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Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
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Author:  Billw97 [ February 23rd, 2018, 5:52 am ]
Post subject:  Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
I found this while looking around in one of my parts drawers at home. Had to take pictures to share. I know that there was a bass posted here at one point with one of these on it, but it's hard to get a sense of how big this thing actually is, until compared with a stock bridge. Keep in mind that the weight on this thing is over 2 lbs! It is solid brass and the two screws holes on the outside of the saddles are design to use the bridge cover screws hole for mounting.

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Author:  Billw97 [ February 23rd, 2018, 5:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
The stock bridge to compare the size.

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Author:  pjmuck [ February 23rd, 2018, 6:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
:o Wow. Never seen one of those before. 2 pounds is insane, though might come in handy to counterbalance a neck heavy bass (like a Mockingbird, for example). Were they ever installed stock on any Fender models?
Author:  paulo [ February 23rd, 2018, 6:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
Wow this thing is an anchor!
The only description I found of it says it's called a "boomerang" bridge.
Image
Author:  ezstep [ February 23rd, 2018, 6:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
Leo Fender carried that thought to his next companies, MM and G&L. The G&L has always had a "heavy" bridge with a locking set-screw. Once you set intonation and are finished adjusting, you tighten the set-screw that locks each individual carriage together into one massive bridge.

I cannot swear that they heavy bridges are vastly superior, but I like 'em!
Author:  Billw97 [ February 23rd, 2018, 7:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
I haven't seen any stock basses with this thing on them, so I am going to say no. It's likely from the 70's and was a possible Fender solution to the high mass bridges that were becoming popular. As for Leo, he had an eye for detail/function and I would strongly doubt that he had anything to do with this thing. Also by this time he had been gone from Fender, but CBS didn't listen to him while he finished up there. If I knew what it was called, a patent search would explain the design and when it was made.
Author:  Billw97 [ February 23rd, 2018, 7:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
It reminds me of one of these-

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Author:  NoXX [ February 23rd, 2018, 8:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
Billw97 wrote:
It reminds me of one of these-


Excellent find Bill! ... and I was thinking the same thing, and almost fell off my chair when I saw you had already posted a pic of it :D
Author:  Matt R. [ February 23rd, 2018, 8:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
Are you selling that?
Author:  Billw97 [ February 23rd, 2018, 8:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
I am going to go out on a limb and say that this bridge came about, in or around 1980. I am finding a number of ads for Fender with parts of similar construction and stamps on instruments made at that time.
Author:  Billw97 [ February 23rd, 2018, 8:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
Hey Matt, if it's something you want, PM me.
Author:  Jeroen [ February 23rd, 2018, 12:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
I've seen one before (actually, there was one for sale near me, NOS in the original packaging) but I had never realised it was THAT big! Holy crap.

EDIT: What do you know, it's still there.
http://link.marktplaats.nl/m1257133276
Author:  tim [ February 23rd, 2018, 12:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
Nice way to turn neck dive into shoulder dive.
Author:  Agent00Soul [ February 23rd, 2018, 2:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
Mass and brass were a big deal in the late 70s/early 80s. Any one remember Fender's The Strat or Precision Bass Special?

(I've actually seen the PBS a lot lately because the bassist in Portugal The Man uses one.)
Author:  AzWhoFan [ February 28th, 2018, 9:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
my back started whining as soon as I saw that bridge! :-)
Author:  Pineweasel [ March 10th, 2018, 12:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
Mike Watt of the Minutemen had one of those on his Fender: http://www.hootpage.com/minutemen_1984_street_scene.jpg
Author:  screambasses [ March 11th, 2018, 7:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
Pineweasel wrote:
Mike Watt of the Minutemen had one of those on his Fender: http://www.hootpage.com/minutemen_1984_street_scene.jpg


Hello, fellow Minutemen fan! We played Glory of Man at our high school talent show in 1985 (and That's When I Reach for My Revolver).

pete
Author:  andrew [ April 1st, 2018, 11:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Original Fender High Mass Bridge Design
Watt again.

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