• 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 free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Titanium Bridge

#21
Suburban said:
Brass density: 8.9 kg/l
Steel density: 7.8 kg/l
Titanium IRC : 4.5 kg/l
Aluminium : 2.7 kg/l

Just to keep the basics in place.

Steel is the stiffest and hardest, followed by titanium. Alu and brass are about the same, except anodized alu, which has an extreme surface hardness (compared to the basic material)

Then to the bottom line: how do they impact sustain, or tone, or whatever such value? Not much. I bet very few, if any, of us will spot the difference in a blind test. An much less an audience in a musical situation...
Click to expand...

Its interesting, Aluminum and brass seem to be the two materials that everyone claim have the best tonal properties, but seem to be on the opposite end of the spectrum.

I agree with the second point. the bridge on a cheap basswood epiphone LP of mine started leaning, so I added a top of the line replacement. At home, I can definately tell it sustains better and has better harmonics than my stock Gibson LP in a direct A/B, but in a live band situation noone could probably tell a difference.

So FWIW is the general consensus that Titanium is more or less worthless in musical applications and aluminum and brass are the choice materials?
 
#22
I wouldn't necessarily say worthless. Sometimes it may impart the tone you're looking for, and sometimes the weight might matter (if it were tuners or something)

Also it could look quite nice if done properly. Ti can be a very nice looking metal.

Problems with most of the Ti bridges I've seen is that they're very thin and way too expensive for what they are.

-Nick
 
#23
Suburban said:
Brass density: 8.9 kg/l
Steel density: 7.8 kg/l
Titanium IRC : 4.5 kg/l
Aluminium : 2.7 kg/l

Just to keep the basics in place.

Steel is the stiffest and hardest, followed by titanium. Alu and brass are about the same, except anodized alu, which has an extreme surface hardness (compared to the basic material)
Click to expand...

Weird, in the cycling world wrt metals...steel frames are the heaviest and softest (absorbing road vibrations), aluminum is second heaviest but the stiffest, and titanium is the lightest and approaches steel in terms of softness (from a non-metal pov, carbon fiber is the lightest but the most stiffest of the frame materials).

In the cycling world, the strength of titanium allows them to machine the frame tubes very, very thin. So that is why titanium bikes are lighter.
 
#24
seventhson said:
Weird, in the cycling world wrt metals...steel frames are the heaviest and softest (absorbing road vibrations), aluminum is second heaviest but the stiffest, and titanium is the lightest and approaches steel in terms of softness (from a non-metal pov, carbon fiber is the lightest but the most stiffest of the frame materials).

In the cycling world, the strength of titanium allows them to machine the frame tubes very, very thin. So that is why titanium bikes are lighter.
Click to expand...

They can build frames lighter in aluminum than in titanium, they just don't last.
If you look at all the stupid light 2-3lb frames, you'll find that they're usually aluminum.
 
#25
Sustain is more a product of neck stiffness than bridge mass.

Softer materials like brass will give a different tone than a steel bridge would. Steel would be brighter.

An aluminum bridge actually has a similar tone to a wooden bridge.

Many bridges are die cast from zinc alloys, such as the Schaller and Badass bridges.
 
#27
PilbaraBass said:
here's the bottom line, IMHO....titanium "sounds" very exotic...therefore it can be sold at a huge markup over a more "common" product that's made out of zinc alloy, steel, brass, or aluminum...

hence, it is 90% a marketing ploy and is making some company (won't mention any names) a bit of money...
Click to expand...

It's a buzz word... almost like neodymium! Except that actually has merit. ;)
 
#28
DavidRavenMoon said:
It's a buzz word... almost like neodymium! Except that actually has merit. ;)
Click to expand...

Titanium has its merits too. I'd love to have a titanium bridge if it was well made, and not what looks like it was cut out of a piece of angle stock.

IMO, the issue is when you charge an extra $100 just because you're using a different metal, and then claim it's better.

If it were an extra $20, maybe...
 
#30
Arx said:
Titanium has its merits too. I'd love to have a titanium bridge if it was well made, and not what looks like it was cut out of a piece of angle stock.

IMO, the issue is when you charge an extra $100 just because you're using a different metal, and then claim it's better.

If it were an extra $20, maybe...
Click to expand...


precisely...there's no WAY that Ti costs $100 more for that little bit of metal...
 
#31
AFAIK titanium stock is about 2x$ to alu, around here. Or 3x$ to steel, or rather equal to most brass alloys.

My take: want sustain? Fix the backbone, top to bottom.
want attack? Backbone+hardness of top and bridges.
want other tone? Work with weight/stiffnes ratio distribution over the instrument, use different playing techniques and tweak the amp and effects. The latter in the row, the quicker to the result:)
 
#32
Suburban said:
AFAIK titanium stock is about 2x$ to alu, around here. Or 3x$ to steel, or rather equal to most brass alloys.
Click to expand...

Wow. Either you're paying WAY too much for aluminum or you're getting one HELL of a deal on Ti.

I just checked a couple places, and found that Titanium 6AL-4V costs anywhere from 28x to 40x than the same size of Aluminum 6061. EDIT: in the US!

Asad
 
#36
asad137 said:
Wow. Either you're paying WAY too much for aluminum or you're getting one HELL of a deal on Ti.

I just checked a couple places, and found that Titanium 6AL-4V costs anywhere from 28x to 40x than the same size of Aluminum 6061. EDIT: in the US!

Asad
Click to expand...
I might have old numbers for the Ti, but for sure, Al IS way overcharged here, at least if you don't have access to the large volume vendors.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back