Hollow Body w/ Hipshot?

Ray Gehringer · From: New Jersey, USA

Just wondering if anyone has tried or has thoughts about putting a Hipshot B-Bender on a Hollow guitar.

I have a Godin 5th Ave w/ a cutaway and really love benders and being that the Hipshot Mechanics are mounted on a plate that sits on top of the guitar I'm wondering if there would be tone loss (muting/damping affect) if added. For that matter Bigsby Trems sit right on the top of hollow guitars all the time so I'm wondering if there would be any more tone loss with a HS Bender than a Bigsby style trem sitting on a hollow guitar?

Any thoughts are appreciated and thanks in advance.

Lincoln Goertzen · From: Taylor, British Columbia, Canada

Hi, Ray,

I have some experience with the Hipshot B-Bender (heretofore referred to as HSBB), although not the Godin 5th Avenue. Nice guitar, by the way! I looked it up on Godin's website just to get a few clues. Here are my knee-jerk thoughts.

#1 I'm afraid it probably won't work really well, at least not as well as you would like.

#2 The reason for #1 is that the HSBB is designed to get its tuning stability from being mounted *securely* at the end-pin of the guitar. There are three screws that hold it in place, one of them replacing the strap button screw. That screw is in a slotted hole. I tried using that screw only, and the whole unit would slide upwards, off the top of the guitar, which was a Tele copy. This caused every string to go out of tune, not just the bent one(s).

#3 Because the HSBB is mounted on a plate that is bent at a 90 dgree angle, I'd be a little concerned about the only contact point being the front edge of the plate. The plate has felt underneath, and even that could be beefed up with leather, perhaps, but even so, it will sit off the top of the guitar at the endblock.

#4 I wouldn't be as concerned about damping the top as I would about #2 and #3. The specs did not tell me if the guitar is built with a center block like a Gibson ES-335 is, but I'm prepared to make an educated guess that most of the models are, based on how the pickups are mounted.

I hope this helps at least little bit, and I wish you well with your string-bending adventures! If you do go ahead and try this, I would love to hear about the results.

Stephen Cowell · From: Round Rock, Texas, USA

When I saw Toni Price record her live album 'Sol Power' I got to see Casper Rawls using an acoustic with a B-bender... I was told it was the only one. Definitely hacked up the guitar... all internal, big post sticking up through the top behind the bridge. This was 1997.
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Ray Gehringer · From: New Jersey, USA

Thanks, Lincoln, thanks Stephen.

All good points and you confirmed what I thought... the HSBB is a "no go" on the Godin. I secretly hoped it might actually work out because I like the 5th Ave so much and it will see plenty of use BUT the Bender just isn't meant to be.

Thanks again fellows.

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

Hey Ray, I've tried a HipShot on a Les Paul and it works great on those.. As far as a hollowbody?.. I've had good luck with the Bigsby palm Pedal benders on those.. I have a BPP on two Epiphone Sheratons, 3 Les Pauls, 1 Ibanez AS-83, an Ibanez Artist semi hollow, two Gibson SGs and an Epiphone Casino hollowbody. Here's an "action" shot of the Casino and another of it with the Ibanez AS-83....JH in Va.

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Ray Gehringer · From: New Jersey, USA

Thank you, Jerry. The Bigsby had crossed my mind but they are a little on the hard to find side... definitely something I'd thought about as a bender does me more good then a tremolo.

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