Casterbridge : a Mastery contender?

[Larry Mal]

Like you say, it's a hack job.

That's... what the video is about. It's a saddle made for Tele/Strat thats hacked to fit a Jag, gauging the interest to produce an offset version. It's said so multiple times in the video.

Oh, I thought this was something that was for sale commercially.

I couldn't watch that whole video.

[tammyw]

They make one with the screws in the right place to mount to a Jazzmaster bridge base now, so you don't have to go through the effort to mount it like the guy in the video.

Casterbridge 9,5" - handmade for Jaguar / J.-Master Offset Bridge - solid Brass

"Cut saddle notches yourself"

How much care and effort do you think needs to go into cutting the notches to get them deep enough to contend with Mastery (for the people who use Mastery to prevent strings jumping) and not end up with string buzzing or any other other problems?

I don't know if what was said in the video implies that they're still planning on making something more appropriate in the future, but they're selling these "for Jaguar / J.-Master" right now.

[efiug]

yeah I figured it was gonna be something where you'd need to cut the notches yourself which I think is really too much effort. Also not exactly sure what else was done to justify the nearly doubled price tag over the Tele/Strat ones

[forestgreen]

Yeah the video seemed kind of confused in it's messaging to me.

Like this isn't even a pre-production prototype and I can't imagine too many people having an interest in a bridge you've gotta cut the screws and notches yourself.

[Synchro]

The video should be marked as a paid promotion. YouTube has a system for labeling videos like this. The guy got the bridge for free.

Other than that, I won't begrudge people their endless attempts to make or try out something new on their guitar. Personally, Mustang style bridges (including Staytrem and AmPro) do everything I could ever want out of my Offsets. They intonate properly, they float properly with vibrato use, they have no string retention problems, they don't have finicky screws that work loose, and they're available in the two radii that cover 100% of my Offsets that have vibratos. They're also readily available and reasonably priced.

But people will always look for funkier, more expensive and less convenient things that give them TeH t0nEz. This might have appealed to me 10 years ago, when I was still looking for ways to turn my Jaguar into something it's not. I tried to make a Jag into a Gretsch. I tried to make a Jag into a Les Paul Special (seriously, I had a buzzstop and P90s on there like 15 years ago). I tried all sorts of silly things before I just let my Jags be Jags.

There’s a lot to what you say. It’s no skin off of my nose what anyone else chooses to do, but the starting point, IMHO, is to let each guitar give you what it has to offer. I currently have CV Squier Jag’ which has a Mustang style bridge. The CV has inspired my ultimate Jaguar build, and I have ordered a StayTrem bridge for that. However, even my ultimate Jaguar, will be only a Jaguar, and not anything else. My Jaguar doesn’t sound like my Country Gentleman, and my Country Gentleman doesn’t sound like a Jaguar, but both guitars sound great … for what they are. I see guitars sold that don’t strike me as matching the original concept, such as P-90s on everything, and Rockabilly guitars with D’Angelico headstocks.

To each their own, but I still think that most guitars have something unique to offer, and that’s where variety comes in handy. This Jaguar is new to me, and it surprises me, especially as a Country axe. In some ways, I like it better than my Tele, for Country. Sometimes, guitars will surprise you.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Sooo... this is basically the concept of a Gibson lightning bolt wraparound bridge.

Why? Why would anyone want this?

[Fiddy]

I like individual saddle height adjustment. Does this thing have it?

[DeathJag]

I like individual saddle height adjustment. Does this thing have it?

Actually, couldn't one file the slots in such a way as to negate the need for individual adjustments? That's the only bummer about the Staytrem, is I would love to raise the E and A tiny bit. Instead I just tilt the bridge slightly and it's not as good, but I've gotten used to it. It could be also because my low E is super fat (.060) and I hit it really hard.

[Powdered Toast Man]

I like individual saddle height adjustment. Does this thing have it?

No. It's one big long saddle.

[JSett]

It's a janky POS cobbled together by someone with too much time on their hands and little-to-no skills to solve a problem that no longer exists.

Mastery Contender? Disastery Pretender more like.

[andy_tchp]

Just buy a Compton if you want that style of bridge.

[gutter rock]

I have a mastery on a couple of my offsets and I love them. But I will buy a Fender American Pro bridge for any new offsets going forward. Cheaper than mastery or staytrem, readily available, USA made, available in 9.5 and 7.25 radius now. I’m honestly surprised Fender hasn’t put the aftermarket bridges out of business with these.