Badass II v Gotoh 201

The Gotoh looks better (to me).

 

+1

The BAII is a big, heavy, expensive, piece of pot metal that has been passed by a long time ago. If you are willing to spend the money on a BAII, I would recommend the Babicz bridge. It is the only bridge I have come across that I actually consider a real improvement over the old Fender bent steel design.

 

Both bridges use the standard Fender five hole mounting pattern, so either could be used. I agree the BA is overrated and the Gotoh looks better. If you want a less expensive option to the Gotoh 201 check out the generic version from Bass Parts Resource:
http://www.basspartsresource.com/bridge_economy.htm

 

Those bridges are pretty good, but I would spend the extra money for the Gotoh. They don't bother polishing out the casting under the saddles, It doesn't look bad but I would prefer the whole bridge to be polished. Also the machining isn't all that great, so adjustment screws are a bit stiffer than on the Gotoh. That being said, its a good bridge for the money, and unlike the Gotoh the ball ends are recessed into the bridge which is a nice feature.

 

I've never compared them directly to the Gotoh bridge but i would hope the Gotoh would be a little nicer since it is $30 more! IMO these bridges are a big upgrade from the standard Fender style just because they don't let the saddles move side to side. I have used them on three different basses and been quite happy with them.

 

And here we go again...

OP, For my part, I strongly favor the look and functionality of the BA2. Unfortunately, they have apparently been having real supply problems, so you may save yourself a lot of wasted effort just trying to FIND one by looking at other options.

 

They are great for the price.

 

The OP asked for opinions, I gave mine. Sorry if that offended you.

 

Not offended, just not surprised.

 

Here's a youtube video (not mine) comparing them.

 

The sound sample he decided to use in that video was like nails on a chalk board to me. Especially that muted string tick thing he did. The only real difference I heard was that there was a bit more string buzz on the BAII, which was just due to a set up difference when the bridge was changed.

 

I've had both on basses I have (and currently) own, and I actually prefer the Gotoh, for looks and price. I've never had any issues with mine in 10+ years.

 

I've had both on a few different basses, though I only have one Fender-style bass currently, a Jaguar which sports a 201 for now (it was free) and I prefer the look and feel from the Badass II more.

To be honest, I never noticed that much of a difference in tone (I have a pretty bright and aggressive sounding fingerstyle anyway) but I don't think the minute differences would be really noticeable through an amp anyway. Both I feel are an improvement over the Fender-style bridge as they have slots to hold either the screws or the saddle itself in place to prevent slipping and loss of tuning/intonation. A word of wisdom though, I would either look a used Badass II with the string slots already filed out or buy one of the "pre-slotted" new ones (I like the look of the pre-slotted, myself.), unless you are comfortable with filing the slots yourself.

You really couldn't go wrong with either and their are several other options to look at as well: I like the Hipshot bridges and the Gotoh "quick release" style bridges for when the bass has more of a "modern" look and, though I haven't tried it myself, I hear generally good things about the Babicz bridge. I enjoy the look of the Badass more and it has a bit of a nostalgic feel for me. However, I wouldn't pay what some people ask for new price these days. You can find a good barely used (or sometimes new) Badass II that has already been slotted for $70 or less if you look around (eBay and the Talkbass classifieds are your friends).

 

The Gotoh looks nicer, is cheaper, and is more comfortable on the hands than the BAII. The Badass has sharper corners that are not so nice for resting your palm on.

 

I have both- the BAII came on a bass and i don't have much opinion of it either way- i wouldn't go out of my way to buy one and i wouldn't go out of my way to remove it. It's big and shiny and that's about it.

I did buy a 201B as a replacement for a bent steel bridge with saddle-height screws that were gouging my hand during picking. The 201B was a great cure for that and it looks nice too. I've never heard any diff in sound in any of the three styles.

Now- the screw holes and supplied screws on the 201B WERE a bit of an issue for me.
the supplied screws were too small and narrow to make purchase in the standard fender screwholes into the body. But for me to use the existing screws with the 201B, i had to use a drill to enlarge the screwholes on the bridge body. I don't mind doing this- it was not a big for me, but some people might not be comfortable doing that. Once i had the holes reamed out it was smooth sailing and i've been extremely pleased with the underhand feel and the look- it's reminiscent of the traditional style with just enough of a modern look to feel like a customization.

good luck

 

The Babicz bridge is probably the easiest to adjust of any bridge I have seen. It's well made too. A couple quirky things about it though. For one, you have to completely remove the saddles to mount it to a bass. Thought that was a bit of a pain. Also, it's really light. If you are wanting to lighten your bass then it's great. But if you need the weight of a beefier bridge to help reduce neck dive then the Babicz isn't a good idea.

 

Yeah having to remove 3 of the 4 saddles is kind of a pain, but the adjustment more than makes up for it. I don't think there was any way around it from an engineering stand point to where it could still fit a Fender screw pattern.