Harley Benton JB-40FL MODIFIED Pt. 2 - Testing out the Ray Ross Saddleless Bridge! -LowEndLobster
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- čas přidán 12. 04. 2022
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Harley Benton JB-40FL Review: • Harley Benton JB-40FL ...
Harley Benton JB-40FL Mod Pt. 1 (EMG Pickups): • Harley Benton JB-40FL ...
Harley Benton: www.thomannmusic.com/harley_b...
EMG J Set Pickups: www.emgpickups.com/bass/j-mod...
Ray Ross Bridge: rayrossbridge.com/
Hey everyone! Welcome to part 2 of the Harley Benton JB-40FL mod series! We've already swapped out the pickups and pots for upgraded EMG models (linked above), and today we're going to leverage the added clarity of the EMGs to see if the Ray Ross bridge has any significant impact on the tone of this bass. The Ray Ross bass bridge features a unique 'saddle-less' design which eliminates the 'kink' or break angle at the bridge of your bass, and instead allows the string to have a straight unobscured path all the way to the nut. The benefits to this are added sustain, clarity, and more freedom for the string to vibrate. Today we're going to put these claims to the test! Let's do it! Big thank you to Ray Ross for providing the bridge for this video!
This bass and all my other basses with rounds are strung with SIT Foundation Nickel Plated Stainless Steel 45-105(125) unless otherwise noted. Check them out at sitstrings.com/
Info on my signal chain, setup and more: • FAQ: My Signal Chain, ...
Discord: discord.gg/dzrFMzD
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I've been waiting for this review! I couldn't agree with you more on your take. I have a 5 string Ray Ross bridge I installed, and the difference in tone, sustain, etc. is nothing earth shattering. I think the only real "joy" I got from the bridge is the looks. It is a very cool looking bridge....but that's about it. I'm not unhappy with it.... but I was hoping for more.....something. Great review as always!
Thanks! I recently bought a Squire Bronco Bass. I changed the bridge to a Badass because of bridge noise (clack). I’m still getting a little of it. I believe it’s on the E string. I guess I may just have to live with it. Maybe this Ray Ross bridge will work better on my next Bronco Bass project. 🎻🙂✌️😎
Hey Lobster, your videos are awesome!
I learn so much every time.
Keep up the good work!
Sounds really better to me. More clarity and density.
Great review and upgrades . I own a couple HB basses already but that fretless sounds real nice. They make the best inexpensive instruments, thanks for demo..
Its always nice when Basscat decides to join you. She reminds me of my Sam
The issue with these bridges (stock) is the saddle shift. Thats why nearly every aftermarket bridge is an improvement since they all keep the saddles locked in place.
I know what you mean about saddles shifting. I have one bass with a cheap bent steel bridge that had that issue. I looped a zip tie around the intonation screws and snugged them up a little. Fixed that for a few pennies. That doesn't affect the adjustability any and is barely noticeable. I have 40 years of accumulated parts and figured I'd swap bridges at some point, but the zip tie works fine. Not fixin what aint broke now.
I don't understand why Fender continues to use that garbage bridge on almost all of their basses. People criticize the shit out of Rickenbacker for their older style bass bridge but at least the saddles on those don't flop around.
@@Sheehy223 Check out the Ken Smith Qsr bridges. Basically a machined brass badass with quick release.
Coolsville, love the mods. Thanks Lobster
Thumbs up for return of cat! Great vid as always!
That HB bass sounded great as it was. The new bridge would only change the price but not the sound… I don’t care what anyone says.
Upgrades are mainly for the owner to inspire themselves. I have never ever been to a gig and noticed that the band sounded better because the bass player had a Sterling 35 instead of the Sterling 25🤷🏾♂️
The difference in sound exists but it 10% real and 40% placebo = super inspiration and yes, inspiration is awesome and priceless, too.
Love your show👍🏽
the hb bass wasn't stock as it had emg electronics in it, the bridge geve a bit more clarity on the high end but I think the test that was lacking was a tuning stability test and intonation test
@@18hot30 thanks, I had missed that detail. It really had an awesome sound.
Unless the bass bridge sucks like my Ibanez bass.
Didn't intonate, buzzed like crazy so I had to replace it with hipshot and it fixed all of my issues.
But I agree with you to an extent, usually it's just for people personal specs.
Super solid reviews and I love your passion. (I laugh while playing sometime too), This in particular was a great well balalnced review. Subscribed. If you are ever in Santa Cruz, CA. I'll buy you a burrito. Thanks!
Thanks for the info in this video. Comments are also a good resource for certain points.
That bass would be awesome with tape wounds. I feel like they would complement the bright pickups nicely
I couldn’t tell a difference between the bridges, but boy do those pickups completely change the ballgame. SOLD!!! And still cheaper than other leading brands!!!! I actually own the Squire FLJB and am still planning on buying the HB and modding it withe the emg’s. Thanks!!!!!!
