Hey everyone, Kendall from Bensonite here. Thanks Mark for the awesome video! And especially thanks for the feedback in the "room for improvement" section I really appreciate it. I've made a design change to fix both issues, which will be implemented on all sales placed after today (11/13/24) - Thanks guys!
Hey Kendall, it's so refreshing and exciting to see someone so willing to take on constructive criticism - a lot of people would have just left it as it is! I can't wait to see the new design! 😊
A Descendant Vibrato JM replacement unit sits lower on the JM body, increasing the string break angle behind the bridge. This would, among other things, reduce or eliminate string movement in the saddle notches as well as permitting lower gauge strings to be used without negative consequences.
@@Glicksman1 Yeah I'd considered this myself! I actually just received Kendall's tweaked bridge design this week! I haven't installed it yet, but the grooves of the plain strings have been adjusted to correct this issue. Really looking forward to trying it out! An updated review will follow 😊
@@draketcarder Hey mate! They're pretty different bridges - unfortunately, it doesn't really make sense to buy an Am Pro bridge in the UK because the Am Pro is about 25% more expensive over here than a Staytrem, and the spring-less intonation screw retainer system of Staytrem bridge is arguably better than the traditional screws and springs system of the Am Pro... I will probably do a comparison of the Bensonite and the Staytrem in the future, though! I'd say the Bensonite will have a bigger, fatter tone with more mid range, and make the guitar louder than the Am Pro. You will need more pitch back on the neck with the Bensonite, as the profile of the bridge is taller. The Bensonite is very reliable and rattle free overall 😊
@@lifeinsteadofjesss Thanks so much, mate! It's a really solid bridge, I would consider buying one again for sure 😊 I hope it really works out well for you if you get one!
Always great to have more options for JM and Jag guitars. Another you shpuld mention is the American professional bridge, basically a staytrem made by Fender for $100.
@@72chevelle530ss For sure! The Am Pro bridge isn't really on my radar because it's like 25% cheaper to just buy a Staytrem over here! But you're right, it probably should be on my list 😊
Very cool video! I definitely need the six-saddle bridge as I like strings with a wound third. I've never seen a review mention that, but it pushes the intonation point on the G way forward. I agree the low E always feel just a touch sharp. I even considered shaving down the back of the saddle just a bit. Anyway, thanks for the review!
@@jampay44 I've never tried a wound 3rd, doesn't it just feel like playing an acoustic? 😬 I'd love to know what you especially like about it 😊 Haha yeah I did reshape the bridge slightly after I finished filming 🙄 Thanks so much mate!
@@MarkB.Guitar I think as a former bass player, it definitely feels more familiar. It's probably a little warmer sounding too, but I've never done a comparison!
@@zororosario Haha it is, I feel like the kind of players who tent to gravitate towards offset guitars are the ones who love tweaking and modding their guitars and getting into all the really nerdy nuances! Cool, that sounds great! I don't think you'd have any of the string skipping issue with a wound 3rd! It looks like Kendall has just listed the updated version of the bridge on Reverb this morning!
Sweet, very nice mate! Haha I've got so many videos on my list to make but am only able to upload every other week! I've got one offset bridge I've been set to test and try out, so I should be early with that one at least! 🙈
@@MarkB.Guitar You have me seriously considering the High Spirit bridge, but they give no specs on their website. I'll watch your vid again to see how you put it on. I'm starting a Thinline JM build in a few weeks and thinking about the High Spirit just for something different. And Gemini Goldfoil JM pickups
@@jjstrumr692 The High Spirit is genuinely amazing, still as close to my ideal bridge as I can imagine 😊 Yeah I appreciate the website isn't the most informative. It's an aluminium base with brass saddles. The bridge studs are standard USA Fender size! Goldfoils on a thinline sounds killer! 😍
It looks so much better than the Mastery. I hope they address the low E intonation issue. Do you think the Jaguar mute could fit on it? Having more options for offset bridges is what we need, specially speaking as someone who lives in latin america. I wish we had more affordable options. Recently Guyker dropped a new bridge, which would be a Mosrite style Roller Bridge, but with regular Jazzmaster steel base plate.
