Hipshot Kickass - Brass vs Stainless Steel saddles 

Subtle, but clearly noticeable difference. IMO, brass saddles have more midrange than stainless steel saddles.

Thanks for posting this video. I just installed one on my 5 which came with the stock brass saddles, and was thinking of upgrading them to the stainless. After this video I'm going to leave the brass on.

Thank you for posting the comparison. I have a bass right now that came with a bridge with brass saddles. I am considering replacing the bridge, and was debating between brass and stainless saddles, and this video was helpful. I agree that the stainless saddles sounded brighter. A bit more subdued in the mids. While the brass seemed to have a slightly warmer, fuller sound.

I agree with Oliver's conclusion. Thanks for the video.

Man... Great content!!!!

Thanks, that was exactly the comparison I was interested in. Well done and nice licks, you played! Surprisingly the steel saddles seem to have a little bit tighter low end response to me. But I think it's more an effect of slightly scooped mids. A bit more clarity where the brass saddles sound a tiny bit warmer. Subtle but noticeable difference.

Thank you for the good information. Very informative ✌️😎

Very nice bass. It sounds amazing. The tonal difference between the brass and stainless steel saddle is subtle at best. Great review.

The Brass we're a tad warmer but they still had a nice brightness to it, this is what I want to do to my Mexican pbase because it's sounding a little dead even though I put some new lollar pickups with help but I think a high Mac Bridge would add that brightness that I'm looking for

Has the same high frequencies but definitely more midrange on the brass. Thanks for this

4:08 Nice Faith No More riff! 🤘

I could hear a difference. Stainless had a more modem aggressive sound. Brass had a more vintage mellower sound.

I like the tone of this bridge and I do prefer the brass saddles to the steel. I’m thinking of replacing the bridge on my Fender MIM P bass and am debating between the kickass,or a Badass II. Still trying to decide but your video is most helpful.

Thanks for the video. Would brass or zinc be brighter?

I wonder what would happen if you mixed them and used steel on the E and A and brass on the D and G?

I liked the idea of a brighter sound, but it seems that the steel saddles make it a bit too bright for my liking. At least with your demo, the brass sound great!

Thanx for the nice vid! I'm quite surprised, as I expected the difference between the saddle materials to be way more noticeable! (Maybe there might be something happening at the *very* top end - beyond the P-Bass quartepounder's frequency range?!?) To my ears, the steel saddles don't seem to *add* some high end (as one would expect), but to *cut* some bottom end instead. What do you think?

OK. Very good bridge. But there is in version for 3 hole-string through body Fender mounting??? 10Q very much 🙂🇮🇹

Subtle difference but I'm going with the brass .. great demo

Changed my Jackson stock himass bridge to this on my Spectra. Man, kinda mad I did. I think maybe I need to invest in the stainless inserts. I completely lost brightness on certain songs that I really actually liked that we play in our band. They were almost exclamation point moments and now sound must blah. It's either that or I throw the stock bridge back on. IDK

Thank you for the upload, I think the stainless steel is to clangy for me, for prefer brass

Didn’t think I’d be able to hear it but it’s there for sure... don’t know which I think more though. I like the brass look more so let’s go with that...

Well brass or steel depends on bass material also. For example zinc and steel are a great combination. With a Pbass that is not an Quarter pounder Seymour Duncan with high output. Steel saddles are generally better for pbass as it evens out those low-mids. However I find that zinc plate with brass saddles are great for jazz bass as those single coils are already bright. The brass warmer low mid additive gives it that special kick. I’m not a huge fan of the kickass bridge as it is not known for its resonance.

Steel saddles me

Thanks for posting. For Fender Made in Mexico basses, do you know if you can fit the Kickass straight on to the bass without any modifications? Like drilling in new holes? I have a MIM P bass and would like to install a Kickass but don't want to make any modifications. Just hoping for a straight fit.

Out of all the high mass Bridges which do you like the best for brightness and sustain

I like the growl of stainless steel pronounces!

The comparison starting at 2:58 did it for me. The brass sounds much better there, likely due to your using roundwounds where Harris uses flats. The steel was just a bit too pingy, didn't project the mids enough. Listen for how that G on the D string just pops with growl to it on the brass insert but doesn't with the steel. I do think it's all relative, meaning literally things change between strings in a piece like that, so it might be a good thing to use brass on the D and G strings but steel on the E and A strings. If you were to set that specific guitar aside for Maiden type pieces that'd be the way to go without having to change other things like strings (to his heavy flats) and amp settings too much. I didn't expect to pick up this much important info from watching this video but, hey, that's how it usually happens, like, SURPRISE! lol. Thanks for taking the time and filming this.

Great playing as always, and I must say how I love that metallic purple P Bass! TBH, I didn't hear much other than maybe a very slight difference. Nothing that a SLIGHT roll of the tone knob or EQ wouldn't fix. Certainly not enough for anyone to change saddles over.

Steel saddles ftw

I prefer the brass saddles personally.

Hey ho, i have on my japanese geddy lee a badass ii Would you recomend to change to the kickass?

Love that you played a ghost riff also prefer the brass

Dove si trova in Italia questo ponte ? Grazie

The stainlees steel saddles sounded thinner with headphones.

2:59 "And the moral of this story, this is what not to do if a bird shits on you: THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER!!!"

Candy Purple?

Brass has more bite and sounds fuller.

Com essa unha qualquer ponte timbra assim kk

slap 5:36 and 5:47, thanks a lot

Stainless were clearer and brighter, almost to a fault. Brass wins for me.

The sound difference is so miniscule as to be completely moot.

Not much difference overall, but I prefer the slight midrange of the brass saddles. Seems more "Right" to me

Anyway cut your nails. Whatever bridge you use, the sound is bright.

I cannot hear a difference

couldn't one just make these inserts themselves from steel?

"Something you can not do on the BadAss bridge". Doesn't that just simply mean that it is NOT necessary? I have this (probably really weird) notion that if it was USEFUL and NECESSARY to do certain things with a bridge (or a guitar, or a car, or whatever!) they would have most certainly PUT IT ON THERE. So the question is: are all these manufacturers really stupid or are some features on a bridge just a gimmick that in reality add nothing useful? I wonder....