Well I'll give you the looks; bent tin with threaded saddles looks better than any of the bulky shiny stuff.
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Why a Gotoh 201 bridge over a standard Fender
- Thread starter ejaggers
- Start date
Turnaround
Commercial User
On a P-Bass, yes. On a Jazz I would expect it to, but I don't have a Jazz bridge cover in the shop at the moment to test with.
One thing to keep in mind is that any bridge (including Gotoh) with a .75" string-to-string spacing will not line up the strings to the pickup poles on a Fender Jazz Bass. You will need wider spacing if you are anal about these things.
Thanks for the info. Sorry I didn't specify P or J, the OP mentioned a P in his first post and I assumed that's what we were talking about.
I just ordered a 201 off of amazon for 50 bucks plus 8 for shipping. I don't use the ashtrays much on my p bass, but I do put them on for special "upscale" type gigs. I just played a 50th anniversary party and I grabbed my trusty 3TSB w/rosewood P with a tort guard, slapped both ashtrays on and played old standards and classic country all night.
Now the reason I'm trying the 201 over the standard bent bridge that's on there now is this: anytime I perform any kind of palm mute, or play with my hand on the bridge (like if I'm using a pic), the saddle height adjustment screws jab me pretty good. I know it's a nit-picky thing, but if I can make my bass better or more comfortable, why not? Also, I like the slightly more refined look of the 201 over the standard bridge. Again- not a huge deal, but the 201 was not a huge investment, so I'll give it a try.
here's a before shot, I'll post an after shot as soon as the bridge in in place.
Turnaround
Commercial User
Very goods reasons for choosing the 201. Consider a moderate neck shim so that the saddle screws are just below the surface of the saddles when properly height adjusted. It's a nice comfortable bridge then. And so long as you don't get hung up on the string-to-pickup polepice alignment, you are likely to be entirely happy with the bridge.
^^
so is the string-to-pickup alignment an issue for the P bass as well? your previous post mentioned a jazz bass....
The sound of the bass is of utmost importance to me, I don't want to mess with what I've got going just for a little less jabby metal in my hand.
so is the string-to-pickup alignment an issue for the P bass as well? your previous post mentioned a jazz bass....
The sound of the bass is of utmost importance to me, I don't want to mess with what I've got going just for a little less jabby metal in my hand.
Turnaround
Commercial User
Another alternative is to remove the current saddle screws and buy shorter ones from a hardware store. They do exist - I've done this myself on a deluxe jazz.
I'm surprised by this. I have multiple Js with Gotohs. Seems to me the alignment problem is on P-basses, not Js. Measurements would seem to bear this out - my P-bass has wider than .75" spacing for the standard bridge. The attached picture shows a Gotoah 201 with Fender SCN pickups off a 2006 MIA Deluxe. I did not attach a picture of the neck pickup - any offset is the same.
Attachments
I considered trying to find shorter screws and that may be a solution that I consider at some point. But as I said before, I am looking to dress the bass up a bit... so two birds with one stone...
I've got a bridge cover. i just don't use it all the time. Not to mention, I don't know about you, but I can't get any kind of reliable palm mute when I've got the bridge cover on.
Me, I rely on the foam mute under the bridge cover, I don't bother with palm muting as a general rule.
OR shim the neck so that when the saddles are adjusted, the screws don't stick above the saddles.
Actually this is easy. Since you basically want the saddle to have to be RAISED you will put the shim under the neck heel nearest the bridge. Simply measure how much screw is sticking above the saddle (choose the highest one), divide that measurement by 3 and use that for your shim thickness After you reset the action, I can pretty much guarantee your screws will be flush or below!
I noticed--going from a vintage style bridge to a high-mass bridge--the body of the bass w vintage bridge resonates when you're playing it unplugged, whereas the body of the bass w high mass can hardly be heard while playing unplugged. Of course while plugged in, neither of these matter.
Plugged in, I feel like a big fat bridge has more sustain & modern sounding (see Ibanez ATK as a hyperbolic e.g.). I'd liken it to a keyboard.
If you like to feel your bass body vibrate as you play you need to stay w vintage style; highmass bridges will absorb all of that. But again, plugged in, the whole house is vibrating from your output so whatever. Just do what your favorite player does. Jaco used vintage; Marcus uses badass.
I have one of each: vintage two-saddle for fretless passive Jazz & a BAII for Reggie (active PJ). Both seem appropriately placed.
This pic again.
Plugged in, I feel like a big fat bridge has more sustain & modern sounding (see Ibanez ATK as a hyperbolic e.g.). I'd liken it to a keyboard.
