The guitar hardware specialists at Mastery have unveiled a brand-new “superior archtop” bridge, tailored to work with and improve the playability of guitars with Bigsby B3 vibrato bridges.
Having previously sculpted “problem-solving hardware,” for Telecaster, Rickenbacker, and offset guitars, the high-end parts manufacturer has created the M10.2 bridge to counteract a number of the niggling problems that Bigsby bridges, though adored, can possess.
Since their introduction in 1951, Bigsby bridges have played key roles in multiple genres, from twanging rockabilly to the psych blues wave of the ‘60s, to modern indie players and beyond.
Despite their popularity, their design has remained relatively untouched in the 70+ years since, with Mastery aiming to rectify the tuning issues that can plague Bigsby-adorned guitars. Those issues, in turn, have motivated scores of guitarists to upgrade their bridge parts, with the M10.2 bridge being the latest solution.
It features aircraft-grade aluminum and bright nickel plating that have been machined, rather than cast.
FSC-certified Richlite is the material of choice for the baseplate, which has been precision-engineered with custom-machined, stainless-steel timbales that hold its patented, fully adjustable mounting post system in place.
The uber-flexible chrome-plated saddle system was first introduced in 2007 and has helped define the firm as a leading manufacturer.
Constructed with high-carbon steel that has been pre-set for “optimal performance,” the bridge ships with a valve spring tailored specifically for the Bigsby vibrato.
It also comes with double-sided tape in case players wish to secure the baseplate to the top of the guitar – another key move in eradicating the main issues Bigsbys come under fire for.
The firm says its “next-level design functions superbly with the Bigsby B3 Vibrato,” with Mastery’s founder, John Woodland adding: “After years of success, designing an archtop bridge that functions well with a Bigsby B3 seemed like a natural progression for us.
“We spent over a year fine-tuning this bridge and producing multiple fixtures for it in our machine shop with our newly acquired 4-axis CNC that has allowed us to expand our design work to new heights across the board.”
The M10.2 bridge is currently only available with a bright nickel finish and costs $250 plus shipping.
A gold 24Kversion of the bridge is listed as “coming soon” and priced slightly higher at $280, with no specific date mentioned for its release. Shipping is not included in either cost.
Head to Mastery for more information.
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