Ouch.  Can’t have that going on for long now, can we.

Now I’d tried the Jaco trick on an old J bass about 15 years ago – and used a boat epoxy to coat the fingerboard  - but never really warmed up to the final texture or alteration to the instrument’s tone.  Although the process was reportedly supposed to brighten the tone up a bit, I probably blew something in my hack job back then as it ultimately sounded a wee bit muddier (particularly in the low range) than it had been before the coating. So I was incredibly nervous now thinking about blowing my beautiful 5-string neck with a bad coat job again. SF Guitarworks to the rescue!

After talking a while with Benjamin (the SFGW shop manager) and finding that a) the process should – if done correctly – brighten things up a bit instead of the opposite, and b) there were a lot of options for the coating.

I decided to go with a cyanoacrylate coating, which is hard as shit, but absolutely beautiful sounding- most certainly a bit more defined and crisp. My fingers are mostly on string not wood, so the tactile difference was less pronounced, and the fact that I would overshoot slides about 1/16th step more than I would have normally makes me think that the added ‘slipperiness’ did change how it felt ever so slightly under my fingers. But the bonus was the almost mirror finish that it added to the bass.

You can check out the final bench photos of the neck on the SF Guitarworks blog here, although they barely do the finish justice in JPEG format. (Major props to Aaron for the work, and Benjamin for suffering my endless questions).  Seriously- I can’t recommend cyanoacrylate enough as a fingerboard coating – it turned out beautifully. I’ll post a video of it when I get back off the road and can unpack a bit.

This will cover measuring and notching the saddles, installing a Badass II bridge, and some ancillary work to tweak your bass back into playability after the surgery. Now some folks will swear that Badass II bridges work just fine without cutting notches (and if they’re cool with that, then I won’t argue), but at least for my instruments, I wholly disagree. You’ll hold a tuning better and get better tone with a notched saddle that can seat the string well on the bridge, and not allow slippage to dampen the string’s vibration and possibly reduce sustain and tone. That’s my $.02 on the subject. Take with your own grain of salt.

Disclaimer 1: These steps are for Badass II (2) and later bridges only, not the original Badass (often called Badass 1) bridge, which also in most all cases requires routing an inset for the bridge into the body of your instrument.  I won’t cover installation for the original Badass (1) as it should really be performed by a professional luthier, sorry.

Disclaimer 2: I take no responsibility for you f@#king up your instrument(s), and as this is getting written up after I’ve finished my own projects I can’t take pictures to accompany the steps, but here’s the painful details on how I installed Badasses on my basses – when I did the work myself.

Tools and Such:

• Set of small needle files (preferably including at least one triangular file)
• Fine point Sharpie (or similar felt-tip pen)
• Index card (for measurements and possibly neck shimming)
• Phillips-head screwdriver (for mounting the bridge)
• Ruler or tape measure (for string spacing)
• Emery board or fine sandpaper (for smoothing your notches)
• Small allen wrenches (for adjusting string height)
• Electric tuner (for setting intonation after the surgery)
• Masking tape (optional – for marking and protection)
• Power Drill and bits (optional – should you need to sink new bridge mounting screws)

Got it all? Cool. Let’s go.

Step One – Measurements and Planning

Take the ruler and measure the distance between strings at your current bridge. They should all be the same, but if not, make a note as such. Also measure the width between your E and G string at the saddle to get the total width (if the spacing’s correct, you can also just multiply the string spacing by 4 to get this).

At the same time, check the mounting bolts in the baseplate. If they’re 5 in line (most Fenders), you should be able to bolt the Badass directly into the same holes.

If not, or you suspect they may be wider/narrower than the Badass, you should probably note the midline of the current saddle’s positions before you yank the old bridge off. See how your current saddles are set to different positions – with the E string saddle usually further to the heel of your instrument than the A, progressing towards the neck as you move down to the G string? Eyeball the where the middle two saddles (A and D strings) are, and make a note on the body where this centerline is (the masking tape is handy for this, so you’re not marking the body directly). You may need to use this ‘mark’ to make sure your bridge is properly centered before mounting it.

