Your Favorite Bridge for a fender type bass.

[El Kabong]

I searched for similar topics and didn't find any that answered these specific questions.


1. What is your favorite Bridge for a Fender type of Bass (not the best just your own personal favorite).

2. Why? What about your favorite makes it your favorite?

[walterw]

Originally Posted by El Kabong

(not the best just your own personal favorite).

smart way to word it!

i really like the first generation fender american standard bass bridges.

low-mass, but structurally rock-solid due to the string-through. grooved real steel saddles like vintage bridges, with adjustable spacing, and since correct spacing usually means that the string spread is a little wider than the saddles themselves are, the strings tend to push the outer two saddles in towards the center, holding everything tightly together with no set-screws or other excess parts. leo got this part right with the first vintage bridges, but fender lost it when they went to the saddles with the single groove in the center.

the brightness and sustain from the steel saddles combines with the "wood-tone" from the string-through, giving a nice all-around balance.


when fender went to brass saddles later on (2001 or so?), i think they lost something sound-wise. i know the wider grooves make for less adjustability, making it harder to get the string spacing exactly right.

[El Kabong]

Thanks walter, That type of write up was just what I was looking for.


Anybody else? I find it hard to believe that only one person on Talkbass has a favorite bridge.

[::::BASSIST::::]

A couple weeks ago I would have said the bridge doesnt really matter THAT much. However, after buying an SX shortscale J bass I wanted to give it every chance I could to really excel. So I put on a BadAss II. Wow, the difference was very noticeable. The BA II definitely added increased sustain and more important to me, clarity and focus.

So for me the BadAss series is the best upgrade you can do in terms of a Fender style bridge.

[southernrocker]

Chalk up another vote for the badass II. It added sutain and made the overall sound brighter. It is solid, the saddles don't slide, and it says "BADASS" on it. I loved having to file the saddles myself, as it adds a custom feel to the bass and lets me set it up the way I like it.

I've had problems with the standard fender bridges, such as sliding saddles. I would highly recommend the BAII for a fender-style bass.

[TheMutt]

I moved up to a Badass II bridge on my MIM Fender from the stock bridge. Increased the sustain and with my pickups replaced, this bass sings. It's also nice that the saddles don't slide all over the place when you dig in. (Had this problem with the stock bent plate bridge. The saddles would slide all over the place throwing the strings slightly out of tune and eventually started scraping away at the chrome finish.)

[jefkebass]

I've put the hipshot type A bridge on my jag and like it better than the stock bridge, haven't tried any other bridges....

[secretface]

A few years ago I replaced my MIM jazz and p-bass bridges with Gotohs from Warmoths website. I believe its called a Gotoh 401 but that could be a sale code. Funny thing was like a year later Fender started putting bridges on their american basses that are really similar to these gotohs. I think they call them high mass. Anyways they are a great improvement and were only like $35 a piece!

[bpm2000]

Originally Posted by jefkebass

I've put the hipshot type A bridge on my jag and like it better than the stock bridge, haven't tried any other bridges....

just put one on my mim jazz, very nice!

[Steveaux]

I prefer high-mass bridges.

As to brands ... it really doesn't make much difference. As long as they are made of quality materials and decently machined, the differences are in the aesthetics.

[Jo6Pak]

Hipshot Vintage

[J. Crawford]

Originally Posted by Jo6Pak

Hipshot Vintage

Im getting one soon. I love the Badass II on my Geddy though, but I hate the modern look of it. Im a vintage-esque guy.

[BigOldHarry]

Hiipshot "A" style:

http://www.bestbassgear.com/hipshot-...ss-bridges.htm

Stable and nice looking.

[Jo6Pak]

Originally Posted by Jordasch

Im getting one soon. I love the Badass II on my Geddy though, but I hate the modern look of it. Im a vintage-esque guy.

Be advised the latest version does NOT have the string cut-outs on top. The new string holes, however, are now large enuff to accomodate removing the string at the ball end without unwinding it from the peg.

Make sense? I don't describe it very well, but its actually a better design.

[southernrocker]

Originally Posted by Jordasch

Im getting one soon. I love the Badass II on my Geddy though, but I hate the modern look of it. Im a vintage-esque guy.

I wouldn't consider the badass II modern. Badass bridges have been around since '72.

[electracoyote]

+1 for the low mass factory bridge with grooves.

I had to remove a Badass from a Jazz bass because I couldn't get the action low enough. Stock factory bridge ended up sounding just as good.

[SpamBot]

I'm fine with the bent-steel vintage bridge. BadAss II didn't change my tone or sustain significantly.

[Matt Dean]

Hipshot B

[elBandito]

Fender american deluxe bridge.

best fender bridge hands down.
Grooved plate so the saddles dont move
Brass saddles with adjustable spacing.
String thru or top load.
The original am std bridge doesnt have grooved plate and can not be top loaded.

New high mass vintage bridges are nice, but too much mass for vintage sound.
New HMV bridges do have beefier saddles and screws however.

[Webtroll]

Originally Posted by walterw

i really like the first generation fender american standard bass bridges.

+1 I bought a Deluxe bridge and stole the saddles for my Franken Jazz bass