P bass: Add Badass II or Not?!?!

[slapstick13]

My oh my have I started a war? haha Not to pick sides but im getting the baII put on next week with some new dimarzio model p and j pickups, DR sunbeams(which i always use) and a setup. Ill post my findings. And maybe fuel another war if im lucky.

[bolophonic]

Originally Posted by slapstick13

My oh my have I started a war? haha Not to pick sides but im getting the baII put on next week with some new dimarzio model p and j pickups, DR sunbeams(which i always use) and a setup. Ill post my findings. And maybe fuel another war if im lucky.

See, regardless of anyone's opinions on the details, there is no doubt that this bass is going to be a monster. Post sound clips!

[Exploiter8]

I was going to ask for opinions on this:

http://www.bestbassgear.com/babicz-f...ss-bridges.htm

X8

[tekdiver500ft]

I had one, and it was horrid on my P Bass. I much prefer Hipshot A-Type that I use now.

[kenfxj]

I used to be a firm believer and proponent of the BAII. As the years have passed I've come to the personal conclusion that they may add a bit to the sustain and have a negligible affect on tone. I still really like the way they look but I no longer install them on Fender basses as a matter of course.

My personal experience and opinion. YMMV.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by slapstick13

My oh my have I started a war? haha Not to pick sides but im getting the baII put on next week with some new dimarzio model p and j pickups, DR sunbeams(which i always use) and a setup. Ill post my findings. And maybe fuel another war if im lucky.

Oh goodie! Then you can tell us how amazing the transformation is, and we can all argue about how much of it is the pickups, or the bridge. Or the brand-new strings. This'll be fun!

[tekdiver500ft]

Why wait? We've all already made up our minds about what he's going to hear...

[darkstorm]

Id use a gotoh or hipshot briedge instead. Baddass bridges add a treble zingyness to the sound to me. The other two are more neutral sound.

[slapstick13]

Getting my bass back Tuesday. Will def post sound clips. My tech was all about putting the badass on...

[slapstick13]

OK soooooo no sound clips. As it turns out, I am underimpressed with the bridge. No noticable difference. The dimarzio pj pickup set however rulez. But as for resonance I hear no noticable difference. Especially considering the bridge costs 100$ and 40$ of labor to install it, Id wish I spent the money on a pedal or booze
=*(

[packhowitzer]

Originally Posted by slapstick13

OK soooooo no sound clips. As it turns out, I am underimpressed with the bridge. No noticable difference. The dimarzio pj pickup set however rulez. But as for resonance I hear no noticable difference. Especially considering the bridge costs 100$ and 40$ of labor to install it, Id wish I spent the money on a pedal or booze
=*(

That was my experience (see post #3).

I wouldn't bother removing the ones that came with my various basses, but i wouldn't go buy one either.

[Turnaround]

Originally Posted by F-Clef-Jef

Your pickups don't "hear" the wood resonance, or whether your bridge saddles are brass, steel or titanium. They "pick-up" magnetic variations and disturbances the string vibration causes in the magnetic field, nothing more.

And if the wood is vibrating, and the pickups are attached to the wood, then the pickups are vibrating in relation to the strings. So what the pickup "sees" is affected by the wood.

[tekdiver500ft]

Originally Posted by Turnaround

And if the wood is vibrating, and the pickups are attached to the wood, then the pickups are vibrating in relation to the strings. So what the pickup "sees" is affected by the wood.

Great theory. One small problem, though: they aren't acoustic pickups, they are magnetic. The wood has no discernible effect on tone.

[GLEN18INCHSPICA]

I've tried them 2X in both cases I swapped them out for the cheapy bent metal bridge. The bad ass seem to take away some of the low end grunt or growl somewhere between 100-500hz. I made recordings of the before & after on a tape recorder at the time to be sure & I could definitely discern a slight but noticeable difference for the worse for my tastes. It's funny but 2 of my bass hero's use those bridges Geddy & Harris & I wanted to like them. As to bridges sliding & saddles flipping over, I've never had that problem with the old school bridges & I don't play my bass like a mamsy pamsy.

[FunkRenegade]

PIckups don't pick up the vibrations directly, but the wood affects how the strings vibrate. Different body will influence how the strings vibrate, and it is audible. Extreme example is lucite body basses. Clearly different sound from wooden bodies. Compare that to extremely soft wood that will absorb vibrations.

Originally Posted by tekdiver500ft

Great theory. One small problem, though: they aren't acoustic pickups, they are magnetic. The wood has no discernible effect on tone.

[tekdiver500ft]

Originally Posted by FunkRenegade

PIckups don't pick up the vibrations directly, but the wood affects how the strings vibrate. Different body will influence how the strings vibrate, and it is audible. Extreme example is lucite body basses. Clearly different sound from wooden bodies. Compare that to extremely soft wood that will absorb vibrations.

Depends on who you ask. I've heard both sides of the argument, and my ears tell me that the difference in woods is minimal, at best. The difference between wood and lucite or metal is much different, but even then, it is minimal compared to the differences between strings, or pups, or...

[jamminology101]

A big factor that no one has addressed is are u pulling the strings thru the body on the badass or stringing them thru the bridge. Obviously pulling them thru the body on the BAll will do absolutely nothing. Conversly, the fender bridges like the BA let u pull the strings thru either the bridge or body...I've tried it and there is a little more punch or attack with them thru the bridge versus the body, not a lot but it is noticeable(or maybe its just in my head...lol). We should have the blindfold thru the body or bridge test like Pepsi or coke...lmao

[JTE]

Originally Posted by jamminology101

A big factor that no one has addressed is are u pulling the strings thru the body on the badass or stringing them thru the bridge. Obviously pulling them thru the body on the BAll will do absolutely nothing. Conversly, the fender bridges like the BA let u pull the strings thru either the bridge or body...I've tried it and there is a little more punch or attack with them thru the bridge versus the body, not a lot but it is noticeable(or maybe its just in my head...lol). We should have the blindfold thru the body or bridge test like Pepsi or coke...lmao

It is just in your head. No blindfold needed. Just syring your E and D through body and your A and G top load. That test, using the exact same set of strings on the exact same chunk of wood at the exact same time eliminates almost all the variables except how the strings attach. And there ain't no difference.

John

[JTE]

Originally Posted by tekdiver500ft

Great theory. One small problem, though: they aren't acoustic pickups, they are magnetic. The wood has no discernible effect on tone.

The pickups aren't sensing the wood, but definitely the wood's effect on how the strings vibrate. It had quite a discernible impact on the amplified tone.

John

[JTE]

Originally Posted by tekdiver500ft

Great theory. One small problem, though: they aren't acoustic pickups, they are magnetic. The wood has no discernible effect on tone.

The pickups aren't sensing the wood, but definitely the wood's effect on how the strings vibrate. It has quite a discernible impact on the amplified tone.

John