The Fixed bridge, Hardtail, the Ibby bridges, all have one thing in common – they are a string-through setup. Up until recently, Hipshot did not offer a single hardtail bridge that was top-loading.

For a guitar parts manufacturer, that’s unusual.

In an effort to add the option to their range, Hipshot have opted to modify the Ibby Flat-Plate. The bridge now sports offset saddles and a row of holes in the back plate for the string’s ball-end. Simple changes whilst still maintaining the model’s unique setup for Ibanez guitars.

Personally, I would have preferred to see the top-loading option added to the Hipshot Hardtail bridge. I’d say it’s the much more versatile bridge, having a smaller footprint and simpler mounting pattern (3 hole versus 3 by 2) to the Ibby.