Non-Adjustble v Adustable Bass Bridge

[mikejdexter]

Has anybody experienced the following:
a) Is the adjustable bridge more prone to'toppling' over than the non-adjustable bridge? My adjustable of late tends to lean (the top) towards the F/B during a gig and I have to knock it back to it's upright position---more than once of late it has totaly colapsed.

b) How many prefer the non-adjustable bridge? Better sound?

c) Is there much difference between a cheap bridge and a more expensive bridge?

Your comments welcome.

[aaronallen]

My bridge sometimes needs to be knocked back when its leaning forward but it should never be leaning so far that it falls over. You should use some kind of right angle to check it regularly.
Installing adjusters makes the bass sound darker and warmer because they reduce the stiffness of the bridge.

[Cody Sisk]

Originally Posted by mikejdexter

Has anybody experienced the following:
a) Is the adjustable bridge more prone to'toppling' over than the non-adjustable bridge? My adjustable of late tends to lean (the top) towards the F/B during a gig and I have to knock it back to it's upright position---more than once of late it has totaly colapsed.

Take some pictures of your bridge so that we can make a more clear diagnosis but this isn't normal. I believe your bridge might be warped to the point where it'll be necessary to replace it.

Originally Posted by mikejdexter

b) How many prefer the non-adjustable bridge? Better sound?

There are a number of threads here discussing this topic, do a forum search for "adjusters" and do some reading. The general consensus is- "it just depends.."

Originally Posted by mikejdexter

c) Is there much difference between a cheap bridge and a more expensive bridge?

Absolutely. Cheap, soft maple will warp more quickly. It'll also deaden your sound as the softer wood absorbs more vibration. You'll also have issues with the strings sawing into the top grooves from the tension. You should avoid the internet bargains and instead look for a Despiau or Aubert bridge blank if you plan on cutting one yourself.

[George700DL]

Originally Posted by DallasStrings

Absolutely. Cheap, soft maple will warp more quickly. It'll also deaden your sound as the softer wood absorbs more vibration. You'll also have issues with the strings sawing into the top grooves from the tension. You should avoid the internet bargains and instead look for a Despiau or Aubert bridge blank if you plan on cutting one yourself.

Cody, where would you rate the German Teller brand? Is it one of the better blanks or junk?

George

[Cody Sisk]

Originally Posted by George700DL

Cody, where would you rate the German Teller brand? Is it one of the better blanks or junk?

George

I like the Teller bridges but I prefer Despiau. I'll put a Teller on a student bass, but I don't trust it for a professional blank. It seems hard enough to do the job, however it's not as hard as a Despiau.

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by George700DL

Cody, where would you rate the German Teller brand? Is it one of the better blanks or junk?

George

Both! The higher end bridges are excellent but they are very hard to find in my region. Mostly what I see are the 'Bausch' labeled Tellers and they are made of wide-grained, softer maple.

I won't use them.

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

Both! The higher end bridges are excellent but they are very hard to find in my region. Mostly what I see are the 'Bausch' labeled Tellers and they are made of wide-grained, softer maple.

I won't use them.

My ply has "Bausch" and it's got weenie little wings that don't accommodate a pickup. I ended up adding little pieces of wood -- my first attempt at chalk fitting.

(Lesson: Never use sidewalk chalk that the kids have left out in the rain).

[George700DL]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

Both! The higher end bridges are excellent but they are very hard to find in my region. Mostly what I see are the 'Bausch' labeled Tellers and they are made of wide-grained, softer maple.

I won't use them.

When I get a second I will post a closeup of my bridge. I think the grain is pretty tight, but maybe I haven't seen real high quality. The maple is very hard and there is no warping whatsoever (of course I am still inside the first year of my bass).

George

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by George700DL

When I get a second I will post a closeup of my bridge. I think the grain is pretty tight, but maybe I haven't seen real high quality. The maple is very hard and there is no warping whatsoever (of course I am still inside the first year of my bass).

