Best Large Mass Bridge for Jazz Bass?

newbold · #1 10-08-2008, 02:07 AM

SO!

Badass?
Hipshot?
Kahler?
Gotoh?
Warwick?

Something else?

I'm looking at a strings through or top drop and am curious what the best sounding, feeling, and playing bridges are.

mokkat · #2 10-08-2008, 02:49 AM

I can vouch for the Badass II, had one on my highway 1 jazz.
Also, the high mass bridges on all G&L basses are great

You can buy a spare from their webshop for about 70$

The warwick 2-piece bridge doesnt look highmass to me, and my guess is that its harder to install than the others as well

jordie65 · #3 10-08-2008, 03:11 AM

in my limited experience ive had a very positive experience with my badass II so ill vouch for that as it does what i want it to do, though ive never tried any other high mass bridge so dont really listen to me!

dannster · #4 10-08-2008, 03:17 AM

I love the Hipshot A style bridge I put on my Jazz. Bonus points for not having to drag the strings through bridge to put them on!

Oric · #5 10-08-2008, 04:37 AM

All I have is the BadAss II, I certainly like it. I think next Fender I have with a flimsy bridge (I.E. not the new ones) will have a Hipshot, just to change things up. But the next Fender I want is a 2008 American Standard five-string P, and I want to keep my Squier entirely stock, soo...

ironrat · #6 10-08-2008, 05:16 PM

BADASS!!!

slyjoe · #7 10-08-2008, 06:18 PM

I've used Badass and Gotoh. I would go with the Gotoh - slightly thinner bottom plate. Almost every Badass I've put on I've had to shim the neck.

4stringrob · #8 10-08-2008, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannster

I love the Hipshot A style bridge I put on my Jazz. Bonus points for not having to drag the strings through bridge to put them on!

I have a hipshot A and like it a lot, very massive. I added to mention that in case someone doesn't know, there is a specific model that is a drop-in fender replacement (3 screw holes that match the middle and outer 2 holes on a 5-hole fender)

theory028 · #9 10-08-2008, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slyjoe

I've used Badass and Gotoh. I would go with the Gotoh - slightly thinner bottom plate. Almost every Badass I've put on I've had to shim the neck.

I'll probably have to do that.

The saddles are all quite high up right now, but I don't have the tool to lower them. My Jazz is almost unplayable because the action is so high.

I like the Badass, though. I only got it because my stock bridge would make a clicking noise (the barrels hitting each other) when I played the G string near the bridge. I also like the look of it on my 70s reissue.

therex · #10 10-08-2008, 08:00 PM

gotoh if you want to keep the punch
but BAII for extreme sustain

Turnaround · #11 10-08-2008, 08:11 PM

"Best Large Mass Bridge for Jazz Bass? "

Wrong kind of question to post in a forum like this. What you will get as an answer is not "the best", but "my favorite". The two are not synonymous. What constitutes "best"? Best price? Best colour? Best weight? Longest sustain? Easiest to adjust? Easiest to install? And what makes a bridge the "best sounding"? The one with the most mid-range clarity? The one with the fullest bottom end? The one with the glassiest highs?

In the end it comes to personal preference. Go ahead, ask me what bridge I prefer, Badass or Gotoh.

newbold · #12 10-08-2008, 09:32 PM

As far as a requirement I want to put on the bass is an ability to go strings through (other than the warwick style 2 piece)

I know the Hipshot bridges can do that. I loved the mike lull I played with a hipshot. I like the classic look of the badass. Haven't found a Badass with strings through...

fish slapper · #13 10-08-2008, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannster

I love the Hipshot A style bridge I put on my Jazz. Bonus points for not having to drag the strings through bridge to put them on!

+1

billoetjen · #14 10-08-2008, 09:45 PM

Sorry if, like, a hundred people have already said this, but the search engine on this site rejects any searches with < characters.

ABM

I very deliberately searched out the most massive, well designed locking bridge for my project fretted bass. This bass has all the best and only the best hardware and it all adds up to spectacular, hugely customizable tone. The machined-billet brass ABM bridge does its job very quietly and anonymously by sending ALL the string energy back to the pickups. You want eternal, smooth sustain? This is the way to get it.

ABM

And, I think you can sub in their piezo pups if you want later.

You won't regret an ABM bridge.

newbold · #15 10-08-2008, 11:58 PM

What does the ABM give me that the Hipshot won't? I can't go strings through with the ABM.

Sleeq · #16 10-09-2008, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Haven't found a Badass with strings through

BADASS III

slyjoe · #17 10-09-2008, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theory028

I'll probably have to do that.

The saddles are all quite high up right now, but I don't have the tool to lower them. My Jazz is almost unplayable because the action is so high.

I like the Badass, though. I only got it because my stock bridge would make a clicking noise (the barrels hitting each other) when I played the G string near the bridge. I also like the look of it on my 70s reissue.

Well, changing a bridge out because you don't have the tool to adjust the one you have seems odd, but that's just me.

And Turnaround is correct - you can't define "best"; all we are giving you is our preferences. And hopefully why our preferences are what they are.

theory028 · #18 10-09-2008, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slyjoe

Well, changing a bridge out because you don't have the tool to adjust the one you have seems odd, but that's just me.

I changed the bridge because of the saddle clicking. That was the only fault of the stock bridge.

The saddles on the replacement bridge (Badass II) are too high and I don't have the tool for that so I was tempted to shim the neck. I'm going to wait until I can lower the saddles first, though. I didn't switch bridges because the stock one had high saddles.

That would be quite odd.

slyjoe · #19 10-09-2008, 10:52 AM

Good to hear.

The Badass takes a 0.050" allen wrench, btw. You may still have to shim the neck though.

Philbiker · #20 10-09-2008, 11:10 AM

My favorite high mass 5 screw direct replacement for the classic Fender bridge is the Smith IV bridge. Here's a bad pic of the one on my Palaedium:

For non-replacement bridges, I recommend the Schaller roller bridge. Also, avoid the ABM style bridges, they are a pain in the butt to set up.

All that said, I would never put a high mass bridge on a Jazz bass. I greatly prefer the classic low-mass Fender style bridge for the classic Jazz bass configuration.