Not feeling it with Badass II style bridges.

How do you feel about BAII bridges?

  • I love BAII Bridges!

    Votes: 6 40.0%

  • I hate 'em.

    Votes: 2 13.3%

  • I'm indifferent.

    Votes: 4 26.7%

  • Carrots.

    Votes: 3 20.0%
  • Total voters
    15
TjMetalhead

TjMetalhead

Oct 19, 2011
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New Mexico
#1
I'm not the only one who has had issues with badass II style bridges. I had tried an actual Badass II bridge on a P bass a couple of years ago and could not stand the tone I was getting. Replaced it with a gotoh bridge and it was alright, ended up selling that one a few years ago. Now I have a 2010 MIM Precision Bass and I'm in absolute love with it. This time I tried fitting it with the new Fender style Badass II bridge and same issues with the tone and not being able to adjust the saddles low enough for my taste. That big hunk of metal the saddles sit on makes it impossible to get the saddles low enough without having to embed the bridge into the body. I put the stock bridge back on and it sounds and feels so much better. Anyone else disappointed with BAII bridges? Doesn't live up to the hype imho.
 
#2
It entirely lives up to its hype depending on the hype. One of the initial marketing hypes on this bridge was its sustain. In that area it does reasonably well. If it's tone you are after, that depends on the tone you are looking for. Woodiness is not a character that this bridge will provide. Edginess perhaps, though there are others that do even better if you want to cut like a knife.

So it all depends on what you are looking for.
 
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#3
Turnaround said:
It entirely lives up to its hype depending on the hype. One of the initial marketing hypes on this bridge was its sustain. In that area it does reasonably well. If it's tone you are after, that depends on the tone you are looking for. Woodiness is not a character that this bridge will provide. Edginess perhaps, though there are others that do even better if you want to cut like a knife.

So it all depends on what you are looking for.
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That's true, I suppose hardware taste is subjective. Me personally I wasn't going for a woody tone but a full chunky tone with a bit of bite. My style is similar to Steve Harris but I prefer his tone on the first two Iron Maiden albums before he installed a BAII. I couldn't get enough bass and midrange punch that I was looking for with a BAII bridge. Oddly enough my favorite bridge is the hi-mass squier bridges with the brass saddles that came on Matt Freeman and the classic vibe 70's P bass. I really loved the sound and sustain I got with that. Sadly they're hard to find solo these days.
 
#7
96tbird said:
You don’t have to “embed the bridge in the body”, you file the saddle slots to get the string height right.
Click to expand...
I know that's what Steve Harris did to get lower action. I see what you mean, idk if it would be worth it since they're already pre-slotted. This is what I was using. I don't like how the E string saddle sits pre-slotted. I suppose getting an actual BAII or Omega and getting them filed to my preference would be nice one day.
fender_badass.jpg
 
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