gotoh or badass 2

[mattygbass]

which one is better for an mim jazz bass? looking to replase the flimsy stock bridge. i want something solid feeling and looking and a little more sustain.

[boonerstreet]

Gotoh will do the job at a fraction of the price. I put a gotoh on my jazz and it has no problems compared to the terrible stock bridge.

[Lesfunk]

Badass II. I swear by them. A Gotoh will still be an improvement.
I figured I'd chime in before the " Badass II's don't make a difference" crowd shows up.
If somebody can't hear and feel the improvement a Badass II makes on a Fender Bass,
They are probably on strong meds or just really clueless.
Badass II is the only piece of hardware still in production that I feel this strongly about.

[()smoke()]

i like the gotoh 201 myself

[Muddslide]

I, for one, would like to get some more feedback on this question.

I'm gonna upgrade the bridge on my SX P-clone. I have used BadAss bridges on several basses in the past, but don't know anything about the Gotohs.

[SirNose]

I just threw a Gotoh on my Squier P, and it made a definite difference for a reasonable price. Unfortunately I couldn't tell you anything about the Badass

[sublime0bass]

if you get a finished Badass 2, realize you won't be able to string ground

[Parabolic Box]

BAII drops in without modification. Not sure about the Gotoh, though.

Originally Posted by sublime0bass

if you get a finished Badass 2, realize you won't be able to string ground

String ground still works. Unless the BAIII on my P Bass is lying to me.

[sublime0bass]

String ground still works. Unless the BAIII on my P Bass is lying to me.

I'm not sure about Chrome, but powder coated Black BA2 bridges are not electrically conductive

id also like to add in that you could achieve a string ground with a bit of sanding, but that might affect the quality of the bridge

[chrism2sych]

I was pricing recently on bass parts resource and the baII were actually cheaper than the gotoh and hipshots

[brandonwong]

I really like the gotohs. Not as huge a footprint as badass and still solidly built. The chrome plating seems to last much better than the badass thru the years.

[GazzBass]

Sorry, I don't want to hijack Matts thread but I was looking at those badass things and was thinking of putting one on my fretless Jazz. Do they really make that much of a difference? How much will it change the sound?

Should I go and buy one?

Thanks

Gazz

[Mr_Dave]

Originally Posted by Lesfunk

Badass II. I swear by them. A Gotoh will still be an improvement.
I figured I'd chime in before the " Badass II's don't make a difference" crowd shows up.
If somebody can't hear and feel the improvement a Badass II makes on a Fender Bass,
They are probably on strong meds or just really clueless.
Badass II is the only piece of hardware still in production that I feel this strongly about.

I'm certainly not in the 'Badass IIs don't make a difference crowd' but i'm not necessarily in the 'hear an improvement crowd'. I can certainly hear a difference, but i don't always think its an improvement. One particular jazz bass i owned was very bright to start with and the Badass II just made it brighter and worse - i'm talking about sound rather than feel here. I've just recently bought a jazz that is much more mellow and i'm going to try a Badass again. As i said, i definitely think it makes a difference - its just not always what people want.

Originally Posted by GazzBass

Sorry, I don't want to hijack Matts thread but I was looking at those badass things and was thinking of putting one on my fretless Jazz. Do they really make that much of a difference? How much will it change the sound?

Should I go and buy one?

Thanks

Gazz

Plucking the strings will feel more solid and a bit more responsive. You might loose a little bottom end, and find it a bit brighter, and to have better sustain.

[Ric5]

Schaller

[EADG mx]

What's wrong with the stock bridge, exactly?

[()smoke()]

Originally Posted by EADG mx

What's wrong with the stock bridge, exactly?

they aren't bad, imo, the main reason to upgrade for me is that the gotoh and BA both limit the transverse movement of the individual saddles moreso than the stock bridge

[boonerstreet]

No, no, no. Stock bridges on mim fenders are terrible. At least the were the past few years. I'm not sure if the 08 models have been improved. My saddles always kept lowering on me and I had to put glue on the screws to keep them stable. They're also very small, and having a larger bridge will give you more sustain. Not a necessary improvement for tonal reasons IMO, but for proper saddle adjustment and position it is.

[fenderphil]

i prefer the 201. and it drops right into a mim fender bass.

higher mass bridge adds tons of tone.

the badass bridge adds alot of sustain, but not quite as much punch. in my opinion. i tried both on the same mim jazz bass... went with the gotoh.

[Bad Seed]

Originally Posted by Parabolic Box

BAII drops in without modification. Not sure about the Gotoh, though.


String ground still works. Unless the BAIII on my P Bass is lying to me.

you have to slot the saddles for the BAII don't you?

I have a BAIII on my MIA Jazz and I have a gotoh on my MIM jazz and I think they are both great bridges. I think either of them would suit you just fine.

[Justin Tuskey]

I put a Gotoh 201 on my SX fretless P, and WOW it increased the sustain, and above all else it looks good and feels solid Plus they are only $30 from warmoth