the 60's required fine tuning the string spacing to have each string pass between the pole pieces. Finally, the stock bridge had a ping-y resonance that didn't come through the amp, but was very audible and annoying acoustically. The Hipshot Kickass bridge very quickly solved all of these issues. First, it is very easy to install. It really does drop right in. The mechanical engineering is such that it takes less effort to quickly and precisely dial in the correct intonation for each string. It avoided the common pitfall of hi-mass bridges requiring a neck shim to set a lower action. No shims required. I was able to use the string spacing adjustment to get a best possible fit of the string between the pole pieces on both the P and J pickups. Tuning/Overall stability is among the best of any bridge I've used. There is no weird acoustic resonance in this block of metal -- all of the ping-y sounds are gone. The Kickass did not noticeably alter the amplified tone of the instrument. However, it did something unexpected. My clip-on tuner has always been finicky with the E and A strings on a bass. After installing this bridge, the clip-on Korg tuner has perfect tracking & accuracy for the two lowest strings. So even if the sound isn't altered, this bridge is improving sound transfer through the body in some way. Finally, it does feel more solid when playing. I still think Hi Mass bridges look ugly, but this does such a good job at so many things, I'm totally willing to overlook it. I would install this on any Fender bass where the Am Dlx bridge is not an option without hesitation. Great value for the money, and works phenomenally well.

Great Bridge good quality highly adjustable. If you want to go high mass hard to go wrong with this one

I just finished an upgrade on a Gretsch G2220 Jet bass (30.3 short scale neck), replacing the stock tuners with Gotoh GB707s, and the stock bridge with a Hipshot KickAss 5 bolt bridge. The stock bridge was a little wonky and for some reason the string spacing was not consistent between strings. I really liked the adjustable string spacing of the Hipshot. Installation was very easy, with bolt spacing matching exactly. With the upgrade, I selected a set of Rotosound 88 short scale nylon flat wound strings. As the Rotosounds were a lot heavier gauge than the stock strings, I had to adjust the neck relief, and fine tune the string heights before setting the intonation. Before I screwed the Hipshot down, I set the intonation spacing to match what I had on the stock bridge. I swapped out the low E intonation screw with the shorter screw and spring that was supplied by Hipshot. Once all the tweaking was done, I was extremely impressed as the intonation came out dead on, and the action on the neck (although a few mm's higher for the heavier strings) is awesome, with no fret buzz. The ONLY thing I would advise if someone is looking at this for their short scale bass, is that you need to investigate the string speaking length for the brand of strings you are planning on using. The Hipshot bridge heel (where the ball end of the strings are held) sits about 1/4" farther back than the stock bridge heel. The Rotosound 88 short scale strings I planned on using just fit, with the low E and A silk portions clearing the nut, the G string silk barely clearing the silk, and the high E silk winding up on the nut. I was able to trim back about an 1/8" of the silk to get the nylon wrap onto the nut.. I was surprised looking at other manufacturers short scale bass strings the wide difference in speaking lengths between short scale bass strings.

Amazing quality, lots of easy options for intonation!! Short springs and bolts for the heavier strings, if needed. I love the look, the sustain and sound seem better than the cheap stock bridge. Blacking out my bass is taking it's time, but this was a no-brainer. Due to ease of use alone, I give this thing 5 stars. Will be replacing more bridges in the future for this beast!

Great upgrade compared to stock bridge, action is very low and nice! I ordered the stainless steel inserts from Hipshot but the brass ones that are included sound great! I may try the steel someday but in no hurry The ball ends of the strings are hidden by the bridge which is a nice feature(see my pictures) This bolted right on to my project bass! The screws that are included have slightly larger heads than the stock fender(or likely whatever brand you’re currently using) screws.. the saddle inserts having adjustable string spacing by turning a set screw to move the insert side to side and then lock in is a nice feature as well! I’d recommend using them :) this things kicks booty!

I have constructed a purpose-built dub/reggae chassis whose bridge had reached its mechanical limits when I moved to BEAD tuning and tapewound strings about a year ago. I’d heard all the tales of the added sustain that’s gained from high mass bridges so I steered clear. I’m glad I finally took the leap. It proved to be the answer to some softness in my low B string. Now it’s springy and full of life. My old bridge simply couldn’t handle the heavy gauges. The installation was a breeze. The adjustability of the saddles is a game changer. It fits perfectly and looks great. I should add that I was concerned that the product might be counterfeit but those fears were unfounded. This is the real deal. Well built and worth every penny.

Very nice bridge with a ton of adjustment. I've used these on a number of my custom builds and my customers' love the,

It’s a bit of a weird design in that there is not nearly as much useable range of adjustment as you think at first glance due to the limitations of the intonation screw in how far it can screw into the saddle. I am going to have to cut a screw to properly intonate my low E string - which will be a challenge to ensure it threads properly and will require careful cutting, sanding and smoothing. My other minor complaint is that height and string spacing adjustment screws will strip very easily like in all of Hipshot’s bridges. I think they make good products, but these adjustment screws are rather cheap. I’ve emailed their support inquiring about appropriate replacements and they don’t even respond unfortunately. Other than those gripes - it is a pretty nice bridge. Nice and solid, and very customizable to your needs.

Ideal high mass bridge for spacing strings over pickup magnets. Might be heavier than some people would like. I have them on 2 basses and love them.

If your looking to upgrade the bridge of your bass guitar this is it.

Very solid, stable, well made bridge, with easy to use intonation & brass saddles. 100% reccomended👍

Was super easy to install and setup, has substantial weight to it, lots of options for adjustability, definitely adds sustain and good tone, and it looks just fantastic! I also love that it comes with shorter saddle screws and springs for the E and A string so you can get proper intonation.

Excelente puente, bastante sustain y sonido más definido, me gustó la cantidad de combinaciones que se pueden hacer en el ajuste de la altura 👌🏻