Jazz Bass Bridge Upgarde

doctormoose87 · #1 03-12-2011, 07:08 AM

Hi All.

Just after some opinions on a good jazz bass bridge upgrade form the standard fender one.

I've been looking at a Badass II bridge and like the look of them but was wondering if there are any better bridges out there (not string through body) for about the same price range and won't cost a fortune to fit.

Cheers All

Andy

Jim C · #2 03-12-2011, 07:14 AM

There are many here (including myself) that say a replacement bridge does not offer an increase in sustain, better tone, or any other advantage over the stock Fender unit

cnltb · #3 03-12-2011, 07:15 AM

I prefer hipshot and ets and abm and naimish and babicz and kts and...to badass .

On a bass that sounds real good as is, I'd go with a light bridge as they#ll mess with the natural sound of the bass a little less..
on one that doesn't( if it doesn't sound good played acoustically) I'd go with a heavy bridge as the "tone of the bridge" may help in these instances.( as far as I was told by a few hardware people)

doctormoose87 · #4 03-12-2011, 07:28 AM

I'm after something chunky without cutting up the side of my hand like the screws on the fender saddles do. I do like the look of the hipshot cheers.

Hopkins · #5 03-12-2011, 08:39 AM

I prefer the Gotoh 201, It does the same thing and is more aesthetically pleasing IMO than the BA II. But the saddles are the same as the stock fender so it probably wont help you much.

gjbassist · #6 03-12-2011, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doctormoose87

I'm after something chunky without cutting up the side of my hand like the screws on the fender saddles do. I do like the look of the hipshot cheers.

How are you playing bass so that the saddle screws are cutting your hand?

doctormoose87 · #7 01-03-2012, 06:04 PM

I play with my hand resting on the bridge with a lot of palm muting and with a pick.

Epidrake · #8 01-03-2012, 06:07 PM

I changed my saddles to Wilkinson brass saddles for a few bucks and I can't tell you what a huge musical improvement it made. I love them and it's cheap and easy to do. Best thing to happen to my Jazz.

irishryno · #9 01-03-2012, 06:11 PM

Babicz have saddles that are virtually impossible to cut you hands on. Instead of raising the saddles with the allen screws it works on a rotary cam. Full Contact Hardware 4-String Fender-Style Bass Bridge: Shop Accessories & Other Musical Instruments | Musician's Friend

walterw · #10 01-03-2012, 08:09 PM

or you could get $1.50 worth of shorter screws so they don't stick out.

Turnaround · #11 01-03-2012, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

or you could get $1.50 worth of shorter screws so they don't stick out.

Or cut the existing screws down a bit for $0.00

fhm555 · #12 01-04-2012, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epidrake

I changed my saddles to Wilkinson brass saddles for a few bucks and I can't tell you what a huge musical improvement it made. I love them and it's cheap and easy to do. Best thing to happen to my Jazz.

Unless things have changed, the stock saddles are brass with a nickel plate on them. I'm not sure how a tiny bit of plating can make any significant (or any at all for that matter) difference in any aspect of the sound. I've stripped several sets of stock saddles to the bare brass and if there's a difference in sound before/after, my ears are not good enough to hear it.

Further, if it's a modern bass with a poly sheath on it, I don't see how anything dependent on vibration would make a bit of difference without electronic amplification to help it along.

Nothing against the modern finishes, they are as tough as they are durable and good looking, but they are so thick and don't actually penetrate the wood. I can't think of a better way to damp vibration short of encasing the body in live rubber.

chalie · #13 01-04-2012, 07:27 PM

I just found this thread and like to share with you guys too.

1.-I am looking for a bridge on my own made Jazz so I am not subjected to OEM from Fender. I hate the look of Baddass II though it should be good so I was wondering if any other "classic" bridge is recommend by you guys such as Hipshot vintage. Please advise.

2.-I think the material of bridge is quite important and maybe OEM '75 Fender is good enought so no different to replacement parts. However, one part that is very important to conection the vibration between the strings and the bass body is the height adjustment screws. On the house speaker you would need a so call "tip-toe" to transfer the vibration as it is firmly nailed to the ground. For the saddle screws, make sure they are not flat, either have them round or sharp to ensure the best contact.

walterw · #14 01-04-2012, 08:26 PM

if it makes you feel better to think so, sure

for a vintage fender bridge, avoid the '75, which is no better than, and may actually be identical to, the regular mexican bass bridge.

the vintage bridge to get is the '62, with its threaded steel saddles.

Marty Forrer · #15 01-04-2012, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim C

There are many here (including myself) that say a replacement bridge does not offer an increase in sustain, better tone, or any other advantage over the stock Fender unit

+1.

atomicdog · #16 01-04-2012, 09:16 PM

I swapped out a BAII from my JB because it created a bright tone and an aggressive attack. I use a vintage bridge that mellowed out the tone--a lot!. If you're looking for bight and aggressive for modern rock or metal then a BAII is the ticket. If you lean toward R&B, blues or jazz, go with a vintage bridge.

Epidrake · #17 01-04-2012, 09:22 PM

WADR, most "steel" saddles are pot metal that's plated with chrome, at least on MIM Jazz basses, so solid brass makes a difference even my band mates noticed right away. I didn't even change the strings, just loosened them and put on the brass.

Brass instruments are made of brass for a reason. A silver or nickel trumpet or sax, sounds different than a brass one.

fhm555 · #18 01-05-2012, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epidrake

WADR, most "steel" saddles are pot metal that's plated with chrome, at least on MIM Jazz basses, so solid brass makes a difference even my band mates noticed right away. I didn't even change the strings, just loosened them and put on the brass.

Brass instruments are made of brass for a reason. A silver or nickel trumpet or sax, sounds different than a brass one.

Odd, all 3 of the MIM J bridges I've stripped had nickel plated brass saddles. Not a single saddle made of zinc alloy (pot metal) or steel among them.

As you can see in the photo, the saddles are brass while the screws/springs are steel. The L plate is chrome plated steel and chrome is impervious to the stripper I used so it was not effected at all. I've now done 3 stock MIM J bridges (single slot saddles) this way and they all had plated brass saddles.

I've also stripped a set of aftermarket threaded saddles/screw/springs, and they also had plated brass saddles, exactly like the stock Fender MIM J saddles.

walterw · #19 01-05-2012, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fhm555

I've now done 3 stock MIM J bridges (single slot saddles) this way and they all had plated brass saddles.

I've also stripped a set of aftermarket threaded saddles/screw/springs, and they also had plated brass saddles, exactly like the stock Fender MIM J saddles.

cool!

i was never sure what they were, just that a magnet didn't stick (brass? zinc? stainless steel?)

were the "aftermarket" threaded saddles from allparts? those are gotoh, which also aren't magnetic. brass too, huh?

the USA/mex fender vintage threaded-rod saddles are steel, the magnet sticks.

fhm555 · #20 01-06-2012, 02:27 PM

Sorry, not sure who made the aftermarket saddles as they came to me in a ziplock bag of loose hardware in an ebay deal and the owner described the whole thing as assorted aftermarket parts for Fender basses. The length adjusting screws were (very) slightly larger then the MIM screws. Just large enough I had to open the holes in an MIM L plate an RCH to get enough slack in them so the saddles would lay down correctly under pressure without binding.