Wood Bridge vs Other Materials

sayman · #1 05-31-2010, 01:26 PM

Just curious about the sound of wood bridges (a la Carl Thompson) vs the traditional metal bridges used in most production electric basses.

I imagine they are warmer but not as durable.

But anyone willing to educate me? Frankly, just curious.

sayman · #2 05-31-2010, 01:38 PM

I did find this much on the Carl Thompson site in an article...

"...I wanted a wood bridge, but Carl didn't want to use them at the time. Sometimes the wood will warp, or expand during the shaping process and lock the saddles in place..."

cosmicevan · #3 05-31-2010, 03:16 PM

the greatest variance of tone comes from the player in my experience. there are no hard and fast rules for tone that i've noticed. the change in tone from one bridge to another is so negligible that it is not noticeable...at least far less noticeable than playing in a room of a different size/shape.

to me, pickups/electronics have the most dramatic affect on tone but the way you play the bass will ultimately drive the tone. the big draw for the wooden bridge is the aesthetics and at times the weight of the materials. it always seemed to me that carl's work is a reflection on the player's needs. he triple checks his math and takes his time to do things correctly so that the bass doesn't get in the way of being able to play it. key things like balance of the instrument and weight of the instrument really make a big difference.

sayman · #4 06-01-2010, 04:16 PM

Thanks. From what you're saying - correct me if I'm wrong - the bridge has negligible impact on your sound.

M0ses · #5 06-01-2010, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sayman

the bridge has negligible impact on your sound.

That is my belief. Any well-designed bridge that functions properly is as good as any other, IMO.

sayman · #6 06-01-2010, 04:21 PM

Thanks for the info, I was curious. Carl Thompson wood bridges sure look great, though.

cosmicevan · #7 06-02-2010, 02:59 PM

some people will tell you that more mass in the bridge = more sustain and blah blah blah. really depends on what you believe. i've never had any issues where a note didn't sustain as long as i needed it to (unless ofcourse i didn't pluck the string with enough force for a really long sustain).

your best bet is to A/B 2 different types and see if you notice a difference. i find that there are so many variables for the tone that going nuts about trying to search for a minor tweak results in nothing but headaches.

62bass · #8 06-03-2010, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M0ses

That is my belief. Any well-designed bridge that functions properly is as good as any other, IMO.

I've been saying that for years and I've been playing bass for about 48 years now and I've played a lot of basses in that time. I'm glad that a few others agree with me. So many of the "rules" we hear are just marketing hype to sell basses and expensive "upgrades".

My favourite I think is the ramp. I laugh every time someone mentions it. Why not just get your playing technique together?

cnltb · #9 06-03-2010, 09:34 AM

There is a distinct tonal diference though between wood and , say , brass for example.
The question shouldn't be "Does it work" but "What are the tonal differences?" no?

cosmicevan · #10 06-05-2010, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnltb

There is a distinct tonal diference though between wood and , say , brass for example.
The question shouldn't be "Does it work" but "What are the tonal differences?" no?

well, there are certain truths that we can all agree on...the strings touch the nut and the saddles so if anything, the material used for those would probably affect the tone more than the bridge (if at all). to say that there is a "distinct" tonal difference might be a stretch though.

from my experience the thing that affects the tone more than anything else is the way i strike the string and fret the note. for example, fingerstyle vs. slapping...or palm muting. that combined with tweaking EQ or pickup combination makes the biggest changes in tone. granted i've never switched bridges on an instrument, but i have switched between instruments and had great success in getting similar sounds out of basses with varying specs. i gotta agree with the marketing hype comments. i'd like to think that i have pretty focused ears and the materials used on the instrument don't have any sweeping affects on tone quite like the way that the player plays it. the cable you use, the power supply you use, the body wood...honestly...if you buy into it all, i have a bridge i'd like to sell you. and if you are so gung ho on telling me that you can hear the differences, let's put some cash on it and go to a few neutral locations for a blind hearing test. i'll happily take your money from you.

cnltb · #11 06-06-2010, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmicevan

well, there are certain truths that we can all agree on...the strings touch the nut and the saddles so if anything, the material used for those would probably affect the tone more than the bridge (if at all). to say that there is a "distinct" tonal difference might be a stretch though.

from my experience the thing that affects the tone more than anything else is the way i strike the string and fret the note. for example, fingerstyle vs. slapping...or palm muting. that combined with tweaking EQ or pickup combination makes the biggest changes in tone. granted i've never switched bridges on an instrument, but i have switched between instruments and had great success in getting similar sounds out of basses with varying specs. i gotta agree with the marketing hype comments. i'd like to think that i have pretty focused ears and the materials used on the instrument don't have any sweeping affects on tone quite like the way that the player plays it. the cable you use, the power supply you use, the body wood...honestly...if you buy into it all, i have a bridge i'd like to sell you. and if you are so gung ho on telling me that you can hear the differences, let's put some cash on it and go to a few neutral locations for a blind hearing test. i'll happily take your money from you.

Well, you won't get any .
Not off me anyways.

I have experimented with wood and brass on the same bass and the difference is indeed distinctive. On that particular bass using a very clean amp. The bridge was also identical, apart from the material.
I'd be surprised if you didn't hear it, but if you don't, that's cool too-makes your life that little bit easier.
That other factors do possibly have a greater impact on ones tone goes without saying.

cosmicevan · #12 06-06-2010, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnltb

That other factors do possibly have a greater impact on ones tone goes without saying.

that's more my point. i agree, everything affects the tone. i just get shocked when people tell you those silly things like having this kind of bridge or that kind of bridge will undoubtably across the board have certain results despite all of the other factors.

sound is an interesting thing where the slightest changes can change everything so to me, the marketing mumbo jumbo is just that...mumbo jumbo. you don't need to buy this fancy amp or bridge if you are looking for something. why not try turning the amp's speaker in a different direction in the room...a simple thing like that could save you tons of money and give you the desired results.

that's all i'm saying. too much emphasis is put on what to me is insignificant changes that typically result in you spending more money for the solution...when in reality, using what you've got in a different way will likely solve your tonal searching.

cnltb · #13 06-06-2010, 03:55 PM

I agree with you.
But as all parts used on an instrument are integral to how it turns out, the extra money may actually be worth it, to get the "right" instrument.
I think the moving around of loudspeakers is something the sound guy will do much better than me, as he knows the room much better.
I am glad that my instrument turned out the way I had hopes and that I thought about what bridge to use just as much as I thought about the pickup,woods and construction method.

cosmicevan · #14 06-06-2010, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnltb

the extra money may actually be worth it, to get the "right" instrument.

+ 1 million.

just be cautious of where you put that extra cash. at one point in time, i owned a Fodera emperor with the "extended B headstock"...talk about marketing mumbo jumbo to squeeze some extra cash out of the buyer...judge with YOUR ears and what feels good playability wise to YOU. talkbass is a great place, but can be dangerous in influencing ideas and so called facts about what gives what results.