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Most STABLE Bass Bridge

S

Shorty3

Dec 25, 2015
277
418
Italy
#1
Hi Folks,
I was wondering which are the bass bridges that offer better stability for the saddles to remain in place.

I have reduced my bass arsenal to two basses.
One is a Fender Mustang PJ Bass with the traditional Fender bent plate bridge.
I happen to dig quite hard when I play, and the saddles tend to shift.

The other bass I have is a modded Squier Bronco with a Schaller 3D bridge.
With this bridge saddles do not move at all.

So, any suggestions for any other bridge that can guarantee saddles stability?

I think a good one is the G&L saddle-lock bridge.

Please consider that I am not asking for opinions about sustain or tone.

I would just like to know what is your favorite bass bridge if you only would have to consider saddles STABILITY, i.e. saddles not shifting at all once you have done your setup.

Here is a pic of the Schaller 3D installed in my Squier Bronco:
20200428_141252.jpg
 
#3
I put a Hipshot ‘B style’ (17mm spacing) bridge on a recent Bronco ‘overhaul’... is quite stable! I play very hard as well... as you can see- the saddles are ‘locked-in’ (laterally). 4 String B Style Bass Bridge They are available in 19mm spacing as well.

Here is one for a (5-screw) Fender mount: B Style Fender® Mount Bridges

5EEA0D56-2809-4640-A925-26E17EF34050.jpeg
 
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#5
96tbird said:
Hipshot A style and Babicz are two other choices that are very stable.
Click to expand...
Rats! Beat me to it...;) Don't know who makes it, but I have a bent plate bridge on an Eastwood Magnum bass that has tracks for the saddle height screws to ride in. I'm not a particularly hard player, but that thing seems very stable. I know I've seen similar ones for sale...:cool:
 
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#8
This:
Bridge - G&L Saddle Lock 4-string

The one on my SB-2 hasn't budged since '86 :-)

For the traditional Fender style, I much prefer these over the smooth style where the saddle height screws rest on the surface. Not to mention it has 7 screws to lock down onto the body better.

203B-4 – G-GOTOH

The Gotoh has grooves for the outer saddles keeping all of them inline. (I can feel the saddles move on my fretless Jazz with the Fender bridge as it has LeBella low tensions on it.)
 
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#11
SAlcott said:
I've been playing for 50 years. I've never had a bridge saddle shift unless I moved it myself. If you play so hard it moves the saddles, the problem is not with the bridge.
Click to expand...
Likewise - I can accept that some bridges are more aesthetically pleasing than others, are easier to adjust, give more sustain etc etc but in fifty years I’ve never had a bridge move so as to affect intonation, action or string spacing.
 
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#13
I can't imagine why there would even be a thread on this, because the saddle-lock bridge from Leo Fender is just so obviously the most stable bridge ever made.... :)

But seriously, the G&L saddle-lock is certainly the most lock-down-solid-able bridge I've ever seen/owned on a bass, with no comparison. Once you tighten that grub screw on the side, it's tougher than nuclear weapons.

A distant second is an El Cheapo bridge that Carvin used to make - Kiesel may still make it but I haven't checked. It was their value El Cheapo bridge of their own design (I believe) that they put on their "value" basses. I had one on my Carvin Brian Bromberg "S" model (may it R.I.P.) and it had these little screws that somehow locked the saddles down hard. When it was all fastened down, it was a solid block of metal too....

L
 

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