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Bridges
- Thread starter b-strung
- Start date
I'm one of those who think a bass and its subsequent tone is a sum of all its parts. I have never thought that a single component can correct issues. You might try a new bridge, but you might look at the electronics.
What type of bass is it? Is it active or passive? What's the body wood?
More info from you could lead to better answers from the TB brethren.
What type of bass is it? Is it active or passive? What's the body wood?
More info from you could lead to better answers from the TB brethren.
Funny, I just read this on the Best Bass Gear site. They are currently stocking new Badass II and III bridges. When I read this my initial reaction was snake oil, with a hardy dose of skepticism. Probably taken from Leo Quan. FWIW, I have had numerous dealings with Best Bass Gear and they are always excellent and upstanding.
The BASS II is a precision, harmonically-tunable direct replacement bridge designed to enhance Fender Jazz and Precision Basses. The special music metal material was engineered to provide synergistic resonance mass and the most efficient sound transfer for tremendous increase in attack, sustain and clarity of notes, without changing the tone of the wood. The BASS II replaces the original bridge, and eliminates the inaccurate harmonic tuning caused by "round" shaped, and "roller" saddles of other bridges, interference of string ends contacting the bridge saddles, and unwanted side movement of strings and bridge saddles for the purest tone/sound transfer possible.
The thing I like about the Hipshot A style bridges, is the easily accessed, wide range of adjustability. I don't know if they sound any better, but they sure enable me to dial in my setups.
The BASS II is a precision, harmonically-tunable direct replacement bridge designed to enhance Fender Jazz and Precision Basses. The special music metal material was engineered to provide synergistic resonance mass and the most efficient sound transfer for tremendous increase in attack, sustain and clarity of notes, without changing the tone of the wood. The BASS II replaces the original bridge, and eliminates the inaccurate harmonic tuning caused by "round" shaped, and "roller" saddles of other bridges, interference of string ends contacting the bridge saddles, and unwanted side movement of strings and bridge saddles for the purest tone/sound transfer possible.
The thing I like about the Hipshot A style bridges, is the easily accessed, wide range of adjustability. I don't know if they sound any better, but they sure enable me to dial in my setups.
It depends on the bass. Many reputable bass players and builders use them. On my 78' fender jazz, heavy ash body, it gave me more mids and highs but less lows. The bass didn't vibrate as much as when it had the original bridge. Others prefer a high mass bridge on a bass like my 78', I don't.
Pretty much this. If I swap a bridge, it's usually for a design that keep the saddles from moving around, and/or for additional adjustability and ease of access. The Hipshot A is a good example.
Otherwise, I really don't notice much difference in tone between certain bridges, all other things being equal. YMMV.
What they said. I haven't ever noticed any significant changes in tone after a bridge swap. I do it to keep my saddles in line.
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I have had several Fender basses with Badass II bridges. I always pull them off and go back to Leo's original design. The badass is just to thin sounding for my tastes. YMMV