If you like to feel your bass body vibrate as you play you need to stay w vintage style; highmass bridges will absorb all of that. But again, plugged in, the whole house is vibrating from your output so whatever. Just do what your favorite player does. Jaco used vintage; Marcus uses badass.
I have one of each: vintage two-saddle for fretless passive Jazz & a BAII for Reggie (active PJ). Both seem appropriately placed.
This pic again.
Attachments
Ok so here is the before and after shots of the 201 install:
Here are my impressions. First of all the bridge cover will NOT fit over the 201 and line up with the existing screw holes. The cover WILL fit over the bridge, but you'll need to add new holes. Personally, I'm not willing to do that, so I guess it will be pickup cover only for me from now on unless I go back to the vintage style bridge.
Second, while the screw holes on the bridge line up perfectly, the supplied screws are much smaller than the existing screws and the holes in the bridge were not big enough to accommodate the larger original screws. So I had to perform a little surgery on the the bridge and ream out the holes to fit the original screws. This was not a big deal to me, but some may not feel confident doing it.
As far as sound or tone differences go- the jury's still out. I put on a new set of strings while I was at it, so they have a MUCH greater effect than anything that the bridge may or may not offer. But I think it's about the same original vs. Gotoh.
I hope this helps. Let me know if I left anything out.
Edit: Oh and the 201 saddles are much more comfortable under hand than the old saddles. Just sayin'...
Here are my impressions. First of all the bridge cover will NOT fit over the 201 and line up with the existing screw holes. The cover WILL fit over the bridge, but you'll need to add new holes. Personally, I'm not willing to do that, so I guess it will be pickup cover only for me from now on unless I go back to the vintage style bridge.
Second, while the screw holes on the bridge line up perfectly, the supplied screws are much smaller than the existing screws and the holes in the bridge were not big enough to accommodate the larger original screws. So I had to perform a little surgery on the the bridge and ream out the holes to fit the original screws. This was not a big deal to me, but some may not feel confident doing it.
As far as sound or tone differences go- the jury's still out. I put on a new set of strings while I was at it, so they have a MUCH greater effect than anything that the bridge may or may not offer. But I think it's about the same original vs. Gotoh.
I hope this helps. Let me know if I left anything out.
Edit: Oh and the 201 saddles are much more comfortable under hand than the old saddles. Just sayin'...
Cool, man. I have a 201 on my P as well. I guess thankfully I didn't bother putting the cover on until after I had installed the 201; no issues with screw holes not matching up.
In terms of tonal differences, it wasn't super-significant, but I found that acoustically the bass was a little more resonant (felt the body vibrations more) and louder than before. Plugged in did it make a huge difference? Not really. Things are maybe a little bit more clear, but it's not going to make or break the tone. And as far as 'high mass' bridges go, this one is perhaps the most 'vintage' looking out of the lot!
Overall I found it a worthwhile investment, hope you do as well.
In terms of tonal differences, it wasn't super-significant, but I found that acoustically the bass was a little more resonant (felt the body vibrations more) and louder than before. Plugged in did it make a huge difference? Not really. Things are maybe a little bit more clear, but it's not going to make or break the tone. And as far as 'high mass' bridges go, this one is perhaps the most 'vintage' looking out of the lot!
Overall I found it a worthwhile investment, hope you do as well.
So far, so good. Other than the bridge cover (which i never really use anyway) issue- I'm liking it fine. I was able to set my string height and intonation really quickly. It feels good under my hand if I go for a palm mute. It's shiny. so that's nice, too. lol
overall, i'm very pleased.
I love the Gotoh 201 vs. stock (cheap) Fender offerings. The biggest improvement is the baseplate with grooves to keep the saddles from moving side to side. It seems like a minor issue to overlook, and the grooves are small, but they make a difference. Playing becomes rock solid. The extra mass is just a bonus, giving the bass a nice, hefty feel and a slightly perceivable sound upgrade. I don't know or care whether it boosts sustain; it's the functional improvements I care about which enhance playability. It's a cheap upgrade, available in black, chrome, or gold. Recommended.
Seems to me that the 201 is more popular than the 203. But I practice a whole lot unplugged, which means I like the vibrations in the body that you get from a low mass bridge. I do not own a hi mass but logic tells me that the higher the mass, the more it dampens boby vibrations. So does anyone like the 203 better than the 201? if so why?
Fair enough. He will certainly get a range of opinions!
My own opinion is that the type of strings and the playing technique make MUCH more difference in the sound than the bridge does.
