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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink Mastery Bridge for Jag/Jazz

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Wow! Have you guys seen this new bridge. Looks like it should do a pretty great job replacing the Jag/Jazz bridge for those who have problems with it. Definitely an upgrade over the Mustang Bridge, of which I am no fan. I enjoy the Jag/Jazz bridge but I still wouldn't mind buying/trying one of these bridges. Seems like they are fairly sturdy and don't take much constant tweaking.

http://www.masterybridge.com/home.html

Sonic Youth, Dave Wronski, Nels Cline, and others are using it.

Anyways, this is to continue the thread that sort of imploded.

Sorry, but we are currently SOLD OUT!

Please email us to sign up for our waiting list. Our bridges are produced in small batches and we are currently backordered.

Ouch. Looks cool though; if I were one of the guys doing the custom builds, I'd definitely consider it.

Mike
http://www.youtube.com/morphballio

Willikers! It's expensive, but looks absolutely keen! From what I hear being on the waiting list isn't that bad. I must say I don't like the logo...

Sorry to see how the last thread on this imploded.

For what its worth, I just installed one on my jag last night. I had been using a Mustang bridge for the longest time. In most regards, I'd say the Mastery Bridge is an improvement. Playing it unplugged, I could not believe how much more vibrant sounding it was. Plugged in, it sounded really good, but a little bit less distinctly "Jaguar" if that makes any sense.

The vibrato seemed nearly as responsive as it had before. However, tuning stability with vibrato use seemed to suffer. I kept on ending up flat. It might just be because I loosened my strings up considerably to install the bridge, and then tightened them back up again, and the whole stretching of the strings mojo got funky. I'll hold off final judgment, as well as attempting to precisely intonate with a wound G, until I put a new set of strings on. Speaking of strings, I recall someone mentioning either on here or on the offsets forum that the string spacing seemed different to them than before. Admittedly, I replaced the stock bridge with the Mustang bridge the day I got the guitar, but I have not noticed any considerable difference in spacing going by feel anyways between the Mustang and Mastery bridges at least.

Assuming the vibrato/tuning stability thing is related to my old strings and intonation goes smoothly, I would definitely make the purchase again if I had the choice to do things over. If I owned a fleet of Jags and Jazzmasters, I don't know if I'd spend the money to get a Mastery bridge on every one of them, but it was definitely worth trying on one guitar, and I'm happy with the results. And it's not like it's permanent. If I get sick of it and want to go back to my old set up, it's pretty easy to put the old bridge back in.

This may or may not be related to this bridge. But I do know that string spacing is different on the older MIJ/CIJ guitars compared to AVRI and vintage. I bought a set of modern after-market Mustang saddles and put them on my AVRI. I then had gaps between the saddles big enough that the saddles would move around while playing. I ended up buying a vintage Mustange bridge to solve that problem.

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EricB
However, tuning stability with vibrato use seemed to suffer. I kept on ending up flat.

The bridge might also need some time to break in. I'm not sure, how often is it that people get new bridges?

I'm definitely interested in this bridge. There is a huge thread on offsetguitars detailing people's experience with it.
From all that I've read, it seems that it is a definite improvement in stability and sustain. Both of which will affect the sound of the guitar, for better or worse, based on your preferences I guess.

If you want no deviation form the prototypical offset tone, then the bridge might not be that great of an idea. On the other hand, if you feel like putting your guitar through your drummer's kick drum head when the low E slips off the saddle, it might be a good investment Wink

Ryan
The Secret Samurai Website
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I'm still skepitcal and i'd need a good youtube demo to make my mind up. The stock bridge is free to pivot back and forth while the mastery looks rigid - movement by flexing metal?. Could someone comment on this please.

I'm sure the bridge flexes just ever so slightly(most bridges do if you look at them). However, I'm not a big fan of bridge movement. The bridge is designed so there isn't much friction on the strings on the point of contact. So string breakage really isn't going to be a problem, and as a result of the bridge not moving as much you are going to have better tuning stability.

Brian
This may or may not be related to this bridge. But I do know that string spacing is different on the older MIJ/CIJ guitars compared to AVRI and vintage. I bought a set of modern after-market Mustang saddles and put them on my AVRI. I then had gaps between the saddles big enough that the saddles would move around while playing. I ended up buying a vintage Mustange bridge to solve that problem.

Mine is a CIJ, for the record.

Did you buy the master bridge that was specifically for the Japanese guitars?

crumb
I'm still skepitcal and i'd need a good youtube demo to make my mind up. The stock bridge is free to pivot back and forth while the mastery looks rigid - movement by flexing metal?. Could someone comment on this please.

