soulman
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Whether you're a guitarist or a bassist there's always an interest in aftermarket products especially better bridges. I've been using Babicz FCH Bridges on a Tele and my PBass and JBass for about ten years now and I'm duly impressed. They aren't inexpensive but in terms of adding to attack and sustain the bass bridges are quite good and weigh far less than any other after market bridge and most stock bridges as well. The Tele bridge has little to no noticeable tonal effect. It still twangs.
It's a rather ingenious design using independent saddles which more fully contact the base plate and cams to raise and lower the strings and a much larger base plate providing over 50x more surface contact than stock Fender bridges and others featuring a similar design. Others seemed to have copied this approach with some of their bridges now as well. Being constructed of strong yet light aircraft aluminum the Babicz Bridges also provide significant weight reduction as well.
Another nice feature of these bridges in addition to their gap less eCam design is the degree of precision I can get raising and lowering string height with a single grub screw and then lock it into place with another single grub screw. I can get my action lower, more easily dialed in, and don't have to readjust each time I do a string change. The saddle adjustment for intonation can also be locked into place once that's been done saving even more time with that each string change.
The initial product introduced in 2008 was an upgrade for 5 hole mounted Fender bent steel bass bridges. An FCH Bridge for Telecasters came soon after and eventually 2 point and 6 point Stratocaster Tremolo Bridges. The product line now includes several difference guitar and bass bridges for nearly every type of instrument using Fender type bridges, Gibson style Tune-O-Matic Bridges, Hardtail Bridges, Three Point Gibson Bass Bridges, and even Rickenbacker Bridge upgrades.
Several custom builders now use Babicz FCH Bridges on their build or offer them as an option. Gibson has used the 3 Point FCH Bass Bridge version on some of it's new models and Harley Benton uses the Babicz FCH Tremolo Bridge on it's ST Modern Series S-style models. Fender has yet to offer it and being so steeped in traditional designs from the past probably never will but Leo Fender saw the wisdom of improving on his initial bridge designs once he started G&L using his Saddle Lock Bridge designs.
Other than as a satisfied long time user of them I have no affiliation whatsoever with the company but if you're contemplating a bridge upgrade for a guitar or a bass you might consider one of the many Babicz FCH products. I realize they aren't exactly inexpensive but they do work as advertised and add value to an instrument. Their customer service is great as well. When I had an issue with a single saddle Jeff once sent an entire set of six with spare grub screws and springs at no charge.
www.fullcontacthardware.com
It's a rather ingenious design using independent saddles which more fully contact the base plate and cams to raise and lower the strings and a much larger base plate providing over 50x more surface contact than stock Fender bridges and others featuring a similar design. Others seemed to have copied this approach with some of their bridges now as well. Being constructed of strong yet light aircraft aluminum the Babicz Bridges also provide significant weight reduction as well.
Another nice feature of these bridges in addition to their gap less eCam design is the degree of precision I can get raising and lowering string height with a single grub screw and then lock it into place with another single grub screw. I can get my action lower, more easily dialed in, and don't have to readjust each time I do a string change. The saddle adjustment for intonation can also be locked into place once that's been done saving even more time with that each string change.
The initial product introduced in 2008 was an upgrade for 5 hole mounted Fender bent steel bass bridges. An FCH Bridge for Telecasters came soon after and eventually 2 point and 6 point Stratocaster Tremolo Bridges. The product line now includes several difference guitar and bass bridges for nearly every type of instrument using Fender type bridges, Gibson style Tune-O-Matic Bridges, Hardtail Bridges, Three Point Gibson Bass Bridges, and even Rickenbacker Bridge upgrades.
Several custom builders now use Babicz FCH Bridges on their build or offer them as an option. Gibson has used the 3 Point FCH Bass Bridge version on some of it's new models and Harley Benton uses the Babicz FCH Tremolo Bridge on it's ST Modern Series S-style models. Fender has yet to offer it and being so steeped in traditional designs from the past probably never will but Leo Fender saw the wisdom of improving on his initial bridge designs once he started G&L using his Saddle Lock Bridge designs.
Other than as a satisfied long time user of them I have no affiliation whatsoever with the company but if you're contemplating a bridge upgrade for a guitar or a bass you might consider one of the many Babicz FCH products. I realize they aren't exactly inexpensive but they do work as advertised and add value to an instrument. Their customer service is great as well. When I had an issue with a single saddle Jeff once sent an entire set of six with spare grub screws and springs at no charge.
Babicz Full Contact Hardware - bass bridge upgrades - guitar bridge upgrades
Babicz Full Contact Hardware - Guitar Bridge Upgrades- Bass Bridge Upgrades
www.fullcontacthardware.com
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