• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Ray Ross Bridges

The following review has been pre approved by a mod.

We’ve heard many times from this company that it’s unfair to judge this bridge by any other means than having one in your hands. Here are my hands on impressions.

At this point I will not be subjecting one of my basses to test the claims that this bridge is a hi end preamp, ends all dead spots, or any of the other tonal claims. Before I handled this bridge I thought it was well made but with ridiculous tonal claims. I no longer feel it is well made. Personally I greatly prefer the $11 bridge I have on my Guild Pilot as it doesn’t have the problems the Ray Ross bridge does.
Well, there we have one man's review. Sounds like Stefan will be getting his bridge back.

Good night, and good luck.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BassBeginer64
The following review has been pre approved by a mod.


We’ve heard many times from this company that it’s unfair to judge this bridge by any other means than having one in your hands. Here are my hands on impressions.

This bridge is much wider than any 5 string I have. The screw holes do not line up with my 3 kinds of Hipshots (vintage and A & B style), Fender, Tobias, Yamaha, cheap import, Wilkinson, Fernandes, or Peavey.

2 hole sizes are used to adjust the intonation and height. 1.5mm and 2mm. The enclosed toothpick sized tool has both, don’t lose it.

You can’t adjust bridge height tuned to pitch. The instructions tell you to use a “medium tension” to adjust the string height and to tune to pitch after the adjustment is complete.

There is a large amount of slop in the fit of the pin. It almost feels like the “tone pin” is a smaller size than the hole in the saddle it screws into. The saddle themselves can wiggle sideways and click against each other.

The pins don’t poke into my palm. The edge is sharp though and will shave your fingernail.

The powder coating, while pretty, makes the bridge non conductive and will need to be scraped to expose the brass in order to ground the strings.

The mounting screws are super thin at .125” at the outside of the threads. Compare this to .170” on an old Tobias. Even if the holes lined up the included screws would be unusable without doweling the holes first.

So to mount this on one of a dozen 5 strings I have I would have to drill and dowel the old holes, then redrill new holes. And then repeat that to repair the bass.

At this point I will not be subjecting one of my basses to test the claims that this bridge is a hi end preamp, ends all dead spots, or any of the other tonal claims. Before I handled this bridge I thought it was well made but with ridiculous tonal claims. I no longer feel it is well made. Personally I greatly prefer the $11 bridge I have on my Guild Pilot as it doesn’t have the problems the Ray Ross bridge does.


Thank you for your thoughts.

I did not need redrilling on my Ken Smith, it was a direct fit. On the Lakland I did.

Unfortunately - and I understand if you don’t feel like drilling any new holes into your basses - that doesn’t tell us anything about the sound qualities, which was my point in this argument. Following that I am happy for you to send it to another member of the opposing side (on the sound aspects of the bridge) if you don’t mind, as long as I get a promise by whoever tests it last that he’ll send it back to me in the UK.

I’m sorry for not asking you what bridge you would like but unfortunately I can only spend money on one that fits my own basses and that’s only 19mm 5 string ones.

I think it is worth mentioning that when the bridge is in place and strings on, I personally haven’t experienced any moving or wobbling - if someone else takes it for a review that’ll show once it’s installed.

Also regarding the coating - aren’t the strings contacting the pins that are uncoated, which conduct further to the intonation screws and contact the base? I personally haven’t experienced any grounding issues with mine which are in gold finish - never had the black so I don’t know if it’s any different.
 
1. This bridge is much wider than any 5 string I have.

2. There is a large amount of slop in the fit of the pin. It almost feels like the “tone pin” is a smaller size than the hole in the saddle it screws into. The saddle themselves can wiggle sideways and click against each other.

3. The edge is sharp though and will shave your fingernail.

4. The powder coating, while pretty, makes the bridge non conductive and will need to be scraped to expose the brass in order to ground the strings.


I’d like to address these points if that is ok.

1. The Ray Ross is about 15mm wider than my Smith bridge, however it’s 25mm shallower which in my view makes it look smaller. Anyway this is a matter of taste, but I don’t think it looks bulkier than the Smith one, to me it looks more elegant.

2. Under the string’s tension, there’s absolutely no wiggle in the tone pin. Same, saddles don’t move when the bass is strung. Likewise on many other bridges that I own, if there’s no strings, the saddles wobble.

