What difference does a new bridge make?

[Huffer777]

by upgrading a bridge, what difference does it make?

[pickles]

It might be more adjustable, or have more stable adjustments, or it might have different mass/materials which can change the tone. A more massive bridge makes the body wood a little less important in tone ... you get more impact and less woody resonance IME. On some basses that is good, on others its bad.

[peakdesign]

Originally Posted by Huffer777

by upgrading a bridge, what difference does it make?

Frankly, the whole "upgrade" bridge business smells of voodoo B$. Unless you are installing a piezo bridge, or consciously just going for a cosmetic or psychological "upgrade". Unless your original bridge lacks adjustment screws, the basic L bent metal bridges are just fine, it's what the finest vintage basses have. Those $100 bridges that the owners felt were so necessary on their $100 basses always bring a smile to my face, that and the pots that "have better tone". Also note that it's not just a dubious expense. It's really easy to mess up your axe by drilling the holes a hair off and e.g. having your strings too far off to one side or the other, I know I did it once in spite of being cautious. Then it's a PITA to have to redrill holes 1/16" off from the first ones! Or you can make an altogether zany comedy bass by getting your bridge obviously crooked . Or you might realize you need to shim the neck because the bridge is a bit too high, and then strip the neck screws, or do other damage. The potential is endless .

[rumblinbass]

Originally Posted by peakdesign

Frankly, the whole "upgrade" bridge business smells of voodoo B$. Unless you are installing a piezo bridge, or consciously just going for a cosmetic or psychological "upgrade". Unless your original bridge lacks adjustment screws, the basic L bent metal bridges are just fine, it's what the finest vintage basses have. Those $100 bridges that the owners felt were so necessary on their $100 basses always bring a smile to my face, that and the pots that "have better tone". Also note that it's not just a dubious expense. It's really easy to mess up your axe by drilling the holes a hair off and e.g. having your strings too far off to one side or the other, I know I did it once in spite of being cautious. Then it's a PITA to have to redrill holes 1/16" off from the first ones! Or you can make an altogether zany comedy bass by getting your bridge obviously crooked . Or you might realize you need to shim the neck because the bridge is a bit too high, and then strip the neck screws, or do other damage. The potential is endless .

I agree to a certain point about your bridge argument...tone is all about perception.
On the other hand pots can have a pretty big impact on tone. If the overall pot resistance is too low you run the risk of loading down the pickup. The higher resistance is the brighter the tone because you are losing less high frequencies. I am not trying to start an argument, because as far as what people hear audio is very subjective, but loading effects and it's impact on signal is very real.

[bassdoubler]

if we're talking about electric bass, not too much of a difference....more mass = more tone. Upright, however, is a MUCH different story....

[MikeBass]

Originally Posted by peakdesign

Frankly, the whole "upgrade" bridge business smells of voodoo B$. Unless you are installing a piezo bridge, or consciously just going for a cosmetic or psychological "upgrade". Unless your original bridge lacks adjustment screws, the basic L bent metal bridges are just fine, it's what the finest vintage basses have. Those $100 bridges that the owners felt were so necessary on their $100 basses always bring a smile to my face, that and the pots that "have better tone". Also note that it's not just a dubious expense. It's really easy to mess up your axe by drilling the holes a hair off and e.g. having your strings too far off to one side or the other, I know I did it once in spite of being cautious. Then it's a PITA to have to redrill holes 1/16" off from the first ones! Or you can make an altogether zany comedy bass by getting your bridge obviously crooked . Or you might realize you need to shim the neck because the bridge is a bit too high, and then strip the neck screws, or do other damage. The potential is endless .

Well, next time, why don't you have someone who knows what they are doing install it.

Yes it makes a difference. Those that say it makes no difference, well, bolt a large piece of metal where a thin one once was, and yes, it will make a difference in not only feel. but also tone.
BOTH are subjective.

In my short time playing and swapping out things like bridges (24 years now) I noticed that the single most difference in a "Jazz" type bass you can make, is add a bunch of mass at the bridge- ala' a BadAss II to be exact.

And unlike what others have suggested, TODAY almost all aftermarket bridges usually have a version that will bolt up exactly with the "Fender" stamped "L" shaped bridge.

