Badass Bass II questions

hieronymous · December 21, 2013, 11:45:49 PM

I have an old (late-'80s/early-'90s?) Badass Bass II bridge that used to live on my Telecaster Bass - took it off at one point and have had it sitting around. Been debating whether or not to put it on my AlFemBic (MIJ '70s P-Bass). So I pulled it out and found that it was pretty dirty:

old Badass II bridge by Harry 3, on Flickr

Also found that the bottom isn't in the greatest shape:

Bottom of Badass II bridge by Harry 3, on Flickr

Any advice on how to clean this thing up?

I have to admit that I'm thinking of putting it on mainly for aesthetic reasons - I know it's shallow, but I like the way they look and I think it will complement the bass. Anyone want to talk me down? I'm not anticipating anything sound-wise - I like the way the bass sounds now. But I also thought I could do some recording of it with the stock bridge, then try and replicate the settings with the Badass.

gearHed289 · December 22, 2013, 02:24:28 AM

Do it! It's a nice, solid bridge without being overly heavy.

amptech · December 22, 2013, 03:09:29 AM

I think it's fun to listen to sustain changes when trying different bridges.
I'm about to install a 2P supertone on an EB0, never had a badass.
I was about to get rid of my only 3 point, but the EB0F it is installed on sings
so beautiful....

In general, the few fender basses (70's) I have played have had original bridges -
don't feel very solid, so I wouldn't think twice about replacing them.

ack1961 · December 22, 2013, 05:37:55 AM

...as for cleaning, a lot of folks swear by "Navel Jelly" for rusty parts.
In the case below, I rescued (literally from the trunk of an old car) this '86 Foundation. For the bridge cleanup, I used "Groove Juice" (which is cymbal cleaner) and 50% vinegar/water, let it soak, and then hit it with a medium toothbrush (use someone else's).

That BA II is a great looking bridge.
Good luck.
Steve

dadagoboi · December 22, 2013, 07:24:02 AM

Two recent builds for my personal collection.

JazzMutt with threaded saddle, original Fender style 'threaded' bridge.

Belle du Jour with a Badass II I bought used in 1982 for my first FenderBird. I drilled it for string thru and it's been on a bunch of my basses.

Both pickup sets are DiMarzios and there's very little difference in the sound they make. Sustain is never a problem for me, depends more on the age and type of strings, accuracy in cutting of nut and bridge slot depth, etc IMO.

As far as cleaning, both Naval Jelly and vinegar are acids, they eat rust. Either works well for cleaning up chrome if you're careful. Should be fairly easy to get that BA shining. A flat file will do the job on the bottom.

Lightyear · December 22, 2013, 11:50:45 AM

I don't see a whole lot of rust - mainly grunge. I would be tempted to soak it in a bit of mineral spirits and hit it with a soft bronze tooth brush.

I use a product you can buy at Auto Zone that you can submerge parts in that will literally eat rust when I restore old wood working tools but you trade finish and patina when you use it.

Dave W · December 22, 2013, 04:23:31 PM

Keep in mind that the Badass II is zinc alloy under that chrome layer. Use something compatible.

Doesn't look like rust to me. First thing I would try would be baking soda using a wet soft bristle toothbrush

hieronymous · December 23, 2013, 10:12:20 AM

Thanks everyone - lots of great info! Looks like I'll be picking up some supplies before Wednesday - now I have a project! Not sure that I'm going to undertake the installation myself, though I have done it before. The thing that concerns me the most is the groove slots for the strings, but I think it was done by a professional - it was on my Telecaster that had been modded before I acquired it.

I'm kind of tempted by the Squier fretless Precision that has just come out - thinking that if needed I can use the stock MIJ bridge to upgrade once the Badass goes on this bass. I also have the original pickup & wiring that I could stick in the Squier too...

Andrew · January 09, 2014, 08:49:20 PM

Mutt jazz of mine similar to Dadagobol's. All my Fenders and one of my Regenerate basses have Badass II bridges.

copacetic · January 10, 2014, 02:56:38 PM

i agree Harry that the badass II is the way to go on your MIJ P black block. Not shallow at all. ( just heavier!) Period correct... well the II was a little later. From a looks point of view the BA II is cool. Now those new Fender bridges coming stock on most of the de luxe, American and Select series are really good and do have the qualities we look for in the BA's without the weight.

hieronymous · September 05, 2014, 12:06:22 AM

So a friend of mine ended up cleaning my BA II bridge - he has the tools and the space to work on it. Tonight I put it next to the current stock bridge and got the saddle heights & intonation settings close:

Not sure when I will have time to make the actual switch, hopefully within the next week or so. Actually, I should do it soon - there is going to be an Alembic Gathering in about a week here in the SF Bay Area so it would be nice to get it done before then - should be the last mod I make on this bass in a while!

Here's one more shot of the other end that I put on Instagram:

hieronymous · September 09, 2014, 12:43:56 PM

I finally got the BA II on:

I know I could have done a somewhat scientific comparison by recording the bass with the stock bridge, then with the BAII, but just couldn't motivate to record. Enjoying it so far though - had to raise the action a bit higher than I had guestimated, next is intonation...

slinkp · September 09, 2014, 08:30:37 PM

Alembic Activators with the P-V-F controls? I love that!! I have the same setup on my old mangled Ibanez Blazer (the ugly bass in my profile photo). I don't play it that much anymore, but when I do, it's like a visit to my home town ... everything feels familiar and comfortable no matter how long I've been gone.

hieronymous · September 10, 2014, 12:31:56 AM

Quote from: slinkp on September 09, 2014, 08:30:37 PM
Alembic Activators with the P-V-F controls? I love that!! I have the same setup on my old mangled Ibanez Blazer (the ugly bass in my profile photo). I don't play it that much anymore, but when I do, it's like a visit to my home town ... everything feels familiar and comfortable no matter how long I've been gone.

Mine are older (apparently) with V-V-F - I prefer that setup anyway, I've never gotten along well with blend controls. I do love the Activators though! I find it to be a very elegant setup in a Fender bass.

gearHed289 · September 10, 2014, 08:42:28 AM

I've been kind of wanting Activators for my Ric since I bought my Alembic Distillate. Easily the best sounding active system I've ever heard. Finally got to play it through my amp at a rehearsal with my new prog rock project. Listened to the recordings and WOW! Wicked tone...

The Fender is looking great Harry!