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Bad Ass II Info

MichiBass

MichiBass

Nov 2, 2005
840
46
40
Timișoara, Romania
mihaimoldoveanu.ro
#1
What about BadAss II bridges? Are they OK?
Are they worth their money?
Do they add sustain?
I plan buying one for my next Highway One Jazz (only when I'll find it's useful)

The Question :

You have to slot it by yourself, HOW ?

I saw this on ebay and got scared :

Invalid Link Removed


Anyway, here's the new one, unslotted :

5f_1.jpg
 
#2
I think it made a difference in Standard Jazz, bit more attack. They are easy to install, here is how I did it.........

I dropped one in on my MIM Jazz Standard. Took about 45 minutes to do. Really easy to do.

First I measured the string spacing on the original bridge, then measuring from the center out, marked where the grooves go on the BA II.

Then got out the old Dremel and my $16 model file set (from Home Depot) and cut the grooves. I made them so about 1/3 of the string sits in the groove. I also made the diameter of the grooves to match the strings.

Now here is a good tip...before I mounted the BA II, using the old bridge as a guide I adjusted where the saddles should be. This made setting the intonation a breeze since the saddles were in the ball park.

Next...un-screwed the old bridge and put on the BA II using the screws that came with it.

IMPORTANT**** Make sure the ground wire under the bridge is in contact with the BA II, or you will have a buzzing problem!

String it up, adjust the intonation and your done!
 
#4
the BA II is an impressive piece of work. they retail around $75 (us) for the chrome version, a little higher for other colors, (black, gold, old nickle). i play a Fender jazz, and i have never found a need to change the original bridge. but if i ever do, i'd replace it with a BD II. if it ain't broke... :cool:
 
#6
SMASH said:
Plus they're heavy and expensive. The one's I've swapped onto basses made no difference at all, then were taken off and sold.
Click to expand...
The bass I bought that came with a Badass II now has a Smith bridge. I don't miss the Badass. They look cool if you like the look, IMO the best reason to get one is for aesthetics.

They may add sustain, but who needs more sustain and what for?
 
#7
zombywoof5050 said:
IMHO the BAII is all hype, and it also ruins the classic look of the Fender.
Click to expand...

I disagree. I put one on my RI P-bass and it cured a MAJOR deadspot (Low "G"). It also improjed the attack and added just a touch of growl. It was a noticable improvment. My Bass teacher even noticed the difference and he's blind so he couldn't look and say "Oh you've got a BadAss on there"

Honestly who cares about the looks if the bass doesn't sound right. I rather like the look of BA's my self :)

~Paul :)
 
#12
I Hellspawn I said:
I didn't file the saddles down on mine. I don't think you really need to because I have a BAII on my Geddy (of course) and a BAII on my SX and it sounds like it really makes no difference if the saddles are filed down or not.
Click to expand...

I don't think slotting makes that big of a difference tone wise, though Leo Quan says it does and that you should do it. I think the biggest advantage is keepeing the string spacing more constant. I know on my P-bass the strings wouldn't have stayed properly lined up if I didn't slot the saddles. Also you might not be able to get the action low enough with out slotting the saddles, I had this problem too, though this WILL vary from bass to bass (even basses of the same make and model).

~Paul :)
 
#14
Staying in tune is mostly a function of the tuners. Bridges usually don't move while tuners often do. But having a smooth resting place on the bridge and nut for the strings also contributes.
 
#15
JimmyM said:
Staying in tune is mostly a function of the tuners. Bridges usually don't move while tuners often do. But having a smooth resting place on the bridge and nut for the strings also contributes.
Click to expand...
Having a smooth resting place that doesn't move -- that's why I changed my stock Highway 1 Jazz bridge to a Badass II. Part of my bridge would occasionally shift, especially on my G string. I was used to the tank bridge on my Peavey T40, so when I got my Jazz, it was just a bit flimsy.

I had a luthier install mine -- easy install, I know, it just drops in the same holes. But I felt better that he was filing down the Badass instead of me.

Having the Badass and changing to GHS Boomers gave new life to my Jazz. Definitely more sustain. I'm a happy camper with an even better axe now. But as with everything bass, your milage may vary.
 
#18
The thing about the BadAss is the edged saddels. The round ones on stock fenders are crap, for lots of reasons.

1. Round saddels give more ability to the string to move around, therefore, you'll be out of tune alot.
2. The saddels, are larger, adding mass and sustain.
3. The edge on the saddels give the string a sharper "attack" (not sharp as in pitch, and in strenght of the note)
4. The whole bridge is larger, so again, mass and sustain.
5. The stock fender bridges are so thin and crappy, (try this if you can), that you can get an old school, maybe 80's bridge, and literally bend the part that folds up with your fingers.

There are only two downsides I can see to the BadAss. One is that the bridge is larger, so it probably wont fit under a bridge cover. And 2 is that your bass is no longer stock, so if thats what your worried about, dont switch bridges. But honestly, isnt the point to make a good bass better, as good as you can get it?
 
#20
SnakeAnthony said:
The thing about the BadAss is the edged saddels. The round ones on stock fenders are crap, for lots of reasons.

1. Round saddels give more ability to the string to move around, therefore, you'll be out of tune alot.
2. The saddels, are larger, adding mass and sustain.
3. The edge on the saddels give the string a sharper "attack" (not sharp as in pitch, and in strenght of the note)
4. The whole bridge is larger, so again, mass and sustain.
5. The stock fender bridges are so thin and crappy, (try this if you can), that you can get an old school, maybe 80's bridge, and literally bend the part that folds up with your fingers.

There are only two downsides I can see to the BadAss. One is that the bridge is larger, so it probably wont fit under a bridge cover. And 2 is that your bass is no longer stock, so if thats what your worried about, dont switch bridges. But honestly, isnt the point to make a good bass better, as good as you can get it?
Click to expand...

1. I have a couple of old Fenders, both with stock bridges. I have zero issues with them staying in tune or moving.

2. I did notice a marked change in the attack and to a lesser degree sustain on my 68 Jazz when I installed a BA II. A change I didn't like, much the same as the issue I have with most high end, "more refined basses... too refined, too polite. Since I liked the bass much better pre-BA II, I took it off.

3. If by sharper you mean a more pinpoint sound, I agree. I've found that pinpoint sound has a harder time cutting through in the mix. That made it, for myself, undesirable.

4. More mass and sustain aren't necessarily "better", they are different.

5. I'd like to see that. That's not even close to my experience. Then again maybe this is something limited to 80's bridges, which I have no experience with off the basses or maybe you're talking about Squiers. As far as 60's, 70's, 90's and 2000's bridges, if you're talking about US basses, my money's on the bridge. People think they're flimsy until they actually try to bend that "cheap piece of metal".

Generally speaking, people also tend to blame the bass for being poorly maintained. I've yet to own any Fender that didn't stay in tune or have any of the other popular problems with them. Then again, I'm not buying Squiers or Performers or....

And I'm not expecting magic from the least expensive models.
 

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