Again, some have went the bigger aftermarket bridges, only to go back to the original because they didn't like the feel and or changes in tone.

As for shimming the neck and the potential of stripping out the screws......well, again, seek a professional.

[kraigo]

I've upgraded a lot of bridges. I've never noticed such an improvement that it blew my mind. Since I usually go with a $30 Gotoh 201, it's nice and not that expensive and usually reversible. I'm about to do it to my Tokai P-Bass - when I hit the G string fairly hard there's a high pitch whine that I can only assume is coming from the bridge.

I like the Gotoh 201 and it's inexpensive enough that I do it to a lot of my basses. I've had the Tokai for five years or so and haven't been motivated to do it yet. I don't think it's a huge deal, but I don't particularly like the standard Fender style bridge and I end up replacing those a lot of the time.

This narrative should (hopefully) give you some idea of how important it is - not all that important, but not a bad thing to do if the price is right.

FWIW - the best price I've found for the 201 is generally through Warmoth. I have no commercial interest in Warmoth but they've never treated me wrong.

KO

[4bpauly]

it depends on your bass.

i put a BadAss II on my P bass and in my opinion it is way better... but i also agree with the others that tone is completely objective.

but hey i guess geddy lee and steve harris and lee sklar (just to name a few) are all suckers.

[Eric Perry]

For me, a bridge replacement is for nothing more than to improve aesthetics or adjustability. The difference in tone is *very* minimal in my experience, and the tone change alone is worth nowhere near the cost of the bridge and possibly installation costs.

For me, the two top bridges in terms of aesthetics and ajustability are the Hipshot 'A' and the Schaller Roller. Both great pieces!


Again, in my opinion and in my eperience.

[lowendgenerator]

Originally Posted by peakdesign

*snip*Unless your original bridge lacks adjustment screws, the basic L bent metal bridges are just fine, it's what the finest vintage basses have.

As much as I appreciate your posts, and respect your right to your opnion, I have to disagree with this particular statement. Please pardon me for taking it out of context.

The "vintage" bridge is far from "fine" for me. So many times I've had them literally fall apart on me. The height adjustment screws work themselves loose, and make for the nearest crack in the stage. The same goes for the intonaiton screw, I've had a few of them back out and disappear, leaving me with a saddle being held in place by string tension.

I replace all of my "vintage" bridges with Badasses, for the reliability, for the nice 90 degree saddle drop off, and most importantly, for the de-burred grub screws that don't puncture my hand.

I agree with the rest of your post though, if you're unsure of your skills, consult a professional.

[atheos]

If the bass has neck dive a heavy bridge will help with that. And some say that routing the strings through body gives more sustain and better tone. IMO that's the case only if the bridge is not properly attached to the body and thus kills the resonance of the strings.

Mostly it's the looks. I mean, sure the very standard Fender-style bridge WORKS as well as any but e.g. a Badass II just looks a lot better. Sometimes it helps with changing strings too is the bridge allows you to take the strings off just by lifting.

[JTE]

First discard the notion that replacing any stock bridge with any other bridge is necassarily an "upgrade". It's a change, and whether it improves anything (that's the only way it would be an upgrade) is highly subjective. So, instead of asking what a new bridge might do for you, analyze if there are any problems with your existing bridge. Does it have mechanical issues like rattles, loose threads causisng things to go out of adjustment? Does it not transfer vibrations to the wood the way you want it to? Look into those and then folks here can help you instead of just starting the weekly thread about bridges.

The idea that "more mass = more tone" is just wrong. It's not "more" tone, it's just different tone. And whether that's an improvement is up to the ears of the person listening. Having taken peoples' money to put higher-mass bridges on quite a few instruments and making that mod to two of my own basses over 30 years, I can say that for ME, it's a waste of money. For some folks it's a huge improvement. For some basses it's a good change, and for some basses it's a detriment.

jte

[sevenyearsdown]

Tone/sustain all that stuff aside....I will say that I like doing a setup a BAII much more than a traditional fender type L-bracket bridge. They allow for more precision adjustments, and IMO make setup quicker and easier.

