bubinga5 Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 I have a Fender Jazz 75 RI.Although i love the tone i would like to improve it somewhat..Was wondering if i fitted maybe a Badass II bridge, would it make alot of difference to the tone??? Would the badass fit my 75? Thanks.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 Should do and make it sing a bit more,more mass in contact with wood,screw it down well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee650 Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 +1 The badass really opens up the tone, it just seems to resonate more and gives it a wee bit more bite, id stick them on all my fenders, getting a P bass soon and that will be badassed i assure you ( even though im putting flats on it). all the best - lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted March 13, 2009 Author Share Posted March 13, 2009 Im hearing from people, you have to file slots for the saddles on a BAII..whats that all about??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 (edited) Stick it on,string it up,wait a few days,then get a felt pen and mark either side of the strings. Take the strings off and gently file a small groove inbetween the pen marks. How much do you file? Just use your judgement. Dead easy Edited March 13, 2009 by YouMa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clockworkwar Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Badass bridges are great, just keep your original one for if you have to sell it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I put one on my Jazz 3 weeks ago and it has improved the tone and resonance 100% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 [quote name='waynepunkdude' post='433233' date='Mar 13 2009, 08:23 AM']I put one on my Jazz 3 weeks ago and it has improved the tone and resonance 100%[/quote] Interesting. I quite fancy trying one of these myself. Has anyone fitted one and not liked it? The problem with this kind of tweaking is that it is very easy to kid yourself. You simply hear what you expect to hear. No offense, but you know what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 [quote name='bubinga5' post='433073' date='Mar 13 2009, 12:05 AM']Im hearing from people, you have to file slots for the saddles on a BAII..whats that all about???[/quote] No, not compulsory. The strings will wear a bit of a groove themselves, or you can file a groove in if you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Sticky in the repairs forum - been there forever and easy to find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I wonder how much of an Emperor's New Clothes there is with swapping out the bridge. I did it on my Yamaha (added a Gotoh) and I [i]think[/i] it's added sustain. But I wouldn't swear on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassicinstinct Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 It goes without saying that it will obviously depend on how good bad or indifferent the original bridge that you are replacing is. I've only had a BadAss II fitted once and, as far as I'm concerned, it was one of [b]THE[/b] best decisions I've ever made. The difference it made was literally like night and day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Presumably it would make the same kind of difference to a Jaguar? And would it be a straight fit, do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sub-a-dub Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 (edited) Hi, I have only recently finished modifying 3 Fender 62RI jazz basses, and I bought a Badass II, a Gotoh 201 and a Gotoh 203 by way of some comparative analysis. The Badass has been tried with stock Fender MIJ pups, '97 Fender US PUPS, Kent Armstrong Vintage and Lindy Fralins, as have the GOTOHs. The Badass immediately improved the sustain, resonance and high end on the stock PUPs and the improvements with the KAs andFralins was amazing. (US Fenders performed the worst but this is a subjective opinion - they just did not float-my-boat with any of the bridges). However, the 2 Gotoh bridges also performed very well and the only noticable difference was that the improvement in high end "glassiness" was not as notable as with the Badass (It was there if you wanted it, but just not as pronounced...). However, on a purely aesthetic level, the Gotohs look better (at least IMHO on a vintage looking Fender), the Badass looked crude on a very vintage looking bass, but this was probably partly because a Roland GK pickup makes the bass look a little "busy" anyway... The Badass now resides on an Audere/Kent Armstrong equipped 62RI, the 203 (the lighter Gotoh) resides on a jazz fretless, and the 201 Gotoh resides on the Fralin/passive "most vintage" looking '62! If I was doing another bass I would lean towards the Gotoh bridges unless I wanted a very bright glassy tone. You can go some way towards this with the Gotoh's - which IMHO performed equally well in terms of sustain and resonance - but the Badass just