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Ray Ross replacement

MultiScaleMale

MultiScaleMale

Gold Supporting Member
Jun 19, 2003
27,228
39,035
Maryland
#1
811C9F67-594B-4A75-9E02-646A5271C929.jpeg


I have some extra time now that it’s holiday shutdown time. So I did a small project that I’ve been planning for awhile. Swap the Ray Ross bridge on my Brubaker JXB with a BadAss II. Going smooth and then I snapped a screw. Oops. It snapped with part exposed, so I’ll be able to back it out. Until then, four screws will work.

Just a quick review - I like the bridge more than the Ray Ross that has some weird chorus effect on the G string and it has some rattles on the A and E string. The bass sounds a little more like what I hear in my head now.
 
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#2
Just Googled Ray Ross bridge and I'm not sure I get the point of it.

Ray_Ross_Installed.jpg



Im not sure the wrapped part of the string adjacent to the ball end is meant to be part of the speaking length of the string. Plus 99.9% of Bridge designs have a break angle, which must impart something? Isn't this the case for most stringed instruments of any hue?
 
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#8
It has potential, but needs to be 1/4" or 1/2" deeper and the bridge pieces need to lock together something akin to the old puzzle games that had sliding pieces and one missing tile where you had to put the tiles in order. Then something to put pressure and clamp the bridge assembly like is on G&L bridges. That should eliminate the rattles that I was getting from the E and A strings. Now the weird chorusy effect that I was getting on the G string? I thought maybe that was from the pickups, or at least possibly from the pickups, but it's because a portion of the string that isn't designed to speak is now part of the vibration. It works on the E A and D string but on the G string, I guess the string starts to get thinner and the wrap of the string becomes more pronounced. I don't know how you would fix that. But some people may like that effect. The strings are brighter sounding. The Brubaker JXB isn't inexpensive at $2700 or so, but you get a lot of bass for an instrument in that price class. The BOB preamp / replaceable module is pretty sweet.
 
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#9
SulzerType2 said:
Just Googled Ray Ross bridge and I'm not sure I get the point of it.

Ray_Ross_Installed.jpg



Im not sure the wrapped part of the string adjacent to the ball end is meant to be part of the speaking length of the string. Plus 99.9% of Bridge designs have a break angle, which must impart something? Isn't this the case for most stringed instruments of any hue?
Click to expand...
I have argued these very points with the originator of the Ray Ross bridge. I don’t feel that his responses were at all helpful, but you should judge for yourself. Do a search on Ray Ross bridges for the dialog.
 
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#15
Zooberwerx said:
At least clean-up the one on the far left.

Riis
Click to expand...

The Ray Ross bridge is wider than the BA and has two additional screws than the traditional 5 Fender screws. I just put the screw back in on the right, but on the left the screw isn't going back in without force, and I learned than one earlier today. Will dowel those holes and I've ordered some matte black nail polish from Amazon.
 
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