[fretlessman71]

I wonder if someone will start making an aftermarket bridge that goes the other way someday: "LIGHTEST BRIDGE AVAILABLE! Get that vintage tone you've been dreaming about! Comes complete with two fewer screws than you have holes for!"

[whitedk57]

Originally Posted by Huffer777

by upgrading a bridge, what difference does it make?

• Increases traffic flow
• Reduces risk of a collapse due to material fatigue
• Enhances aesthetics of the surrounding community

OH! You meant a BASS bridge.

[MikeBass]

Originally Posted by JTE

First discard the notion that replacing any stock bridge with any other bridge is necassarily an "upgrade". It's a change, and whether it improves anything (that's the only way it would be an upgrade) is highly subjective. So, instead of asking what a new bridge might do for you, analyze if there are any problems with your existing bridge. Does it have mechanical issues like rattles, loose threads causisng things to go out of adjustment? Does it not transfer vibrations to the wood the way you want it to? Look into those and then folks here can help you instead of just starting the weekly thread about bridges.

The idea that "more mass = more tone" is just wrong. It's not "more" tone, it's just different tone. And whether that's an improvement is up to the ears of the person listening. Having taken peoples' money to put higher-mass bridges on quite a few instruments and making that mod to two of my own basses over 30 years, I can say that for ME, it's a waste of money. For some folks it's a huge improvement. For some basses it's a good change, and for some basses it's a detriment.

jte

I pretty much agree with everything said here.
My only thing is it is worth it for me.

I'll trust the tons of years of experience of builders like Ken Smith and Fodera- who pretty much (especially the Smith bridge) copied the BadAss II like Sadowsky copied the Jazz Bass- but made improvments.

I said it as well, it doesn't equal more tone, but something different.

If the bent L bridge and a bridge like the BadAss were basically one and the same, and there wasn't a difference in tone at all (again, subjective), then I'm sure almost every builder would save themselves the cost of the bigger ones.

Then factor in the aluminum ones like the Hipshots, and mass starts to change!
Now you are dealing with different properties of metal blah blah blah............

Bottom line- if it makes a difference to you, then do it.

[JustDavid]

Originally Posted by lowendgenerator

The "vintage" bridge is far from "fine" for me. So many times I've had them literally fall apart on me. The height adjustment screws work themselves loose, and make for the nearest crack in the stage. The same goes for the intonaiton screw, I've had a few of them back out and disappear, leaving me with a saddle being held in place by string tension.

Sometimes 'vintage' is the pinnacle of a component's design. Sometimes it seems like Leo found a usable part in a dumpster & went with it.

For those still using the 'stamped metal L' bridge, nail polish (I've heard blue (NON-permanent) loc-tite is better but wonder if it's TOO better) can help prevent screws from backing out.

Originally Posted by lowendgenerator

I agree with the rest of your post though, if you're unsure of your skills, consult a professional.

Not disagreeing, but this is the Setup & Repair Forum, not the Take It To A Pro Forum. Bridge replacements can get fussy if the screw holes don't line up & that's good to warn about. About, not against. And stripping screw holes when shimming a neck?

I think we have to presume a bit of intelligence & ability within this forum, or change it to the Cleaning & Polishing Forum.

[lug]

Originally Posted by MikeBass

I

I'll trust the tons of years of experience of builders like Ken Smith and Fodera- who pretty much (especially the Smith bridge) copied the BadAss II like Sadowsky copied the Jazz Bass- but made improvments.

Originally Posted by JustDavid

Sometimes 'vintage' is the pinnacle of a component's design. Sometimes it seems like Leo found a usable part in a dumpster & went with it.

Even Leo went high mass in his later years. Ever hefted a G&L bridge?

[4bpauly]

i believe the new fender 5s also have a higher mass bridge, i dont knwo about the 4s

[MikeBass]

Originally Posted by lug

Even Leo went high mass in his later years. Ever hefted a G&L bridge?

Ahh!!
That's true.
My L2000 had a SERIOUSLY built bridge on it.
And if I recall, doesn't it actually have a portion that countersinks into the body?
So there is more to the bridge than you can see- meaning even MORE mass down at the bridge.