Badass Bass Bridge

woodsideh · #1 04-21-2009, 02:54 PM

Are these worth it? I play an american standard jazz and have always kept my basses original. I keep hearing a lot about the Badass bridge. What's the deal? What's the difference between the Badass II and the Badass III? I have noticed that some have string grooves and some don't.

crucialklint · #2 04-21-2009, 03:03 PM

The Badass II mounts on 5 screw Fenders. The Badass III mounts on 3 screw string-through Fenders.

JTE · #3 04-21-2009, 03:08 PM

Are they worth it? For some folks they are, for some they ain't. I used to manage a guitar store (1977-1988) and I've owned some basses with BA-II's on them. For me they are not worth it. I LIKE the way a stock Fender vintage style bridge works and how it sounds. I don't want more sustain, I've never owned a Fender with falling saddles that I couldn't fix, and so there's no reason to change them.

The deal? The original Badass was designed to help with specific problems on GIBSON basses. Those basse's stock saddles would be nylon, lots of moving parts that weren't particularlly stable, and the didn't offer much range of motion. So the original BA was made to give those Gibson's a more stable bridge with enough range of adjustmetn to get it into tune and the action where it needs to be.

In the '70s people playing new Fenders that weren't as good as old ones were trying anything to make them sound better. Someone started putting Badass bridges on Fenders, but the original ones were very tall (remember, they were designed to overcome shortcomings of the Gibson bass bridges) so you had to route out wood to set the BA into a Fender body. There was enough of that happenng that Leo Quann started making the BA II specifically for Fenders. It's just a BA with a smaller base plate that allows it to sit on top of a Fender bass body without routing. If you have a Fender and you want to try a BA, make sure you get a BA-II.

You say you've got an American Standard however. That bass already has a bridge with a lot of the useful features of a BA. It's got grooves to keep the saddles from sliding side-to-side, it's got a bit heavier base-plate, and heavier saddles than a vintage style Fender bridge. I'm not sure what a BA brings to the table for that bass.

jte

flea claypool · #4 04-21-2009, 03:28 PM

search button is worth more tbh buddy

hate badasses ugly out

ironrat · #5 04-21-2009, 07:54 PM

don't buy it.
Coincidentally today I removed the BA II from my Frankie (P Bass copy with mixed parts) and installed the bent metal original. Frankie got back his deep sound. With the BA II it sounded trebley.

Keep the stock one, IMO.

southernrocker · #6 04-21-2009, 08:00 PM

Get the badass, but as ironrat put it, it depends on what sound you want. It's a solid bridge for me, and I dislike flimsy fender bridges. You won't have to drill new holes in your bass. For me, it was worth every penny, and I'd buy one again. It all depends on your sound. If you can play on one, do that.

I'd say get it!

gjbassist · #7 04-21-2009, 08:14 PM

I have a BA II on one of my Fender Jazz basses. On the other I have a Gotoh high mass bridge that cost less than half the price of the BA bridge. I honestly can't tell a difference in the two. I like how solid the BA bridge is but I think they are over rated and over priced!

6Steve6Harris6 · #8 04-21-2009, 08:50 PM

I think an upgraded bridge could help, but I would overlook the Bad Ass.

I used to own a BAII, and I swapped it for a Gotoh. Never been happier with a bridge, and for a lot less money, to boot.

LCW · #9 04-21-2009, 09:24 PM

gotoh 201's cheaper and way better

the saddles are rounded making the strings touch less which equals more sustain

also they look better

idk i really like my gotoh

there 35$ at bass resource or whatever its called

Foamy · #10 04-21-2009, 09:28 PM

I have BAII on my Geddy and Jag. I love the feel of them. I like the heaviness and the feeling of more mass there. I can't say that I hear any different in the sounds though. And for a Mark Hoppus body I just bought, I put the new Fender HMV bridge on, and it is also very very beefy and feels good and solid. If it were I, I would upgrade the bridge to something beefier - and a lot folks like the Gotoh's, so that may be the best bang for the buck.

southernrocker · #11 04-21-2009, 10:29 PM

The gotoh's don't have "Badass" stamped into them, though!

Do try to play both and see what you think. Anything's better than a stock fender bridge.

woodsideh · #12 04-22-2009, 09:45 AM

I have done a little research on the Gotoh bridge and it seams that they only make a 5 hole replacement. Since I have a 3 hole string through what kind of issues will I run into.

GM60466 · #13 04-22-2009, 09:49 AM

I have BAII on all my Fender basses. I would never go back to the ones that came with the basses

G

Foamy · #14 04-22-2009, 11:03 AM

I just got this bridge: http://www.darrenriley.com/shop/cart..._detail&p=1730

It is stunning-looking. Very beefy, and I "feel" it is at least as good as the BadAss.

I think this is the Gotoh you're looking for: BB-3575-010

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodsideh

I have done a little research on the Gotoh bridge and it seams that they only make a 5 hole replacement. Since I have a 3 hole string through what kind of issues will I run into.

Relic · #15 04-22-2009, 01:49 PM

It's personal choice as evidenced by the replies on this thread. I like the way the BA II looks - it gives a bass a classier, cleaner look and improves the sound and feel slightly but not so much so that it's a night/day difference.
BA III is more for string through basses and it's pre-grooved, the BAII is not. That said, you can groove it yourself if you know what you're doing, take it to somebody and have them do it for you or just leave it ungrooved. I've been using an ungrooved one on a J bass for several years now without a single issue.

jamesie · #16 04-22-2009, 04:23 PM

i use badass bridges since about 20 years (don´t remember exactly, but i think it was the first replacement bridge for fenders) on my fender basses and never had troubles with that - on my jag is the badass II now - i like the badass II much more than the stock one (which is crap in my ears and eyes)

for me they are worth it, otherwise i did not buy it, but that´s me

Philbiker · #17 04-22-2009, 04:50 PM

I've never liked Badass II replacement bridges much. The Ken Smith bridge is a high mass bridge direct 5 screw replacement that I like a lot more.

rimtism123 · #18 04-22-2009, 04:52 PM

On the Badass II you have to file your own string slots. I like it because it feels more "custom". I feel this way because I've tricked out my jazz so much that I consider it not just my jazz bass but MY jazz bass.

Soloshchenko · #19 04-22-2009, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LCW

gotoh 201's cheaper and way better

the saddles are rounded making the strings touch less which equals more sustain

also they look better

idk i really like my gotoh

there 35$ at bass resource or whatever its called

I'd say the same. I really like my Gotoh 201 on my Fender MIM jazz. An easy mod that has given me more sustain and is far more stable than the original piece of crap that was on there with its flappy, falling saddles.

I find it ridiculous that BADASS make you pay more for putting bloody groves in the saddles. I have a life, I don't want to waste my time doing that.

Meatrus · #20 04-22-2009, 05:29 PM

I wish I had read this before I bought mine! Everything I read was positive about them when I bought mine. Still I don't really regret buying it as it looks nice and is definitely more solid than the stock bridge on my Mexican Fender Jazz, so the saddles never move or rattle. But it didn't improve my sound, and raised my action by a great deal, I had to put a shim under the neck even after cutting the grooves.

Hope this helps