The J Bass Project Part #3: Under the Bridge

The next part of this project is upgrading the bridge. Initially, I was hesitant. After all, a bridge just holds the strings in place, right? But after talking with Brian, I realized there's more to it than that.

Bass bridges endure a lot of stress – not only from string tension but also from the lateral movement caused by playing. That's why Brian suggested a new bridge.

Just like the other hardware on this bass, the bridge on my old J bass is definitely not top-of-the-line. So, there's a big opportunity for a bridge upgrade to yield a noticeable improvement. If this bass already had a high-quality bridge, I'd only consider a new bridge if I needed better adjustability or a different aesthetic. But that's not the case here.

Anything from Fat Bass Tone's bridge lineup will be a massive improvement over the early version of the high-mass bridge that came on my old Deluxe Jazz Bass, now I just need to make sure I choose the right one for my bass.

Exploring Bass Bridge Options

When choosing a bridge, you need to figure out if it fits your bass's existing screw holes. For many modern basses, you can find a direct retrofit bridge that installs without any drilling or modifications. This is common with newer Fender and Squier basses, as well as many other brands that use standardized bridge dimensions.

And if you’re not sure about it, you can compare your measurements with the detailed diagrams on the Fat Bass Tone product page for the bridge you’re looking at.

Unfortunately, the bridge on my 18-year-old Deluxe Jazz Bass is not built to standard dimensions. Back then, Fender wasn't consistent with their bridge lineup, they varied greatly. Brian let me know that even if the new bridge's dimensions were similar, I'd likely need to plug and re-drill some screw holes.

Choosing the Hipshot KickAss 5

Since I'd need to modify the bass anyway, I had the freedom to choose any bridge I wanted. Brian recommended the Hipshot KickAss 5, a newer model in the Hipshot lineup that's an evolution of the classic Badass bass bridge.

It's a high-mass design with several upgrades:

• The saddles are on rails to minimize side-to-side movement.
• The saddles have adjustable brass inserts for precise string spacing control.

Also, it looks fantastic – it’s a beautifully machined piece of metal.

Other bass bridge options

Fat Bass Tone carries a wide selection of bridges from Hipshot.

• Hipshot A Style Bridge: This bridge has been the hardware of choice for high-end builders for years. It’s built from a solid piece of Aluminum or Brass and the saddles are of the same material. This bridge gives you precise control over your string height and intonation and looks great.
• Hipshot B Style Bridge: Another bridge that you’ll often see on high-end boutique builds. This bridge is kind of like a hybrid between a vintage-style bridge and Hipshot’s modern A-style bridge. Also comes in brass or aluminum, with different string spacing, and in 4, 5, and 6 string versions.
• Hipshot Vintage: This bridge would be a great option if I were going for a vintage-style build and look. It looks like the classic F-style bent plate bridge, but it’s made out of CNC’d stainless steel and offers several improvements like easy string loading and a groove locking design to minimize slipping and buzzing.

These are all great options, and I would’ve been happy with any of them. Hipshot makes great products and they are all built to the highest standard, that’s why they’re the first choice in many high-end builds.

Installing the Bridge

When the bridge arrived, I checked the screw alignment. Luckily, the two center screws lined up perfectly with my bass, making installation a bit easier. This meant that I wouldn’t have to worry about installing the bridge in the wrong place. And after comparing the old and new bridges side to side, I was able to determine that the saddles could be adjusted within the same intonation range.

If that didn’t happen, the KickAss bridge also comes with some shorter screws to allow you to intonate properly.

All that was left was to plug the unused holes and drill new ones for the remaining screws.

I used wooden dowels to plug the holes. I chose dowels that were slightly thicker in diameter than the screw holes and sanded them down until they fit snugly but not too tight, as to leave room for the wood glue and to not crack the surrounding wood or finish if I tried to pressure them in.

Next, I filled the screw holes with wood glue and inserted the dowels.

In total, I had to plug four holes, and the process of sanding the dowels to the right size, and fitting them in the bridge holes took me about 2 hours.

Here's a before and after picture:

 

 

Since the bridge will cover the entire area, I didn't worry too much about cosmetic perfection. The main concern was making sure the dowels were flush with the body so the bridge would sit flat.

I used Titebond wood glue, which dries harder than the wood itself and fills any gaps left by the screws. After letting the glue cure for 24 hours, I snipped off the excess dowel and sanded everything smooth.

Next, I installed the bridge with the two center screws and marked where the other holes needed to be. I checked for alignment with a long ruler and marked the areas with a marker where the new screw holes needed to go. I double checked for alignment just to make sure.

I then proceeded to drill pilot holes, screwed in the rest of the screws, and voila! My first bridge installation was complete and it looks great!

The Hipshot KickAss is a truly good-looking piece of hardware and fits the aesthetics of my 5-string Deluxe Jazz Bass.

If your bass has standard screw measurements, this would have been a 15-minute job. But with my older bass and its non-standard bridge, it required a bit more work...but was worth it.

If the two center screws hadn’t lined up, then I would have had to take extra care in measuring to make sure the bridge was in proper alignment and set at the correct distance from the edge of the bass’s body.

Setting Up the Bridge

After installing the bridge, I put the strings back on and started adjusting the string height and intonation. With the old bridge, setting the intonation was a nightmare. The old bridge constantly shifted and it took a long time to get it right. And after playing for a bit, it would shift and need to be adjusted again.

The new KickAss bridge made intonation a breeze. I got it dialed in much faster and with far more precision than I ever could with the old bridge, even with the same set of strings. Adjusting the string height was also easier and more precise. Overall, this KickAss bridge has a lot less movement which makes adjustments significantly easier.

What difference did it make on the bass?

Before even plugging in the bass, I could hear a noticeable difference in the feel of the bass. It felt like the tension was more even across the strings, the bounce of the strings felt better, and I could feel like the bass resonated more. My hypothesis is that this can be attributed to the fact that the Hipshot bridge is much more stable and the saddles don’t shift side to side.

After double-checking my setup, which hadn’t shifted after playing it unplugged for a bit, I plugged in the bass and was pleasantly surprised that what I was hearing unplugged also translated to the plugged-in tone.

The bass is now more responsive and resonates in a way that makes it feel more alive.

But the biggest surprise was the B string, it felt like it had now come to life and felt much more similar to the other four strings.

Previously, the B string was always a bit lifeless and dull compared to the other strings, with a noticeable difference in volume and tone. You can hear this in the baseline recording and on the recordings on the previous articles.

Now, with the new Hipshot KickAss bridge, everything sounds much more even. The B string has more definition, volume, and the same brightness and harmonic content as the other strings.

I've included a recording comparing the old bridge to the new KickAss bridge. I recorded in passive mode to minimize variables. As you'll hear, the biggest change is in the B string's volume and definition.

Listening with headphones, you'll also notice some tonal differences. The new bridge seems to have a tighter low end and more body to each note.

In Conclusion

Admittedly, I was somewhat skeptical as to whether or not upgrading the bridge would have any noticeable impact on the bass.

I was wrong.

The new Hipshot KickAss 5-string Bass Bridge made a noticeable difference in how my bass feels and sounds. It’s now more balanced and even across all 5 strings. It gives me much more precise control over my setup, and the B string is finally usable!

With the new Nordstrand pickups, Aguilar preamp, and Hipshot bridge installed, this bass feels completely transformed. It's like an entirely new instrument!

If you're upgrading a budget or mid-tier bass, I highly recommend considering a bridge upgrade. It can make a big difference in feel and tone. And in the case of the Hipshot KickAss bridge, it also looks fantastic.