Mastery Bridge

[sloop_john_b]

Okay Paul. Ya sold me.

[johnallg]

... I can whack, karate-chop strum, and windmill strum all day long without popping a string out of its saddle or knocking over the bridge, and dive or shake the Accent vibrato unit all set long without wobbling or knocking over the bridge.

Must be why they're nicknamed a whammy bar.

[Chrome Aardvark]

The pickguard has to be removed because of the set screws that lock the bridge height adjustment screws. It's easily removed, and easily replaced.

Yep, it was easy to remove the pickguard though. I like it so much I'm planning on ordering the telecaster Mastery bridge next week.

Thanks guys, I might modify an allen key so I don't have to bother removing the pickguard to unlock the bridge height screws from the baseplate. I'll pick two of these up once I've got a couple other guitar related bits and bobs sorted.

[paologregorio]

Ooh, cool! Show us that modded allen key; would be handy!

[ken_j]

Possibly a Ball Hex Allen wrench may work. I have also seen these with a screwdriver type handle.

[admin]

Paul how about a couple of photos.

[whojamfan]

Looks like I'll be joining the party soon, after having Paul battle test his these past few months, it looks like my aggressive style might benefit from this bridge as well.

[whojamfan]

Just got back from a month on the road to find my Mastery bridge in a mailing tube waiting on my desk. Paul has already extended an invitation to have a waffle and coffee installation party when we can agree on a day. I will be bringing my Sonic Research ST-200 Turbo Tuner, which is as accurate a strobe tuner as about anything you can buy at any price,(a must have pedal tuner for $139 delivered IMO), and we can finally address this whole intonation "improbability" issue some folks who have never even seen one seem to have with it. There has been way too much speculation and I feel it is both unfair to both the Rickenbacker player looking for options and a company who obviously put some time, money, and effort into providing an aftermarket part that players might want to try out.

So, in all fairness to my fellow forumites, and a company who has manufactured parts that have greatly improved the playability and tone of the Fender instruments their bridges have been installed on, I'm game to give it a shot. I would hate to have somebody come out with a quality aftermarket part to give us players a choice and have it discontinued solely because people who have never seen or used it claim that it's a waste of money and/or couldn't possibly work.

Just to clarify, this isn't a "which is a better bridge" comparison, it is simply going to be a testimonial if the Mastery can be accurately intonated and a commentary on how it holds up to aggressive playing styles and any tonal changes experienced. While probably of little interest to that Capri or 64 360 owner, high quality modern aftermarket parts definitely have a interest to the multitude of styles Rickenbacker players enjoy.

Still swampy with jet lag, so this probably won't happen for a few days. I'll be sending Mastery a letter of my intentions of doing this and we may put up a youtube vid or something if that's cool with them. I hope to do a stock bridge set up with new strings-record some acoustically, then through an AC30, then remove it, install the Mastery with new strings, and do the same thing so folks can hear the difference. Don't hold your breath for Abbey Road quality sound, but at least you will get an idea of how the 2 differ.

Fair enough?

Anybody interested in participating contact me through a PM and maybe we can make it a gear geekathon. I absolutely welcome anyone from RIC and Mastery to get in on the fun, as I predict everyone involved will come out a winner

Guess I better give Paul a call before he reads this

[jps]

A Party!

[collin]

Anybody interested in participating contact me through a PM and maybe we can make it a gear geekathon. I absolutely welcome anyone from RIC and Mastery to get in on the fun, as I predict everyone involved will come out a winner

Sure!

Screw the bridge though, I just want some waffles.

[aceonbass]

Mike, I look forward to your evaluation and installation of your Mastery bridge. Just to be clear on intonation, while many set the intonation using the harmonics at the 12th fret (as in the video on Mastery's site using a neat bit of slight-of-hand), the proper way to set intonation is by checking against fretted notes at the 12th fret. The fact that the Mastery bridge only has two saddles, makes it impossible to independently adjust the intonation for the A and B strings (or adjust for different fretboard radiuses). One doesn't have to have one in their hands to determine this. It's something any guitar tech will tell you, as verified by former RIC employee and luthier Mark Arnquist during a discussion on this part on the RRF FaceBook page. While it may just be possible once the intonation is set on the outer strings in each pair, that the middle ones happen to be right on, it's unlikely. One easy way to determine this for anyone who doesn't have this bridge, is for them to set their intonation via the previously described method, and see if the A and B saddles are in a straight line between their adjacent saddles. If they are, then this will also be true with the Mastery. If they aren't, then they can't possibly be with it, or any other two saddle bridge.

[kiramdear]

The proof is in the pudding (or maybe the waffles). I can't wait to see if this bumblebee can fly.

[paologregorio]

Anybody interested in participating contact me through a PM and maybe we can make it a gear geekathon. I absolutely welcome anyone from RIC and Mastery to get in on the fun, as I predict everyone involved will come out a winner

Sure!

Screw the bridge though, I just want some waffles.

Stop by, you can hold the camera and narrate, or take over; just don't get any syrup on the camera or the guitar bits. . .

[collin]

Anybody interested in participating contact me through a PM and maybe we can make it a gear geekathon. I absolutely welcome anyone from RIC and Mastery to get in on the fun, as I predict everyone involved will come out a winner

Sure!

Screw the bridge though, I just want some waffles.

Stop by, you can hold the camera and narrate, or take over; just don't get any syrup on the camera or the guitar bits. . .

Not a problem. I might drunkenly spill beer over everything, but certainly not syrup.

[electrofaro]

Great stuff... with or without videos it will be interesting to learn of the outcome, Mike!