garry warrington Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 upgrading my homemade p/j bass, just been looking at some heavy duty replacement bridges around £20 would the cheaper gotoh bridge be better than these. the gotoh bridge has brass saddles will this make difference also is it better to have better quality machine heads for a more vibrant tone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Which Bridge are you looking at? I can't find a Gotoh one for less than £20. Post up a link or pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Use the classic Fender BBOT bridge. These so-called 'upgrade' bridges don't make much difference IMHO. They can look nicer of course, but that's about as far as it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the boy Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1327778458' post='1516723'] Use the classic Fender BBOT bridge. These so-called 'upgrade' bridges don't make much difference IMHO. They can look nicer of course, but that's about as far as it goes. [/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 [quote name='garry warrington' timestamp='1327777689' post='1516709'] ...also is it better to have better quality machine heads for a more vibrant tone [/quote] I don't know about vibrant tone, but it's a good idea to have better quality tuners so that your bass stays in tune! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbobothy Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Well if you did want a better one the Gotoh 203 B can be found online for £25 posted, just wack it into goggle. I've got them on both my jazzes now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 The Gotoh[b] 201 [/b]is a decent upgrade but if you want real upgrade benefits (ie more adjustability) then go for Schaller bridges like the 2000 or the 3D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garry warrington Posted January 28, 2012 Author Share Posted January 28, 2012 cant really afford more than £25 for the bridge so i think its going to be a gotoh from guitarbitz then-[b]thanks for the advice[/b]. the heavy [b]cheap bridges[/b] i have seen on ebay- i was wondering whether these were as good as gotoh, and also will the [b]brass saddles[/b] make a difference Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Word of warning on the Gotoh 201 - I fitted one on a MIM Jazz a couple of years ago. Ignoring other considerations (most of which are subjective anyway), the thicker baseplate made it impossible to get a really low action on the Jazz. I (just) achieved an action I was happy with, but only by having the 'G' saddle virtually flat on the baseplate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 (edited) [quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1327827951' post='1517184'] Word of warning on the Gotoh 201 - I fitted one on a MIM Jazz a couple of years ago. Ignoring other considerations (most of which are subjective anyway), the thicker baseplate made it impossible to get a really low action on the Jazz. I (just) achieved an action I was happy with, but only by having the 'G' saddle virtually flat on the baseplate. [/quote] I've had the same on my Bitsa P which has a Badass II, the solution is to shim the neck, which raises the neck height. BOD2 gives a pretty comprehensive tutorial here.. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/49897-how-to-shim-a-neck/page__hl__neck%20shim"]http://basschat.co.u...hl__neck%20shim[/url] It's pretty straight forward, and gave me excellent results Edited January 29, 2012 by billyapple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1327779591' post='1516758'] I don't know about vibrant tone, but it's a good idea to have better quality tuners so that your bass stays in tune! [/quote] +1, although I hear Bubinga tuners give an excellent tone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I fitted a Gotoh 201 to my Fender Power Jazz bass Special because I think they look better but, mainly, because I rest my palm on the bridge and find them more comfortable. I also fitted a Gotoh-a-like internet cheapo (£14 or something?) to my pimped Westone Thunder Jet. Both originals were BBOT bridges. On both I had to change the grub screws to shorter ones because of the bridge height thing - with the saddles down low the stock screws stood proud and caught on my hand, but I was able to get the action low enough for my liking without shimming the neck. I can't honestly say I have noticed a difference in tone or sustain on the Fender/Gotoh, not even playing solo, but for the difference in look and comfort make it worthwhile for me. I am certain there was an improvement between the Westone BBOT and the Gotoh-a-like. There is, however, a marked difference between the build quality of the Gotoh 201 and the internet cheapie. Again, I can't say for definite whether there is a difference in tone or sustain between the two as I didn't A/B them but the Gotoh is a better bit of kit. Having said that, the cheapie is perfectly adequate and an improvement over the BBOT. Depends if the extra tenner is going to break the budget, I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1327832712' post='1517251'] On both I had to change the grub screws to shorter ones because of the bridge height thing - with the saddles down low the stock screws stood proud and caught on my hand, but I was able to get the action low enough for my liking without shimming the neck. [/quote] I use palm muting continuously and also change the set screws for shorter ones on a BBOT. Changing a bridge for cosmetic or ease-of-playing reasons is totally valid, but claims of more sustain or tone improvements are spurious. IMHO, of course. Edited January 29, 2012 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 The Gotoh 203B looks very similar to the Fender one, which if you are a budget, why bother spending the money? I don't think it will give you any tonal difference, and has the same limited adjustability. Others here might know better, but I think Brass saddles are a little more solid, any tonal difference is very subjective, and could be a factor if you were crashing lots of cash. Why not save for something like a Schaller? The 2000 looks like the nuts-mutts to me. In the mean time give the one you've got a good service and polish up, might come up like new and be no different to the Gotoh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 To me, the Gotohs/Baddasses seem to add a bit of clarity to the top end, and tightness to the bottom end. They therefore take away from a Precision what I like, but emphasise what I like on a Jazz. Not sure if I would notice in in the mix of a band mind, but at home practices these were the differences I noticed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikegatward Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 [quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1327832712' post='1517251'] I fitted