Thank you Lobster, I appreciate your tact.
C'mon Lobbie, I gots thirty-some-odd basses and you're still giving me GAS!! Great show as usual.👍
Really want to get a fretless and not spend a ton on it. Your reviews and upgrade videos on this bass has me really considering this one. Thanks dude!
You have that Harley Benton a very nice bass!
Much effective from sound perspective to change a nut rather than bridge. The density of plastic nut is different from bronze nut. But anyway you will hear difference only on open strings.
You really have me excited to get one of these basses... I need to bite the bullet and order a couple of things from Thomann. Great vid as always!
Thank you Kris!
Kris , Had mine a month ,love the bass ,£145ish ? Ordered mine after Lobsters review ..........just a great bass........
I agree with the point you made about the clarity. There seemed to be a bit more ‘space’ between the notes (if that makes sense). Although not enough for me to run out and buy this bridge.
I found getting a hipshot bridge with the brass makes a bass brighter, I put brass nut in ebmm ray5 fretless and it made it significantly brighter, left bridge stock; it and my ibanez sr650e are my favorite basses.
IMO after listening to the vid with my headset. I didn't notice too much of a tonal difference. With both pickups engaged, I did notice a little more clarity, but not much. Can't wait til we groove again.
Your cat like clarity and sustain too! ;)
*I completely agree about not noticing a whole lot of tonal difference BUT that bridge looks hella cool. I'd like to know if the tuning stability has changed any however. Thank you for the great upload, Lobster!
Thank you. To me, the new bridge sounded lesser with some bass removed. That translated to clarity for me at first.
I’m with you and if there is a difference it was ever so slight and and only noticed in the upper register. For the price I would not buy it.
Thanks for sharing Lobster 🦞 much appreciated Liverpool UK 🎸🎸🎵🎶👍
Lobster tested.... Cat approved!!! ❤️👍
🦞🐱
Great video. For the scratch that Harley Benton is a great value. I like the EMG upgrade too. Sounds great. I'm not to big on the Ray Ross bridge because how that first inch of string at the ball end is supposed to be behind saddle. Seems any benefits would be outweighed by that first inch of shring. For the cost of the Ray Ross, I'd opt for Hipshot or Gotoh. But that Ray Ross does look nice.
This.
I had a Ray Ross bridge for a while but wound up selling it. In short, it made the instrument sound louder and the strings feel slightly lower tension. I was not a fan of adjusting the intonation or action though. That said, it did look cool.
Could pick up some used in mint condition for und 80 bucks - so I have a lot of mod projects going on - love these HBs
😎👍Yeah it didn’t seem like it was worth the expense to me either.
I probably would’ve been interested in buying one of those HB’s based on your comments, but I already own a 2017 Squier vintage modified fretless jazz bass that’s on the heavy side, but is good enough to play.. 🥳👨🏻
(1) Lifetime of tonal bliss. Enjoy!
So the big thing I noticed with the Ray Ross bridge is the down tuning on lighter gauge strings keeps tension better. Where as you normally have to go bigger strings to compensate.
Other than the slightly improved clarity with the mid-high's, there's not really that much change. But it does look clean and interesting🎸
Everyone that reviews it says 1) the strings feel different, and 2) it's probably in my head.
LoL.
It does make the strings different.
I have one on my p bass with flats. The feel and tone difference is fairly big on that beast.
With the new bridge, I seemed to notice the slight difference on the tone when the notes were allowed ro ring out or sustain. On the notes that did not sustain, not much, if any, difference. But others may notice more of a difference, since I am not more than a novice, at best.🤷♂️
i heard basically the same thing. almost like there were more pronounced harmonics on the legatto parts.
I put a Ross bridge on a jazz bass and my thoughts are the same as yours are.I can't difinitively say it's worth the price.I don't dislike it.
Lobster, since you didn't think the Ray Ross bridge made any real difference in tone or sustain on this particular bass, could you comment on whether or not this bridge makes action height and intonation setup easier?
Great question! I wouldn't say it's easier or harder, just different. Intonation is set pretty much the same way, but adjusting the action is different. Not harder really.
@@LowEndLobster Thanks!! Love your work, BTW; you're responsible for at least three purchase decisions. So far..... ;-)
It is so heavy!!!!
22 🦀🦀🦀 it's coming!💪🏻🔥💪🏻
I think that bridge makes the flavor of that bass sound a lot better.
The video had to meet the Inspector Kitty standards! 😁💕
In the beginning of the video BB was talking a bit….my kitten started talking back. I started wondering what they were saying…. Then i got it!!!!
BB. “Hey everyone, BB here. Check this out! Lobster is drill extra holes in this bass before he uses his noodle. He knows…..Measure twice cut once, measure 3 times, DON’T DRILL A HOLE IN YOUR BASS!!!”
