Good idea, and will cost me 99 cents hahah. Thanks @kulit17
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
Anyone know what a new bridge and saddle would cost? Just curious. It’s an easy problem to solve, but annoying this happens. It was very noticeable playing through an amp for me. I was loosing sustain on the E. The string you need it the most!
I like the felt idea Kulit, although I think you would have to replace that eventually. I actually used an old pick and cut a small piece out of it and stuck it in the gap.
I like the felt idea Kulit, although I think you would have to replace that eventually. I actually used an old pick and cut a small piece out of it and stuck it in the gap.
Anyone know what a new bridge and saddle would cost? Just curious. It’s an easy problem to solve, but annoying this happens. It was very noticeable playing through an amp for me. I was loosing sustain on the E. The string you need it the most!
I like the felt idea Kulit, although I think you would have to replace that eventually. I actually used an old pick and cut a small piece out of it and stuck it in the gap.
just a saddle cost $10 each....times 4 ....$40....asking the whole bridge assembly would probably be north of £100 ($150)
two of the Wals i did it on, i no longer have, but the one that i do have with it on has been a non-issue..... actually i forgot it was there until it was mentioned again. my advice...i wouldn't used a tooth pic..... jamming something hard to try to force it to stay put would perhaps be more problematic than having a piece of felt or soft material to absorb the noise. i did this more than two years ago and its been good since.
its not so much being afraid of spending $150....believe me, back when i had this issue i had the same thoughts of buying a new assembly...i could try to find the quote i got, but its probably buried in my inbox somewhere since i've emailed Paul a good amount of time. anyhu, since i was enlightened of this fix, i didnt' find the need any longer.
i guess put it this way. You buy a $40,000 vehicle....you're car shows you have tire pressure issues in your cluster..... do you fix your tires or just buy a new set everytime that happens....sure its only $300 each tire, but a simple patch and fill er up does the trick, why not??
Yes, some old Wals seem to have a sloppy fitting saddle which results in a rattle or too much movement in the bridge slot.
The felt I use is a self adhesive roll.
I remove the bridge and drop the saddle out (the bridge slots are tapered, so the square saddle must drop out from the bottom). I cut off a perfectly sized square from my felt roll and stick it onto the square end of the lower bridge. The adhesive will keep it from ever squeezing out, and it's felt so you still have full travel for your intonation adjustments.
Now, if it's the upper round saddle that rattles against the hex screws: I remove the saddle and slide off the hex screws. Dab in a tiny drop of model glue in each side of the sockets of that saddle, let dry. reassemble and no more rattle, like repairing a shoulder joint.
I have spent lots of $$$ with Paul on replacement parts. Not afraid to if something is stripped, legitimately broken, or missing. But I'd rather leave the original stuff in place as much as I can.
The felt I use is a self adhesive roll.
I remove the bridge and drop the saddle out (the bridge slots are tapered, so the square saddle must drop out from the bottom). I cut off a perfectly sized square from my felt roll and stick it onto the square end of the lower bridge. The adhesive will keep it from ever squeezing out, and it's felt so you still have full travel for your intonation adjustments.
Now, if it's the upper round saddle that rattles against the hex screws: I remove the saddle and slide off the hex screws. Dab in a tiny drop of model glue in each side of the sockets of that saddle, let dry. reassemble and no more rattle, like repairing a shoulder joint.
I have spent lots of $$$ with Paul on replacement parts. Not afraid to if something is stripped, legitimately broken, or missing. But I'd rather leave the original stuff in place as much as I can.
Last edited:
That bass has made its way to Seattle!!! I have got to see it in person pweeeeze!!!!
And I'll help you fix your saddle woes!
Yeah, no ones affraid to spend the $150 or whatever it is...it’s the point that something like this even happens to begin with. Overall it’s not a big deal, though. I told my luthier that if I need to replace stuff I will. He obviously thought it wasn’t necessary and the fix I made was just fine. You can barely see the plastic where I inserted it (I’ll try to upload a pic).
I don’t think my Mk1 was well taken care of over the years to be honest. The guy that had it before I briefed me on what he spent to get it back into shape. Was quite a bit.
I don’t think my Mk1 was well taken care of over the years to be honest. The guy that had it before I briefed me on what he spent to get it back into shape. Was quite a bit.
A lot of the MK1s floating around here are just old as well...they’re obviously gonna require work to keep them maintained from time to time. People getting 2018 Wals will suffer issues in 2058 as well. I had a huge problem with my 84 Wal awhile back where the capacitors like puked acid all over the board and destroyed all kinds of stuff. My bass sounded like a bitcrusher when I played it.
Yea these capacitors are well known in the Wal world,as well as electronics that are used in other applications to have a 20-30 year "shelf life". In fact i have my old Demeter Pre in for preventative maintenance to replace the same capacitors before they leak. My '97 MKIII's board will be sent in for servicing soon
I had issues with caps as well on a couple basses. Especially had that crash course happen when there was no Wal company to fall back on.
And some folks think I'm a loon for repeatedly recommending cap jobs like a broken record. LOL!
I trust your word with that stuff haha. I remember talking with you about it when it happened back in 2014
been stumbling across a couple of your vids this morning with random Wal vids
but here's a couple 6er's for ya!