It looks really nice, right? I think Kendall did a really good job with the aesthetics! Oo good question, I should have addressed that - the legs on the Bensonite are the same size the non-adjustable/non-threaded portion of a standard offset bridge leg, if that makes sense? So it should be fine! Ah yeah, I bet everything is really expensive in Latin America 😓 Oh cool, I missed that bridge, I'll check it out! Do you know the radius?
@@alvaromejia9569 Interesting, glad to know it's not 12" 👀 All my guitars are 7.25" at the moment, but I'll bear it in mind if I get any 9.5" in the future!
@@lilgassy Hey Omar, that's a great question! Kendall has tweaked the design of the Bensonite bridge based on the feedback I gave in this video and he just sent me the new version of the bridge - I haven't really had a chance to test it yet, but it looks like the Low E string intonation and the string skipping issues have both been resolved. I would say the Bensonite bridge definitely makes your guitar louder and fatter; it can be installed without modification on an MIJ, MIM, or Squier guitar; the settings are locked in and you won't change them by accident when working on the guitar; and it's never rattled or buzzed once. The High Spirit Bridge is amazing for behind the bridge playing; the tone is even, balanced, and airy; the intonation range is huge; but it does require US Spec bridge thimble routes to install. Despite what I said in my interview, I have found that over time the High Spirit Bridge did develop various rattles and buzzes and I just applied Loctite to my second HS bridge this weekend. Also, if you're really heavy handed with the vibrato, I've found that the strings can dig into the raw brass saddles on the HS bridge. So it kinda depends on your usage! I might make a video comparing all the bridges in the £130 price range directly 😊
@ I appreciate the in depth response Mark :) the bensonite sounds low maintenance and solid in comparison. You mentioned the bensonite beefs up the tone - does that mean it’s a darker base tone?
@@lilgassy No worries! I wouldn't say it darkens the tone, the acoustic tone of the guitar is still bright and vibrant, and there is a notable boost to the upper mids when using the bridge. But the extra fatness in the low end and loudness overall is definitely noticeable.
Thank you for the video and sound examples! one of my mjt jazzmasters has a mastery set - bridge and vibrato and I am very pleased with it, more than 5 years. I recently purchased another mjt jazzmaster with a mustang bridge and of course I am thinking about upgrading to the mastery now having found this video I am thinking about purchasing this product and I would like to hear the opinion of people who own guitars with bridges from both: the mastery and the bensonite. If it makes sense to pay an overhype??
Hey mate, you're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed the video/found it useful! I have to confess that I've not yet tried the Mastery. I'm personally very turned off by/cynical of hype; the fact that people who have only tried the Mastery and no other bridges claim it's the best (how can they know if it's the only one they've tried?), and that people who haven't even tried it at all also insist it's the best/only offset bridge upgrade (how can they know if they haven't used one?), makes me very suspicious! That being said, I'm sure it is still a very good bridge and I'll get round to trying one eventually 😊 It's very different to the Mastery but it's an excellent bridge. I hope somebody who's tried both will be able to give you the input you're looking for!
I have both - Bensonite does a great job as is. The only major difference is that with mastery you can swap the bridge out and put in with a different radius neck, Bensonite is fixed radius
@@colmkelly5524 I shimmed the neck an additional 0.5° after filming (1.5° total with angled neck pocket) but still ended up taking a small amount of material out of the bridge base to increase the travel of the Low E saddle to get it perfectly intonated. It was fine before but it's very slightly better now!
The posts sticking out the top is not a great design choice. It will be irritating like the screws sticking out of saddles. I fully agree that rocking is superior for stability and thicker screws just add beef in the post like Staytrem did. I think the ultimate bridge for me would be a Staytrem with thicker base plate steel but not too thick maybe double what it is now and grooves in the back so strings will pass throuh like the Halon when used with a Descendant. I have a Staytrem with a avri trem on my CS Jazzmaster and a Halon bridge with Descendant trem on my Oopegg. I did convert my Halon posts from solid to rocking by ordering new posts from Halon. Great tuning stability now.
