Bent bridge = bad?

[big0bassdude]

I have Posted on TB previosly about my explorer bass falling from the wall and catching a keyboard on the way down. In addition to the aforementioned crack in the finish it also tweaked the end of the bridge upwards just enough to be visible on close examination. Here's the twist. I know bent metal usually results in a weakening of the structural integrity of the piece, however the finish is a gold color and as such i would expect a crack in the finish if it were put under a high stress impact. Am I wrong? Also, this may be a freudian error, but the bass seems to have taken a slight variation in tone, kinda like an openess sort of thing usually from a suspended maestro type bridge on a hollowbody. I haven't lost any definition and it didnt even change the action but it is noticeably lifted away from the body. I recently installed a new set of Low Beam DR's a couple days before the incident but I have used those for years and never experienced this before. Is there a reason the tone would "open up" or have i been standing too close to my amp again?

 

[XylemBassGuitar]

Changing the amount of physical contact between the bridge and body of a bass could, in theory, cause a change in tone. However, I would hesitate to say that it did so absolutely because so many different factors can change the sound of an instrument.

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Without seeing a pic, I seriously doubt that the fall did actually bend the bridge, especially if it's the recent "hi-mass" one.

It's more likely that the bridge was originally a bit bent and You just didn't notice before. The reason, mine was bent from the get-go, and the couple I've seen has had similar "feature".

More contact area means more even frequency reproduction and usually more sustain, so I might replace mine in the future.

Regards
Sam

 

[big0bassdude]

thanks guys. Ive come to believe what you are both saying especially Sam's comment about it being bent beforehand, I just find it amazing I didnt notice it before. I had changed the strings just days before and recorded a track to one of my songs. Being anal about tone I always make notes of all my settings. So I just isolated that track and recorded another beside it with the same settings. I wipe my strings after i play anything and use the DR's for their consistency over time so i dont think the strings have changed much in this short period but, when i play the tracks back panned left and right respectively there is a difference, although it is very slight. I am not planning on changing anything at this point but if a problem arises I will take the appropriate steps. And by the way, those Xylem basses look totally amazing. If they play/sound anything close to the way they look, well, I might have to make a couple really BIG changes! Rest assured I will be investigating!