• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Badass Bridge Stories

eneye

eneye

Guest
Oct 29, 2011
60
9
SLO
#1
It's hard to believe that this innocent little piece of hardware that hasn't changed much in nearly 40 years can make such an impact on tone, sustain and playability.

I have a Carvin 50th Aniversary 5 string fretless and about 10 years ago, I replaced the bridge to a badass 5 and replaced the electronics as well. To say that I had a new bass on my hands would be an understatement. It was as though the craftsmanship of that Carvin was in solitary confinement and those mods released it from prison. I'll put that Carvin to the blindfold test against basses that cost 10 times as much. I've played enough 10K+ basses and few to none sing the same way.

Last week, while refinishing my long forgotten '90 Squire Bullet P-Bass, I decided to purchase a Badass II for the bridge replacement. It was as though I went to my local shop and bought a new American P-Bass. Sustain for days and perfect action right out of the clamshell. It's the best $82 I ever spent.

Glen Quan, you are a genius. If anyone else has a story like this, do tell. Peace -E
 
#2
I think it safe to say, you will get some who will argue it does not have the impact on tone, sustain, and playabiliy that you say it does.
I personally don't know, as I've never had the opportunity to make the comparison, but I am certainly not going to go to the expense and effort to find out, especially if it turns out to be false, or at best a negligible benefit. I've read too many stories about dissatisfied customers and see way too many used Badass bridges for sale to bother.
 
#4
While I can't say I've seen any real sustain gains :D

I have found those bridges that lock in their settings with no aid from string tension tend to work better with my kung fu grip playing style in terms of the strings staying in place, and tune and intonation holding better/longer than with the standard equipment L plate found on most modern, mid range basses.

So far the bridges I have experience with are several peavey bridges, the one that came stock on my US j plus, a babicz, and the BA that came on my highway 1. All these work better (for me) than the L plate. As always, YMMV.
 
#5
I'd rather have the L plate. They work fine, and assuming they do have less sustain (jury's still out on that), they get plenty enough sustain for my tastes. All I ever got out of Badass bridges was extra weight.
 
  • Like
Reactions: shrigg
#7
JimmyM said:
I'd rather have the L plate. They work fine, and assuming they do have less sustain (jury's still out on that), they get plenty enough sustain for my tastes. All I ever got out of Badass bridges was extra weight.
Click to expand...

That is exactly my take on it. To me, there is no inherent advantage that a Badass has over a standard Fender type bridge. I have a suspicion they are highly overrated.
 
#9
I have found out that my instruments actually sounds "better" when i now have gone back to lighter, old school bridges. The badass does two things. It gives you a little more treble (i dont like) and it adds weight (i dont like) It is also way to expensive.
 
#10
Here is my story,
I read all the hype and spent $95.00 on one.
After I got it I found out what a PITA it was to notch the saddles and get it set up properly.
After all the hassle I finely got it on and set up properly.
After playing the bass for a while I realized that I had fallen for a bunch of hype & B.S.

It did not sound any better then any other bridge I had.
 
#12
I have a '77 Fender Jazz that is outiftted with the BAII and I believe there is a difference in sustain and the richness/fullness of the tone. I believe that has to do with the effect the extra weight has on the overall resonance.

Something interesting I noticed, is that to get the tone I get with the BAII with the standard Fender bridge I would have to use heavy guage strings and after upgrading to the BAII I could use light guage strings and it would still sound as rich/full as it did with the heavier guage strings.

I spoke to a physicist about this a while back and he told me that changes in weight would certainly impact the sound because in essence the mass that aids in creating sound was greater with a heavier bridge. He told me that caterus parabus (all things being eual, ie elctronics), a lighter weight bass would experience a higher change in resonance than a heavier bass. According to him, the reason for this is because the weight of the bridge as a percentage of the bass (without a bridge) is greater on a lighter bass than on a heavier bass. ie 1lb is 20% of a 5lb bass and 1lb is only 10% of a 10lb bass. You get the idea. If you were to compare 2 basses, they would have to have identical electronics because calculating for the effect of electronics on resonance is a whole semester of college physics!

Needless to say, is there a change in tone? yes. Is it significant? Depends. On what? That's a long, long list!
 
#13
I must apologize, in my first post on this here thread, I only asked a Q, never gave my Badass story, so here it is: don't have a story and don't intend to unless I build a bass and need a bridge. Then I would go Hipshot A or D, they are so much prettier than BA.
 
#17
If you guys are at it I'll use this thread to ask a question:
I'll start by saying I'm about to buy a Badass II bridge just not sure about two things:
Is the Badass II the one I need for a Fender Jazz Bass 73'?
Is there any diffrence in the tone between the colors? (Edit: Saw some black and on the website of Leo Quan they said something about different tones)
And I've seen that some of them are Grooved and some aren't
What does it mean?
Thanks!
 
#19
conttador said:
Someone on You Tube did this:

Fender Jazz Bass High mass bridge - part 2 - YouTube

Fender bass, standard x high mass bridge comparison - part 1 - YouTube
Click to expand...

Two things my ears detect.

1) Sounds like he put new strings on when he put the badass bridge on. Wouldn't you? That seemed to add a lot of brightness to the tone.

2) The dude was playing a little off with the badass bridge than he was with the oem bridge. Maybe too early in the day? Too much sleep?...

What I did hear beyond those two things was a more focused tone overall, less mud. I can always dial in more lows, but they're hard to dial out.

In spit of the lack of stories this post seems to be generating, I'm interested in the arguments nonetheless. As two of my basses now have badass bridges on them, it's safe to say no one is going to change my opinion on them.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back