3. I’m not sure what you mean here, could you please clarify?

4. Again, if the coating is the same as the gold one, I’ve experienced zero grounding issues.


Since the bridge is still in the USA, I suggest that someone who has a Ken Smith, or one of the listed direct replacements, or wouldn’t mind drilling new holes, tests it with strings on to check the points above and the sound qualities we’ve been debating, if @TrustRod doesn’t mind sending it to someone else instead of me first.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: RodRy and Picton
Turnaround seems like a good choice if he's still into it. I'll send him a DM.

The coated bottom connectivity is spotty on a retest. If any connection is made it will be grounded. When I check 2 points I find many areas that are not conductive. So it may work without problem if the ground wire touches any connective spot. I think someone here was just having the same powder coat issue with single string bridges.

The pins won't wobble when the strings are up to tension since they are being pulled to one side. Being this loose though suggests all that pressure is on the edge of the thread.
 
Turnaround seems like a good choice if he's still into it. I'll send him a DM.

The pins won't wobble when the strings are up to tension since they are being pulled to one side. Being this loose though suggests all that pressure is on the edge of the thread.


I see where you’re coming from.
From what I can see the tension falls on the pin and the action adjusting nut that pushes against the saddle when strung. I think time will tell if that’s a design flaw, if they start breaking.

Sure please do, it’d be cool if we could get to the bottom of this. Thank you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RodRy
The coated bottom connectivity is spotty on a retest. If any connection is made it will be grounded. When I check 2 points I find many areas that are not conductive. So it may work without problem if the ground wire touches any connective spot. I think someone here was just having the same powder coat issue with single string bridges.

You meant the bottom side of the bridge, got you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RodRy
...The powder coating, while pretty, makes the bridge non conductive and will need to be scraped to expose the brass in order to ground the strings.

The mounting screws are super thin at .125” at the outside of the threads. Compare this to .170” on an old Tobias. Even if the holes lined up the included screws would be unusable without doweling the holes first.
...
The screw holes on the bridge are not able to accommodate larger diameter screws than the supplied ones. You, of course, are free to drill out the bridge screw holes or as Rod said, dowel and drill the body.

I would say that the RR can not be considered a drop in replacement bridge.
(If you order a Warmoth body don't have the bridge holes pre-drilled)

I am not trying to pile on here. As I have stated earlier, I liked mine enough to have kept it.
 
Guys,

Is there anyone on here who would like to test the sound and comfortability properties of the bridge I had sent to @TrustRod ? Unfortunately it doesn’t fit any of his basses (I could only buy a size that’d fit my MTD as it is eventually coming back to me) so if you do want to test it, you have to be prepared to drill a hole or two (or 6 which was the case with my Lakland), unless you have a 5 string Ken Smith - it’s a direct replacement for that. This is the 5 string, 19mm spacing but it fits on the Smith despite it being 18mm - the screw holes match.


You’ll have to promise to ship the bridge back to me in London, UK after trying it and sharing your experience here.

I have no interest in any other tests being performed apart from sound comparison and comfortability. If you’re one of the people doubting the sound differences this bridge produces compared to any other bridge (and again this being subjective, I’m not saying better or worse), there’s a chance of having some first hand experience with it without having to buy it - it’ll only cost you the postage to send it back to me. And you’ll help resolve this argument here hopefully.

If so, please direct message me.


Edit: I’d like to add it’s probably best if whoever wants to test it, is someone who has so far been on the neutral or opposing side of this debate.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: RodRy
FC4B0BE9-3E09-448D-A490-035B9D579091.jpeg


Here’s the dimensions in case someone wants to check if it’ll fit any of their basses without much DIY.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RodRy
Come on guys. Considering 23 pages of opinions, hype and disbelief surely someone can give it a test drive.
Edit
I have no idea what the shipping would be but I’ll PayPal the tester $25 to help with the shipping cost back to the owner.

I'd guess the need to drill more holes is far, far more of a deterrent than the shipping costs back to London! Class move, though.
 
Come on guys. Considering 23 pages of opinions, hype and disbelief surely someone can give it a test drive.
Edit
I have no idea what the shipping would be but I’ll PayPal the tester $25 to help with the shipping cost back to the owner.
Edit #2
The offer stands until midnight January 7 2021. I probably shouldn’t leave it open ended. Lol
I'd be interested in checking the bridge out, but I'm totally happy with the only 5 string bridge I have, and I think I'd have to drill new holes to install this one.

I'm sorry, I cannot help on this front.
:(
 
  • Like
Reactions: StefanMarinov