hipshot and badass

Soma666 · #1 09-26-2006, 05:03 AM

hipshot d tuners i get. cool idea and i am going to get one for my bass soon. but bridge replacements i dont really see why? whats teh difference between the hipshot bridges and the badass bridges and any other bridges that supposedly increases sustain and all that? do they really increase sustain and tuning? and if so, how do they do it? please explain to me this concept.

Soma

Eric Grossman · #2 09-26-2006, 07:52 AM

I use Hipshot bridges and tuners on all of my 4-strings, with the exception of the bridges on my G&L and MusicMan basses. To me, it's not an issue of tone and sustain. That's a marginal for me.

I like the sturdiness of the bridges, the aesthetic, and the craftsmanship. Also, I love the quick release feature for string changing. It minimizes wear on the heel of my basses, and on the strings, themselves.

The way these bridges are crafted, also eliminates string movement and saddle movement.

The basses I mentioned, already have well made, heavy duty bridges, so I just left them.

I prefer Hipshot over Badass, because I do a lot of palm muting with the right hand. My hand rests on the bridge, and the Hipshot bridges have smoother lines. It's more comfortable for me.

I also think they look better, and since the difference in sustain and tone is minute if not indecipherable, the look is important to me.

dion mauer · #3 09-26-2006, 07:53 AM

I like the B-style Hipshot bridge over the Badass for 2 reasons:
1. The Hipshot is smaller and lighter in weight while retaing a similar structural integrity.
2. The hipshot has a greater amount of adjustability than the Badass. If the Badass saddles are not filed properly, there is a lower limit to how low your action can be. I've never had a problem with the hipshots.

As far as tonal differences, over time I dont really hear any. The badass seems to have a bit more high frequency ring to them, but to me the change is sonically no different than a new set of strings.

Eric Grossman · #4 09-26-2006, 08:20 AM

Dion,
Great point about the Badass saddles. That was a big issue for me, as well.

lug · #5 09-26-2006, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshua

A quick read thru the first couple pages of the S&R forum will get you a ton of info on people's thoughts about bridges and their impact on tone.

Personally, I think the differences between bridges (assuming they are working correctly) are subtle at best, and mostly lost sonically if you play in a loud setting. Ie, if you are playing in a loud rock band in mostly a live gigging climate, you aren't going to hear much. If you use your bass mostly for recording in a music style that gives you lots of sonic space you might hear more of a difference. Remember though, that "difference" does not mean better, only different.

I have Gotoh bridges on both my electrics and like them very much. That said, I've owned a plethora of BGs and have never switched a bridge on any of them. YMMV...

I've actually seen just the opposite. I tried using my Pbass in a 2 heavy guitard band and had to keep switching back to the Peavey T-40 because the low E would get totally lost in the mix. After installing the BadAssII, I imediately noticed a huge difference in the mix. By itself it had just a bit more sustain and I notices some more overtones, but in the mix, it stood out much better. If I had to pick a term, I'd have to say it was more focused.

BrandonBass · #6 09-26-2006, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lug

I've actually seen just the opposite. I tried using my Pbass in a 2 heavy guitard band and had to keep switching back to the Peavey T-40 because the low E would get totally lost in the mix. After installing the BadAssII, I imediately noticed a huge difference in the mix. By itself it had just a bit more sustain and I notices some more overtones, but in the mix, it stood out much better. If I had to pick a term, I'd have to say it was more focused.

maybe your original bridge is faulty and any other workin bridge would get the job done....thats just my theory

lug · #7 09-26-2006, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrandonBass

maybe your original bridge is faulty and any other workin bridge would get the job done....thats just my theory

The original was that little piece of tinfoil Fender calls a bridge.

Seriously, I think the amount of difference a high mass bridge makes varies from bass to bass depending on it's particular piece of wood. I notice none of the deficiancies in my Jaguar that I did in the Pbass, though they both had the same bridge. I was going to replace the pups on the Pbass untill I swappped the bridge but found "the sound" I was looking for with the bridge swap so didn't.

Nedmundo · #8 09-26-2006, 01:03 PM

Two days ago, I replaced the bridge on my MIM P-bass with a Gotoh 201 (similar to an MIA Fender bridge, but maybe a little heavier), and I noticed a big difference immediately, just playing acoustically. It's louder, more resonant, and as someone else said, more focused. There's additional clarity that's readily apparent. It feels more alive. The difference is probably minimal when moving from one good bridge to another, but I'm now convinced that replacing a substandard bridge can be a meaningful upgrade.

Nick Ioannucci · #9 09-26-2006, 03:18 PM

the same experience as above, the stock fender bridges on the mims suck.

Soma666 · #10 09-26-2006, 05:00 PM

rightio, thats cool. thanks for the info guys. im still confused as to how a bridge improves sound adn whatnot. but i'll just assume it does and put it down to the "magic in music" section hahaha

would a heavier bridge maybe have an impact. becoz in my head, if u attach something heavier to a resonating object it will change the resonance? strange theory

Eric Grossman · #11 09-26-2006, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soma666

would a heavier bridge maybe have an impact. becoz in my head, if u attach something heavier to a resonating object it will change the resonance? strange theory

Yes