New Offset Bridge Day

stickyfiddle

It's time.



I've had a Staytrem on my JM for years, but always wondered how the Mastery compares. My upcoming Jag build has given me a good opportunity to try one, so here we are. I'm impressed with the general quality from an engineering perspective; it's a really nice bit of kit.

I'm wondering whether to chuck it on my JM for the next month or so just to see how it sounds on a guitar I already know well (not to mention learning how to adjust it)

Nicely packaged as well, though I must admit the hamster bedding went EVERYWHERE when I opened the tin. A bit of crush up crepe paper would have been better. Anyway, no big deal... 

GavRichList

The straw is bloody ridiculous. I’ve just had to clean two lots of it up after masterying my Rics. 

stickyfiddle

GavRichList said:

The straw is bloody ridiculous. I’ve just had to clean two lots of it up after masterying my Rics. 

I was genuinely shocked by it - lovely tin in a box then you open it and there is shite all over the place! Even just using less of the stuff would be better! 

It’s not like offset folks are at the most barn-dwelling end of musos!

Anyway, very much looking forward to trying the bridge 

meltedbuzzbox

That stuff smells quite unpleasant too

Get that bridge on the JM

Loobs

Curious how it compares to Staytrem, both my offsets have Mastery so I've never even
 tried the ST.

stickyfiddle

meltedbuzzbox said:

That stuff smells quite unpleasant too

Get that bridge on the JM

Trouble is.. what if I like it? Then I’ll have to buy another..!!

stickyfiddle

Loobs said:

Curious how it compares to Staytrem, both my offsets have Mastery so I've never even
 tried the ST.

Me too except the other way around. 

I’ve had graphtech saddles or staytrems on every offset I’ve had, but never even seen a Mastery irl before today. I have a feeling it’s going to give a little more sustain and solidity to the notes, but presumably also feel a little different with the trem, since the bridge won’t be moving as the strings slacken. 

Will report here either way. I may even make a before-after vid, just for my own interest as much as anything

meltedbuzzbox

stickyfiddle said:

Loobs said:

Curious how it compares to Staytrem, both my offsets have Mastery so I've never even
 tried the ST.

Me too except the other way around. 

I’ve had graphtech saddles or staytrems on every offset I’ve had, but never even seen a Mastery irl before today. I have a feeling it’s going to give a little more sustain and solidity to the notes, but presumably also feel a little different with the trem, since the bridge won’t be moving as the strings slacken. 

Will report here either way. I may even make a before-after vid, just for my own interest as much as anything

I think you will hear the guitar is noticeably louder and the notes really ring out. The overtones behind the bridge are more prominent and you should get more sustain

Loobs

Do it! Very curious if it changes the tone at all...

Seziertisch

I have Masterys on three guitars - a  regular JM, a Telecaster with Bigsby and a baritone JM, and they just work.

Though a little drop of Loctite was required on the two JMs as vibrations from the strings were causing the saddle height screws to drop. Only had to be done once as the residue seems to be enough tk prevent it happening again.

THR1LLHAU5

Very interested to hear your thoughts. I've had Staytrems in the past and got a Mustang bridge on my Jag currently, honestly I don't have a preference between the two but I've always been intrigued by the almost brutalist aesthetic of the Mastery... I play behind the bridge a fair bit too, so if it enhances the volume there then all the better. 

lustycourtier

Never had a mastery, but of probably 10 offsets Ive owned, the only ones Ive ever needed to change bridges on was, bizarrely 2 Johnny Marrs. The others just needed to be set up correctly with stock (MIA/MIM) quality bridges. after that, perfect. However, MIJ and lower are junk bridges. 

stickyfiddle

Just fitted it and got it roughly set up. It actually makes a much bigger difference than I expected.

The JM is less "plinky" and notes definitely feel like they ring longer, with more (I think) lower mid content - basically it sounds a bit fatter and that fatness remains right through the decay envelope of a note. I did a quick noodle vid with the ST before I switched, so will do another later and see if the difference it audible there - will post if so. But to the player it's definitely made a difference. 

