After searching online for detailed information, I couldn't find an in depth A/B comparison of the Mastery and Staytrem bridges anywhere so I ended up buying one of each to try out and see for myself. Here's a run down of what I found for those of you looking to find out all the differences in one post.
I have a Squier VM Jaguar and a Squier VM Jazzmaster - both completely stock. I put the Mastery and Staytrem bridges on both guitars and swapped them over from one to the other (leaving the stock thimbles in place) to see if there were any noticeable differences and to find out if one was any better than the other. They both performed great in either guitar and were massive improvements over the stock bridges which have now been relegated to the very, very bottom of the parts bin. Neither of the necks were shimmed to increase break angle and both bridges have no problem keeping the strings in place and in tune during heavy playing and normal vibrato use. They each have the same string spacing of 52mm which is slightly narrower than the stock 55mm bridge and place the strings in a better position relative to the neck and pick up poles. The rear sections of both base plates are designed to give plenty of clearance for the strings to make their way to the vibrato. Special mention to the Mastery which has exceptional clearance and a unique rear profile.
There are some pros and cons with each design which may be more important to some than to others and these are my observations from my experience with these Squier VM guitars in an attempt at improving the poorly performing standard bridge and addressing tuning issues. I found that replacing the vibrato was not really needed as both bridges, particularly the floating Staytrem were very smooth and stable. The stock vibratos work fine so long as the spring is tensioned properly and the arm is pushed firmly all the way into the collet. No other mods were made to the guitars other than setting them up correctly and widening the nut slots to accept 10's on the Jazz and 11's on the Jag. I highly recommend doing this and using 'Nut Sauce' or any other suitable lubricant on the nut to assist the vibrato action and reduce tuning issues. I was intending to install a Mastery Vibrato with the Mastery Bridge but have not found the need yet.
Sonic improvements are very a subjective thing but I did notice a wider dynamic tonal range with more depth, presence and sustain with both bridges which was incrementally more noticeable with the Mastery than the Staytrem. Both, it must be said sound much better to my ear than the standard one. It's not hard to understand how this can happen when you compare the flimsy standard bridge with the far more substantial materials and designs of these after market bridges. You really can't go wrong with either.
Mastery Pros:
Well built
No buzzing
Smooth under hand
Innovative design
Better string spacing than stock
Strings don't jump out of saddle slots
Saddles are height adjustable in addition to base plate height adjustment
Radius adjustable from 7.25" onwards
Depth and clarity of sound much improved, more sustain
Tuning stability excellent when guitar set up and used correctly
Brushed base plate would look great with a brushed Mastery vibrato
Staytrem Pros:
Well built
No buzzing
Smooth under hand
Less expensive at £65 (US$95)
Looks correct and style/period appropriate
Easy to intonate and adjust height
Individual string intonation
Better string spacing than stock
Strings don't jump out of saddle slots
Both 7.25" & 9.50" radius available
Floats back and forth smoothly as Leo intended
Depth and clarity of sound improved
Tuning stability impeccable when guitar set up and used correctly
Non rocking option available
Mastery Cons:
More expensive at US$165 (£115)
Intonation for a wound G string not possible
Not as period or style complimentary as the Staytrem
Brushed base plate does't look that great next to a standard chrome vibrato
Staytrem Cons:
Radius cannot be adjusted
Doesn't have the current cachet and hype of the Mastery
Tuning can be affected if the posts hit the thimble sides with overly heavy vibrato use
The Mastery bridge is not designed to float unlike the Staytrem which rocks back and forth like the original. The posts of the Mastery fit snugly into the existing thimbles "creating full contact between bridge/thimble/body". There was a little bit of play in both my guitars thimbles but not enough to cause any issues. Mastery make stainless steel replacement thimbles (which I purchased along with the bridge) but I haven't felt the need to put them in. The base plate is a heavy, brushed stainless steel affair and the saddles are height adjustable as well as the plate. Radius adjustment is via two 'bridges' that operate not unlike London's 'Tower Bridge' which technically means the A and B strings cannot be height adjusted independently. This could be a limitation of the design but I had absolutely no issues dialling in a perfect 9.5" radius and perfect intonation. It looks quite futuristic and definitely makes its presence felt. It would look great with a brushed Mastery vibrato but looks a little out of place with the standard chrome vibrato especially when on the Jaguar. According to Mastery, the saddles have a "unique hard chrome-plating" and the strings do seem to slide nicely over them when using the vibrato but I can't help feeling that the Staytrem feels a little smoother and keeps tune slightly better with normal vibrato use due to the rocking motion. There is no rocking option available on the Mastery but Staytrem have a non rocking option if that's what you're looking for or planning to use on a non vibrato equipped guitar.
The Staytrem has a polished stainless steel base plate (not quite as thick as the Mastery) with machined SS saddles much like a Mustang bridge but very nicely made and it looks like it belongs on a chrome heavy offset guitar. It is well designed and simpler to set up and adjust. Intonation screws are offset so access and adjustment is easy. The floating design has limitations with very heavy vibrato use as the posts could hit the sides of the thimbles which could shift the location of the bridge. This kind of use was never envisaged with this design and best left to more modern vibrato concepts anyway. As with the Mastery, dive bombers should look elsewhere.
Personally, I feel the Staytrem looks, feels and operates smoother and truer to Leo's original 'Floating Tremolo' concept but is far better than the original in every way. The Mastery is a beautiful piece of design and engineering but with a higher price tag to match. I like them both and both are vast improvements over the original bridge but if I had to pick a winner, I'd have to pick the Staytrem. Cheaper, simpler and floating, it suits what I want to do with an offset guitar and addresses every issue I had with the original. At the moment, the Staytrem is at home on the Jaguar and the Mastery is staying on the Jazzmaster purely because it looks better than on the Jag due to there being less chrome. I may eventually go ahead with a brushed vibrato on the Jazz just to see how it performs and to balance the brushed look of the bridge. If I do, I'll be able to A/B with the original and I can post my impressions for those who may be interested.
