Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

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Tommy
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by Tommy »

Fair enough, paologregorio.
(But altering sustain and volume is an example of altering tone. :wink: )

I monkey with my Gretsches because those guitars are supposed to be monkeyed with. Dice knobs, pin-up girl stickers, pinned bridges... But my Rics (for numerous reasons) I want to keep stock.
Unicoil
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by Unicoil »

Mastery has the M5 back in stock. I just received mine--pretty excited. I'll follow up with some results.
samdjr74
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by samdjr74 »

I just received mine the other day. You can tell the bridge is well made but the string spacing looks extremely narrow. I haven't installed it on my 370 yet but I'm having doubts because of the spacing. Has anyone else run into this?
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20220502_110535.jpg
maxwell
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by maxwell »

That's an interesting observation. I just checked my old roller bridge, and E-to-e measures 48 mm (at center of rollers). I've tried to read everything here regarding stock RIC bridges vs. Mastery, and I have not seen a post about relative string spacing; this leads me to believe that the difference in string positions is not significant, especially at and beyond (towards the nut) the 12th fret. Well, when you have your Mastery in place and have tried it out, please post some feedback here.

PS - The string grooves in your RIC saddles seem to be not centered and cut differently than my 330 saddles; I was thinking your RIC bridge saddles may have a "customized" string width of 50 mm. (The saddles look like replacement saddles -- flat on the top; not bi-beveled like my stock ones). So, I pulled my 330, and my string grooves are also somewhat asymmetrically cut. Anyway, the width on my 330 bridge is also 50 mm, basically like yours. I've never thought about string spacing at the bridge before....
samdjr74
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by samdjr74 »

maxwell wrote: Mon May 02, 2022 1:35 pm That's an interesting observation. I just checked my old roller bridge, and E-to-e measures 48 mm (at center of rollers). I've tried to read everything here regarding stock RIC bridges vs. Mastery, and I have not seen a post about relative string spacing; this leads me to believe that the difference in string positions is not significant, especially at and beyond (towards the nut) the 12th fret. Well, when you have your Mastery in place and have tried it out, please post some feedback here.

PS - The string grooves in your RIC saddles seem to be not centered and cut differently than my 330 saddles; I was thinking your RIC bridge saddles may have a "customized" string width of 50 mm. (The saddles look like replacement saddles -- flat on the top; not bi-beveled like my stock ones). So, I pulled my 330, and my string grooves are also somewhat asymmetrically cut. Anyway, the width on my 330 bridge is also 50 mm, basically like yours. I've never thought about string spacing at the bridge before....
So as you noticed the stock saddles aren't cut perfectly. Once I put the Mastery bridge on, there's no alignment issues at all. I just set the action and intonation with the new bridge, so far so good.
20220502_165650.jpg
maxwell
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by maxwell »

Good deal. Beautiful guitar. Congrats!
samdjr74
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by samdjr74 »

maxwell wrote: Mon May 02, 2022 9:46 pm Good deal. Beautiful guitar. Congrats!
Thanks!
fiveightandten
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by fiveightandten »

Another Mastery Bridge user here. I had a hard time deciding whether or not to try this thing, so hopefully this info can help those who are making the same decision I did about 3 years ago.

The problems I was having with the stock bridge were:
  • The height adjustment screws would shift and cause the bridge to rattle and alter the string height. I solved this with blue loctite, but then it was annoying to adjust if needed.
  • The bridge would shift around under aggressive playing or when changing strings, altering the intonation. It falls out completely if you change strings.
  • The intonation adjustment screws would often back out when turning them counterclockwise, rather than pushing the saddle forward. I'd have to fight with them and it made intonation a struggle.
  • No height adjustment for individual saddles.
Mastery Bridge Pros:
  • The locking baseplate solves the issues with the bridge shifting or falling off. It leaves your adjustments locked in place.
  • The barrel setup allows for individual string height adjustment. I set mine with both a radius gauge and string height measurements, and it's spot on across the board.
  • There's a wider range of height and intonation adjustment than the stock bridge allows
  • The 2 barrel setup and locking baseplate increase sustain. I wouldn't say the guitar's tone sounds any different. But the strings feel more solid and connected, notes ring out stronger, and there's better sustain overall.
  • The hardware is very high quality. Nicer than the stock components.
  • More flexibility in the bridge position. You can get the bridge a bit lower than stock and use the saddle height screws to get the string height you need, or vice versa. You're not limited to the bridge frame height alone setting string height. This also allows for easier fine adjustment.
  • The saddles have a smooth surface the string glides over, so movement of the tail piece won't throw the guitar out of tune, and string movement or tailpiece movement won't exert lateral force on the bridge.
Mastery Bridge Cons:
  • Price and availability. These are $200 now, which isn't cheap. I've watched them become unavailable for long periods of time, so they're not always easy to get. It took me a while to order one, as I had to wait until I saw them in stock. It's not a small investment to make on a whim, but I did so as I felt like the stock bridge was a significant annoyance on my guitar.
  • Aesthetics. Some people feel that it looks out of place on a Ric. We're used to seeing the 6 saddle Rickenbacker bridge on the guitar. Personally, it's not an issue for me, but I can see how some people might not prefer it.
  • Setup. I see some comments that the 2 barrel design compromises height adjustment or intonation. It actually doesn't, and can be adjusted perfectly in both cases. But what it does compromise slightly is the ease of setup. When setting the guitar up initially, you'll often have to go back to the A and B strings and readjust after you set the ones on the sides of the saddles. Once you get it dialed in you'll only need to make small adjustments, but it's not quite as easy as intonation an individual saddle setup. You do get benefits to the 2 barrel design, which you hear every time you play the guitar. So IMO a slight amount of extra initial setup time isn't a deal breaker.
  • Compatibility. It doesn't work with the Ric baseplate. And the Pic bridge doesn't work with the Mastery Baseplate. So it's all or none. The bridge covers are interchangeable, though with an inconsistency in the finish.
Other comments:
I've had the Mastery bridge on my 360 for about 3 years now and I have no reason to ever put the stock bridge back on. The Mastery doesn't move, doesn't rattle, doesn't shift its setup, and it feels more solid and provides better sustain. I forget it's even on the guitar, as it just works and requires no thought. The stock bridge required attention that I grew tired of giving, so I'm happier with the Mastery. The Mastery may not be for everyone, but IMO, it's great to have this aftermarket option for those of us looking to solve problems with the stock bridge.

