I will never forget the moment I changed my stock Jazzmaster bridge to a mastery back on 2008. Believe it or not I never tweaked it since then and the intonation is spot on.
The Mastery is outstanding for the gigging/touring heavy handed player that uses 10-46 plain 3rd sets only. My intonation is spot on with this gauge, and the guitar is acoustically twice as loud with no buzzy creaks or groans. Sustain is increased and the notes aren’t as smeared when you lean into you pick/strumming attack. Bridge locking on the body really helps when restringing frequently. Now If you don’t beat your guitar too hard and use heavier strings or wound Gs, forget it. It’s more of a heavy duty upgrade along specific parameters.
I’m a Paul Weller guy so I absolutely love the Hi Gain pickups, especially through a Marshall. That being said, I thought the stock Ric bridge had “the” sound, while the Mastery added low end
It’s a weird one. The stock bridge has more of the very low frequencies while being a bit scooped in the lower mids, while the Mastery seems to be flatter overall and is fuller in those mid frequencies. @joeperkins I presume you have a spectrum analyser/matching EQ in your DAW, I’d be interested to see what exactly the averaged differences between the two are.
It’s a weird one. The stock bridge has more of the very low frequencies while being a bit scooped in the lower mids, while the Mastery seems to be flatter overall and is fuller in those mid frequencies. @joeperkins I presume you have a spectrum analyser/matching EQ in your DAW, I’d be interested to see what exactly the averaged differences between the two are.
It's as subjective as favorite pizza place, but I just changed bridge and neck pickup on my Ric 330. Went with Rickenbacker brand toasters. Absolutely love them compared to the Hi-Gains. Going to try a Mastery bridge soon
Fantastic video review! Thank you for the detailed look/listen at all the differences between the stock and Mastery bridges. I found your comparison very helpful.
IMO perhaps the best thing is those baseplate grub screws, because I have several times been very confused figuring out how to PERFECTLY adjust those Ricks' original height adjusting screws so that there won't be any "four-legged table on an uneven floor" kind of problem causing audible troubles. Bridge is a very essential part of any guitar and if it's even a bit wobbly, it can seriously ruin the tone.
Hi Joe. Very interesting video. I have to say, having looked into getting a mastery bridge due to the amount of buzzing on my original bridge for my 330, the mastery seems to make the sound a bit less 'exciting' or dull in comparison. Which is a surprise. Wondered therefore are you still using the mastery a year on from this video? Many thanks. Scott
Hi Scott - yep, still using the Mastery. A little less bite in the midrange but a brighter, clearer top end and just a much better made/more comfortable bridge overall. 🙂
There's a difference in sound between stock & Mastery, but £200 is still a lot of money. . I was wondering has anyone fitted the (slightly cheaper) Winfieldvintage Tuneomatic ABR-1 / Nashville bridge / adaptor base plate, I would like to hear how they sound. I've just bought a Gotoh Nashville bridge, I'm planning to make a base plate adaptor with countersink M4 bolts and holes for mounting it on my '88 RIC 330. I'm also impressed with the Mastery side bolts to keep the height adjustment bolts in place, I reckon a thicker base plate with those fitted wouldn't be that hard to make. The Peter Buck of REM "Stars" type bridge is attached like the Tuneomatic bridge, with bolts M4 size, to it's base plate, still with similar saddles & intonation bolts as the RIC has.. I reckon that doesn't shake so much as the stock 4 corner height bolts do!
Mastery bridge is still not 6 individual pieces, one per string. Mastery had a lot of gall to charge the outrageous price for their bridge. No thanks. There must be a Chinese 6 piece bridge for $15-20 USD.
NIOP!, NOP, AND NOP!!!...a Rickenbacker is a Rickenbacker ONLY with this original parts . Sorry mr., an others like , Peter Buck that use fuckin bronze. Mor respect for a such agreat design; and play play and play !!!..all ricks sounds better and better the more u use it , the more years... bla la
I will never forget the moment I changed my stock Jazzmaster bridge to a mastery back on 2008. Believe it or not I never tweaked it since then and the intonation is spot on.
The Mastery is outstanding for the gigging/touring heavy handed player that uses 10-46 plain 3rd sets only.
My intonation is spot on with this gauge, and the guitar is acoustically twice as loud with no buzzy creaks or groans. Sustain is increased and the notes aren’t as smeared when you lean into you pick/strumming attack.
Bridge locking on the body really helps when restringing frequently.
Now
If you don’t beat your guitar too hard and use heavier strings or wound Gs, forget it.
It’s more of a heavy duty upgrade along specific parameters.
