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No more BadAss II's


theyellowcar
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So it looks like the BadAss II bridge has finally ceased production, for real this time.

Looking at Fender's website all of the artist series basses that previously featured BA II bridges now have Fender Hi-mass bridges instead.

Couple of examples:

http://www.fender.com/en-GB/basses/precision-bass/nate-mendel-p-bass-rosewood-fingerboard-candy-apple-red/

http://www.fender.com/en-GB/basses/precision-bass/mike-dirnt-road-worn-precision-bass-rosewood-fingerboard-3-color-sunburst/

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[quote name='theyellowcar' timestamp='1400528346' post='2454720']
So it looks like the BadAss II bridge has finally ceased production, for real this time.

Looking at Fender's website all of the artist series basses that previously featured BA II bridges now have Fender Hi-mass bridges instead.

Couple of examples:

http://www.fender.com/en-GB/basses/precision-bass/nate-mendel-p-bass-rosewood-fingerboard-candy-apple-red/

http://www.fender.com/en-GB/basses/precision-bass/mike-dirnt-road-worn-precision-bass-rosewood-fingerboard-3-color-sunburst/
[/quote]

Are you sure? That mike dirnt in the link has a bad ass II bridge.

My CIJ Geddy and my Nate Mendel both have them, so it's nice that I got one of each before they got rid of it. I really like the Bad Ass II bridge :-)

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The comment below the spec says "the image will be updated shortly"!

"Please note: The bridge on this Artist model was recently changed to a Fender® Hi-Mass bridge. We will be updating the image shortly."

The Geddy bridge is actually engraved with his signature which is quite cool:

http://www.fender.com/en-GB/series/artist/geddy-lee-jazz-bass-maple-fingerboard-black-3-ply-white-pickguard/

Edited by theyellowcar
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[quote name='theyellowcar' timestamp='1400528576' post='2454727']
The comment below the spec says "the image will be updated shortly"!
[/quote]

Ah! Im not sure whether this is a good or bad thing. I imagine people will be hunting them down now!

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I'll never understand why people make such a big deal about this bridge and feel the need to fit them as an 'upgrade'. Don't see the appeal and I certainly didn't fall in love with it when I had one on a Fender I used to own. Just a bridge, isn't it?

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[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1400528702' post='2454730']


Ah! Im not sure whether this is a good or bad thing. I imagine people will be hunting them down now!
[/quote]

There will definitely be residual stock of the artist basses with the BAII out there. I wonder whether Fender will reduce the RRP of the basses given they're now using a bridge that has previously only been offered on the entry level Modern Player series

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[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1400528739' post='2454731']
I'll never understand why people make such a big deal about this bridge and feel the need to fit them as an 'upgrade'. Don't see the appeal and I certainly didn't fall in love with it when I had one on a Fender I used to own. Just a bridge, isn't it?
[/quote]

I actually agree - I sold the one that was installed on a bass I bought 2nd hand, although I suspect my experience was hampered because I never bothered to file in grooves. Nevertheless I thought the bass 'felt' better without it (no discernable difference in sound)

I just thought it was interesting!

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[quote name='theyellowcar' timestamp='1400529128' post='2454736']


I actually agree - I sold the one that was installed on a bass I bought 2nd hand, although I suspect my experience was hampered because I never bothered to file in grooves. Nevertheless I thought the bass 'felt' better without it (no discernable difference in sound)

I just thought it was interesting!
[/quote]

Not surprised it felt better when you had a bridge with saddle grooves lol!

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[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1400531139' post='2454766']


Not surprised it felt better when you had a bridge with saddle grooves lol!
[/quote]

I bought it when I was 14/15 and it came with the bridge already fitted - not knowing any better I just left it, and then when I picked it back up after a few years away from playing I realised it wasn't quite right, swapped the stock bridge in, and BOOM. I had tone lol.

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[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1400528739' post='2454731']
I'll never understand why people make such a big deal about this bridge and feel the need to fit them as an 'upgrade'. Don't see the appeal and I certainly didn't fall in love with it when I had one on a Fender I used to own. Just a bridge, isn't it?
[/quote]
And, apart from the range of adjustment, nothing special.

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[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1400528739' post='2454731']
I'll never understand why people make such a big deal about this bridge and feel the need to fit them as an 'upgrade'. Don't see the appeal and I certainly didn't fall in love with it when I had one on a Fender I used to own. Just a bridge, isn't it?
[/quote]

I agree. I bought both the Geddy and the Nate Mendel because of the neck profile. The bridge made no difference and to be honest, I'd be happy if neither of them had it. It is the kind of thing that some people believe will make a huge difference so no doubt I'll be able to switch mine out one day and get rid when they get a reputation way beyond how good they are.

