Ray Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 I put a Badass 3 on my USA Jazz and it made no difference to the sustain or tone. This may be because my Jazz is through-strung so has lots of sustain anyway. I also got a lower action with the standard Fender bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='Ray' post='436039' date='Mar 16 2009, 01:15 PM']I put a Badass 3 on my USA Jazz and it made no difference to the sustain or tone. This may be because my Jazz is through-strung so has lots of sustain anyway. I also got a lower action with the standard Fender bridge.[/quote] that generation of jazz bass has a way better bridge that the bent tin jobbies, so maybe the difference was lessnoticable. . . . . . a shim in the neck pocket will help you achieve a lower action with the bad ass ATB Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='Marcus' post='436083' date='Mar 16 2009, 02:53 PM']that generation of jazz bass has a way better bridge that the bent tin jobbies, so maybe the difference was lessnoticable. . . . . . a shim in the neck pocket will help you achieve a lower action with the bad ass ATB Mark[/quote] Yeah, the main point is not how great the Badass is but rather how rubbish and flimsy the original, bridges are. All made by that famous Spanish company, 'El Cheapo'. Still, cheap hardware is hardly unique to Fender - I just wonder why people spend megabucks on manky old 70s hardware on Ebay. Authentic 70s dirt anyone???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Just a thought, how often do we let a note ring long enough for any increase in sustain to be significant? If you increase sustain it usually is at the expense of attack. How often to we use the sustain gained and are we prepared to lose attack? I'd like to thank Jim Fleeting for the above info btw. Personally having fitted 3 or 4 Badass II's I'd say the difference almost imperceptable in a gigging situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low Down Dave Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I have a couple of 70’s style Fender Jazz basses, although I have used Badass bridges on previous basses I have I fitted the Schaller 462G to my number 1 jazz bass (with an ash body), it is a high mass bridge similar to the badass but has roller saddles which allow you to adjust the string spacing. And I fitted a Gotoh 201B bridge to my number two (alder body), both basses sounded good before with excellent sustain, the Gotoh seems to have made the most difference but the original bridge was quite flimsy, the difference is not earth shattering but it is evident, unplugged it has a slightly fuller sound with a little more zing on the top end. The Gotoh was quite cheap (around £30 with shipping) very easy to install, no need for a shim and what really impressed me was the intonation was spot on without any adjustments! It also adds a sense of quality to the bass, so although not an essential upgrade I can’t thing of any reason not to apart from the price. David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basswesty Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 [quote name='Ray' post='436039' date='Mar 16 2009, 01:15 PM']I also got a lower action with the standard Fender bridge.[/quote] I found the exact same problem on my CIJ P bass. Plus i could hear no real noticiable difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higgie Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 [quote name='Low Down Dave' post='439241' date='Mar 19 2009, 01:51 PM']And I fitted a Gotoh 201B bridge to my number two[/quote] The smell didn't sustain long enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 (edited) [quote name='Marcus' post='436083' date='Mar 16 2009, 01:53 PM']that generation of jazz bass has a way better bridge that the bent tin jobbies, so maybe the difference was less noticable. . . . ATB Mark[/quote] A string-through-body bass doesn't require a high mass bridge - it has the whole body to lean on. S-T-B tries to clamp the bridge to the body, whereas a top-loader is always trying to tear it off. Most of the 'masss' on a BAII is the large front portion, which is mainly there to utilise the 'trying-to-tear-it-off' leverage to put metal up against wood, and handily give more saddle travel. It always amazed me that people wanted to take the bridges off Telecaster basses and put on BAIIs. OK, so you get four saddles, but it can't compete against STB. It's not better or worse, just different. And there are ways to get even a two-saddler to intonate pretty well... And the 'bent bit of tin' is, in any case, perfectly adequate for the job. Otherwise, even Fender would have replaced it by now. The new 'HiMass' bridges are not that different to the originals, although they are certainly prettier! Edited March 20, 2009 by Telebass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 People like Badass cos you dont have to drill new holes. I have just shaved a good half pound of weight from my fretless by replacing the heavey Schaller 2000 with an Ali Hipshot A. I was going to string through body to compensate for the lack of mass but TBH it still sounds great so I may not bother. I think rigidity is probably more important than mass, and as often the case the benefit of high mass may be nonsense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 [quote name='GreeneKing' post='436563' date='Mar 16 2009, 08:00 PM']Just a thought, how often do we let a note ring long enough for any increase in sustain to be significant?