I’m a Paul Weller guy so I absolutely love the Hi Gain pickups, especially through a Marshall. That being said, I thought the stock Ric bridge had “the” sound, while the Mastery added low end
It’s a weird one. The stock bridge has more of the very low frequencies while being a bit scooped in the lower mids, while the Mastery seems to be flatter overall and is fuller in those mid frequencies.
@joeperkins I presume you have a spectrum analyser/matching EQ in your DAW, I’d be interested to see what exactly the averaged differences between the two are.
It’s a weird one. The stock bridge has more of the very low frequencies while being a bit scooped in the lower mids, while the Mastery seems to be flatter overall and is fuller in those mid frequencies.
@joeperkins I presume you have a spectrum analyser/matching EQ in your DAW, I’d be interested to see what exactly the averaged differences between the two are.
I probably do somewhere, but I shot this video many months ago so that raw audio is long gone!
It's as subjective as favorite pizza place, but I just changed bridge and neck pickup on my Ric 330. Went with Rickenbacker brand toasters. Absolutely love them compared to the Hi-Gains. Going to try a Mastery bridge soon
Fantastic video review! Thank you for the detailed look/listen at all the differences between the stock and Mastery bridges. I found your comparison very helpful.
Thanks for posting this. A well recorded comparison with a 330 was much needed.
The difference is slight but definitely noticeable. To my ears, the guitar is less mid focused with the new bridge.
IMO perhaps the best thing is those baseplate grub screws, because I have several times been very confused figuring out how to PERFECTLY adjust those Ricks' original height adjusting screws so that there won't be any "four-legged table on an uneven floor" kind of problem causing audible troubles.
Bridge is a very essential part of any guitar and if it's even a bit wobbly, it can seriously ruin the tone.
A piece of sandpaper will soften the corners of the original bridge saddles. And keep yourself intonated better than mastery. Cool video nonetheless
The true Rickenbacker sound was lost with the Mastery bridge. Now for the Toasters pickups……???
Coming soon!
I have a request for you Joe. Could you please do a video of the Rick with the Nashville tuning? i would love to hear it
Ooh, that could be fun! Maybe one day...!!
I did it on my 360. Sounded great. Still sounds best when playin along with a normally tuned guitar.
Hi Joe. Very interesting video. I have to say, having looked into getting a mastery bridge due to the amount of buzzing on my original bridge for my 330, the mastery seems to make the sound a bit less 'exciting' or dull in comparison. Which is a surprise. Wondered therefore are you still using the mastery a year on from this video? Many thanks. Scott
Hi Scott - yep, still using the Mastery. A little less bite in the midrange but a brighter, clearer top end and just a much better made/more comfortable bridge overall. 🙂
@JoePerkinsMusic ah that's interesting. I'll have another listen through decent headphones next time.
Honestly I don't care for the Mastery Bridge, it sounds thin and lacks mids. I'd just go with the pickup swap.
Mastery did add some 12k+ which might help in a bigger mix. idk, prob not worth the $$ due to the intonation issues you mentioned.
There's a difference in sound between stock & Mastery, but £200 is still a lot of money. . I was wondering has anyone fitted the (slightly cheaper) Winfieldvintage Tuneomatic ABR-1 / Nashville bridge / adaptor base plate, I would like to hear how they sound.
I've just bought a Gotoh Nashville bridge, I'm planning to make a base plate adaptor with countersink M4 bolts and holes for mounting it on my '88 RIC 330. I'm also impressed with the Mastery side bolts to keep the height adjustment bolts in place, I reckon a thicker base plate with those fitted wouldn't be that hard to make.
The Peter Buck of REM "Stars" type bridge is attached like the Tuneomatic bridge, with bolts M4 size, to it's base plate, still with similar saddles & intonation bolts as the RIC has.. I reckon that doesn't shake so much as the stock 4 corner height bolts do!
I'm pretty curious about what tone you'd get with a set of Pyramid Fusion Flats FF1046 Regular (flat wound, round core)
I've tried flat wounds before but never really got on with them...just don't like the feel of them!
What difference does it make? Isn't there a song with that title? Wasn't it played on a ....Rickenbacker?
Not enough difference to my old ears. Maybe more of a Chinese 360 mod?
Mastery bridge is still not 6 individual pieces, one per string. Mastery had a lot of gall to charge the outrageous price for their bridge. No thanks. There must be a Chinese 6 piece bridge for $15-20 USD.
NIOP!, NOP, AND NOP!!!...a Rickenbacker is a Rickenbacker ONLY with this original parts . Sorry mr., an others like , Peter Buck that use fuckin bronze. Mor respect for a such agreat design; and play play and play !!!..all ricks sounds better and better the more u use it , the more years... bla la
You might want to stop watching Ricky mod videos…I don’t think they’re for you.