All other cats. “No way, this i gotta see!!!”
BB. “Seriously….watch, I’ll even jump up and try to stop him, he’ll just go “hi bb”
All other cats. “Hahaha, BB…you’re a legend!!!”
What a weird morning.
Hahaha that's adorable
@@LowEndLobster 😜
.
I would undoubtedly gash my hand wide open (sorry for the imagery) with that bridge.
However, on a fretless (where I mainly stay above the pickups) it would be fine.
Oh yea.😎🎩😎
I liked the 'bloom' of the old bridge better. Seems low mass is better for fretless.
Maybe it's no coincidence that Fender bridges wrote the history of music before the invention of "hi-mass" bridges?
For a nicer prince, the Fender HighMass bridge is a good stuff to upgrade this bass.
clicked for the bass stayed for the cat
there's a huge difference! ray ross sounds killer.
I heard an audible difference right off the bat. Worth it? Who knows?
I don't really love the lack of decay on the new bridge. I'm sure for longer singing notes it would be great, but it seems almost too sustained to me.
Have you ever tried one of the Babicz Full Contact Bridges? I had to replace the bridge (severely rust frozen set screws) on a MIM Fender (pawn shop purchase) Jazz bass about five or six years ago. On that bass it made a remarkable difference in sustain. It was also very easy to work with as far as installation and intonation. In the twelve years I've been regularly playing that is the only bridge I've changed. I've also got a few Harley Benton basses that I've thought of trying a Babicz bridge on. Your thoughts?
I had one on my Warmoth 'tele' P bass. It was a neat bridge but I didn't like how some parts adjusted.
That ray ross design just looks like it will rattle itself to death after a few years of play
I notice a very slight piano like bright attack after the initial plucking of the strings. It’s there but barely noticeable.
With Ray Ross bridge the sound lost its 'oomph' and punch in low and low-mid frequencies. Strings are constructed to have a break angle behind them though. On the other hand, that's fretless bass ofc so I can't tell how well it works with intonation etc ;)
yes, definitely more stable and richest sound ....
Hello, thanks for the review. On the weight issue on this particular bass: do you think adding a pickguard and routing out the wood beneath it would make a noticeable difference in weight or will be just a waste of time? Thanks.
I didn't hear any appreciable difference in tone with the Ross installed. I think the main improvement are the EMG's. Just wondering what the tuners are like since the bass is so cheap? Thanks for the video; it goes to show that you don't have to spend a fortune in order to get a very passable fretless bass.
The amount of difference i heard could be done with a small tweak of the EQ knobs. The ray ross seemed slightly brighter and to have a tad more high end clarity. But maybe that's just my ears 🎧
it's a cool idea, but overall I still prefer quick-release bridges (like Hipshot A), due to flexibility (I can swap flat for rounds in a couple minutes, and replace broken strings in seconds).
(this can be a big deal for live!)
this makes me want to take a Vintage jaco clone husk and stuff it with G&L parts.
gotta say this unit is pretty crispy - perfect for gigging bc it's a bit on the bright side which means it's easier to dial into a live mix without losing it down the well.
at the current build cost totals you could build three identical units for less than a legit mid-tier new or used USA/JPN/etc local built mainstream standard j bass (fender/edwards/etc). You'd have to do advance builds, at least for people in the US, because you can't grab an HB off the shelf at GC (but GC is now carrying FGN!) so you'd need to go with something that has availability if you want to just carry one unit and build another from the recipe if something happens with the one you have.
if I was gonna guess at a good recipe build to take on the road - the model that comes to mind is the Charvel San Dimas sparkly ones seem to be on the shelf at most big box music stores and they already have decent pickups, too. Not a fretless though. Not sure what's commonly on the shelf for a fretless at the big boxies in the few hundred buck range to get the carcass off the hook for some upgrades.
I think I just created a new type of configuration/shopping list for the boxies that do em, recipes for replacing particular giggable instruments on the road if they go borken or done get stoled. hm.
I really need to clear this space here and put some stuff up on the bench. thanks for the content, as usual. ;-)
One query I have with the bridge is, since the ball end rests right at the pin rather than behind bass plate on a top load or through body does this make it pain choosing strings? I still find the E on most sets don’t taper the winding at the end early enough on a P-bass. I could imagine with a strings length shortened by the pin (not the speaking length) it could cause hassle tuning up since there would be more winding on the tuning post.
Best part of all, it doesn't have the "mini humbucker" pickups from Gretsch.
Sounds like most can't hear the difference.
The design is interesting.
Maybe if money was no object.
I wouldn't put a $150 bridge on a $150 bass.
Please……please track down an Aria “The Cat” bass :) so many visual gags
Hi - I have this bass, the tuners are pretty sloppy. Have you investigated replacement tuning keys? Seems like Hipshot has no direct replacements (as far as screw hole location)? Thanks!