Kind of varies by guitar according to reports. Some are so tight in the thimbles it take work to get them in. Some have the slightest bit of play. I blame fender, not the mastery folks for the variation Twisted Evil Seriously, the mastery machining is top notch. But check the installation vid. http://www.masterybridge.com/bridge.html

badash
Kind of varies by guitar according to reports. Some are so tight in the thimbles it take work to get them in. Some have the slightest bit of play. I blame fender, not the mastery folks for the variation Twisted Evil Seriously, the mastery machining is top notch. But check the installation vid. http://www.masterybridge.com/bridge.html

Badash, i've seen the demo before thanks. It's odd that some fender bridge legs are a tight fit and other not. My CIJ Jazzer (bought from new)has bags of free play. I like the mastery from an engineering point of view and it's looks like it might work well with lighter gauge strings. I'm sure even if we surf enthusiasts turn our noses up, it'll still do well with the Indie crowd.

crumb

badash
Kind of varies by guitar according to reports. Some are so tight in the thimbles it take work to get them in. Some have the slightest bit of play. I blame fender, not the mastery folks for the variation Twisted Evil Seriously, the mastery machining is top notch. But check the installation vid. http://www.masterybridge.com/bridge.html

Badash, i've seen the demo before thanks. It's odd that some fender bridge legs are a tight fit and other not. My CIJ Jazzer (bought from new)has bags of free play. I like the mastery from an engineering point of view and it's looks like it might work well with lighter gauge strings. I'm sure even if we surf enthusiasts turn our noses up, it'll still do well with the Indie crowd.

Well Crumb, between Sonic Youth and Wilco fans, both vocal users, they have the Dave Wronski (also a user) fans surf crowd outnumbered at the very least Embarassed I played a jag with 10s equipped with one, and it kind of seemed like it made it a little more "straty", but not to the extent the buzzstop did. Probably due to the fact that bridge downforce isn't altered. It did sound more jaggy than my CP jag with the tuneomatic. I'd like to see the difference in tone an AVRI bridge with fatter posts would make. Maybe copper tape around the legs would simulate it?

My absolutely useless opinion is on an AVRI it's a more valid mod than replacing the pickups with Novaks or Lollars. So a gear head might consider making it the first move, as opposed to the current "boutique pickup" move. It made more of a difference on the jag I played than pickups would. I don't jump strings now even doing Texas style blues where I'm sawing across the strings like a old growth rosewood poacher, but the mastery certainly seems to take care of that problem for those who do regularly jump.

badash
Well Crumb, between Sonic Youth and Wilco fans, both vocal users, they have the Dave Wronski (also a user) fans surf crowd outnumbered at the very least Embarassed I played a jag with 10s equipped with one, and it kind of seemed like it made it a little more "straty", but not to the extent the buzzstop did. Probably due to the fact that bridge downforce isn't altered. It did sound more jaggy than my CP jag with the tuneomatic. I'd like to see the difference in tone an AVRI bridge with fatter posts would make. Maybe copper tape around the legs would simulate it?

My absolutely useless opinion is on an AVRI it's a more valid mod than replacing the pickups with Novaks or Lollars. So a gear head might consider making it the first move, as opposed to the current "boutique pickup" move. It made more of a difference on the jag I played than pickups would. I don't jump strings now even doing Texas style blues where I'm sawing across the strings like a old growth rosewood poacher, but the mastery certainly seems to take care of that problem for those who do regularly jump.

I read Dave Wronski used the mastery but it almost sounded like he was testing it as a prototype to me. He's probably being dipomatic by not commenting about it here. I'm only just starting to comprehend how these Leo designed offset bridges work so i'd like to keep with the original concept as much as possible. I've long thought a possible mod would be to bring a kind of buzz stop bar to the bridge it self. So that the string coming from the rear goes under the bar then over the saddle, this would mean the string would have two points of contact directly over the bridge. It might help keep the bridge posts upright with a tad more tension. it's complex with all the adjustment screws in the way but i'd spin it around so the intonation adjust screws are facing up the neck and work from there..

"like a old growth rosewood poacher" well i'll eat crow, i've never heard that expression before Smile

JakeDobner
Did you buy the master bridge that was specifically for the Japanese guitars?

Yeah. They charge you 10 bucks extra and give you slightly narrower pole pieces to use in addition to the normal pieces for use on American models. There's maybe a hairs width of space between the outside of the pole and inside of the cup. Very very little play.

I just re-read that and I can see where maybe it would sound confusing. You unscrew the stock pole pieces, and then screw in the thinner ones for the CIJ models .

crumb
I read Dave Wronski used the mastery but it almost sounded like he was testing it as a prototype to me. He's probably being dipomatic by not commenting about it here. )

I believe he had nice things to say about it in the original thread.

I had emailed Dave with some questions about the Slacktone amp, and asked him about the bridge while I was at it. Good things were said in the email as well. That's actually what made up my mind to bite the bullet and shell out $170 bucks.

crumb
I've long thought a possible mod would be to bring a kind of buzz stop bar to the bridge it self.

"like a old growth rosewood poacher" well i'll eat crow, i've never heard that expression before Smile

The prototype Dave was using had the exact feature you're talking about. I believe he does in fact use the production model now.

As to the rosewood quote, I just typed what came out of the sad dark place between my ears...

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