Replacement bridge query

GuitarAndy2

Being on furlough again has sparked the habitual tinkering with my instruments spark and one change I've considered for a while is upgrading the bridges on my two basses (a Luna Paz Lenchantin P-bass & Yamaha SBV jazz style). Both currently have your run of the mill stock top loaders that do the job but are nothing spectacular. I've always liked the look & features of the Badass II bridges ala Marcus Miller & Geddy Lee jazz basses, but I've also read that getting hold of official ones can be problematic and/or excessively pricey. More recently I've seen these two Hi-Mass Fender replacement bridges that seem to echo the core concepts of the Badass II and I wondered how they'd likely compare?

https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/parts-c4/bridge-parts-c685/fender-hi-mass-4-string-bass-bridge-zinc-p14242

https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/parts-c4/bridge-parts-c685/fender-hi-mass-4-string-bass-bridge-brass-p14244

This might be one where the knowledge of @fretmeister @Paul_C and the like can help me. I know the replacing with brass HW thing was a big deal back in the 80s, so would that version be the best choice or would the zinc variant be equally valid? Or if there's a another bridge more suitable that you would recommend instead?

fretmeister

I've never replaced a bridge, sorry.

If I did it would only be to have a slot load version to make reinstalling older strings easier and not have to uncoil the tuner end of the string to get it through a hole.

prowla

You can still pick up Badass bridges, either used or NOS (new old stock).

Hipshot's Kickass, Allparts Omega, and Fender Hi Mass are clones of the Badass.

I have Badass II bridges on a number of basses and they are great.

I've got a Fender Hi Mass on one and am very happy with it; I have a spare Badass in my parts box (not for sale!), so if I wasn't happy with the Fender one I'd swap it.

I bought the aqua-coloured Jazz as-is: Status graphite neck, 3x Schaller tuners and a Hipshot drop-D eXtender, Warmoth body, J-Retro preamp, unknown pickups, Badass II bridge.

I made the Precision from parts: Squier body (may upgrade it at some point, maybe with a P-J pickups config, but the bass is really good as-is), Fender MIM neck with 3x Fender tuners and a Hipshot drop-D eXtender, Fender USA pickups, Badass II bridge.

This beat-up Fender MIM Precision came with the Badass.

I made this Jazz from parts: Mighty Mite neck, Fender MIM body, 3x Wilkinson tuners and a Hipshot drop-D eXtender, Fender Geddy pickups & control plate, Fender Hi Mass bridge.

My comments on the bridge options:

• Badass - it's the one. (Note that the II is the straight swap; the original one needed to be sunk into the body, so needed surgery to fit. I've not tried a III)
  
• Hipshot - it seems a bit fiddly with the saddle inserts.
• Allparts - I've never really considered one, but someone may say they're good.
• Fender - Fender put it on some of their basses, I quite like mine on the fretless, and they are very "reasonably" priced.

Overall, I'd go for Badass if you want the original and are prepared to pay for it, or the Fender at half the price.

Funkfingers

+1 for the BadAss II. Instant Geddy/Marcus.

I have two Fender Hi-Mass bridges. One came on a stock American Standard Dimension Bass. The other was on an unfinished project/bitsa that I bought on eBay.

The Dimension sounds fine but, of course, I have never tested it with any other bridge.

I tried the second Hi-Mass bridge on a 2014 Squier VM Precision Bass. It killed the top end. I immediately disliked it but gave it a second chance before reverting to my preferred Gotoh 201B.


My two bridges look identical. It is possible that there is a nice American version and a cheap Chinese version. It is equally possible that they are all Chinese. The one that did not compliment my Squier bass is a brass version.

MattBanshee

I put the brass Fender one on my p-bass, and it changed the sound pretty significantly - rounded it off quite substantially and it lost a lot of that p-bass chime.

pintspiller

I modified a Westfield Precision a few years ago including a Himass.

It had already come with a bridge that may have been high-mass by another manufacturer (unbranded). The screwhiles did not match but I seemed to position it correctly. Six months later I moved the bridge forward as I thought the strings were hampered by the bolts the saddles are adjusted along.

I hadn't played the bass much before the mods (I also swapped the pickups for Quarter Pounds and neck for an unbranded J-type), but don't regret doing it.

I bought a second one to upgrade the bridge on my VM Jazz but haven't done so yet. The loss of top-end is probably my motivating factor. I play with fingers at gigs and find the brightness of new strings does not fade on D and G strings for me.

I bought the ones with brass saddles (purely as my Gordon Smith has brass saddles and I'm a creature of habit believing brass gives more sustain). I got mine from Musiker or DV247, but I think yours may be cheaper than I paid.