Step Two – Measuring and Marking the Saddles

Badass II bridges don’t come with string notches cut into the saddles. You’ll need to measure, and then file these notches out next before placing the bridge on your instrument (or you could screw up the finish of either).

First, set all the saddles to a straight line in the middle of their respective grooves, then measure out the string spacing from your measurements by placing a small ‘dot’ on the saddle apex with your Sharpie/felt-tip pen. Start by centering the E and G strings by using the total string width number (calculated earlier) and your ruler. Line it up to where the ‘string area’ between the E and G are centered on your bridge as a whole. Then measure (using the string spacing measurement) from the E string to the A string, and from the G string to the D string saddles. If this is too much futzing for you, just make 4 marks on the edge of your index card spaced evenly at the string spacing measurement’s width, then use that to place the marks on the saddles. Make sure that the total string width is centered well on the bridge, as if not, your strings won’t be centered on your neck either (not good).

Cheapass solution: Just install the bridge, string it up and set the spacing where you want it to be, then take each string off one-by-one and file the saddles as you go. Prone to screwups, but I’ve done it this way too.

Step Three – Filing the Saddle Notches

This is the real fun part. Now that you’ve got your saddles marked, you want to use one edge of the triangular file to make a notch that’s no more than half the width of your string deep. Use your discretion here. You don’t need much of a notch to really get a good seat, but you do want to make sure that it’s deep enough to where the string won’t jump out if you lay into them hard with your right hand. No more than 1/16″ if possible (and that’s even for the burly E string), ideally 1/32″ or so. Make sure to hold the file in the same general position that the string will lay across the saddle so the notch will fit the string snugly (this helps sustain greatly). You also want the notch to be more of a triangle than a circle/round notch (which is why I suggest using an edge of the triangular file). This way you can change string gauges and not worry about a loose saddle fit. The string will just sit down at it’s perfect depth into the triangular cut. Much nicer.

Some tips for this sections. First, I strongly recommend removing the saddles one by one and securing them in a vice for this step to file the cleanest groove possible. If you don’t have a vice, do your best to secure the saddle while you file. If you absolutely have to file them on the bridge, you may want to put a few strips of masking tape over the rear ‘nameplate’ section of the bridge to protect it. If you see the tape getting mussed, lay another one down. Protect that bridge’s finish! You can also bolt the bridge temporarily into a board/2×4/etc to keep it stable, and then remove it once the notches are set. Take your time here and do a good, clean job. Once the notches are set, use the emery board (or the sandpaper, folded over) to polish the notch and remove any burrs or nicks that could dig into your string and cause premature breakage (but don’t over-do it).

Step Four – Installing the Bridge

This should be the easiest part of the process. If you’ve got a Fender bass and the bolt holes line up as expected, just screw the sucker on.

If the stock mounting holes don’t align with the Badass, you’ll need to line up the bridge and sink new holes. Ugh. Should this be the case (and you don’t want to punt and go to a luthier), first- set the bridge saddles to the midline of their grooves, and then loosely set the bridge on your bass and line the saddles up along the string line with the mark you’ve made on your bass in step one. This assures that you’ve given enough room to adjust your individual strings forward/backwards for intonation. Next, make sure that your bridge is aligned with your neck. You can usually eyeball this easily from the old bolt holes your old bridge left behind. Now your bridge should be sitting where it needs to be. Make marks in each of the mounting holes, and use the power drill and a bit just a bit narrower than the mounting bolts to predrill the holes. This makes sure you don’t strip out your bolt heads trying to screw ‘em into bare wood, and have an easier time of it. If you can use a drill press, awesome. If not, keep that drill at a perfect right angle from the body so the bolts go straight down. Put the bridge back in place, bolt it on. Tough part’s done! Now it’s all restringing and tuning.

