Recently, we’ve put up quite a few articles revolving around tremolo-style bridges, such as How to Set Up a Floyd Rose and an Original Floyd Rose Guide. I figured it was time to show some extra attention to our beloved hardtail bridges.

So without further ado, Wired Guitarist’s Top 4 Hardtail Bridges!

1. Hipshot

You already knew that this one would make the list. The Hipshot fixed bridge is probably one of the most popular bridges among modern guitarists. These are pretty much ‘drop-in’ replacements for most oversized hard tail bridges, and are quite affordable, which has probably aided their growth in popularity.

Offered in black, gold, and chrome, the super low-profile string-thru bridge is artfully designed and very sleek. A brass base and stainless steel saddles make for a solid-built product that delivers maximum sustain.

Another cool feature of Hipshot is that they even sell “Solo String” bridges for multi-scale players.

(What’s multi-scale you say? Time to get with the times and read about multi-scale here!)

The smooth design, comfort of use, and quality parts earned Hipshot it’s spot on our list.

If you have never tried one, you can upgrade your guitar’s bridge with a Hipshot for around $95.

2. Schaller Hannes

Probably the most comfortable bridge on the list, in my opinion, is the Schaller Hanes.

The saddles on the Schaller have a bit of a curve to them, which gives them a nice ergonomic shape to rest your hand. Plus, it sits just a bit higher than a Hipshot, which for me, makes it easier to palm mute comfortably.

The Schaller bridges are built to the highest of quality standards and require very little maintenance. When guitar maintenance is required, the individual string couplers make for easy intonation fixes.

If you’re curious how to accurately set your intonation, we have a sweet guide on doing just that!

My only actual complaint (it’s quite subjective) is that I don’t like the way the Schaller bridges look in comparison to Hipshot. They just aren’t quite as sleek. That’s just me, but otherwise, they are probably my favorite that I’ve used!

Arguably one of the highest quality hardtails available, these will run you upwards of $160.

3. Ibanez Gibraltar Plus

These tend to be love/hate for a lot of people, but I’m going to put them on here anyway because I adore the Gibraltar on my RGA.

The Gibraltar bridge is well known for it’s high level of comfort and easy-to-use design and was found on the highly revered RGA 121.

The entire bridge has a nice full curve to it, which makes it quite ergonomic. I actually favor the shape of this bridge to the Schaller. The Schaller wins in comfort though, due to the string-thru-body design. Sometimes on the Gibraltar, I find myself hitting the string ball-ends with my hand a bit, which can become an annoyance.

With that being said, the bridge design on the Gibraltar makes changing strings a breeze. You just slide the string through the back of the bridge and then right up to the tuning machines. No need to run the strings through the back of the guitar!

One other complaint about this bridge is that the design makes it a bit hard to string the guitar with super heavy gauge strings. This bridge has actually been discontinued and the current models do not have this problem. I’m still a fan of the old Gibraltar Plus though.

You can’t really buy these on their own as are designed specifically for Ibanez guitars.

4. ABM Modern

ABM bridges are much less common than the others on the list. You’ll often see them as a custom option on high-end guitars such as the Mayones Regius.

Like the Gibraltar, the ABM is another love/hate bridge. Although objectively built very well with high-end parts, some people find them to be too small to rest their hands on. While this may be an issue for some, for others it’s wonderful.

Being the smallest bridge on the list, it’s smooth design is extremely comfortable for players with a light right hand. It’s not as much to hang onto if your dig in hard with your right hand. It’s small size and sleek design also make for one of the nicest looking bridges available as well.

ABM also makes a ton of different options such as a few different shapes as well as single string bridges for multi-scale players. They even make this model available as a string-thru or top-mount.

A bit on the pricer side of things, these high quality, low-profile bridges will run around $120.

There you have it! I hope this article has helped you narrow down your search for the perfect bridge. They are all really great options, and there’s even more on the market to choose from as well! If you enjoyed this article we have a ton more. So be sure to check those out!

Also, don’t forget we are a dealer for many beloved brands such as Ibanez, Mayones, ESP, Schecter, PRS, and more! You can check out our shop here!

This article was written by Zac Buras, our editor located in Louisiana.

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