Good replacement/upgrade bridge for Fender Jazz Bass

[apkbass]

I recently acquired a Fender MIM Jazz bass and want to replace the bridge. It's a little worn, and the saddles slip, so I am looking for a new bridge that isn't super expensive but is of higher quality than the standard-issue MIM Jazz Bass Bridge. Any suggestions?

[Slowgypsy]

Hipshot.

[Rocky McDougall]

The Fender American Deluxe bridge (string thru) is my favorite. It's genuine Fender, it's a string thru, which I prefer, It's plate is heavier with excellent chrome and it has the adjustment screw channels. The hex screws, intonation screws and springs are a higher quality. The saddles have 3 string alignment channels. The cost new is less than $70.00
Rocky

[walterw]

or, for no surgery and little money, get a set of vintage-style threaded-rod saddles for the stock bridgeplate.

they'll be like $20 for the set, and will solve a couple problems; you'll be able to space the strings right between the pickup magnets like they were originally designed to do (subtly evening out the attack) and in the process of spreading them out like that the outer saddles get held in against the inner ones, eliminating the sliding around and maybe even improving sustain in the process.

[LB75]

Gotoh 201

[apkbass]

Originally Posted by Rocky McDougall

The Fender American Deluxe bridge (string thru) is my favorite. It's genuine Fender, it's a string thru, which I prefer, It's plate is heavier with excellent chrome and it has the adjustment screw channels. The hex screws, intonation screws and springs are a higher quality. The saddles have 3 string alignment channels. The cost new is less than $70.00
Rocky

I would get a string thru if it weren't a MIM.

[Rocky McDougall]

Drilling the body to convert to String thru is pretty simple and the bushings are not expensive. I'm not saying the string-thru has better tone but it does stabilize the bridge saddles and improves their function.
Rocky

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by walterw

or, for no surgery and little money, get a set of vintage-style threaded-rod saddles for the stock bridgeplate.

they'll be like $20 for the set, and will solve a couple problems; you'll be able to space the strings right between the pickup magnets like they were originally designed to do (subtly evening out the attack) and in the process of spreading them out like that the outer saddles get held in against the inner ones, eliminating the sliding around and maybe even improving sustain in the process.

This - add some blue locktite to the saddle height screws, and you're as functional as a bridge is going to get...


- georgestrings

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by Rocky McDougall

Drilling the body to convert to String thru is pretty simple and the bushings are not expensive. I'm not saying the string-thru has better tone but it does stabilize the bridge saddles and improves their function.
Rocky

Disagree with all of the above...


- georgestrings

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by LB75

Gotoh 201

They're a nice bridge, and decently priced - but when I tried one on a MIM Fender, it wouldn't adjust down low enough for me... I would've needed to shim the neck to make the 210 work, and it was much easier just to sell it and go back to a Fender bridge...


- georgestrings

[joeyl]

That's my favorite so far, not complicated, grooves to maintain saddles in place, and quick release for the strings.

http://www.bestbassgear.com/hipshot-...ss-bridges.htm

[joeyl]

Originally Posted by georgestrings

They're a nice bridge, and decently priced - but when I tried one on a MIM Fender, it wouldn't adjust down low enough for me... I would've needed to shim the neck to make the 210 work, and it was much easier just to sell it and go back to a Fender bridge...


- georgestrings

yep, that base plate is too thick on the 201

[Hopkins]

Originally Posted by georgestrings

They're a nice bridge, and decently priced - but when I tried one on a MIM Fender, it wouldn't adjust down low enough for me... I would've needed to shim the neck to make the 210 work, and it was much easier just to sell it and go back to a Fender bridge...


- georgestrings

Simple solution, the Gotoh saddles are slightly bigger than the stock ones. So swapping them out solves this problem. I have only had to do this on one bass. It hasn't been a problem other wise.

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by Hopkins

Simple solution, the Gotoh saddles are slightly bigger than the stock ones. So swapping them out solves this problem. I have only had to do this on one bass. It hasn't been a problem other wise.

A simpler solution was for me to sell the bridge, and go back to the original... Truthfully, if I have to swap out the saddles to make a bridge I just bought work, I'm buying something else...

Besides, the Gotoh saddles weren't significantly bigger than the stock Fender ones - the baseplate was much thicker... so, swapping the saddles wouldn't have accomplished much...

Just out of curiousity, how many Gotoh 210s have you installed on Fenders???


- georgestrings

[Hopkins]

Originally Posted by georgestrings

A simpler solution was for me to sell the bridge, and go back to the original... Truthfully, if I have to swap out the saddles to make a bridge I just bought work, I'm buying something else...

Besides, the Gotoh saddles weren't significantly bigger than the stock Fender ones - the baseplate was much thicker... so, swapping the saddles wouldn't have accomplished much...

Just out of curiousity, how many Gotoh 210s have you installed on Fenders???


- georgestrings

Well, between Fenders, Squiers, and knock offs I would say about 15, including 3 of my own basses.

[Hopkins]

Just for my own curiousitys sake, could someone measure the thickness of a stock Fender bridge. The Gotoh 201 measures in at 0.122 thickness at the bass plate.

[testing1two]

Originally Posted by Hopkins

Just for my own curiousitys sake, could someone measure the thickness of a stock Fender bridge. The Gotoh 201 measures in at .0122 thickness at the bass plate.

I think that may be the thinnest bridge plate in history.

You probably meant .122 which is 3mm / 1/8" stock.

[Hopkins]

Originally Posted by testing1two

I think that may be the thinnest bridge plate in history.

You probably meant .122 which is 3mm / 1/8" stock.

Yeah, sorry, I put the . in the wrong place.

[joeyl]

Looks like the stock fender bridge plate is 2mm, 0.08"

[mrsal]

id try a badass bridge. i just took the hipshot off of my mia, it rattled way too much, and its a pain to do the intonation on (had to replace 2 screws, they were too long)