Edited by skej21
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[quote name='theyellowcar' timestamp='1400528576' post='2454727']
The Geddy bridge is actually engraved with his signature which is quite cool:
[/quote]

Hmmm... although the two things that make the GL sig bass are the neck (obviously) and the Badass II. That's what Geddy fitted to his own '72 Jazz, so surely that's what should be on the sig model? Fair enough if they are discontinued, but then surely so should the bass. It is no longer a true signature model.

Although that does beg the question of what actually constitutes a sig model... :D

For the record, I am another one who is not sold on the supposed "advantages" of high-mass after-market bridges on Fenders :unsure:

Edited by Conan
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[quote name='theyellowcar' timestamp='1400528885' post='2454732']
There will definitely be residual stock of the artist basses with the BAII out there. I wonder whether Fender will reduce the RRP of the basses given they're now using a bridge that has previously only been offered on the entry level Modern Player series
[/quote]

I've got a BAII still in the packaging. Mini retirement fund??!

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They never were as good as the hype anyway, and if you have the need to pay more for an after market bridge you can get the Gotoh 201B (closer to the original Fender design) for less than a BAII. Although the Fender Hi-Mass design is not bad at all.....

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Which of the two fender high mass bridges are we talking about here?

The one on the american standards looks really nice to me, the square chunky one from the modern player is less to my style but I guess more like a bad ass...

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[quote name='theyellowcar' timestamp='1400528885' post='2454732']
There will definitely be residual stock of the artist basses with the BAII out there. I wonder whether Fender will reduce the RRP of the basses given they're now using a bridge that has previously only been offered on the entry level Modern Player series
[/quote]

I'm not sure they were just on the MPs - it looks like the same bridge is used on the MIA Dimension basses, too

[url="http://www.fender.com/basses/dimension-bass/american-deluxe-dimension-bass-iv-rosewood-fingerboard-cayenne-burst/"]http://www.fender.com/basses/dimension-bass/american-deluxe-dimension-bass-iv-rosewood-fingerboard-cayenne-burst/[/url]

It's the same name & appearance, anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if this was there go-to Hi Mass bridge now, and they were just working through existing stock on the older models.

I had a MP Jazz, and I have a Highway One with the BAII, and they seem functionally identical to me. May prefer the Fender, actually, cause I'm pretty sure they had a standard bridge saddle allen key size requirement, whereas the BAII needs a smaller key.

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I thought there'd have been more about this online, but I can't find anything.

I can't understand why Fender, with all their power, wouldn't keep producing BA 2's, under licence even, as surely it's a big part of the GL and MM sig models.

As was rightfully observed above, how can they be real signature models without Badass bridges?

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[quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1400780401' post='2456987']
I thought there'd have been more about this online, but I can't find anything.

I can't understand why Fender, with all their power, wouldn't keep producing BA 2's, under licence even, as surely it's a big part of the GL and MM sig models.

As was rightfully observed above, how can they be real signature models without Badass bridges?
[/quote]

It's a fair point, but how far can you extend the expectation that a Signature model would be an exact copy rather than an accurate, faithful representation? To the original 70's pickups or machine heads that would also be long out of production?

I'm sure licensing was explored and ruled out because of the financial viability - I can't imagine the Quann family giving their Dad's designs away cheap.

You never know, Geddy and co might start playing the Fender Hi-mass variants and we'll all sit back and wonder why there was such a fuss :P

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Can't disagree...but on a Geddy, I think (to me anyway) the most identifiable aspects are the BA and the neck profile.

The other aspects are equally important, but I think you could change the tuners, and notice them less than the BA.

Edited by spongebob
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Hmm, the thing is that , even with a Badass bridge, the standard Fender signature model bears little more than a cosmetic resemblance to Geddy Lee's actual bass, so why would swapping the Badass for a very similar bridge made by Fender be the straw that broke the camel's back?

I think the Badass is a very significant improvement on the bbot , by the way, not least of all because the saddles don't shift on the base plate, and it seems to help clarity and sustain on most basses.

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I think it's also cosmetic - it's quite a big part of the overall look.

It's also one less aspect that ties it to the real deal. Not a biggie individually, but when looked at audially and visually, just takes a something away.

Especially when they've fitted them since the start of the model, and it's always been a part of (in the description) what contributes to the sig bass.

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