Schecter Bass Bridge; Good, Bad, ... or just "Meh"

[GIBrat51]

I'm assuming that this is the right place to post this, so... here goes...
I have a new-ish Schecter Stiletto Studio 4FL, that came to me with the bridge - and the rest of the bass - set up pretty much like I prefer. Plenty good enough to just break it's EB Group IV Flats in, anyway. Even the intonation was very close. Anyway...
Early this week, I was playing it pretty vigorously, when suddenly there was a "snap" - and the D string saddle was sitting sideways. I thought "What the Hell?", and started poking at the other saddles. And, the A string saddle snapped over, too. So, down to the basement work bench we went...
Turns out, the little grub screws that adjust the height of the saddle "chiclets", weren't set evenly on those 2. So, they just... fell over. Easy enough to fix, I guess, but I felt it necessary to check them all. And, I wound up with the saddles - and the things they sit in - all over my work bench. And, of course, I had to re-adjust the string height- and re- intonate the bass. Wasn't hard, really; just fiddly - and time consuming. Plus, the hex key I had to do it with? I'd never seen one that skinny before...
So, fellow Schecter owners; what are your thoughts and opinions about the Schecter basss bridge? Love it? Hate it? Or what?

 

[Zooberwerx]

I'm assuming that this is the right place to post this, so... here goes...
I have a new-ish Schecter Stiletto Studio 4FL, that came to me with the bridge - and the rest of the bass - set up pretty much like I prefer. Plenty good enough to just break it's EB Group IV Flats in, anyway. Even the intonation was very close. Anyway...
Early this week, I was playing it pretty vigorously, when suddenly there was a "snap" - and the D string saddle was sitting sideways. I thought "What the Hell?", and started poking at the other saddles. And, the A string saddle snapped over, too. So, down to the basement work bench we went...
Turns out, the little grub screws that adjust the height of the saddle "chiclets", weren't set evenly on those 2. So, they just... fell over. Easy enough to fix, I guess, but I felt it necessary to check them all. And, I wound up with the saddles - and the things they sit in - all over my work bench. And, of course, I had to re-adjust the string height- and re- intonate the bass. Wasn't hard, really; just fiddly - and time consuming. Plus, the hex key I had to do it with? I'd never seen one that skinny before...
So, fellow Schecter owners; what are your thoughts and opinions about the Schecter basss bridge? Love it? Hate it? Or what?

I'm a little fuzzy on "...string saddle snapped over" and "...fell over" but I think I get the gist. I would have given the grub screws the blue Loctite treatment while dis-assembled and, yes, there's a procedure for this. The tolerance on these import components is all over the map but correctable in many instances.

Is there a locking grub screw on the front of the saddle sled assembly?

Riis

 

[JimmyM]

I'm assuming that this is the right place to post this, so... here goes...
I have a new-ish Schecter Stiletto Studio 4FL, that came to me with the bridge - and the rest of the bass - set up pretty much like I prefer. Plenty good enough to just break it's EB Group IV Flats in, anyway. Even the intonation was very close. Anyway...
Early this week, I was playing it pretty vigorously, when suddenly there was a "snap" - and the D string saddle was sitting sideways. I thought "What the Hell?", and started poking at the other saddles. And, the A string saddle snapped over, too. So, down to the basement work bench we went...
Turns out, the little grub screws that adjust the height of the saddle "chiclets", weren't set evenly on those 2. So, they just... fell over. Easy enough to fix, I guess, but I felt it necessary to check them all. And, I wound up with the saddles - and the things they sit in - all over my work bench. And, of course, I had to re-adjust the string height- and re- intonate the bass. Wasn't hard, really; just fiddly - and time consuming. Plus, the hex key I had to do it with? I'd never seen one that skinny before...
So, fellow Schecter owners; what are your thoughts and opinions about the Schecter basss bridge? Love it? Hate it? Or what?

Congratulations. You fixed it. Looks like any other bridge of its type. Just go get a few more hex keys that size in case you lose the one it has, and have fun till it happens again.

 

[GIBrat51]

I'm a little fuzzy on "...string saddle snapped over" and "...fell over" but I think I get the gist. I would have given the grub screws the blue Loctite treatment while dis-assembled and, yes, there's a procedure for this. The tolerance on these import components is all over the map but correctable in many instances.

Is there a locking grub screw on the front of the saddle sled assembly?

Riis

Well... I say "snapped over" because that's what it sounded like; a pretty loud "Snap!" The other one didn't make a noise because I was poking it with a finger when it fell over. As for the Loctite? I'm very familiar with Loctite - in all it's many colors. I have some blue - and green - Loctite in my instrument tool box, in fact. I decided not to use it, mainly because the grub screws are just so tiny. Practically impossible to put "a tiny dab" of anything on them... So, now that I know how the saddles work? I'll just keep an eye on things, and if they move on me? I think some clear nail polish would be the preferable solution...

