So, what does a Badass II really do for the bass?

jre5

jre5

Dec 1, 2021
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Long Island, NY
#1
Hey guys, only been playing for a few years now, and about to snag my first fender, a jazz. Its used, but in great condition and besides the strings everything is stock. I was planning in the future on doing some upgrades if I ever come across a problem with everything being stock, and one of the most common upgrades I see time and time again is people putting on a Badass II bridge, which seems to be the holy grail of Hi-Mass fender bridges. The only thing is, other than looks, I don't know what I'd be paying 100 bucks for. I understand they increase your sustain but thats about it. Is the difference really that noticeable and am I really better off upgrading? What are some of the main differences one would notice between a MIM stock bridge and a badass ii? And lastly, what even is Hi-Mass? Is it just more bridge? Idk. Please help me out, I've been curious for a little while now. Thanks in advanced!
 
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#2
Its a more substantial piece of metal.
I found it more adjustable and my pet peeve on Fender type plates, is the grub screws and bridges are cheap rubbish metal which can strip or wear.
This has caused the grub screws to drop out and you bet you never noticed where.

So, as a legacy from cheap metal bridges, I alway want
More solid mass.
String slots so i can replace far quicker without having to thread through the bridge.
and sideways adjustment so i can tweak string spacing.

So, Hipshot for me as should have a model that drops straight in.
ABM also make very good bridges with the zbove specs but not sure they drop in without redrills...which I'd certainly want to avoid
 
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#7
The only difference I've ever noticed with a high mass bridge is having to bottom out the saddles to get close to low enough action, I assume because of the thicker bottom plate. I've removed the high mass bridge from any bass that comes with one. I've noticed absolutely zero differences in tone or sustain on several basses with bridge swaps.

My favorite bridge right now is the classic Fender threaded saddle bridge. Simple, cheap, effective, and also has adjustable string spacing.
 
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#10
A string has two ends. One end is attached to a decent sized chunk of metal, which is attached to a big block of wood. There are relatively low losses of energy on that end The other is attached to a very small piece of metal, which is attached to a relatively skinny piece of wood. The losses there are higher. If you want to make a difference in the sustain of your bass (the original rationale for a Badass), improving the end where there are already relatively low losses has very limited potential for improving things.

Any bridge where the saddles don't shift or rattle when you play will work pretty much the same. The Badass bridge, however, does have one impact. It makes your bass heavier. If you have neck dive, it's a bit of a help, though not nearly as much as lighter tuners.
 
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