No issues with tuning & trem usage. I feel like the same amount of trem wobble makes the pitch move slightly less because the bridge isn't floating, but that's a subtle thing and I'm not 100% convinced it's true and it might be my brain hearing things that aren't there because I understand that's what happens in theory (I think). 

Anyway, despite having been cynical for literally years, I'm quite impressed. Now I might need to buy another one... 

freakboy1610

Very interesting to read your comments. Sounds like it's worth the extra cost. How do you feel about the look of it?
Can I call dibs on the hamster bedding?

stickyfiddle

freakboy1610 said:

Very interesting to read your comments. Sounds like it's worth the extra cost. How do you feel about the look of it?
Can I call dibs on the hamster bedding?

Hamster bedding already went in the bin but I can sweep up the remaining bits that are stuck to my desk pad if you need...

I don't dislike the look of it. My guitar is an MJT partscaster anyway, so has a mix of hardware from all over - the only actual Fender parts are the trem (with ST collar and arm) and a vintage pickguard. Honestly I've seen so many guys with these in bands I like over the last decade they've become fairly normal. Incidentally it was spotting one on TWOD's Adam Granduciel's Jaguar in their recent promo sets that picqued my interest, coinciding with a Jag build that I'd already had on the backburner for a couple of years. 

BillDL

I would assume the company is aware of the Australian legislation concerning the packaging used for imported goods.  The sender has to supply certificates to show that the wood used for crates and wood shavings used for support have been treated with an approved insecticide to prevent foreign insects eggs, larvae, etc ending up there and potentially becoming an invasive species.  Hats off to them considering alternative and sustainable biodegradable packaging materials (because some of the packaging methods are ridiculous), but I wonder how long it will be before somebody finds a nasty wee biting ting nesting in the shavings.

meltedbuzzbox

The bridge soon looks normal. 
I find the stock bridge now looks odd.

Glad to see @stickyfiddle is seeing first hand the level of difference. It is a bit of a head fuck at first, but in a good way

The only slight I have on the mastery bridge is that they can be inconsistent.
I have owned 5 or more over the years and some have been rock solid others have been rattly and prone to post drop. I had one that was literally buried in loctite and it still rattled and went wrong.

When it's right it unbelievably right. It gives you more of everything.
As much as I like the staytrem and I think it's a huge improvement over the stock bridge and the Mustang bridge I do think the mastery is king.

JamesSGBrown

Always been intrigued, however as a Jag player rather than JM (though I have had around 4 of those also lol) I feel the 'improvements' might be more suited to a JM, and perhaps take away some of the inherent character of a Jag (low sustain, high attack, plunkiness for lack of a better word)

stickyfiddle

JamesSGBrown said:

Always been intrigued, however as a Jag player rather than JM (though I have had around 4 of those also lol) I feel the 'improvements' might be more suited to a JM, and perhaps take away some of the inherent character of a Jag (low sustain, high attack, plunkiness for lack of a better word)

This is very relevant, and part of why I wanted to try it on a Jag specifically, as I want it to be a little bit plinky but not even moreso than my JM. I think I'll hold off on ordering a second one until I've tried this one on the Jag for a little while (build tbc likely late Feb). I almost wonder if something halfway between the two bridges would be ideal, but I'm guessing not an option (maybe Fender's RSD but I'm not paying the hundreds of dollars they command on the secondary market.

Interestingly, the listing that pops up when you google it is this one on Reverb, which is very obviously in a Mastery tin  

https://reverb.com/item/33661311-fender-custom-shop-rsd-bridge-jazzmaster-jaguar-offset

Philly_Q

I've never owned a JazzMaster or Jaguar and I don't really have any wish to, but I'm always fascinated by these Mastery and Staytrem threads.  Almost enough to buy a guitar just to try out the hardware.  But I won't.