Hipshot Doubleshot fitted on a Gibson Les Paul

Here’s some great feedback from John who recently purchased a Hipshot Doubleshot for his Gibson Les Paul. Check out the finished installation below:

Hipshot Doubleshot Fitted

Fitting the DoubleShot

There are two versions of the Hipshot DoubleShot; the Flat-Top version and Resonator model. A Fender Telecaster is typically the electric guitar of choice for the Flat-Top; the squared edge of the Tele body lends itself well to these kinds of devices by providing a level surface for the Doubleshot’s right-angled plate.

So what do you do then if the body/top is arched or rounded? The Flat-Top version will not sit flush and the Resonator version is too tall and will not line up with the strap button. John and I had discussed packing out any gaps that the Doubleshot may leave between itself and the top of the guitar. Although the strap button is secure enough, the added material would stop any potential movement of the Doubleshot.

“My Les Paul is lighter weight & perhaps thinner than earlier models, so cut a 3mm gasket from soft leather to raise the DoubleShot at the guitar’s slightly curved outer edge, the metal return (past the strap button) being 2mm longer than the guitar’s thickness. Used slightly longer strap-button screw & fit is tidy & firm.”

Keeping the Tailpiece

You may notice that the stop tail is still in place. With the ball ends now being held by the Doubleshot, the tailpiece is redundant and would therefore be removed. John thought it a good idea to keep the tailpiece to serve as an anchor for the strings; the tailpiece acts similarly to a string tree at the headstock and maintains a sufficient break angle. Tailpieces are normally held in place against their posts by the tension of the strings; with the ball end of the strings now passing through to the DoubleShot, the tailpiece was now loose. To keep it in the right position, John has had to tighten the posts down as much as they can go and apply a small amount of glue.

A nice final touch was the addition of a small amount of rubber on the Doubleshot’s arm which serves a rather important purpose:

“You may notice a longer rubber sleeve on the de-tuning arm. My steel can conveniently be placed & held over this in “standard” mode, without being obtrusive or rattling.”

Thanks for the great photo and feedback, John!

You can find both versions of the Hipshot Doubleshot HERE