What's great about the 'Badass' bridge?

[seang15]

It's NAME is Badass. 'nuff said!!

[seang15]

Originally Posted by ugly_bassplayer

I call BS on this.

Agreed. I would think Duck Dunn and Jamerson, amongst other Fender with flats players of notoriety, would have made this fact ubiquitous if indeed it was happening to them.

[grendle]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fGI4svzLu0g

Can you hear a difference? Yep. Is it "better" ? Only you can answer that.

[JimmyM]

Eh, differences were slight at best.

[Catbuster]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Eh, differences were slight at best.

Well... It shouldn't, seeing as the HMV bridge on the Am. Standards is just ever so slightly lighter than a Badass III.

[JimmyM]

After listening to that vid again with fresh ears, I have to retract my original opinion...I thought the differences were non-existent, not slight at best. And if I bought an AmStd, I'm not a fan of modding Fenders but I'd be slapping a bent plate bridge on it, for no other reason than it's lighter.

[tekdiver500ft]

I agree, Jimmy. There's no difference (even my RTA saw no differences). I'll be going back to a stock Fender bridge.

[dmusic148]

If the difference is so small that you're all arguing about whether or not there even IS a difference, the difference must be very small indeed.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by tekdiver500ft

I agree, Jimmy. There's no difference (even my RTA saw no differences). I'll be going back to a stock Fender bridge.

One of these days I need to learn how to work an RTA! I tried once with the REDDI and got absolutely miserable and inconclusive results.

Wish I could go back to the original bridge on my 76. I got a Schaller in 83, which ended up creating very noticeable holes in an area not covered up by the bent plate bridge, so now I'm stuck with it and I hate it. Those dang rollers move if you even breathe on them hard while changing strings.

[tekdiver500ft]

Plug the holes and stain/paint to match. Any reputable paint shop can match the current color...

[ReiPsaeg]

It's obviously more BADASS than the standard bridge.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Those dang rollers move if you even breathe on them hard while changing strings.

Been there......simple fix? Adjust rollers as needed, then place a drop of blue loctite on either side of each roller. It will wick into the threads and lock the rollers.

[ToneMonkey]

In a nutshell, the whole added mass = greater sustain thing boils down to this: yes, adding mass almost anywhere on an instrument, but especially the bridge or headstock (the string path), will make notes sustain longer. However, it is always at the expense of harmonic complexity. Many a guitarist has added mass and ended up with dull lifeless notes that sustain forever.

Note that in my experience, the trade off is not necessarily one for one. For example, adding some amount of mass might result in 20% more sustain but only a marginal reduction in harmonic complexity, or vice versa. It completely depends on the instrument. But it is always there if you listen for it.

For me, it's all about finding the right balance. Vintage style Fender bridges (and tuners) provide the most harmonic complexity. For me, the BA is too heavy (too dull). I happen to like Gotoh 201 the best (it's right in the middle). But I do use stock Fender bridges with high quality saddles as well. I can also see how someone else might interpret what I call "dullness" to be "warmth." It's all subjective.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Been there......simple fix? Adjust rollers as needed, then place a drop of blue loctite on either side of each roller. It will wick into the threads and lock the rollers.

Hmmm...cheaper than a new bridge, isn't it? Thanks for the tip, bro! Will do that as soon as I can get to the hardware store.

[cjp3044]

Originally Posted by ToneMonkey

In a nutshell, the whole added mass = greater sustain thing boils down to this: yes, adding mass almost anywhere on an instrument, but especially the bridge or headstock (the string path), will make notes sustain longer. However, it is always at the expense of harmonic complexity. Many a guitarist has added mass and ended up with dull lifeless notes that sustain forever.

Note that in my experience, the trade off is not necessarily one for one. For example, adding some amount of mass might result in 20% more sustain but only a marginal reduction in harmonic complexity, or vice versa. It completely depends on the instrument. But it is always there if you listen for it.

For me, it's all about finding the right balance. Vintage style Fender bridges (and tuners) provide the most harmonic complexity. For me, the BA is too heavy (too dull). I happen to like Gotoh 201 the best (it's right in the middle). But I do use stock Fender bridges with high quality saddles as well. I can also see how someone else might interpret what I call "dullness" to be "warmth." It's all subjective.

+1000 - it can make a difference on some instruments - whether or not you like the difference is entirely up to you.

[Attackofmike]

In general, I never really see a noticeable increase in sustain when adding a high mass bridge. Maybe the differences are in milliseconds or something not worth noting.
However, the tone is usually accentuated in a different way, for me at least. I hear the most difference when using a pick and slapping. I can tell that there is more 'zing' to the top end with the tone pot dimed. I can't notice anything different when fingerpicking though.

[rubbadubdub]

If there is a difference ( I admit that I havn't tried the badass on enough basses to be sure either way) and the tonal differences are as tonemonkey says, then it may work on basses lacking sustain or with light and resonant bodies.
I have cone to similiar conclusions about body weight and maybe density of the wood.
My early 70's P and jazz basses were very light and had a more complex midrange and slighty confused sounding highs. All of the heavy bodied basses I own have a more solid low end and a bell like high end. This has been a consistent pattern with all the basses and guitars that I've played over the years. I much prefer the heavier instruments characteristics.
The bad ass made absolutely no difference on my heavy p bass. I wonder wether wether I should try it on my lighter p? That bass is not short of harmonic complexity and warm mids and is fitted with flats anyway so the effects that tonemonkey describes may be beneficial on that bass?
The results would still have to be spectacular enough to convince me that they are worth the money the badass is tying up. Not to mention the way it would spoil the sexy lines of my p bass.