Alright… What's So Special About the Mastery Vibrato?

[noisepunk]

The bridge makes sense- it's a completely new design that makes a lot of sense.

What is so special about the vibrato? It doesn't seem to be any different from a fender vibrato, except in looks.

Insight?

[JazzBlaster]

It poops rainbows....






From reading about it and seeing pics it looks like the screws on the plate are countersunk and the bar is held in by a set screw. I would imagine the spring would be of better quality as well. I don't have one as of yet but I am contemplating it.

[countertext]

Hmm, I was under the impression that the pivot edge was improved somehow.

[amv]

On a related note, is there any particular reason it was created in the first place?

The bridge is clearly a response to the widespread complaints about the Jag/Jazz stock bridge. I've never heard any complaints about the vibrato tailpiece, and in my own experience it's been quite stable and silky smooth.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

On a related note, is there any particular reason it was created in the first place?

The bridge is clearly a response to the widespread complaints about the Jag/Jazz stock bridge. I've never heard any complaints about the vibrato tailpiece, and in my own experience it's been quite stable and silky smooth.

Well, a USA tailpiece is regarded as an upgrade for a CIJ/MIJ - because the original spring is either too springy or not springy enough - and any of the Squiers without a lock button - as they don't have a lock button - so maybe Mastery just saw an opportunity to shift some units.

Does it have a screw-in tremolo arm? If so, it could be like upgrading the trem and adding the Stay-trem system in one move....for those who don't know about the CP trem (in which case it's maybe just an upgrade to a more 'correct' trem arm.

[andy_tchp]

Lots of information here: http://www.masterybridge.com/offset-vibrato.php

[Jaguar018]

It's pretty easy to read up on it and see where the 'improvements' are.

If you really love the traditional trem then you're probably not going to be impressed, but there are many people that complain that the AVRI trems aren't quite as good as the vintage ones-- springs are more mushy or something. There are also plenty of people that don't like the floppy trem arm and don't want to deal with some of the various 'cheap' fixes for that.

Seems pretty straight forward to me. I like the AVRI trems a lot, but they aren't perfect. I should be getting a Mastery trem in the next few days. My guess it that it will be a nice trem. I'm not expecting my world to be rocked but I can totally see why they made the improvements they did.

[amv]

I forgot about the loose arm problem. For whatever reason my AV65 arm has stayed in place since I bought it. Weird how some guitars just seem to dodge that bullet for no particular reason.

[Larry Mal]

Not weird, there is a kind of metal "claw" that the vibrato arm sits in, which can be made to be loose or tight.

Regardless if it's just hype or what, the Mastery guys sold out of these units in a couple of days. Plenty of people found need for them.

I'll get one, someday.

[Stereordinary]

Lots of information here: http://www.masterybridge.com/offset-vibrato.php

Yeah, just read up on it and know that it's not hype. It's a lot of little things that add up to a very impressive whole. I've shown guitars to people that had AVRI vibratos, and even vintage vibratos on them and the reaction was "meh," but then I show one of my guitars with the Mastery Vibrato on it and the reaction is "wow, I want one."

[Larry Mal]

My hope is that it's simply better constructed and this adds some resonance to the guitar itself, which, I believe I'm hearing from the builders like Paul above. Same as I add high mass blocks in Strat type guitars and make sure my bridges and tailpieces are properly anchored on my Gibsons. This is one of the three places that a string touches anything on a Jazzmaster and a Jaguar, so the quality really can't be too high.

Well, the vibrating portion of the string, of course there is the tuner and the string tree. You know what I mean.

[deviantkirby]

Just put my new Mastery Vibrato on my Johnny Marr Jag this afternoon. I bought mine because I had a lot of high E strings break on me and had resorted to using Fender Bullets only. My tech couldn't find any burrs in the Fender and the Mastery is machined to crazy tight specs. Super happy to get to try some Cobalt strings today! Also I really like where the Mastery arm sits in my hand as opposed to the Fender. And it has a ton of upward pull that the Fender didn't have.

[Stratelejazzuar]

I've heard it's polished with Klon dust and buffed with m@j@!

... and it's probably a well-designed alternative to the stock Fender piece.

[frame]

Just put my new Mastery Vibrato on my Johnny Marr Jag this afternoon. I bought mine because I had a lot of high E strings break on me and had resorted to using Fender Bullets only. My tech couldn't find any burrs in the Fender and the Mastery is machined to crazy tight specs. Super happy to get to try some Cobalt strings today! Also I really like where the Mastery arm sits in my hand as opposed to the Fender. And it has a ton of upward pull that the Fender didn't have.

What do you mean by "upward pull?" The design seems to be the same as Fender's which only allows you to push down on the bar. It would have to float, like a strat, to be able to pull up. Curious here.

I think I see what you mean, now. The arm angle on the Mastery arm allows for more room to pull up.

[deviantkirby]

Sorry to have used ambiguous language!!!! My stock Fender, as you said, only allowed me to press downward on the bar which was always sufficient. I'm not sure the exact construction of the Mastery, all I know is I can pull up on the new vibrato bar very similar to a Strat tremolo. And that is super amazing! MBV sounds galore!