Quality Hardware

[Will S-T]

What do you look for in bridges and tuners?

High mass bridges, light weight tuners?

The project I'm working on is a PJ bass:

One piece mahogony body about 5 pounds, Warmoth 2 octave
ebony board fretless neck, Duncan P and J quarter pound pickups
and Duncan Basslines 2 or 3 band active EQ.

I'm not a bass player, hence the question to you guys.
I'm not fixated on any brands, but quality is paramount.

Cheers, Will

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Quality Hardware

Light or heavy does not matter to me. For decades, aftermarket companies (and reviewers) have been making claims that one or the other is better. IMO, neither is. There is so much pseudo-science used by people trying to sell **** that there is no point in listening to any of it. And in the end, none of it makes a damned bit of difference in the hands of someone who is a great musician. The most classic songs ever were recorded with hardware and other technical specifications that would make most of us cringe today. In this era of aftermarket **** that supposedly makes us sound sooooo much better, none of us actually do sound any better. As long as a piece of hardware is well made enough to do its job for a healthy length of time, and it looks sweet enough, it's fine by me. I'm more concerned about general build quality, function, and looks than I am about weight or some supposed tone change that is likely nothing but a bunch of hooey. To me it's more simple than that. If a part seems cheap/cheesy, or doesn't do its job very well, or simply looks ugly, I'll replace it with something that feels better made and/or looks better.

 

[Will S-T]

Re: Quality Hardware

Thanks Keith for your no bull input (I come from
a similar viewpoint) and especially the pickups.
I was thinking stock Fender parts, albeit from
upmarket models.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Quality Hardware

I prefer traditional fender style light bridges, except that I really like toploading.

Tuner-wise it's pretty clear to me that the small sealed stuff on my Warwick is better than large Fender style tuners. Especially cheap large Fender style tuners such as the MIM variants with smaller plate.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Quality Hardware

I prefer traditional fender style light bridges, except that I really like toploading.

Tuner-wise it's pretty clear to me that the small sealed stuff on my Warwick is better than large Fender style tuners. Especially cheap large Fender style tuners such as the MIM variants with smaller plate.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Quality Hardware

I prefer traditional fender style light bridges, except that I really like toploading.

Tuner-wise it's pretty clear to me that the small sealed stuff on my Warwick is better than large Fender style tuners. Especially cheap large Fender style tuners such as the MIM variants with smaller plate.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Quality Hardware

^^ ok ok Uopt ^^^
we get it

 

[Will S-T]

Re: Quality Hardware

String through or top load bridges???

 

[uOpt]

Re: Quality Hardware

^^ ok ok Uopt ^^^
we get it

Still got a 504 bad gateway after all that

 

[ginormous]

Re: Quality Hardware

It's true, the factory Fender gear has gotten better over the years, but when I was buying my own basses it was rather poor.

I'm a fan of Grover tuners, and Badass bridges. I do hear a difference, and I feel a difference when setting up my tuning and intonation.

 

[Will S-T]

Re: Quality Hardware

Thanks guys!

I'll be going with the larger type tuners as the neck had them previously
and I don't want to drill extra holes or have exposed ones. Looking at
Schaller or Hipshot as they both have models that will fit and they make great stuff.

Bridge wise I'm tempted by the newer Fender units. Loads both ways,
reasonably priced and they have a high mass model as well.

What are people's thoughts on top load versus string through and does mass really matter?

Cheers, Will.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Quality Hardware

Schaller is almost always top quality.

I am a big fan of the Gotoh 201B bridge. Often, it makes a major improvement over stock bridges on budget to mid price level instruments. In some cases, however, the basic steel design is truest to Leo's intentions and actually produces the most convincing sounds.

Case in point - the Squier VM fretless Jazz Bass sounds more "Jaco" without a bridge or pickup upgrade.

 

[hydro]

Re: Quality Hardware

I'm weighing in mainly to get attached to the thread because it's of interest to me, but I will add this - be careful of buying hardware that claims to replace vintage parts. Many of the parts look similar but are machined differently. For example bridge mounting posts or bridge saddles. Or also, my bass player had a hell of a time finding a hipshot drop D tuner that would work with his Squier bass and ended up having a metalworker buddy mod it for him. Even stuff like plastic Gibson pickup rings will vary between years and models. It can get pretty frustrating; in my own case I found it was easier to try to find vintage parts or in some cases NOS parts than to buy them new. This is *not* vintage snobbery on my part; I would have been happy for example with new hardware but I could not find parts that were close enough spec.

 

[dg27]

Re: Quality Hardware

I am a big fan of the Gotoh 201B bridge.

I would 2nd that. Two of my basses have them and there will be one in the build that's in the works.

dg

 

[Bass_Medic_05]

Re: Quality Hardware

It's true, the factory Fender gear has gotten better over the years, but when I was buying my own basses it was rather poor.

I'm a fan of Grover tuners, and Badass bridges. I do hear a difference, and I feel a difference when setting up my tuning and intonation.

I love a "Badass bidge" and grover tuners myself, it depends what kind of sound or look you are going for. 70's. 60's, are you are building a bass to look like an original?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Quality Hardware

when I was building basses I used a combo bridge that lets you top load or thru body. top load feels looser and has a little more rubbery sound to my ears.