Any real reason to replace a stock Fender bent bridge?

[deepestend]

I've read a lot about this... but your gut reaction: Is it really worth it to spend the money on an upgrade/replacement? How much better is an upgraded bridge going to be?

[Commreman]

No.

[deepestend]

Good to hear. I have a perfectly good "bent" bridge of fine quality. Have just been weighing getting a better gotoh. But I'm not really good enough or playing in situations where the 2% difference is going to be a game changer... but what do I know?

[Slammin]

In my case, the original bridge caused uneven string spacing since the g string saddle would never bunt up against the d string saddle. Not that big of a deal, but it would move sometimes too and it just plain bothered me. Since it was a no-cost fix for me (I had a BAII around), I replaced it.

[bigalbass]

I personally like the way stock Fenders sound and unless I was trying to make my bass into a "funk machine" I would leave the bridge alone. Remember Jaco got his tone from a stock bridge.

[PazzoBasso]

I've superficially replaced a few for looks alone... & one because of a rattling spring (although I could have replaced just the spring)...

[testing1two]

Functionally they work just fine and sonically they sound just fine. Hi-mass replacement bridges will be different, but not necessarily better. In fact, I would venture that most people replace stock bridges because they are listening with their eyes.

[deepestend]

You just read too much talkbass and feel that you "have" to change it out! I'm as much a victim of influence as anybody.

[ksandvik]

Hi mass bridges give more sustain but remove some of the Fender vintage sound. So depending what you aim for, both are fine.

[bassbully]

Leave it be. I will never change them and have zero issues and all the ones I have owned.The threaded reissue bridge is the best of the line if you do replace BTW.

[96tbird]

No real reason at all, but swapping saddles for the threaded type is a good thing, they can be had for about 20 bucks.

[basswave]

I think so.

The bridge will affect many things and one being the percusiveness to the tone of your bass.

I like slightly heavier bridges.
You can really hear it when you slap or on fretless IMHO.

Its really a matter of taste.

[Pilgrim]

Indeed, it's a matter of taste.

Personally, I've never owned a Fender with a bridge problem, and every Fender of mine has sounded just great with the stock bridge.

[deepestend]

I just did a "serious" setup session last night with my generic (might be a Fender) bent bridge and I have to say that I should never have even thought twice. Everything adjusted easily without any issues... and as far as I'm concerned, that's the most important thing to me.

[kraigo]

No reason you have to, but I often do. I'm attracted to high mass bridges. I have left my old Tokai '57 reissue (made in 1985 or 1986 - almost as old now as the instrument it was reissuing was then) alone. I doubt I'd hear a night and day difference if I switched it anyway.

FWIW, my favorite replacement bridge is the Gotoh 201. In the past Warmoth had a very competative price for them: Gotoh 201, 4 String Bass Bridge, Chrome

It's relatively inexpensive and is nicely adjustable.

KO

[thisSNsucks]

Nope, I like the stock Fender bridges.

Some of the cheaper Fender style bridges will have the saddles moving all over the place, but a good bent plate Fender bridge is good enough for me.

[deepestend]

Originally Posted by kraigo

No reason you have to, but I often do. I'm attracted to high mass bridges. I have left my old Tokai '57 reissue (made in 1985 or 1986 - almost as old now as the instrument it was reissuing was then) alone. I doubt I'd hear a night and day difference if I switched it anyway.

FWIW, my favorite replacement bridge is the Gotoh 201. In the past Warmoth had a very competative price for them: Gotoh 201, 4 String Bass Bridge, Chrome

It's relatively inexpensive and is nicely adjustable.

KO

I like the 201 and 203. If I do ever switch out, it will be for one of those.

[chuck norriss]

I might be misled but I'm under the impression that Fender stock bridges allow frequencies/sounds to travel through the bass body more than high mass bridges would, which seem to absorb a good amount of the vibrations. I like to play a bass unplugged; I actually enjoy the sounds that come from it that way, and I feel like the HMB interferes. E.g. Ibanez ATK (which I love) I think all would agree is a very modern sounding & feeling bridge, opposed to Fender Sting Precision (bent bridge). I would liken a HMB to surfing with a wetsuit on or to sex while using a condom.

When I did, I replaced a stock chrome MIM jazz bridge with a Wilkinson brass saddle bridge only because the stock chrome jazz bridge felt and looked cheap.

[96tbird]

Yeah, I agree chrome looks cheap, in the old days it was nickel plate, had that brownish gold undertone. It picked up a nice patina too.

[mongo2]

I prefer the bent plate bridge and of those the threaded saddle bent plate bridge.

Originally Posted by PazzoBasso

I've superficially replaced a few for looks alone... & one because of a rattling spring (although I could have replaced just the spring)...

I just stretch the spring a bit if that happens.