NEED HELP WITH MY DREAM BASS!!!!

Hi,this is my first post so maybe you guys can help me? I'm having an Ironbird bass body blank put together for myself, now i have been playing for close to twenty years, and i'm as influenced by guitar players as much as fellow bass players, so having the tremolo option is intriguing to me, and being i have the luxury of talking to the builder,(im no luthier),I have been obsessing over the details, the man putting this together for me is telling me that the tailpiece/extension for the bridge isnt wide enough for a kahler, judging from pictures, the kahler 7410 looks approximately as wide as a jazz pickup, i think that some of the ironbird tailpieces varied in size, Im gonna have him measure it tomorow, because i wanna go all out on this baby, so if anyone can give me the measurements for the kahler 7410, and possibly the hipshot i would appreciate it, i found both these brands of bass tremolos on ebay for good prices, and i want to be 100% sure before i buy a bridge, he was telling me that he thinks a badass 1 would fit, but this bridge is harder to find than Kahler and Hipshots, (and not much of a price difference on ebay) looking at the pictures on the ed roman site of the blank i purchased, it appears to be wide and long enough, so maybe there is a possibility that some kahler's were larger than others, and he is using that as a template. if not, i hope the hipshot will work, i know it requires more routing, but it dosent appear to need to be screwed on top, making it a better potential fit, so if anyone has measurements of the Kahler7410 and or the Hipshot 4 string tremolo i would much appreciate it!

I just repaired / refinished an 86 ironbird.

Did some research because I wanted to put a kahler on it. There were factory ironbirds with kahlers on them. THESE IRONBIRDS WERE DIFFERENT BODY DIMENSIONS than the solid tail bridge ones. The solid tail bodies were shorter so, what space there is on that block sticking out the back doesnt sit far enuff back to get a 7410 to intonate properly when installed.

Now that you mention it, its not wide enuff either. You could fake it, but there would be base sticking over the edges and thats where it screws in.

The only ironbird body that would work is one that is kahler trem from the factory or a custom made body.

All of the kahler 4 and 5 string models have the same footprint dimensions.

I have a mech drawing with all critical measurements for an ameture to do an install. Im on my phone and the drawing is on my computer, so ill post it tomorrow.

I just mounted a kahler hardtail bridge on my ironbird. I love it! The thread is in here somewhere. The original "youll put your eye out" thread I think.

And if your guy cant do it for you because it requires the correct body, I can cut that body ... and im looking for work. Plus side is, new body, you get everything exactly how you want it.

If its roman making this body they should know better ... Ed did.

... and you will pay for it. Way too much IMHO.

this is the introduction thread and maybe this thread should be in the kahler thread or even general silliness thread ... or maybe i'm just being OCD and uptight.

but anyhow .......

these are the measurements for a kahler 7410 hybrid rear facing saddle trem system. its not wether it seems like it would fit or not all the time as so much that when you install it you can properly intonate the bass. all measurements for placement should start at the intonation line on your bass. in otherwords, the positions of the saddles on the kahler need to be in the same position of your currently installed bridge or +- .45" (for each string) from the line 17" from your 12th fret on the body for a 34" scale.

also, the height the whole trem sits needs to addressed. kahler saddles sit a bit higher than other bridges. if the saddles are positioned all the way down, the string will buzz on the roller saddle manifold. to get a better angle on the manifold and get it away from the strings, some have shimmed up the neck with and without success (yuk, dont shim your neck) and i, personally, have found it best to take the extra step and countersink the whole base of the trem 1/8" - 3/16" into the top of the bass. (again, gotta find the picture)






this is my ironbird. as you can see, the kahler hardtail bridge is all the way to the back of the body. this body was designed to have that block sticking out the back to accommodate room for the standard bridge to be mounted in the range for proper intonation. a kahler trem needs a bit more room behind where a normal bridge would sit so, on this body, the trem base would be hanging off the back ... theres just no room for it. ypu can also see that the base of the hardtail bridge is sticking out either side of the block (oh well right?). it doesnt compromise its mounting screws or playability and probably wouldnt be noticed if i didnt point it out.





another view ... before i refinished it ......



here is one with a hardtail bridge that was a model year it came factory with a kahler trem (even tho it doesnt have one). this is what you should have gotten from roman ....... the top body angle is wider and the block sits back an inch further. you could put a kahler on this one!