String Thru Body?

[dropbass]

String-thru feels worse on my MIA Jazz IMO, might be my imagination, but I think action doesn't feel as even.
Doesn't get enough tension to solidly push the E string to the saddle either if its not one of those taper-wound E's

if the string is touching the saddle and the nut and is tuned to pitch it shouldnt matter if the string is attached in space it should be the same..... but as i said below i know guys who swear by putting the lower strings thru the brdge and the D G thru body....try that

 

[T-Forty]

I like how it looks.

 

[Jim Dombrowski]

I like the fact that I can flip things around and run the strings up the back of the neck, thus reducing fretboard wear.

 

[FL Knifemaker]

I like how it looks.

+1 !!! I love the string through bridge on my Hondo P. Since I have flats on my other P basses and rounds on the Hondo, yes it has more sustain and different sound

 

[kraigo]

I think through body was the original Fender design. It's kind of a pain to string and to find strings that are long enough (Skyline 55-01). I've noticed no particular difference.

KO

 

[Ric5]

The negative about the string through body is by turning the string 90 degrees you increase the chance of breaking a string.

 

[T-Forty]

I've never seen/had a string break as a result of that, Ric5.

 

[spade2you]

I've had a few Peavey Millennium basses that allowed both options. I didn't notice a real difference. Naturally, they both sounded different at first because I went from old and dead strings to new ones. There were no issues on my 4, but my former 5 had a small issue with Ernie Ball bass strings being 1/8" too short when strung through the bridge. I also had the same issue with Kahlers doing the same thing on 35" scale basses.

 

[Mr. Ray]

Interesting discussion and observations. I have jazz basses with string thru and also standard vintage bridges. Soundwise I really don't hear a difference. BUT on some string sets where the wrap at the bottom is too long and it sits on a bridge saddle, stringing it thru the body will eliminate the "dead" effect of the cloth wrap i.e the E string. That is one thing I like about the Badass 2 bridges the saddles on the lower strings are a little longer than a standard vintage bent plate.