[/quote] That's what I meant by my earlier remark. I've never played any electric bass that was short of sustain. Is it really an improvement if your note rings for 12 seconds rather than 8 - especially when you are working hard to stop notes ringing so that you can play cleanly anyway? I'm going to try a Gotoh in any case just out of curiosity. Another thing that occurs to me is that it would be normal to change strings when you swap to a new bridge, which would tend to make comparisons even less reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHRISDABASS Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Hi In my experience with The badass 2 bridge (had one on my geddy lee that i fitted to my bravewood jazz) i found that it didnt make any difference at all, if anything i actually think the standard fender bridge was better! Im not sure if a lot of the appeal is just in the marketing? but hey if it works for you then thats great! This might cause an argument but i also think through body stringing is a joke!!! it doesn't do anything (for me anyway) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low Down Dave Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 [quote name='stevie' post='440594' date='Mar 20 2009, 08:05 PM']Another thing that occurs to me is that it would be normal to change strings when you swap to a new bridge, which would tend to make comparisons even less reliable.[/quote] Depends on how old the strings are and if they need changing... but you can normally use the same strings. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low Down Dave Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 [quote name='CHRISDABASS' post='440902' date='Mar 21 2009, 09:32 AM']Hi In my experience with The badass 2 bridge (had one on my geddy lee that i fitted to my bravewood jazz) i found that it didnt make any difference at all, if anything i actually think the standard fender bridge was better! Im not sure if a lot of the appeal is just in the marketing?[/quote] I think it really depends on the individual bass, with some you will hear a marked improvement, others very little if any. The Gotoh 201 certainly made a difference on my Alder Bodied Jazz. [quote name='CHRISDABASS' post='440902' date='Mar 21 2009, 09:32 AM']but hey if it works for you then thats great! This might cause an argument but i also think through body stringing is a joke!!! it doesn't do anything (for me anyway) [/quote] Well on certain Telecaster Guitars I have strung though body, and strung top loaded as well as mixing the two, and there was no discernable difference in tone, but I have fitted a different top loading bridge that just sucked the tone and sustain right out of the guitar. So it probably has more to do with the bridge and saddles than anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 The only certain difference S-T-B makes is that, because you have a longer length of string being tuned up, the tension at pitch will be a bit higher than a toploader. This may or may not be noticeable, but it might help a 34" fiver to have a less floppy low B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markytbass Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I have a BAII on my jazz and it sounds better and is easier to set up compared to the piece of tin that was on it before and doesn't rattle. I fitted new strings but only because I had already bought some new otherwise I would have put the old ones back on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_d Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I once bought a Fender Jazz Highway 1 bass of GAK, online and i was told it had a badass bridge and never thought about it or anything. I later sold my bass and found out I was coned it did not have a badass bridge I was sold the degraded model if people get me, the disappointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 There are knock offs of lots of stuff and bridges are not excepted. I would be surprised to find one factory fitted on a Fender though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duarte Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 The newer highway ones do have badass IIs factory fitted. The older ones however don't. I just fitted a badass I (not II) on my P bass nad the improvement is incredible, however only after filing slots. Without the slots there was no difference except a high action. Slots were very easy to file, I just left the strings to make tiny indents and the it took 5 minutes with a small file. Now it seems so much easier to play and harmonics ring like there is no tomorrow...I can even get harmonics that I couldn't get before. The badass I also looks much better than the II, less intrusive and more 'classy'. Fixes on with 3 screws that line up no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 As a result of all the wise words in this thread, I just fitted a Gotoh (thanks Spree) to my 1984 Yamaha BB1100S. I was very sceptical, but couldn't help notice a clear difference. Better attack, more ' thump', greater definition, especially on the low E, which was sounding a bit wooly. The Jazz bridge pickup is slightly fatter and just about useable on its own now. I'm a convert. It also looks the biz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS73 Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Most if not all basses have pretty good bridges, so the change is less noticable, but, If I had asked my local Baker to make me up a nice tasty bridge for the Rickenbacker, it would sound better than the original Ric one, they are just the most B.....ks design you could think of and are sonically worse than pastry, but putting a Badass on just completely sorted the whole bass, it rings, sustains and just plain sounds awesome......no question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PURPOLARIS Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Unashamed plug :-) [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=45752"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=45752[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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