Mastery Bridge

[antipodean]

Dane is absolutely correct in his statements re intonation. To get perfect intonation on all strings (for all possible string sets) you need individual adjustment for each string. If you use an unwound "G" string, you can probably get closer on a Mastery bridge than you can on a vintage Telecaster due to the adjustable geometry of the saddles, but you would have to be very fortunate to achieve perfect intonation on all six strings, though very canny string selection may get you there. With a wound "G", you won't get even close, but most people don't use a wound "G".

The flip side to this is that many players are happy with intonation that is "close enough". An example is the preference of many for the vintage-style six-saddle bridge on 12-string guitars, which guarantees some error in intonation. Without doubt some players will find that the benefits of the Mastery outweigh its shortcomings for their style of play. Whilst I'm unlikely to use one, it's good to see another option out there.

[Grey]

I'm sure Dane is very talented, but as you can see in the video, intonation on the mastery is near perfect. I would argue how necessary "perfect" intonation actaully is, the mastery is past the point of any audiable difference.

Guitars are not "perfect" instruments and neither are the people who play them. Arguing perfection is fishing for reasons to knock the mastery down a peg.

[aceonbass]

Arguing perfection is fishing for reasons to knock the mastery down a peg.

I suppose that could be said of anything critiqued by anyone. I had no prior beef with the company to make me want to knock the part down a peg. When someone pays me to set up an instrument, I tell them it will intonate perfectly when I'm finished, not real close. I think if I said from the outset that I'd try to intonate it accurately, I'd probably get paid less, or lose a customer. Some people like the part for what it does over the RIC piece, and that's fine, but I think the design compromise involved in adapting this from Mastery's bridge for Fenders falls short. At $175.00, I expect perfection. I have one of the bridges that Ed Roman made for RIC 6's. It's solid brass and, unlike the Mastery part, is chrome plated. It's heavy, so it has a similar effect on sustain, and the way I have it mounted, even Paul A. couldn't tip it over . The strings sit in the proper radius, and intonation is adjustable for all six strings individually. I think I paid $125.00 for it. Since most of the really good techs no longer post on this forum, someone has to critique the part (or anything else for that matter). Are we all supposed to be drones or something? The thing's not even made by RIC, so why the blind loyalty to Mastery? John Hall actually said he had reservations about the part in another thread. Wonder what they were?

[sloop_john_b]

The strings sit in the proper radius

Proper radius for which hour of which day in which week of which year (only applies to pre-'85 instruments)?

[Colonel Blues]

I'm sure Dane is very talented, but as you can see in the video, intonation on the mastery is near perfect. I would argue how necessary "perfect" intonation actaully is, the mastery is past the point of any audiable difference.

Guitars are not "perfect" instruments and neither are the people who play them. Arguing perfection is fishing for reasons to knock the mastery down a peg.

What he said !!!
The only last question is : would you replace a stock original bridge with something not coming from our favourite brand, Rickenbacker ?
I easily recognize that this bridge is an improved version of what my current stock bridge should be… but I can't convince myself to try the swap…

[rickendelic]

I was wondering if Mike or Paul while putting their new bridges on took a second to see if the stock Rickenbacker 4 bridge screws/legs aligned at all with the Mastery base plate.

Thanks for your time guys.

[Chrome Aardvark]

For anyone waiting to purchase one of these, a new batch will be available towards the end of October.

[paologregorio]

For anyone waiting to purchase one of these, a new batch will be available towards the end of October.

Just ordered a second Mastery bridge; hmm, which six string should I install the Mastery on? JG, BB RBY? AZ?

[Chrome Aardvark]

All of them

[8mileshigher]

For anyone waiting to purchase one of these, a new batch will be available towards the end of October.

Just ordered a second Mastery bridge; hmm, which six string should I install the Mastery on? JG, BB RBY? AZ?

The JetGlo because, well, you know what they say, JetGlo Rocks ! !

[paologregorio]

Woo hoo! It's shipping!

Hi Paul,
A package was shipped to you on 10/18/2013 via U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail. . . . . . . .
Thanks,
. . . . . .
Mastery Bridge
Masterybridge.com
Facebook.com/masterybridge

Louis, I will check out your question re the bridge plate, but I think the answer is yest; all the other holes line up.

