Replacement bridge suggestions

[Ezmar]

So I'm planning on taking my old junker squier and slapping the neck of my brother's old bass that he defretted. But I'd want to slap a new bridge, since the one it has now is not very good.

Probably not going to go so far as a Badass, thinking more like a Hipshot or Babicz, just something that will hold its own better than the one I have now, which slipped down to absolutely no action in a couple months of not being played at all.

So yeah, any suggestions? Something reliable, good sounding (as much as any bridge would affect the tone), and relatively inexpensive.

[Slowgypsy]

Originally Posted by Ezmar

So I'm planning on taking my old junker squier and slapping the neck of my brother's old bass that he defretted. But I'd want to slap a new bridge, since the one it has now is not very good.

Probably not going to go so far as a Badass, thinking more like a Hipshot or Babicz, just something that will hold its own better than the one I have now, which slipped down to absolutely no action in a couple months of not being played at all.

So yeah, any suggestions? Something reliable, good sounding (as much as any bridge would affect the tone), and relatively inexpensive.

The "slipped down to no action" thing is actually common with Fender style bridges... and the remedy is to simply back out the saddle adjusting screws, put a bit of nail polish or loctite on the threads, re-adjust the screws and you're good to go. I actually like Fender style bridges.

Not sure what you mean by not going as far as a Badass, but maybe settle on a Hipshot or Babicz... those bridges are arguably state of the art in bridge design.

[JLS]

? Sounds more like your neck backbowed.

[Ezmar]

Originally Posted by Slowgypsy

The "slipped down to no action" thing is actually common with Fender style bridges... and the remedy is to simply back out the saddle adjusting screws, put a bit of nail polish or loctite on the threads, re-adjust the screws and you're good to go. I actually like Fender style bridges.

Not sure what you mean by not going as far as a Badass, but maybe settle on a Hipshot or Babicz... those bridges are arguably state of the art in bridge design.

I've heard about the loctite fix before, and since I've never had that issue with my new fender, I feel like I might as well just get a replacement bridge that doesn't do that at all. Just seems like a lot of hassle to me. Maybe I'm just incredibly lazy.

And by "not going as far as a Badass" I mean that I'm not going to spend $100 on a replacement bridge.

And it's not completely no action, just the second half of the fretboard or so. The saddles are pretty much all the way down. It's not a neck issue.

[SurferJoe46]

Half the frets aren't playable? Sure sounds like a neck issue to me.

All the bridge can do is raise or lower the strings from the last point of contact - the nut.

If they start off OK at the top half of the neck, then there's NO WAY the bridge is at fault. Recheck your neck, which you seem to NOT believe is the culprit.

[Ezmar]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

Half the frets aren't playable? Sure sounds like a neck issue to me.

All the bridge can do is raise or lower the strings from the last point of contact - the nut.

If they start off OK at the top half of the neck, then there's NO WAY the bridge is at fault. Recheck your neck, which you seem to NOT believe is the culprit.

That's not really the issue here, I'm just going by memory, from when I took it out after a couple months of disuse and plunked for a few seconds. So it's probably not half the neck, really. The neck COULD be maladjusted, I suppose, but since I'm going to be swapping out the neck anyway, it's a moot point. The point stands that I played with that bass for the last couple of years, and it has a slippage issue, which I don't mind fixing with a nicer bridge, rather than the polish/loctite fix.

[JLS]

Originally Posted by Ezmar

That's not really the issue here, I'm just going by memory, from when I took it out after a couple months of disuse and plunked for a few seconds. So it's probably not half the neck, really. The neck COULD be maladjusted, I suppose, but since I'm going to be swapping out the neck anyway, it's a moot point. The point stands that I played with that bass for the last couple of years, and it has a slippage issue, which I don't mind fixing with a nicer bridge, rather than the polish/loctite fix.

Sounds like you're dead set on buying a cheap knockoff bridge.

Best of luck.

[Growly Lytes]

Originally Posted by Slowgypsy

The "slipped down to no action" thing is actually common with Fender style bridges... and the remedy is to simply back out the saddle adjusting screws, put a bit of nail polish or loctite on the threads, re-adjust the screws and you're good to go. I actually like Fender style bridges.

Not sure what you mean by not going as far as a Badass, but maybe settle on a Hipshot or Babicz... those bridges are arguably state of the art in bridge design.

I think its the slip down thing by the sound of it.
Nail Polish......Needed it for the Fender Style thats on the Cort Punisher Bass & slips everytime i play hard so i got girls clear nail polish which works like a charm.
I think its made for bass bridges really !
I nealy bought red polish by accident.

[Ezmar]

*sigh*

Never mind. Forget I asked. I'll figure something out on my own.

[bumperbass]

Get a Genuine Fender! Part # 099-0804-100. Threaded saddles. Mine don't slip anymore. Cheap, real Fender, and works.

[Pilgrim]

Basspartsonline is a good place to look. Multiple options. I like the threaded saddle models, as they allow precise placement of strings relative to the pickups.

If you want to do it easily (and I can't think of any way that's less work than Loctite on set screws) then getting a bridge with a screw pattern that matches the existing bridge would be helpful.

Hipshot makes very nice bridges if you don't mind paying $80-$100 to avoid putting Loctite on set screws.