I get the feeling that I dont get enough sustain. I tought mybe I should replace the bridge with Himass. Will it just fit in or its more complicated? will it improve sustain and/or something else?
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Hey there. The fender highmass was a drop in replacement for my MIM P bass.
FYI The bass plate is thicker so you prefer very low action there is potential you might need shim but that's not a guarantee, other responders may have different experiences.
FYI The bass plate is thicker so you prefer very low action there is potential you might need shim but that's not a guarantee, other responders may have different experiences.
Drop in replacement using the screws from the original bridge.
Some people say it makes no difference some people say it does.
I suspect it will depend on the weight of the body it’s fitted to
Some people say it makes no difference some people say it does.
I suspect it will depend on the weight of the body it’s fitted to
It's a drop in replacement, but don't expect miracles.
Having replaced a couple of standard Fender bent plate bridges with some hi mass ones (Gotoh, Hipshot) I can say IME they make no difference whatsoever.
I've got one for sale in the classifieds and I'm about to drop the price on it.
Same here. For all the parts swapping I've done over the years, the only things I've actually noticed a difference with are pickups and pots.
@Alonbl I predict the bridge swap is going to be purely aesthetic, which is still a fair reason to do it. Post pics!
A bridge makes very little to no difference in sound. These high mass bridges look cool, but they do little more than adding weight to your bass. Unfortunately, some bodies are just dead, they don't resonate well and the sustain is poor. IME it happens most often with heavier alder bodies, and with very heavy ash ones.
If the pickups are set to correct height (PUs too close to the strings can affect sustain), there's nothing you can do. Try before your buy is the best strategy with MIM Fenders.
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I put a Badass II bridge on my MIM Jazz and it like the one you mentioned are both drop in replacements. Personally my biggest praise is the added weight to the body of the bass which in my case made my Jazz balance perfectly. Also it looks really cool so I say go for it.
The most expensive ones (Custom shop reissues) have the ol' bent plate, just sayin'...
I have installed a Fender HiMass bridge on a MIM Fender Jaguar Player Series. It's very easy to replace the original bridge with this one... The strings are now stable at the bridge and well aligned with the neck.
I removed the high mass bridge from my Mike Dirnt P bass. No real difference in sound but I thought it played a little easier.
I briefly had one on a MIM Jazz, and was immediately into the "makes no difference" camp. Sold it, got a Hipshot A-Style and never looked back.
No real difference. Spend that money on a genuine, professional setup with new strings. The chances of that buying 'more sustain' are far greater.
I replaced the Hi-Mass bridge on my 2017 Fender American Pro J with a light Gotoh vintage style bridge. I didn’t notice any change in tone or sustain.
I did that swap with the Fender hi-mass bridge on a Player series fretless jazz bass. I agree with all who said it really makes no difference tonally, but looks nice. After I did it the bass needed a shim which led to other difficulties. I ended up going back to the original bridge. I have my eye on a better fretless J that comes with a high mass (saddle lock) bridge, so I'm good with the stock Player Jazz til I'm ready to pull the trigger on the other one. Good luck with whatever way you decide to go.