Step Five – Setting the bass back up

You can roughly set the saddles in their grooves to match their positions on your old bridge to get close to square one (this does help quite a bit with intonation). String it up and then use the Allen wrench on the two height adjustment screws in the saddle to try and get the action on your neck back to where it was before. You’ll either succeed or fail here. If you succeed and the action all up and down the neck is looking (and feeling) good, skip the next paragraph (seriously).

Failure with setting your action means that you’re unable to get the string height low enough and the action’s too high. You can usually always raise the saddles enough to compensate for too-low action, but you can only lower the saddles so far to compensate for high action until they’re sitting on the bridge directly and unable to lower any further. If you’re reading this paragraph, then that’s probably the case. My condolences. But this is solvable.

Take a deep breath, then remove your strings, unbolt your neck and detach it from the body, and cut a small piece of the index card roughly an inch wide and as long as your neck is wide. Place it in the neck cavity closest to the pickups/bridge and then replace your neck (this is called shimming- and will adjust the tilt of your neck to bring the action down. Replace the neck and then string it up and set the action. If it’s still too high, repeat the process and add another layer of index card inside the neck cavity to shim the angle a bit more. You’ll eventually get the action down enough to set all the saddle heights correctly. Overcompensate with the shim a bit to give a little extra wiggle room, if necessary. Patience, grasshopper. This can be the most nerve-wracking (and tedious) part of the process, but hopefully not necessary.

Purists who are snorting at this last step as I’m using heathen index cards instead of hand-shaved mahogany or such to shim necks… can officially kiss my ass. I learned the business card/index card tip from Gary Willis when I was at Musician’s Institute back in 1989 (and it’s saved my bacon more times than I can count in the 18 years since), so take up your beef with him.

Next up is setting the intonation. You need an electronic tuner for this, of course. Tune the string to pitch, then hold down the string at the 12th fret and see if it goes sharp or flat. If it’s sharp, you need to move the saddle further from the neck. If it’s flat at the 12th fret, you need to move the saddle closer to the neck. Once you’ve got each string to where the open string and 12th fret tones are both in tune, your string is pretty much in tune. You can then test it by playing notes above the 12th fret, and noting if they go sharp or flat. Follow the same process to adjust, but keep checking the open/12th fret too and make sure you’re moving all closer to intonation. Rinse and repeat with each string.

Now play the f@#ker!

Postscript

Note that many other third party bridges say they let you just ‘bolt them on and play’, but the intonation/string spacing/action issues will still apply whenever you switch a bridge, so Badass detractors that say other bridges are ‘easy to install’ aren’t being fair. Sure, you have to notch a Badass bridge’s saddles (and I consider that a benefit, as you get a notch specifically for your bass without extra screws/adjustment machinery that adds complexity and unnecessary crap to your bridge), but all of the other steps (action/shimming, intonation, etc) apply to aftermarket bridges, too. If you’re still squeamish in proceeding yourself – particularly if you’re not handy with tools to begin with, I’d strongly recommend just finding a good luthier or guitar repair shop in your town and have them install it for you. It may cost you $50-$100 USD for the job (roughly an hour of bench time, setup may be extra), but the peace of mind may be worth it. I’ve had professionals install bridges for me (usually when having other major repairs/renovations done), as well as got my own hands dirty and notched/installed my own Badasses, and always been happy. Make the right call for your sanity and confidence level, of course.

Hope that was helpful, or at least of interest. Reading it back, it sure does seem a lot more involved than it really is in practice. But either way, once you hit that low E (or B) and hear the increased low end and sustain the Badass provides, you’ll be glad you put one on. For real.

My Jazz V 5-string, apres-modifications. 2 Bartolini pickups w/preamp added (controls are – top to bottom – master volume, pickup blend, concentric bass/treble EQ, midrange scoop), a Badass V bridge – something no bass should be without – and a complete reworking of the neck.

