Need Opinions on High Mass Bridges

[JimmyM]

That's on mine and it hold the strings just as well as all these fancy ones were all blabbing over here. I would like to know though, why you specifically chose those to replace your other bridges with?

They were the lightest I could find, and they were cheap.

 

[JakobT]

If you like’em, get one. Don’t think you’ll notice much difference in tone, though.

 

[mongo2]

For tonal considerations my favorite bridge is a wood floating bridge as found on my Hofners, Kay, Harmony and Ibanez AFB200.

My second favorite is the Fender style bent bridge with threaded saddles.

High mass bridges I've substituted sound like they're missing something to me.

 

[mcnach]

So look, I know this isn't as hotly contested as "tonewood" or even poly vs nitro. BUT! Is a high mass bridge worth the cost?

I design water and sewer systems now, but I ran a machine shop for 15 years before and I appreciate nice machine work. I think it's cool, so a nifty hunk of metal is just beautiful to me. I really want to buy a Babicz bridge ONLY because it looks awesome - tone is not the priority here (despite the poll option).

Do you like high mass bridges? Hate them? What's your faves? Also if you have a Babicz let me know how you like it.

If you're wondering it's going on a Blonde Fender Classic 50's PBass.

In my experience, not worth doing for tonal reasons. However, if you like it aesthetically and/or the adjustability it offers, go for it. Just don't expect that a high mass bridge is going to magically and dramatically change anything about the way your bass sounds.

 

[DaveAceofBass]

I have a Babicz on two basses. My favorite bridge. I have compared all brass Hipshot with Aluminum with brass saddles...I prefer aluminum bridges with brass saddles. Hi Mass bridges add weight, dampen attack, and muffle the wood resonance.

 

[JPaulGeddy]

Aesthetic, balance, features - reasons for a bridge swap. Tone - not. Babicz' really are nice bits of engineering, likely my next build. I don't think 'high-mass' is their deal, though, rather it's 'full contact'. Which also likely means zero, practically.

 

[brushfirewolf]

If you want it for the looks, fine.

But it’s not going to do jack for your tone.

 

[ChrisBowsman]

My P bass (Squier body/Allparts neck) is really bright, regardless of the pickup. When I swapped the original Squier bridge for a Fender Hi Mass, it wasn’t a night and day difference, but it did make it less bright.

 

[onda'bass]

I went from a hipshot type B to A, for sure there was a difference in tone. My main reason to change was preference of bridge type, and I had the added bonus of tone. The B type was giving a hi-mid accentuation and the A brought the lows/ lo-mids back and was more balanced to my ear. Everything was the same just the bridge swap. YMMV

 

[Alex J]

I went through a phase of putting high mass bridges on all my Fenders, but went back to the standard every single time. Couldn't get a low enough action, and the added weight was noticeable.

They look cool, though.

 

[Kro]

Wow, that is a gorgeous bridge! Can those be had separately, are they super-solid side-to-side (looks like they have grooves for the height adjustment screws), and do they use standard Fender screw patterns? I've used Hipshot 'A' bridges on builds for a long time, but they're honestly not so great and I REALLY like that design.

They're pretty easy to come by on Reverb, eBay, and pretty much any authorized fender replacement parts source:

Genuine Fender American Standard Big Block High Mass Vintage Chrome Bass Bridge | Guitar Audio | Reverb

They are very solid, but use the newer 3-hole mounting screw pattern that's been on the American Fenders for like a decade now.

 

[India_Sierra]

I love high mass bridges. They are just so much nicer to look at and use than the cheap bent-bit-of-tin that you might find on a Fender.

My Peavey Palaedium has a BadAss II, which I consider the old industry standard. That in itself is a very smart, simple design. The Babicz I have on my Cort Rithimic is a step forward again, definitely lighter but beautifully machined. The roller saddle concept is excellent. I have never had to adjust it.

 

[bassliner50]

I put a Baddass II on my Precision. Result? Sounds just like bent metal. Looks more refined though.

 

[bluehevy75]

I play Jameson set Labellas strings (big flat wounds) on one bass and a five string set of chromes (g thrown out) tuned to “A” standard on another.

I bought a Bad Ass because I needed more room for adjustment. I fully expected “0” change in tone.

To my surprise the change in tone was huge. Almost like a different bass.

I don’t believe this is about weight but because the saddles on BA have corners as opposed to being cylinders on older style saddles.

Will you hear a great change in tone if you play round wounds? I kind of doubt it.

There is not a lot of talk about BA bridges and flat wounds on TB. But for big flats I believe it makes a difference. Rounds...I’m suspicious.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Just removed the Babicz from my Carvin. Nice design but the tight cam radius was a limitation in achieving the desired string height on the A. I replaced it with a MIK Wilkinson bent-plate w/ brass saddles. About the same weight and I don't hear any difference in sonic character. IIRC, I think I paid ~$30 on Amazon. One minor niggle: the bridge was advertised as 19 mm but it's closer to 18. I don't have a problem with it but others may if 19 mm is truly mission critical.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F83V2VG?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details

Riis

 

[ad9000]

One other thing I’ve noticed is the high mass bridge can make the strings feel more stiff, especially if you play with flats.

I've found this to be true also. It can actually be a good thing if you have a bass that for whatever reason has lower tension than you prefer (relative to the string gauge) or if you use lower tension strings and you want to be able to dig in more.

 

[fishdreams]

It has an effect on tone, and I it depends on what you are after. For me, the hipshot replacement on the Jack Casady for example didn't work at all, it turned it into just another boring pbass variant and took away the transparent shimmer that makes the JC such a compelling instrument in the first place; on the other hand, in my Geddy it works really well, contributing to that ballsy, turbo version of a jazz bass that really works for me. Sometimes it works sometimes not.

 

[BarfanyShart]

It's apparently one of these things where it makes a big difference - positive or negative - on some basses, and makes almost no difference on others. That actually makes sense to me coming from DB, because similarly, switching to a fancy bridge on any given DB can have a huge effect on volume and tone, or almost none - it just depends on the instrument.

 

[4001]

I have a 1998 Fender CIJ Geddy Lee Jazz Bass and it had the Badass II installed....and I used it for years with that bridge....
Years ago now, I removed it and replaced it with the standard, Fender "L" plate bridge and I will tell you right now, that there was no difference in sustain or tone.
The "L" plate just looks better on it too and that is the way it was when Geddy first picked it up at the pawn shop and it remained on that bass all through the Moving Pictures and Signals tours back in 1981 and 82/83....
For whatever reason he installed the Badass II sometime in between 1982-1994 because when he broke it back out for the Counterparts album in 1994, the Badass II was installed.
I'm not a fan of the Badass II. There's almost no string break angle and It's just way too honkin' big and takes up too much room.

Now, I have Badass I's on two of my Rickenbacker basses and I like those. I also have another Badass I waiting in the wings for my current bass build....... had to have the body routed about 1/16" deep for it though...

Overall, I think that hi-mass bridges look like they're going to make your bass sound even more great but in reality, I think there is no sonic difference acheived by using them. (hey, but I have a few basses with them, so..)

If that Badass II is a "hi-mass" bridge, I honestly noticed ZERO difference in the sound or sustain on my Geddy Lee Jazz Bass when I swapped it for the old "L" plate and I like the way it is with that old stock bridge.

 

[zortation]

I went through a phase with them but decided they weren't for me. I almost always prefer aluminum bridges over zinc or brass. It's "livelier".