Why Doesn't Anyone Change the Bridge on a MM Stingray ?

[Tdw]

probably as many have said because the fender bridge is poor and the musicman bridge is a good design, also non original parts tend to hurt resale value and if ernie ball have a reputation for being legally aggressive about such matters (as has been suggested in the thread) thats another reason.

[stingrayPete1977]

My pre EB is not string thru either,But as its been said if it aint broke and all that,Feckin hell the MM bridge is a tank compared to a fender one and most production basses for that fact.Also its not just the thickness of the plate which is lots anyway but also the design which is the problem with the BBOT as its obvious (no matter what the fender fans tell you)its a crap design, Basic physics tells you a 90 degree plate made of thin steel with the strings mounted away from the body is the weakest way of doing it,It doesnt matter if you are talking basses or pegging a tent out, Would you put guide ropes at 90 degrees?

I wonder if Badass make tent pegs.............

[Hutton]

I really am weird. My Precisions are just fine with their original bridges. They don't give me any trouble and the basses sound great. My MM SUB bridge is also absolutely fine. Maybe, just maybe, you get a better sound with a thinner bit of metal.

[Guest johnzgerman]

[quote name='Hutton' post='943888' date='Sep 2 2010, 08:21 PM']I really am weird. My Precisions are just fine with their original bridges. They don't give me any trouble and the basses sound great. My MM SUB bridge is also absolutely fine. Maybe, just maybe, you get a better sound with a thinner bit of metal.[/quote]

my MM sub 5 had the same bridge as my SR5 but it didnt have musicman written on it.

[chris_b]

[quote name='Tdw' post='943817' date='Sep 2 2010, 07:21 PM']....probably as many have said because the fender bridge is poor and the musicman bridge is a good design....[/quote]
The only reason to change the Fender bridge is to replace it with a more solid, higher mass version. Leo already did that on the MM and the G&L basses, so nobody replaces those bridges.

[swanbrook]

I have bad ass bridges on 3 of my fenders and call me nuts but while I think they look and feel better I don't know do I get more sustain !
But they do make them look and feel more .... Solid

[budget bassist]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='943869' date='Sep 2 2010, 08:03 PM']Would you put guide ropes at 90 degrees?[/quote]
Sorry to be a killjoy.... but you usually do put tent pegs at about 90 degrees to the guy rope. Not 90 degrees to the floor however, as i think you meant

[Kiwi]

[quote name='Vibrating G String' post='943763' date='Sep 2 2010, 05:36 PM']The 2 outside mounting holes with the threaded inserts won't be covered by a normal bridge and you get funny looking holes in the bass. And you get on the EBMM hitlist.[/quote]
The other issue is that the location of the bridge and saddle design itself changes very slightly from about 86 through to 95 or so to compensate for lateral angle of the strings after they've broken over the saddle. So anyone looking to produce MM replacement bridges for 4 string stingrays would have to issue at least three models for each design variation and then ensure that people got the right bridge for their bass. A total faff if you ask me.

[Vibrating G String]

I can see how having a bunch of different variations would be a nightmare. I know that Mexican Fenders have had a few non standard parts like the 5 string pickups and that makes hot rodding less fun.

Oddly the bridge on my Mexican 5 is great, much better than the older style bridge. On my OLP I swapped in a Wilkinson Tobias style bridge and I like the function but it loses the MM Look.

[Ghost_Bass]

I would like to replace the bridge on my SR5 with one with the mutes on but mailed Sterling and got ansewered that they don´t do replacements and it woudn´t fit too well in my bass.
Since that conversation they released the new Classic series 'Rays and both have the mutes back again so i'm tempted to let my SR5 go and grab a Classic 'Ray 5!
I agree that the original bridge is very good and hard to improve so not many people trying to build replacements, the only ones i saw for sale were chinese-made ones that wouldn't even have quality to fit a MM-copy

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='budget bassist' post='944135' date='Sep 3 2010, 01:46 AM'] Sorry to be a killjoy.... but you usually do put tent pegs at about 90 degrees to the guy rope. Not 90 degrees to the floor however, as i think you meant[/quote]
No I mean ropes to the to the earth, So 90 degrees would be straight up into the sky!

[gafbass02]

Tim Commerford did have a stingray with a replacement bridge, back in the early days of ratm, I think it was a badass 1 The bass was a natural one with stickers and no pickguard, it looked a bit iffy tbh. He used it on the late show 'no nirvana' special, there first uk tv appearance. I still have it on VHS!

Edited September 3, 2010 by gafbass02

[Musicman20]

I don't see any need to change the MM bridge.

[JPJ]

Surprised no one has mentioned this (sorry if you have and I missed it) but isn't the advantage of the MM design the fact that the saddles on the MM are locked against sideways movement by the two outer bolts whereas on the Fender the saddles can move laterally (albeit constrained by their neighbours and string tension)?

Most replacement Fender designs make a lot of the fact that their design locks the saddles in, but this could just be marketing bullsh1t.

I know that on some cheaper copies of Fenders I'd find the E string saddle would move away from the A string saddle after a while, but in truth, I think the only difference was in string to string volume.

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='gafbass02' post='945039' date='Sep 3 2010, 10:42 PM']Tim Commerford did have a stingray with a replacement bridge, back in the early days of ratm, I think it was a badass 1 The bass was a natural one with stickers and no pickguard, it looked a bit iffy tbh. He used it on the late show 'no nirvana' special, there first uk tv appearance. I still have it on VHS![/quote]




@ 4:24

[stingrayPete1977]

Thats got some "Mojo" shall we say,Pre EB neck and I presume body as I cant see any contours? but the logo has been scrubbed off the head. I guess that was his first bargain stingray he could afford? I quite like it but I would not swap it for mine!

[Ou7shined]

One of my favorite Rage pics.

[stingrayPete1977]

Cool pic and indeed slab body as I thought. Lots more tats to come and be filled in yet though!

[stingrayPete1977]

Cool pic and indeed slab body as I thought. Lots more tats to come and be filled in yet though!

[tino]

[quote name='Johnston' post='943291' date='Sep 2 2010, 01:00 PM']Where's Tino, he should go over to the EBMM forum and ask [/quote]
Hi Honey I,m HOME
The only mod they require consists of lighter fuel and matches....................sorta ROASTED PLUS1

[ahpook]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='943655' date='Sep 2 2010, 04:58 PM']Or this one?
[/quote]

that's the MM bridge i prefer...

[gafbass02]

It's a great show with some ace performances and great for bass spotting. Lots of trace, some nice tbirds (belly) that loud p bass (sugar) there's sonic youth with a huge mockingbird and a tasty lead solo on a jazz bass from dinosaur jnr, and Darcy with the pumpkins looks amazing!!

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='gafbass02' post='945611' date='Sep 4 2010, 07:02 PM']It's a great show with some ace performances and great for bass spotting. Lots of trace, some nice tbirds (belly) that loud p bass (sugar) there's sonic youth with a huge mockingbird and a tasty lead solo on a jazz bass from dinosaur jnr, and Darcy with the pumpkins looks amazing!![/quote]

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='ahpook' post='945586' date='Sep 4 2010, 06:38 PM']that's the MM bridge i prefer...[/quote]
Now if only I could find one.

[gafbass02]

Oooh and a very young Dave Navarro with blue dreads in Janes Addiction doing been caught stealing on a v tasty sparkly yellow tele shaped thing. Prob a G+L. Bass is rather naff on that one though.