does the "glassy" part of the job a little better... All the best, Sean Edited March 14, 2009 by sub-a-dub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sub-a-dub Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 ...BTW, All the basses that I modified were Alder; Is yours Ash or Alder? I would imagine that the ash would be a little brighter again - I have an Ash bodied Bacchus jazz with a Bartolini boost only preamp and I think I'll have to change the pre to allow me to cut-back on the treble! The Badass made an alder bodied maple/R'wood necked vintage sound almost as bright as my stingray and Bacchus (Both of these basses have high-mass bridges - I think the Bacchus is a Gotoh, but not the same models as I tried on the 62's...) In terms of fitting, doesn't the Marcus Miller have a Badass fitted as stock?... Cheers, Sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 [quote name='Paul S' post='433483' date='Mar 13 2009, 12:15 PM']Presumably it would make the same kind of difference to a Jaguar? And would it be a straight fit, do you think?[/quote] I refer the honourable gentleman to the answer I gave earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcrow Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 [quote name='bubinga5' post='433019' date='Mar 12 2009, 11:18 PM']I have a Fender Jazz 75 RI.Although i love the tone i would like to improve it somewhat..Was wondering if i fitted maybe a Badass II bridge, would it make alot of difference to the tone??? Would the badass fit my 75? Thanks..[/quote] mass will give better sustain and open up the unfretted A string/make the G string notes ring better...harmonics improved dont forget to make sure the bridge earth wire is well placed when you tighten down the bridge... and wait till its all set up and your strings are in line with your pups before doing any notching mark the positions with pencil...untune...notch..replace string in notch tune the notches only need be very slight from the front face backward on the saddles [url="http://img404.imageshack.us/my.php?image=badassforsale.jpg"][/url] this badass was used on several basses one being a jazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 [quote name='Dr.Dave' post='433811' date='Mar 13 2009, 03:48 PM']I refer the honourable gentleman to the answer I gave earlier.[/quote] Ah, I see my problem - the article didn't say 'will fit exactly on a fender Jaguar bass owned by Paul S'. Ta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 [quote name='mrcrow' post='433983' date='Mar 13 2009, 06:07 PM'][url="http://img404.imageshack.us/my.php?image=badassforsale.jpg"][/url] this badass was used on several basses one being a jazz[/quote] And is sitting happily on my Jazz right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted March 13, 2009 Author Share Posted March 13, 2009 [quote name='waynepunkdude' post='434047' date='Mar 13 2009, 06:54 PM']And is sitting happily on my Jazz right now. [/quote] Are you getting a marked difference W?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I'm struck by the number of times 'increased sustain' is mentioned in the web reviews, as if it's somehow desireable. Still, the Gotoh is cheap enough to be worth a punt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telebass Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 On my Precisions, it never made the slightest difference that I could hear...and they disallow bridge covers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 (edited) [quote name='stevie' post='434246' date='Mar 13 2009, 10:36 PM']....I'm struck by the number of times 'increased sustain' is mentioned in the web reviews, as if it's somehow desireable....[/quote] For those of us who are not playing Metal or Punk, a rich, full sustained note is a very good thing to be able to play. If you have to play a slow number or just on the first beat of the bar, what would sound best? A dull thud or a clear and well defined sustained note? Edited March 14, 2009 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 [quote name='bubinga5' post='434139' date='Mar 13 2009, 08:32 PM']Are you getting a marked difference W??[/quote] I get a brighter tone, more defined and better sustain which works nice for Ska/Dub tracks. I has definatly made a difference more so than when I swaped out the pick ups also if you try it and don't like you will always be able to sell it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 I think any bridge; Gotoh, Schaller, Badass will help the strings ring out a little better but it's very subjective. 100% improvement? In what way? 100% more sustain, 100% increase in frequency response? All most people can really say is it'll sound better. I fitted Schaller 3d bridges to all my Fenders - they were cheaper and you didn't have to arse around fileing slots in the saddles. That said, I think there's a Badass 3 now that doesn't need fileing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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