George

And you're talking about a three string bass with a shorter scale, right? And gut strings?

That's carrying a lot less tension than a 42" string length with Spiros! I don't think you need to worry...

[George700DL]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

And you're talking about a three string bass with a shorter scale, right? And gut strings?

That's carrying a lot less tension than a 42" string length with Spiros! I don't think you need to worry...

No, I have 41.5 inch scale, and a rather large 3/4 bass . But yes, 3 guts, though they are much thicker, higher -tension guts than you would normally see, and my string height is pretty high too.

My concern isn't warping, but rather having as much volume as possible. Bridge hardness is about the last tweak I can make, otherwise the bass is already a beast in terms of loudness

George

[MIKMAN]

The high end Tellers are as good as a high end Aubert or Despiau. I use them in many cases since they have an excellent ratio quality/price.
Mike

[George700DL]

Originally Posted by MIKMAN

The high end Tellers are as good as a high end Aubert or Despiau. I use them in many cases since they have an excellent ratio quality/price.
Mike

Yeah, the price is right, that's why I like the brand.

George

[Cody Sisk]

Originally Posted by MIKMAN

The high end Tellers are as good as a high end Aubert or Despiau. I use them in many cases since they have an excellent ratio quality/price.
Mike

Hmph.. I guess it comes back to the ole German vs. French argument..

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by George700DL

No, I have 41.5 inch scale, and a rather large 3/4 bass . But yes, 3 guts, though they are much thicker, higher -tension guts than you would normally see, and my string height is pretty high too.

My concern isn't warping, but rather having as much volume as possible. Bridge hardness is about the last tweak I can make, otherwise the bass is already a beast in terms of loudness

George

I meant no insult George. Three guts at ~75 lbs total tension is a lot less than four Mittels at ~250 lbs.

With the light loading it might be possible to re-shape (ie thin) the bridge for more volume but its hard to say from way over here!

[George700DL]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

I meant no insult George. Three guts at ~75 lbs total tension is a lot less than four Mittels at ~250 lbs.

With the light loading it might be possible to re-shape (ie thin) the bridge for more volume but its hard to say from way over here!

Ha ha No offense taken Jake. I'm just excited about these strings I got from my friend. They are much harder and more tense than other guts I've tried (Lenzners are like fishing line in comparison). So it might be more than 75 lbs of tension, but you're right, nowhere near the heavier steel tension.

When I look at the E foot f-hole from the side and pull the A string slightly, there is very obvious movement of the plate and the further edge of the f-hole nearly disappears under the closer edge. (I hope this makes sense). I think I finally found a good match of strings for my bass - any more tension and I'd probably need a bigger bass bar.

The top of the bridge could definitely still lose some weight. Would you say the potential for more volume is there? I've gone through this over and over on a viola bridge, to the point where my bridge doesn't look like a bridge anymore, and seems to have added a bit of volume there.

George

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by George700DL

Ha ha No offense taken Jake. I'm just excited about these strings I got from my friend. They are much harder and more tense than other guts I've tried (Lenzners are like fishing line in comparison). So it might be more than 75 lbs of tension, but you're right, nowhere near the heavier steel tension.

When I look at the E foot f-hole from the side and pull the A string slightly, there is very obvious movement of the plate and the further edge of the f-hole nearly disappears under the closer edge. (I hope this makes sense). I think I finally found a good match of strings for my bass - any more tension and I'd probably need a bigger bass bar.

The top of the bridge could definitely still lose some weight. Would you say the potential for more volume is there? I've gone through this over and over on a viola bridge, to the point where my bridge doesn't look like a bridge anymore, and seems to have added a bit of volume there.

George

Hey George, if you wanted to send me photos of the bridge I'd give them a look. Send BIG pix to jake@tghebassspa.com

[mikejdexter]

Thanks everybody for your knowledge.

Mike