Hope that helps.

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maxwell
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by maxwell »

Good comprehensive review, and nice photos.
Chrome Aardvark
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by Chrome Aardvark »

fiveightandten wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 3:17 pm Setup. I see some comments that the 2 barrel design compromises height adjustment or intonation. It actually doesn't, and can be adjusted perfectly in both cases. But what it does compromise slightly is the ease of setup. When setting the guitar up initially, you'll often have to go back to the A and B strings and readjust after you set the ones on the sides of the saddles. Once you get it dialed in you'll only need to make small adjustments, but it's not quite as easy as intonation an individual saddle setup. You do get benefits to the 2 barrel design, which you hear every time you play the guitar. So IMO a slight amount of extra initial setup time isn't a deal breaker.[/list]
Exactly! It's really only been one person banging on about this since the Ric Mastery bridge first popped up on these forums. Why? Because they don't seem to understand that the bridge isn't set up on a flat plane like a standard bridge. I've got them on my Jazzmaster and Telecaster as well. The Tele has a Bigsby and the Mastery gives it much more stability than the old standard three saddle bridge. My 60s Rickenbacker 335 and 365 are fitted with accent vibratos and these do the job much better than a standard roller bridge. The locking baseplate is the big winner in the stability stakes, as they prevent any shifting, or movement, of the height adjustment posts when you apply judicious use of the vibrato. Plus, it's not as if it's something that you can't easily put back to stock if you want to sell it or whatever. Put the original bridge in a ziplock bag and stick it in your guitar case for safe keeping.

In the end it's about playability and ease of use. The Mastery definitely comes up trumps there.
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collin
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by collin »

The other big thing is that the mastery saddles are height adjustable, something the stock bridge doesn’t offer.

On vintage Ricks, the saddles are usually a flatter radius than the actual fretboard (particularly on 360 deluxe boards, which often have a tight 6.5” radius). The Mastery allows you to dial-in a perfectly low action even on a small radius board.

The adjustability is the biggest improvement for me, but the Mastery does everything else too, improves sustain, locks the bridge to the body and improves vibrato function.

It’s a brilliant piece of engineering and has made many a borderline “unplayable” vintage Rickenbacker an enjoyable instrument for me.
maxwell
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by maxwell »

FYI - For those interested, the Mastery Bridge Cover is in stock.
maxwell
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by maxwell »

I received my Mastery Bridge cover today. I knew it wasn't chromed, but man, it is DULL (brushed SS)
and does not really harmonize with any other metal part on the guitar. I put a RIC cover on with the RIC screws -- a little tricky/tight getting the second screw in (leave the first one a little loose until the second is in; wiggle room). Well, maybe someday I'll polish it and see how it looks then. So, save your money and use your old cover; maybe buy a RIC cover if you don't have any and still want a cover. (I like having the cover on.)

Here's a couple of comparative photos:
Mastery Bridge Cover
Mastery Bridge Cover
RIC Bridge Cover
RIC Bridge Cover
GavRL
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by GavRL »

I’ve purchased, fitted and removed Mastery’s on both my 330 and 360. My overall impressions of them (in a not especially collected manner) are that they absolutely increase sustain and volume (more on that later). You’ll feel every strum vibrate through the guitar. The fixed posts are undeniably a great idea too. Aesthetically it’s less intrusive than it’s Jazzmaster equivalent by virtue of the baseplate matching the original, but it’s still not a thing of beauty in situ. They’re very well made, but I do think the price is a little on the high side. Having used mastery’s extensively on jaguars and Jazzmasters, it’s worth saying that they still suffer from movement and rattles on occasion, and I’ve always found that you end up fiddling with them almost endlessly in the hope finding the perfect setup for them.

The reason I ended up removing them was that the increased volume actually caused feedback issues on my 360. That guitar is particularly loud and vibrant acoustically anyway, and the mastery took it up even further to the point that it fed back a lot in use. Ultimately that proved a little prohibitive so I moved it on. It wasn’t such an issue on my 330, but that one is less lively acoustically anyway.
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steverok
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Re: Mastery Bridge: Does It Make A Difference?

Post by steverok »

maxwell wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 5:34 pm I received my Mastery Bridge cover today. I knew it wasn't chromed, but man, it is DULL (brushed SS)
and does not really harmonize with any other metal part on the guitar. I put a RIC cover on with the RIC screws -- a little tricky/tight getting the second screw in (leave the first one a little loose until the second is in; wiggle room). Well, maybe someday I'll polish it and see how it looks then. So, save your money and use your old cover; maybe buy a RIC cover if you don't have any and still want a cover. (I like having the cover on.)

Here's a couple of comparative photos:

Mastery.jpg

RIC.jpg
I am not able to attach the Ric bridge cover to the Mastery bridge, because the screws holes are off just enough. Will need to either polish the Mastery bridge cover or slightly widen the screw holes on the Ric bridge cover. I agree that the brushed silver cover looks poor.
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