Does changing the bridge make much difference?

[discreet]

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1415395653' post='2600014']
I think having a Badass or whatever is a more to do with looks and status than sound but that is only my opinion
[/quote]

I agree - I'd also say that comfort comes into it too - some BBOT bridges will shred your palm if you're that kind of pick player.
Easily remedied by using shorter grub screws, I found.

[stingrayPete1977]

My new week old Fender came strung through and with a HMV bridge, I like it and wont be putting a bbot on it, not sure about these grooved adjustable string spacing saddles but so far so good.

[Mattmit]

For me, putting a schaller 3D Bridge on my precision made very little difference, but a nice very little difference.

[discreet]

[quote name='Mattmit' timestamp='1415400914' post='2600094']
For me, putting a schaller 3D Bridge on my precision made very little difference, but a nice very little difference.
[/quote]

Well yes... it's a work of art.

[Geek99]

[quote name='inthedoghouse' timestamp='1414668202' post='2591978']
I'm happy with my P with the old original bit of bent metal :-)
[/quote]
Tried it -there are some practical / ergonomic advantages but I don't think it makes any realistic difference to sound

[Ant]

i have put a badass II bridge on every bass i own, i can hear a slight difference.

but the main reason i change them out is because it makes my basses FEEL different to play, even just hitting an open E feels tighter to me and its the feeling im used to when playing, gives a new bass a sense of familiarity

[Grangur]

I've got a Hipshot high mass bridge that has been on a couple of p basses. Its a great piece of engineering. String spacing adjustable etc.

I don't think it makes a lot of difference. What I do like is being able to unhook the strings for maintenance without having to work them through the bridge.

However, the plastic just-a-nut on my Warwick Corvette had been damaged so I replaced it with a brass Just-a-nut 3 and that made the tone more growly and punchy. So much so that I bought 2 more brass nuts for my other 2 Warwicks.

[uk_lefty]

I recently bought a cheap Westfield P bass and swapped the bridge for a Wilkinson bridge with brass saddles. Mainly did it for the looks (black bridge now on a black bass) but I do feel it has made a minor difference to the sound and for £12 I'm happy with that.

I like having a badass ii on my MIM Jazz but don't know if I'd do that to a USA Jazz in case it lowered the value

[Grangur]

[quote name='uk_lefty' timestamp='1415571937' post='2601661']
I recently bought a cheap Westfield P bass and swapped the bridge for a Wilkinson bridge with brass saddles. Mainly did it for the looks (black bridge now on a black bass) but I do feel it has made a minor difference to the sound and for £12 I'm happy with that.

I like having a badass ii on my MIM Jazz but don't know if I'd do that to a USA Jazz in case it lowered the value
[/quote]

You can always change it and keep the original one to swap back when you come to sell it. That's what a lot of other folk do.

[iiipopes]

No. Thirty-five years ago, Guitar Player Magazine, before it split into Bass Player magazine, did a bass bridge comparison between a "vintage" plate-and-bolt-stock-saddles bridge, solid brass, and others. At the end of the day, the vintage bridge had the best tone and sustain, and there was no advantage to any of the other bridges, straightforward or exotic. Some changes in timbre, yes, but not improvement. Unless the player simply wants a bridge for a particular reason, like more ease in mounting strings, or a different string spacing for personal ergonomics, there is very little to be gained by changing bridges, especially on a lesser expensive instrument, unless the stock bridge simply cannot be intonated.

For example, I gig with an Ibby SRA305. The stock bridge gives me tone and sustain until next Tuesday, on a concededly lesser expensive instrument. The only thing I did to it was to clip the spring and the intonation screw on the B saddle to give me more rearwards travel for intonation, and enlarge the B string mounting hole in the back of the bridge slightly to facilitate mounting the larger diameter of the silk wrap at the ball of the La Bella tapewounds I use.

Edited November 12, 2014 by iiipopes

[stingrayPete1977]

Best tone? What was the scientific measure used for best tone? Filed under 'flawed' with all the other tests imo

[Truckstop]

f*** me, how much sustain do people want?

In my opinion, a different set of strings would happily and easily make the same 'improvements' that a high mass bridge would.

Truckstop

[discreet]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1415813279' post='2604050']
f*** me, how much sustain do people want?
[/quote]

Loooooaaaaaaaaddddddddssssssss!!!!! Or my my case: not much, really.

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1415813279' post='2604050']
In my opinion, a different set of strings would happily and easily make the same 'improvements' that a high mass bridge would.
[/quote]

Yes. And in my opinion, a different set of strings can even make the same improvements that a new set of pickups would.

Edited November 12, 2014 by discreet

[White Cloud]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1415813266' post='2604048']
Best tone? What was the scientific measure used for best tone? Filed under 'flawed' with all the other tests imo
[/quote]
A truism....the definition of "good" tone is entirely subjective.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1415815820' post='2604097']

A truism....the definition of "good" tone is entirely subjective.
[/quote]