a Gotoh 201 to my Fender Power Jazz bass Special because I think they look better but, mainly, because I rest my palm on the bridge and find them more comfortable. I also fitted a Gotoh-a-like internet cheapo (£14 or something?) to my pimped Westone Thunder Jet. Both originals were BBOT bridges. On both I had to change the grub screws to shorter ones because of the bridge height thing - with the saddles down low the stock screws stood proud and caught on my hand, but I was able to get the action low enough for my liking without shimming the neck. I can't honestly say I have noticed a difference in tone or sustain on the Fender/Gotoh, not even playing solo, but for the difference in look and comfort make it worthwhile for me. I am certain there was an improvement between the Westone BBOT and the Gotoh-a-like. There is, however, a marked difference between the build quality of the Gotoh 201 and the internet cheapie. Again, I can't say for definite whether there is a difference in tone or sustain between the two as I didn't A/B them but the Gotoh is a better bit of kit. Having said that, the cheapie is perfectly adequate and an improvement over the BBOT. Depends if the extra tenner is going to break the budget, I suppose. [/quote] did you have to redrill the Power Jazz to change the bridge ? - mine is a 4 hole bridge and I'm struggling to find a replacement bridge for the original which is badly tarnished Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 (edited) [quote name='billyapple' timestamp='1327831725' post='1517233'] I've had the same on my Bitsa P which has a Badass II, the solution is to shim the neck, which raises the neck height. BOD2 gives a pretty comprehensive tutorial here.. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/49897-how-to-shim-a-neck/page__hl__neck%20shim"]http://basschat.co.u...hl__neck%20shim[/url] It's pretty straight forward, and gave me excellent results [/quote] Yep, I'm an incurable upgrader, and I've had to shim the neck on a couple of basses when I've put different bridges on. Pretty straightforward as Billyapple says, and produces the results. The only tip I'd give is the first time you do it you won't believe how much difference a very very thin shim makes. My favourite is the Schaller 3D, because there's side-to-side adjustment to be had from one, but equally importantly, if you rest your hand on the bridge for any amount of time, they're the most comfortable I've found. Edited February 3, 2012 by Muzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon1964 Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 [quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1327827951' post='1517184'] Word of warning on the Gotoh 201 - I fitted one on a MIM Jazz a couple of years ago. Ignoring other considerations (most of which are subjective anyway), the thicker baseplate made it impossible to get a really low action on the Jazz. I (just) achieved an action I was happy with, but only by having the 'G' saddle virtually flat on the baseplate. [/quote] Wouldn't shimming the neck solve that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 (edited) +1 to those who said the 201 made the action difficult....I fitted on to my (now sold) 70's Jazz - difference was slight in sound, but it looked fantastic. But the action was a bit of a nightmare - I love my action really low, and in what has already been mentioned above, could not achieve that with the 201. My E string looked to me like I should have been firing arrows from it. Edited February 3, 2012 by spongebob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 [quote name='mikegatward' timestamp='1328264679' post='1524527'] did you have to redrill the Power Jazz to change the bridge ? - mine is a 4 hole bridge and I'm struggling to find a replacement bridge for the original which is badly tarnished [/quote] Mike, no, it was a straight fit. I had a problem with a cheapie I bought on here that had different spacings to mine (even though it had been used on a fender) but the Gotoh 201 was a perfect match. A very small issue was that I wanted black, and when it arrived it was black chrome - there was nothing to distinguish it on the packaging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikegatward Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 [quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1328268732' post='1524634'] Mike, no, it was a straight fit. I had a problem with a cheapie I bought on here that had different spacings to mine (even though it had been used on a fender) but the Gotoh 201 was a perfect match. A very small issue was that I wanted black, and when it arrived it was black chrome - there was nothing to distinguish it on the packaging. [/quote] but isn't the gotoh 201 a five hole normal fender type fit ?. My PJS bridge is definitely 4 hole so how did it fit without drilling new holes ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Yes, a 5 hole bridge and just lined up for an exact fit. The Power Jazz Special is MIJ, maybe that makes it different? Not that it helps you much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRBboy Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 [quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1327827951' post='1517184'] Word of warning on the Gotoh 201 - I fitted one on a MIM Jazz a couple of years ago. Ignoring other considerations (most of which are subjective anyway), the thicker baseplate made it impossible to get a really low action on the Jazz. I (just) achieved an action I was happy with, but only by having the 'G' saddle virtually flat on the baseplate. [/quote] I had the same trouble putting one on a BB414. In fact I had to put the original saddles off the stock bridge onto the Gotoh. It's not just a thicker baseplate, the saddles are a larger diameter too. The best replacement BBOT bridge I've used is the Wilkinson one with brass saddles. They're only about £15 too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikegatward Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 [quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1328618534' post='1530005'] Yes, a 5 hole bridge and just lined up for an exact fit. The Power Jazz Special is MIJ, maybe that makes it different? Not that it helps you much! [/quote] Weird, my Power Jazz Special is MIJ, exactly the same as the one currently for sale on here. Bridge is 4 hole, was oroginally black but now badly tarnished. Any ideas anyone ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizontalste Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 [quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1328618648' post='1530009'] I had the same trouble putting one on a BB414. [/quote] Strange that, I have one on my 614 with no shim and i can go pretty low. But i don't get hung up on a low action anyhow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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