Hi what the differences between the GL M2000 & L2000 in Sound and playability please
Having gone for the black scratchplate model, which is still not scratched, I wonder what a clear coated neck would do. I wouldn´t get it unwavy though I guess. Are you gonna?
I was thinking about it for pt 3 :)
Lobster I know this question is not related to this video, but I am thinking of replacing the bridge on my Sire V5. Do you think the AllBridge is worth the $100? Does it really help that much? Thank you.
That's a great question. I don't like the slotted saddles on the stock V5 bridge, and I appreciate the aesthetic upgrade. I don't think it really 'helps' any more than any other bridge. I like how they look over stock and I like the neat material they're made of (duralum)
@@LowEndLobster Thank you. I watched the video when you installed it on the V5 fretless, and it does look great but i didn’t really hear that much of a difference in tone or sustain.
The bassline you played when you put the EMG pickups in was really nice and covered more of the range of the instrument and I wish you'd done the same with this and also included some harmonics. I could definitely hear a more solid clearly stated Improvement in the bottom end. I have this bridge on a fretted Warmoth jazz bass with Fralin pickups I can definitely hear Improvement in clarity the use of harmonics and chords. It's not a beat you over the head degree of change but it's definitely there. With the audere jx6d preamp it becomes even more apparent😢. Good video.
What part of the world are you in lobster? I'd be interested in letting you review the new Ibanez I get in or my Thunderbird, but I'd rather not ship, would be better to travel. I'm around StL myself
Considering a bridge upgrade to my Fender Player Precision. Any suggestions?
I'd look for something with quick release, IMO that's the best quality of life bridge upgrade you can do. Hipshot and albridge are the first two that come to mind
Definetly a difference. It's more audible with the bridge pu solo. I think the fretless sound swallows up a lot of the benefits the bridge brings. But there is definetly something different about the sound.
i can hear a slight difference in the sound, the Ray bridge sound a bit more warm, and it's brass apparently so it had up, the stock bridge feel more "metallic" sounding. but what interest me more is possibly a more reliable bridge. with traditionnal bridge, i often had problem with the spring rattling, or touching the E and B string. even with expensive bridge such as Hipshot, i still has these problem sometimes.
I thought the bass had a bit less of the fretless "mwah" sound with the Ray Ross bridge. Certainly didn't hear anything that would make me want to upgrade.
Just what I was thinking, the stock had more sustain and mids.
I'm actually yet to hear any difference with ANY bridge upgrade.
Same, especially anything that can't be attributed to setting up the instrument again (since you have to re adjust the saddle height)
If you put this bridge on stingray would it be then stingray ross? da-bum-tsss
the emj pick ups link goes nowhere ?
"a slightly different feel" expand please.
I'm not not a fan of the Ray Ross bridge (I've had two) due to A: The strings need to be loosened to make any kind of intonation or action adjustments taking up that much more set up time, B: If the strings aren't centered in the hole in the post they can vibrate against the side causing a chorusing effect, and C: The included adjustment tool is a joke. The whole thing is way to finicky for me for little to no difference.
I look to improvement per dollar spent. I noticed little change in sustain, clarity. No idea how much this bridge costs - if significant. I'd not be intetested.
All the bubbies are asking, “What, are all the barber shops closed? Would it kill you to get a haircut?!”
There goes $166 down the crapper.
Cool name lovely fretless burning flame bass with her own soul the bridge if too be honest gave a little bit + no more she was okay before 2 sorry i just have 2 be true
With stock bridge it seems like the sound is kinda metalic in high registers, not metal metalic, it feels like there is more ringing and ratteling overtones there. With the other bridge it sounds kinda warmer, softer smothereven the highier registers. Or maby im imagining things. Is the mod worth the momey spend on it, for me, not.
Actually I think it got worse. I hear some buzzing with the new bridge that I'm pretty sure isn't there with the old one or it's quieter with the old. Might be something related to setup, but either way I'll pass on the Ray Ross.
Bebe love fretless you can see it in his face
MY BAD...............😂😂😂
Your cat really didn't like the tone of the bridge pickup at all, judging by her facial expression.^^
Igual..sorry..perhaps it's time for a lobster Ultima bridge guide...🙄
XD
The bridge pretty much costs as much as the bass.
that bridge looks so weird
Well I see that Ray Ross sell these bridges for 166$ and for that kind of money I can buy better headphones to make everything on my laptop sound better. In other words: not installing that bridge will make your bass sound better.
Slightly less mid bass with the Ray Ross and that sparkle... meh
I’m not a fan of that bridge for several reasons. But, I won’t go into all that. I will say that people should always look to improve current designs. The Ross is not an improvement, and won’t be going on anything I build or own.
I noticed no tonal difference at all !
🤦🏽♂️
That bridge is 100% snake oil