Bridges - individual vs normal

[JPJ]

I have an Overwater Perception with the ABM style one bridge unit per string type bridge(s).

Whilst I love this bass, there is something missing from the tone and I can't quite put my finger on it. I'm beginning to wonder whether its the lack of cross talk between strings due to the individual bridges? To explain my warped thinking, I've tried neck through basses and found that I couldn't get away with them due to the more complex nature of the tone, which seemed alien to me having spent 30 odd years playing bolt on neck basses.
This is the first bass I've owned with the individual bridges and I'm thinking that the lack of whatever it is that is missing is coming from the disconnection of the strings at the bridge end. Am I going mad or has anybody else experienced this with this type of bridge setup? All my other basses have variations on the Fender BBOT either in stock, hi-mass or Badass formats.

Thoughts?

[Lorne]

I have 2x B.C.Rich Customshop Widow basses, a 1994 and a 2007, the 94 has a Badass II and the 07 has Novax individual saddles, I don't notice much sound difference, however, I don't like the look of the Novax Saddles

I have been of no help whatsoever LOL

[chris_b]

Call Overwater and ask.

[Fat Rich]

Status use individual bridge pieces a lot these days, I had an S2 Classic 5 string headed bass that had a slightly "floaty" sort of tone and lacked that sort of grand piano oooomph I was expecting.

So I put an ABM high mass bridge and it fixed it, gave it a little more sustain too.

[Adrenochrome]

My main giging Peavey bass has individual finger bridges for each string and sounds great. But I don't know if it sounds great because of them, or because of the 5 bolt neck joint, or the pups, or the construction techniques to be quite honest...

[chris_b]

A single bridge unit will have more mass available to each string so I can see why it should produce a better tone and have better sustain.

[EmmettC]

I could be wrong, but wouldn't a solid bridge unit spread the tension between the strings and the body more evenly. With individual saddles if one string is lower tension, or even lower mass, will that not affect how it resonates.

[JPJ]

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1389346997' post='2333029']
Status use individual bridge pieces a lot these days, I had an S2 Classic 5 string headed bass that had a slightly "floaty" sort of tone and lacked that sort of grand piano oooomph I was expecting.

So I put an ABM high mass bridge and it fixed it, gave it a little more sustain too.
[/quote]

That sounds like what I'm experiencing - food for thought!

[JPJ]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1389350345' post='2333075']
A single bridge unit will have more mass available to each string so I can see why it should produce a better tone and have better sustain.
[/quote]

Not sure I agree with this, the single bridges are not that big, I'd recon 1/5 of a badass or equivalent is more than the mass of one of these bridge units.

[chris_b]

Looks like I didn't type what I was thinking!

Single, as in one unit for all strings, rather than individual bridges per string.

[JPJ]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1389358840' post='2333240']
Looks like I didn't type what I was thinking!

Single, as in one unit for all strings, rather than individual bridges per string.
[/quote]

Ah yes, now I get it In that case I agree

[Fat Rich]

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1389353465' post='2333124']
That sounds like what I'm experiencing - food for thought!
[/quote]

Generally I'd say that swapping bridges makes less of a change to the tone than you'd expect, but single piece versus multiple bridge pieces seems to be the exception.

I was lucky to be able to directly swap the ABM monorails for an ABM single bridge I had on another similar bass (even the holes were in the right place so no drilling required). Swapping them around, whichever bass had the single piece sounded ballsier, whichever bass had the monorails sounded a bit too polite.

You might need to do some research to find a bridge that'll either reuse the holes you've got, or one that needs holes drilled in completely different places.

[0175westwood29]

i think i rem reading somewhere it helps the string to resonate only with it self into the body, as oppose to mixing with the other strings tbh i would only use one if it was on the bass, im happy with the badass bridge i have on my mody.

andy

Edited January 10, 2014 by 0175westwood29

[JPJ]

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1389382958' post='2333759']
whichever bass had the single piece sounded ballsier, whichever bass had the monorails sounded a bit too polite.
[/quote]

That confirms my suspicions and is a much better description of what I feel I'm currently missing! :-)

[xgsjx]

I changed the original bridge on my Ibby to a cheap tin thing & there's no difference other than how it looks.
If your bass is lacking something, try the strings, then if that doesn't fix it, try the pre, pick ups, amp & cab (not necessarily all at once ).

[EMG456]

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1389382958' post='2333759']


Swapping them around, whichever bass had the single piece sounded ballsier, whichever bass had the monorails sounded a bit too polite.

[/quote]

That is very interesting.

I have a Status 6 with the individual bridge/ tuners and have struggled to get the sounds from it that I feel it should be capable of. The word I use to describe its tone is... polite!
I've changed the preamp and the next thing to try was going to be the pickups but I now wonder if this may be down to the individual bridge pieces.

It's not a bad sound- I often get favourable comments on my sound and the Status is no exception here but unlike most of my other basses, it seems to be incapable of being rude and it turns out that I like a bit of rudeness in my basses!

Cheers

Ed

[chris_b]

Call Rob Green and ask.