[8mileshigher]

Did Snowman get the Mastery Bridge installed on the 330 he was having the Double Binding installed on ?

[JakeK]

Did Snowman get the Mastery Bridge installed on the 330 he was having the Double Binding installed on ?

Yes

I currently have my 330 at one of the most capable and respectable Rickenbacker luthiers having it double bound and a few other things done to it cosmetically. This is not a quick process, so I have no exact date when the work will be completed. I have my Mastery bridge on it already(which I really enjoyed the couple of days I got to check it out before sending my guitar off), so when the guitar is done, there will be a chance to have a practical assessment done by someone who's credentials can't be disputed should HE decide to get involved in this discussion.

I'm a player, been doing it both professionally and fun for over 30 years. I've seen about every technological solution and option that's come down the pike, and some of it was good, and others, not. I've seen all the hype and tried well over 90 percent of the aftermarket items made for various guitars and basses to "improve" them from how they came from the factory. I try to have an open mind in evaluating gear, because for many years I was on the sales and repair side of the counter, and needed to be objective in trying to meet my customers needs.

For my own playing needs, I want the best options for instruments to deliver what I believe to be their maximum potential for what I want them to do. If something is more conducive to my aggressive playing style, I'm more apt give it a shot, and weigh the whole experience. Both Pete Townshend and Paul Weller had/have a more aggressive playing style than your average Rickenbacker player, and both opted for different bridge options on their guitars to maximize their playability in a "live" context. So for me, having a similarly aggressive playing style, I want an instrument I am using "live" to be as conducive to that as possible.

Paul Azpeitia is a similarly aggressive player who has been at it for even longer than I. His strongarm vibrato and heavy picking attack demand an instrument that can take it. I know he tried the bridges both Weller and Townshend did before trying the Mastery. It was upon his real world live playing evaluation of the Mastery bridge that made me shell out the bucks to try one, and I'm glad I did. He's still digging his, I've played his guitar many times with the Mastery installed, and my own for a few days. We both use a lot of open string droning and pedal note type stuff in our playing, all over the neck, and haven't found any intonation problems with it that we.ve heard, both without the guitars being "strobed" or professionally set up. For me, it looks like it was the right choice.

Having a choice is a good thing, we all have different needs, and this bridge meets the needs of the more aggressive player. Mastery has made a business manufacturing aftermarket bridges addressing aggressive playability issues folks were having with their stock hardware. I seriously don't see why a company who only makes a few bridges would waste their time and expense with such a finicky and detailed oriented community such as ours if the product didn't deliver. I've not seen, nor heard, any REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE slamming the bridge for having intonation, radius, or other mechanical shortcomings. Also, your stock chrome(or black) bridge cover attaches to the Mastery the same way so if the stainless look bothers you, the stock cover will hide most of it.

The bridge is simply an option for people to have available to them. To be so opinionated about something you have only seen a picture of and have no practical or real world experience with is both counterproductive and frankly, rather boring. It's the ego those "possessing less knowledge" don't appreciate, not the exchange of information and experience

[jingle_jangle]

I've tried Mastery bridges on my Jags, Jazzmasters, and my newest Chinese prototype (which has Jag/JM vibrato and geometry). The quality floored me when I opened the first can and continues to impress. It is, simply, a solid and stunning piece. What can I say--I love machined stuff.

I'm jealous 'cuz I didn't think of it! When Mike's 330/360 is completed (soon, Mike!!!) I'm eager to see what the Mastery does for it.

From a simple engineering standpoint, the Fender offset bridge and the Rickenbacker guitar bridge take similar approaches to the problem of adjusting string spacing and string height, with the Fender offset having more adjustability with their included Allen wrenches. But both have one issue, and that's the energy that is absorbed in the interstices between the multiple tiny components. Because the Mastery is based on two precision solid billet bridge bars it should help cut back on buzz and feel more solid, as it did on my offsets.

Now, if only they would make these inexpensive enough to put on my Chinese Light Shows!

[paologregorio]

I need about five more of these. A 12-string version would be nice also. . . .

I get no string popouts, no bridges keeling over, and greater volume, sustain, and resonance, with the Mastery.