Vintage Bridge vs Hi Mass Bridge

[WHUFC BASS]

1 hour ago, BassAdder60 said:

So guys … what about BBOT bridges ?? 🙄😉😂

 

More importantly, are they good for metal?

[Baloney Balderdash]

Ok, so what about this strong argument against the use of tonewood:

 

If tonewood really is so great how come the bridge isn't build out of wood too?

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[itu]

This is so much fun this air warming.

 

1) materials

2) strings

3) electronics

4) mass of individual parts

5) density of materials

6) stiffness of the system

...and...

7) shape

 

As long as we are talking about vibrations, shape cannot be overlooked. I have mentioned Chladni patterns earlier. Take a look at it from YT if you haven't already.

 

Neck and headstock form a system that vibrates. And to be exact, every part form this vibrating system that we call a bass. You can continue the discussion about tonewoods and the difference of bridges while you should always look at the whole system. (Even the player affects the system, and I'm not talking about any playing style.)

 

This is only the ninth page of the thread, please continue. This is hilarious.

[Stub Mandrel]

3 hours ago, itu said:

This is so much fun this air warming.

 

1) materials

2) strings

3) electronics

4) mass of individual parts

5) density of materials

6) stiffness of the system

...and...

7) shape

 

As long as we are talking about vibrations, shape cannot be overlooked. I have mentioned Chladni patterns earlier. Take a look at it from YT if you haven't already.

 

Neck and headstock form a system that vibrates. And to be exact, every part form this vibrating system that we call a bass. You can continue the discussion about tonewoods and the difference of bridges while you should always look at the whole system. (Even the player affects the system, and I'm not talking about any playing style.)

 

This is only the ninth page of the thread, please continue. This is hilarious.

 

Your tone will vary with your level of hydration. Even pick players will find the pick is held less rigidly when they are well hydrated.

[PaulThePlug]

Sometimes, if i'm too hydrated, i can't even feel my fingers, and the Bigger High Mass bridge is easier to find in the dark.

[tauzero]

1 hour ago, PaulThePlug said:

Sometimes, if i'm too hydrated, i can't even feel my fingers, and the Bigger High Mass bridge is easier to find in the dark.

 

Hydrated or ethanolated?

[BigRedX]

14 hours ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Which P Bass?

 

James Jamerson's or Jean-Jacques Burnel's?

 

Either given the right strings playing style and amplification.

 

The more I work through this subject, the more I become convinced that the ultimate sound of a solid electric instrument is mostly down to how it is played and what signal processing has been applied to the sound. 

 

And this makes me even more convinced that my criteria for selecting a bass or guitar - looks first, playability second, and plug it in just  to check that the pickups and controls are actually working third.

[BigRedX]

14 hours ago, Beedster said:

@BigRedX please tell me that is your bass, that you want to sell it, and that you'll take £250? 

 

It used to be mine. I bought on eBay for about $700 from someone in New York in 2008, and sold it on to someone here in the UK five years later for roughly the same price.

 

I'd still have it if it had 5 strings, but since I only play 5-string and Bass VIs these days it was surplus to requirements and therefore sold along with most of my other guitars and basses when I had a big clear out.

[TheJonJonJonJon]

If you stuck a blindfold on me and asked me to tell you which bass has a BBOT or a hi-mass then I couldn’t tell you. I fit hi-mass bridges because they look cool.

[Steve Browning]

I have had instances where a Hi-Mass made a huge difference to volume and sustain, and instances where it hasn't seemed to make any difference whatsoever. YMMV.

 

Ultimately, we all have our own perceptions. Whether they're founded on scientific evidence or not, do we really care? We play what we play and we hear what we hear. If we're happy with our choices then that's all that matters.

 

Maybe Barney Kessel was dying to use an Explorer or Flying V.

[Bigguy2017]

Hi-mass bridges, in my experience, don't change tone much but do effect note attack/delay/sustain.

 

My Ric's pot metal bridge was tail lifting, preventing a playable low action.

Replaced with the Hipshot Ric bridge - went with the heavier chromed brass version to help with neck dive. Being unhappy with the base flatness I flatted it with wet 'n' dry.

The Ric is now completely different - notes sustain for ever, hardly decay at all - it sounds like a bass synth.

Still sounds like a Ric, but more so - certainly different, but for my usage, not better - would be great for doom metal.

Playing wise, it's eliminated neck dive and allows a much lower action.

 

Not a fan of Hi-mass bridges - the one I do like is the Fender 007 000 5124 American Standard Bass Bridge (High Mass Vintage ?)- the one like a chunkier BBOT.

 

My totally favourite MIJ Jazz has a bog standard BBOT bridge and I love it.

 

 

I started by typing "Hi-mass brides" - something else entirely

[Martin E]

That's a nice bridge, really looks the part.

 

(I guess any half decent bridge with a good solid tracked base and substantial saddles could be described as 'high mass'. I don't think it means much).

 

I see Amazon are currently selling the Fender Hi Mass bridge at £24.99 the lowest price I have seen.

 

I already have one on my Player Jazz. Can I detect any difference in tone? No, not to my cloth ears, but if you want a good quality replacement bridge you could do far worse than buy one of these.

 

Ignoring all the high mass, increased sustain nonsense the saddles are rock solid and and the screws don't move. So it does the job and doesn't look too shabby. And it's a hundred quid cheaper than the one above 😉.