badass bridge

gary ashall · #1 05-30-2011, 05:32 PM

just put a badass on my 75 jazz. the saddles are not grooved but need to be. thing is,i dont want to pay loads of cash for the files required.can anyone recommend any cheap and successful options for filing the grooves into my bridge saddles ?

fenderhutz · #2 05-30-2011, 05:35 PM

You don't have to groove them. I never did for my unslotted. Worked fine. I lowered the saddles to compensate.

SlingBass4 · #3 05-30-2011, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

You don't have to groove them. I never did for my unslotted. Worked fine. I lowered the saddles to compensate.

Interesting. I have the pre-grooved models, but since the string alignment is so straight......I could imagine one could go without filing them (unless one plays very hard). I'll watch this thread to see how others sound out about their thoughts and experiences.

trunkshope6 · #4 05-30-2011, 06:31 PM

a triangular file thats around 6 bucks is all u need.

GM60466 · #5 05-30-2011, 06:36 PM

Be serious about your equipment. Take you bass to someone who knows what the heck they are doing and pay him/her. Do it right. You'll thank me in the morning.

PazzoBasso · #6 05-30-2011, 06:37 PM

I got my first Badass in the 80's & didn't realize it needed grooving - just stuck it on & played - worked fine... The strings eventually created some indents & in later years I grooved it & have grooved the saddles on all my BA's since using some cheapo triangular files (as per trunkshope6's suggestion) - just don't groove the high string saddles as deeply as the lows...

fenderhutz · #7 05-30-2011, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlingBass4

Interesting. I have the pre-grooved models, but since the string alignment is so straight......I could imagine one could go without filing them (unless one plays very hard). I'll watch this thread to see how others sound out about their thoughts and experiences.

I played downtuned and hard. No issues. Too much tension unless you were plucking hard 1/2 inch off the bridge.

cataract · #8 05-30-2011, 09:32 PM

I've a Badass Bass II bridge.. no grooves and no problems for 12 years.

walterw · #9 05-30-2011, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GM60466

Be serious about your equipment. Take you bass to someone who knows what the heck they are doing and pay him/her. Do it right. You'll thank me in the morning.

+1

don't spend $100 on a bridge just to run it half-assed.

get the grooves done right (you only get one chance) and the strings will ring clearer, sustain longer, and keep a consistent spacing (important for jazz basses to put the strings between the magnet pairs where they belong).

yes you can use it with no grooves, but that defeats its whole design. (you can also eat peas with a knife and steer a car with your knees

)

Foamy · #10 05-30-2011, 09:47 PM

I play hard, and have BadAss bridges on a few of my basses - not grooved. Never a problem in the least.
My advice is to NOT groove them unless required for string spacing/alignment.

Rokoko · #11 05-31-2011, 02:28 AM

I ran my badass II a while unslottet, but as far as i could tell i got a more stiff feel and better string response after getting it slottet by my local tech. I might also have better sustain but im not sure about that

didn't cost much, and another bonus is that the string placement can be finetuned.

Bongolation · #12 05-31-2011, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

get the grooves done right (you only get one chance) and the strings will ring clearer, sustain longer, and keep a consistent spacing (important for jazz basses to put the strings between the magnet pairs where they belong).

Yeah, I don't know where people get off saying that P and J bridges are really the same. You get a P bridge that actually has the proper geometry, then do some total kludge to bend the string routes outward to compensate for a substantially wider string path on the J.

What a load! I've been screwing with that all evening on a J. I give up, I'm going with the threaded saddle vintage style.

The grooves on the new BAIIs make that foolishness easier to accomplish.

I sold two pulls to a dealer a couple of weeks ago for $300.

trunkshope6 · #13 05-31-2011, 12:17 PM

I actually think the bridges are in fact the same,I think the pickup alignment is the real problem

4Mal · #14 05-31-2011, 12:56 PM

I would seriously never run a BA II ungrooved. Outa control harmonics with the flat saddle shape. I presonally prefer some fundamental in my tone.

My advice is pay a luthier his rate for an hour's time and get a proper saddle shape & break angle. Then you'll actually get some fundamental along with the harmonics.

**bassybill** · #15 05-31-2011, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

... keep a consistent spacing (important for jazz basses to put the strings between the magnet pairs where they belong).

Alignment of strings between pole pieces with J pickups isn't at all critical - the magnetic field is just about even right across the whole front of the pickup. I know, I've checked it.

One of the advantages of setting up the BAII bridge and cutting the grooves yourself is being able to get string spacing exactly as you like it. Just aligning all the strings exactly between each pair of poles on a J pickup obviously sacrifices this flexibility to some degree, rather unnecessarily.

loinmute · #16 05-31-2011, 01:56 PM

You cant see but mine is unslotted and the strings do leave an indent. No probs so far (9months)

[IMG]

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joeyl · #17 05-31-2011, 02:01 PM

meh, badass bridges are not that great, put back the original bridge on that 75, especially if it's not a reissue.

walterw · #18 05-31-2011, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loinmute

You cant see but mine is unslotted and the strings do leave an indent. No probs so far (9months)

you're not going to have "problems" with it, it just won't sound as good as it should, since you're defeating one of the main points of the design, a clear, defined witness point for the strings (so says leo quan himself on the package).

walterw · #19 05-31-2011, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeyl

meh, badass bridges are not that great, put back the original bridge on that 75, especially if it's not a reissue.

1975 fender bass bridges weren't anything to write home about, either

with those center-groove saddles, the strings always forced the saddles apart, where they were free to slide around and get out of adjustment. they were also the wrong spacing for jazz pickups (not a big deal, but i do hear, or maybe "feel", a difference in attack when they line up right, especially if the pickups are close and you hit hard like i do.)

were it me i would just get the '50s/'60s threaded-rod saddles on the original plate. they allow for the right string spread, and in so doing get pressed together, eliminating rattle and improving sustain.

maturanesa · #20 06-01-2011, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

1975 fender bass bridges weren't anything to write home about, either

with those center-groove saddles, the strings always forced the saddles apart, where they were free to slide around and get out of adjustment. they were also the wrong spacing for jazz pickups (not a big deal, but i do hear, or maybe "feel", a difference in attack when they line up right, especially if the pickups are close and you hit hard like i do.)

were it me i would just get the '50s/'60s threaded-rod saddles on the original plate. they allow for the right string spread, and in so doing get pressed together, eliminating rattle and improving sustain.

Are you saying preasure between the saddles should improve sustain??

Make me think this guys are wrong:

Resultados de la Búsqueda de imágenes de Google de http://www.americanmusical.com/images/descimages/IBA_SR1205_MonoRail_Large.jpg