Staytrem vs. Mastery or Mastery vs. Staytrem

[kieranplaymusic]

I just put a Mastery in my '66 JM. The stock bridge looked cool with the bridge cover on it but it didn't sound all that great. It was pretty buzzy. There's a big improvement in sound and playability with the Mastery. I'm really glad I got it. The guitar just needs and refret and a bit of a job on the wiring and it should be good to go.

[echose7en]

I just put a Mastery in my '66 JM. The stock bridge looked cool with the bridge cover on it but it didn't sound all that great. It was pretty buzzy. There's a big improvement in sound and playability with the Mastery. I'm really glad I got it. The guitar just needs and refret and a bit of a job on the wiring and it should be good to go.

Looks good! My Mastery should be in the mailbox when I get home tonight.

[parry]

I ordered a set of shims today, from John at Staytrem. When I caught wind he was making them and that I could now fix my bridge (making the Staytrem the absolute perfect bridge for me) - I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to try them. They should be here in a week or so... I'll install 'em, use 'em for a few weeks and be sure to update and let you know how they are, compared to electrical tape.

[egosheep]

I ordered a set of shims today, from John at Staytrem. When I caught wind he was making them and that I could now fix my bridge (making the Staytrem the absolute perfect bridge for me) - I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to try them. They should be here in a week or so... I'll install 'em, use 'em for a few weeks and be sure to update and let you know how they are, compared to electrical tape.

Can you describe these? You mean he's made something to make the Staytrem non-floating?

[mackerelmint]

I ordered a set of shims today, from John at Staytrem. When I caught wind he was making them and that I could now fix my bridge (making the Staytrem the absolute perfect bridge for me) - I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to try them. They should be here in a week or so... I'll install 'em, use 'em for a few weeks and be sure to update and let you know how they are, compared to electrical tape.

Can you describe these? You mean he's made something to make the Staytrem non-floating?

He has. it's a pair of metal bushings that go in the thimbles and around the bridge's posts, keeping it from rocking. He sells them for a few dollars. I'll try them on my next offset. As far as I'm concerned, with his recent introductions of the lock bushings, tuneomatic replacement bridge, and tuneomatic replacement thimbles, staytrem is the brand to beat. He has fixed and floating options for every fender offset, with an absolute minimum of moving parts. I've heard he has an off-menu radius option or two. Unless you want to move your bridge among different guitars with different radii, the mastery doesn't offer any advantages I can see.

I am a fan.

[arkivel]

The Mastery still has the hardened chromed saddles though which are more slippery than the steel saddles on the Staytrem.

If staytrem starts plating their saddles they'll edge the mastery in my book.

[parry]

I ordered a set of shims today, from John at Staytrem. When I caught wind he was making them and that I could now fix my bridge (making the Staytrem the absolute perfect bridge for me) - I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to try them. They should be here in a week or so... I'll install 'em, use 'em for a few weeks and be sure to update and let you know how they are, compared to electrical tape.

Can you describe these? You mean he's made something to make the Staytrem non-floating?

He has. it's a pair of metal bushings that go in the thimbles and around the bridge's posts, keeping it from rocking. He sells them for a few dollars. I'll try them on my next offset. As far as I'm concerned, with his recent introductions of the lock bushings, tuneomatic replacement bridge, and tuneomatic replacement thimbles, staytrem is the brand to beat. He has fixed and floating options for every fender offset, with an absolute minimum of moving parts. I've heard he has an off-menu radius option or two. Unless you want to move your bridge among different guitars with different radii, the mastery doesn't offer any advantages I can see.

I am a fan.

^^This.
Thanks, Mack!

[mackerelmint]

Larry Mal swears up and down that the 3 string per saddle design of the mastery puts more pressure on each saddle and therefore gives even more of a resonant boost. He may well be right. It makes sense, and I'm not in a position to dispute it, really.

So there may be a tradeoff in sound there that someone finds advantageous, I suppose.

I'm still on team staytrem.

[arkivel]

I don't believe all the hyperbole and claims from Mastery. Sure, there's more downward pressure on the height screws but that's not the strings. On a saddle design such as the staytrem that downward pressure should be a non-factor... Is the Mastery more resonant than a fixed staytrem? It sounds debatable.

The Mastery works for a lot of people but it does have limitations. Realistically it's neck and neck with the Staytrem in terms of performance right now but it costs a lot more.

Personally I can't wait to try the custom tele saddles I have on order. I think they'll compare very favourably to the Mastery on my Jaguar and cost a lot less.

[egosheep]

He has. it's a pair of metal bushings that go in the thimbles and around the bridge's posts, keeping it from rocking. He sells them for a few dollars. I'll try them on my next offset. As far as I'm concerned, with his recent introductions of the lock bushings, tuneomatic replacement bridge, and tuneomatic replacement thimbles, staytrem is the brand to beat. He has fixed and floating options for every fender offset, with an absolute minimum of moving parts. I've heard he has an off-menu radius option or two. Unless you want to move your bridge among different guitars with different radii, the mastery doesn't offer any advantages I can see.

I am a fan.

I installed a Staytrem on my Marr Jag, which I recently sold. I loved it. This new shim option sounds amazing, gonna order another one for a Jag project I'm completing. The build quality of these bridges just makes you smile. They keep the look, the sound, the original functionality of the mute and bridge cover, everything is just pure awesome. If I were to buy a Mastery product it would be the vibrato unit if anything.

It actually kind of surprises me that Mastery didn't come out with an over-engineered mustang bridge themselves.

[fisonic]

A potential problem with the staytrem inserts is the tolerance with the internal diameter of the Fender bushes, one of the reasons Mastery makes their own.
Any movement will give you the worst of both floating v fixed worlds.

[parry]

A potential problem with the staytrem inserts is the tolerance with the internal diameter of the Fender bushes...
Any movement will give you the worst of both floating v fixed worlds.

EXACTLY.
I knew that going in and he was very up-front about this not being perfect. It should be noted that John initially made a set for someone because they asked him to. He advised against it, as he understands that the original tremolo "system" was designed to have a rocking bridge. That's why he doesn't make his bridges with posts that fix position. It's mutts like us, who prefer to fix them.


I can respect that he doesn't make them readily available - he only makes them on request... and with me (too), he advised against fixing the bridge. BUT... because I asked, and because he's an offset lover and has a willingness to help (even if it's different from his experience).. and because I was willing to throw money down for this little experiment, we're meeting in the middle. And I appreciate that. If it fails miserably - it's on me, for not taking his best advice - not him. And if it fails miserably, I go back to using electrical tape like I have for the past 20 years.
Meh.

Hopefully, it works out well

[mackerelmint]

It's funny; about a month or so before word of his new tuneomatic conversion bridge and float defeating bushings got out, I emailed him about the possibility of a fixed bridge and his reply was "nope, not happening" and he pointed to those same reasons of floating design and thimble tolerance. But it must be hard to keep saying no to people who want to give you their money.

[parry]

Hahahahaha, agreed.
He and I had a conversation about it via eBay as well, and it got shut down right quick.
That was then... THIS IS NOW

[egosheep]

Just ordered a set of the conversion sleeves as well.