Between the Badass adding a metric ton of definition/sustain and the Bartolinis giving it a much rounder and warmer tone overall, this bass just became a LOT more versatile in tone. In particular, the new bridge lets the B-string speak with incredible clarity and definition now, whereas before I had to really choke down to the bridge with my right hand to get a tight note out of it. No muddiness in the low register whatsoever now- it’s almost painfully punchy and tight. Sincere thanks to Noah for breaking down and letting me buy this f@#ker from him in the first place.

• Fender Jazz V (5 String)
  • Recut the nut
  • Install and notch a Badass V bridge
  • Replace Fender Custom pickups with 2 Bartolini 57Js
  • Set output from preamp to consistent line level
  • Tune neck, level frets and remove buzz from 14th fret
• Fender Stratocaster
  • Reblock/lock down tremolo bridge (I never use them anyway)
  • Replace neck and middle pickup with Seymour Duncan Classic Stacks
  • Replace bridge pickup with Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck humbucker
  • Tune neck, polish and level frets
  • Check the Sperzel tuners and retighten if necessary
  • Add a pearloid pickguard to replace the nasty beat-up white one

So I now enter that brutal period of anticipation, which is particularly difficult this time as the Strat was my main (and currently – ONLY) 6-string on hand aside from acoustics. I play both instruments daily, and already miss them – but know that Doctor Geoff is going to return to me two instruments that play light-years better than they did when I gave them to him. The wait will be worth it (both will be complete a week from tomorrow), but I’m definitely going to feel the momentary loss of both the 5-string during this weekend’s gigs – and the Strat every time I sit down to write songs.

::tapping fingers and toes in a very anxious fashion::

Wolfmother was great, although Andrew’s voice was definitely taking an off night to the point where he had to disclaim missing some of the high notes during early between-song banter. However, they were tighter than a frog’s ass throughout, and despite looking pissed drunk throughout (he was tipping beers in the balcony watching SSP’s set earlier), bassist/keyboardist Chris Ross threw down hard on both instruments and stuck to the rock-solid Myles Haskett on the kit like Krazy Glue. If you haven’t seen WM live, they’re definitely in their element on stage. The audience was so into it the entire floor bounced, and I had to spend the entire Wolfmother set making a protective body wall in order to keep my pregnant wife away from the reasonably-tame but occasionally-violent pit that formed right in front of us. Best of both worlds- kept the wife safe and sound with a clear line of view, and got to slam quite my share of pit freaks at the same time. ::evil grin::

Fantastic show overall (and I LOVE the Fillmore in general, great sound and stage), although I was disappointed to find that my custom earplugs are starting to get sonic leaks- I came home with a 200hz rumble in my ears, a lot better than the usual high-pitched tinnitus whine I’m used to but still a bit disorienting. Seems like they’re letting in too much low end now… argh. I suppose it’s to be expected as I’ve used this pair for almost 10 years now- but it’s clearly time to plunk down for another ear mold session.

• Anyone with the sack to call their music ‘punk rock for pussies’ has a great sense of humor, and besides, grand pianos have never been this cool.
• Power trios are the ultimate test of one’s real worth as a musician – nowhere to hide, everyone either pulls their own weight or brings the whole group down. You have to have some serious chops to do a trio well.
• Watch this video below and all other questions of musicianship, integrity, stage presence and overall worthiness should be answered.

Every year or so I have a Ben Folds re-emergence- I love his solo stuff, but the ‘Five’… oh my god they were one HOT trio. Just check out Robert Sledge on bass- the man not only knew when to use effects well, but could play the hell out of that 4-string conventionally and … um .. rather unconventionally. There’s no denying that the TIGHT Sledge/Darren Jessee rhythm section gave Ben enough room to do anything he wanted to on that grand piano, either. Wish the Five was still together (sigh).

Ahhhhsome. Enjoy (and have a good laugh in the process).
Where’s my f@#king black t-shirt?