Hi-mass bridge? Bahhh humbug!

[kedo]

I'm going to hazard a guess and say that Fender is aware of the high-mass buzz, and might be attempting to capitalize on said buzz.

 

[Right_Butterscotch64]

I guess I just hate how the fender bridge while a great design, could be improved. I don't like the idea of the saddles being held down only by the weight of the string, and for the saddles to be set upon tiny little poles with no grooves at the bottom to keep them from moving around. I feel the same about tune o matic bridges: strings resting on a knife edge held up by two littles poles? It just seems the designs while good back then can be noticeably improved with today's technology.

 

[kedo]

I can see that point. The Babicz really is a good design... I still have 1 bass that wears one. Its a BREEZE to adjust and set up, but the comfort factor isn't there for me.

All of my basses had either Babicz or BadAss bridges, til I got my AVRI. I really dug the threaded bridge, so I put one on my Highway One P. Tried BA and Babicz and threaded on my MIM P and Js. I found that if the instrument was lacking acoustically, the Babicz helped quite a bit. If it really sang unplugged, the threaded bridge went on.

 

[Jaco D]

My 2011, and 2012 Am Dlx Fenders have grooves in the base plates to guide the (threaded) saddles.

My point exactly - to get those features "stock" you have to get a higher-end Fender!

 

[Matt R.]

I have both and I cannot hear the difference.

 

[Batmensch]

With threaded saddles you don't need the grooves.

 

[bkbirge]

With threaded saddles you groove.

Fixed it for you.

 

[gjbassist]

With threaded saddles you don't need the grooves.

So how do the threaded saddles prevent the saddles from moving side to side?

 

[Musiclogic]

My personal opinion is that the Fender bridge looks like the cheap stamped piece of junk that it is.

They function well but could be much better, and when you buy a $1000+ bass, it is nice to have something that looks and functions better than the 30 cent piece of pot metal that it is.

But that is just personal preference

 

[DrSpunkwater]

What do you like better about the stock fender one? Myself I think theyre among the worst bridges made. But thats just me.

Please, enlighten me as to how they're among the worst bridges made.

 

[fourstringdrums]

I like higher mass bridges because they are usually the only ones that are quick release. But at the time I'm not using any.

 

[kedo]

Hey, if a 30 cent piece of bent steel has gotten me through as many gigs and rehearsals, being thrown around by baggage handlers and in and out of cabs, vans, etc as it has, I feel even more foolish for wasting as much coin as I did on so many "improved" designs.

Not to mention the 1000s of other instruments out there with the same cheap stamped piece of junk that have gone through so much more abuse than my instruments.

 

[Batmensch]

So how do the threaded saddles prevent the saddles from moving side to side?

When the strings are set properly on the threaded saddles, they strings are oriented towards the outward sides of the saddles, the lateral pressure from that forces the saddles in, towards the center of the bridge. (The E pushes toward the A, the G towards the D, and the D and the A to each other)
maybe this will help:
E>>A>><<D<<G
This sideward/inward pressure keeps the saddles from sliding around, negating the need for grooves
I hope this makes sense. If someone else can make it clearer, please do so.

 

[DrSpunkwater]

I'd like to know what you guys are doing with your basses that you're so concerned about grooves for the saddle screws. Not once have I ever had an issue with intonation or saddle movement on a standard bridge. Not once.

That said: I've used the BAII bridge extensively, but more than anything for aesthetic purposes. The tone's pretty good too.

 

[dbd1963]

I love to tinker with my basses, so I've swapped out many a bridge. I think I can hear a difference between the very cheap Fender-style bridges that you get on older squiers and fender copies and a more massive bridge. I don't think I'm imagining that. But I don't really hear much difference between a standard Fender-style and heavier bridges. Maybe there's a bit of a difference, but if there is, it isn't an important one.

The biggest difference I've noticed might have had to do with something someone already mentioned -- the brass saddles that are on the heavier Modern Player (v.1) bridges. I had a P bass that sounded a little anemic, but when I swapped out the bridges and put on the Modern Player jazz neck, it turned into a tonal monster. Now I believe most of that has to do with the neck, but I wonder if the brass bridge doesn't add a bit. I do love the sound of a brass pick, so I might just be romanticizing here a bit..

Let me add I have the Babicz bridge on a jazz and I love it because it's set it and forget it.

 

[Sheffield]

Clearly you need a flatwound high-mass bridge (in tort). The roundwound high-mass bridges you're using won't make it sound like a real bass.

/troll

 

[hdracer]

because it's set it and forget it.

I have found the stock bent steel bridge to be the same way.

And it isn't ugly with gaudy laser etching on it.

 

[grendle]

My personal opinion is that the Fender bridge looks like the cheap stamped piece of junk that it is.

They function well but could be much better, and when you buy a $1000+ bass, it is nice to have something that looks and functions better than the 30 cent piece of pot metal that it is.

But that is just personal preference

This

 

[kedo]

This

No

 

[hdracer]

This

Do you actually like and think the Spector bridge is a good design?

I think it is the worst piece of engineering I have ever seen. What a POS