Congratulations. You fixed it. Looks like any other bridge of its type. Just go get a few more hex keys that size in case you lose the one it has, and have fun till it happens again.

Yeah, I did. I've been working on all kinds of mechanical stuff for over 60 years, now, and there ain't much I can't fix. But that wasn't the point of the thread. The point was "Do you have a Schecter Bass? If you do, what do you think of the factory bridge? Is it good; bad; or just... okay?"

 

[Zooberwerx]

Well... I say "snapped over" because that's what it sounded like; a pretty loud "Snap!" The other one didn't make a noise because I was poking it with a finger when it fell over. As for the Loctite? I'm very familiar with Loctite - in all it's many colors. I have some blue - and green - Loctite in my instrument tool box, in fact. I decided not to use it, mainly because the grub screws are just so tiny. Practically impossible to put "a tiny dab" of anything on them... So, now that I know how the saddles work? I'll just keep an eye on things, and if they move on me? I think some clear nail polish would be the preferable solution...

Yeah, I did. I've been working on all kinds of mechanical stuff for over 60 years, now, and there ain't much I can't fix. But that wasn't the point of the thread. The point was "Do you have a Schecter Bass? If you do, what do you think of the factory bridge? Is it good; bad; or just... okay?"

I do the "spin treatment" with blue Loctite as a preemptive strike. A buddy has the same Schecter...at a glance, bridge looked fairly substantial to me and he had no complaints / issues. I dug no deeper.

Riis

 

[dedpool1052]

It's been a number of years since I owned my studio 5.
I never had issues with the bridge once I had it set.

IIRC, there's a grub screw on the front (pickup side) of the saddle that locks the height section of the saddle.

 

[songwriter21]

I'm assuming that this is the right place to post this, so... here goes...
I have a new-ish Schecter Stiletto Studio 4FL, that came to me with the bridge - and the rest of the bass - set up pretty much like I prefer. Plenty good enough to just break it's EB Group IV Flats in, anyway. Even the intonation was very close. Anyway...
Early this week, I was playing it pretty vigorously, when suddenly there was a "snap" - and the D string saddle was sitting sideways. I thought "What the Hell?", and started poking at the other saddles. And, the A string saddle snapped over, too. So, down to the basement work bench we went...
Turns out, the little grub screws that adjust the height of the saddle "chiclets", weren't set evenly on those 2. So, they just... fell over. Easy enough to fix, I guess, but I felt it necessary to check them all. And, I wound up with the saddles - and the things they sit in - all over my work bench. And, of course, I had to re-adjust the string height- and re- intonate the bass. Wasn't hard, really; just fiddly - and time consuming. Plus, the hex key I had to do it with? I'd never seen one that skinny before...
So, fellow Schecter owners; what are your thoughts and opinions about the Schecter basss bridge? Love it? Hate it? Or what?

I can't stand those bridges, or similar ones with the locking everything. They're a royal pain in the a**. I don't need saddles and height adjustments to lock...never had an adjustment move on me. Plus, none of those stupid saddle blocks go near low enough for my action.

I retrofit Schaller 3D roller bridges on my Studios. The only thing thay irks me with those, is no quick-release feature, and I gotta move all rollers to the left for the strings (different bridge geometry). Otherwise, they're soooo much better, overall.

The individual-string bridges are even worse...can't replace them with aftermarket anywhere nearly as easily a standard one-piece. Never experienced the benefit of single bridges, either.

 

[GIBrat51]

I can't stand those bridges, or similar ones with the locking everything. They're a royal pain in the a**. I don't need saddles and height adjustments to lock...never had an adjustment move on me. Plus, none of those stupid saddle blocks go near low enough for my action.

I retrofit Schaller 3D roller bridges on my Studios. The only thing thay irks me with those, is quick-release feature, and I gotta move all rollers to the left for the strings (different bridge geometry). Otherwise, they're soooo much better, overall.

The individual-string bridges are even worse...can't replace them with aftermarket anywhere nearly as easily a standard one-piece. Never experienced the benefit of single bridges, either.

Yeah... the Schaller 3D-4 bridge is always my first choice, if I have to replace a bridge - or build a new bass. And, I admit that putting one on this Schecter did cross my mind - as I put the stock bridge back together. But, once I figured out what the problem was (and, TBH, a lot of it was just due to my laziness), it wasn't all that hard to fix it. Just... sort of fiddley. But, it isn't my only bridge like that; and, since all but 3 of my 27 basses wear flats? I seldom have to bother with any of them, anyway... I doubt that this one will be any different, but... if it is? There will be a Gold 3D-4 in this bass's future...