A 0.25° shim was enough to get the top of the posts down below the top of the bridge - obviously it'll vary from guitar to guitar, but that's 1.25° total pitch back on this Jazzmaster. Yeah I prefer rocking and I really like the extra grip in the string grooves you get from the Bead-Blasted finish to make sure the bridge always goes back to centre! That sounds like a cool design, maybe you'll have to make it 😉 Have you seen the new Aldridge JagJazz Bridge? That or the Bensonite might be the closest I've seen to what you're describing! I'm hoping to get an Aldridge bridge in the future to demo 😊
@@MarkB.Guitar The Aldridge does look cool. The way they have undercut the recess corners to maximize intonation travel is what Bensonite need to adopt. I much prefer reducing the number of parts to a minimum hence why I like the Staytrem plus it is cheap even with the 12 week wait I had. My ideal bridge would have - no springs for max intonation room - offset the intonation screws - larger pivot grub screw diameter - no height screws in the saddles (set radius) - grooves in the back of the base plate for string clearance. - a range of saddle and plate materials - additional grub screws to lock down on the pivot screws on the same axis to hide them so basically a modified Staytrem
@@markharmon9892 Yeah it's a pretty interesting design! I was hoping they might send me one to demo 👀 but I don't think they're going to at the moment, and sadly I can't afford one right now. Hopefully in the future, though! That sounds like a great bridge design, I'd definitely be down for something like that too! With so many people making an offset bridge these days, maybe someone will put a design like that into production 🤷🏼♂️
Hey everyone, Kendall from Bensonite here. Thanks Mark for the awesome video! And especially thanks for the feedback in the "room for improvement" section I really appreciate it. I've made a design change to fix both issues, which will be implemented on all sales placed after today (11/13/24) - Thanks guys!
Hey Kendall, it's so refreshing and exciting to see someone so willing to take on constructive criticism - a lot of people would have just left it as it is! I can't wait to see the new design! 😊
A Descendant Vibrato JM replacement unit sits lower on the JM body, increasing the string break angle behind the bridge. This would, among other things, reduce or eliminate string movement in the saddle notches as well as permitting lower gauge strings to be used without negative consequences.
@@Glicksman1 Yeah I'd considered this myself! I actually just received Kendall's tweaked bridge design this week! I haven't installed it yet, but the grooves of the plain strings have been adjusted to correct this issue. Really looking forward to trying it out! An updated review will follow 😊
I would love to see the comparison with the am pro.
@@draketcarder Hey mate! They're pretty different bridges - unfortunately, it doesn't really make sense to buy an Am Pro bridge in the UK because the Am Pro is about 25% more expensive over here than a Staytrem, and the spring-less intonation screw retainer system of Staytrem bridge is arguably better than the traditional screws and springs system of the Am Pro... I will probably do a comparison of the Bensonite and the Staytrem in the future, though!
I'd say the Bensonite will have a bigger, fatter tone with more mid range, and make the guitar louder than the Am Pro. You will need more pitch back on the neck with the Bensonite, as the profile of the bridge is taller. The Bensonite is very reliable and rattle free overall 😊
Fantastic video! I see myself buying one in the not-so-distant future!
@@lifeinsteadofjesss Thanks so much, mate! It's a really solid bridge, I would consider buying one again for sure 😊 I hope it really works out well for you if you get one!
Always great to have more options for JM and Jag guitars. Another you shpuld mention is the American professional bridge, basically a staytrem made by Fender for $100.
@@72chevelle530ss For sure! The Am Pro bridge isn't really on my radar because it's like 25% cheaper to just buy a Staytrem over here! But you're right, it probably should be on my list 😊
Very cool video! I definitely need the six-saddle bridge as I like strings with a wound third. I've never seen a review mention that, but it pushes the intonation point on the G way forward. I agree the low E always feel just a touch sharp. I even considered shaving down the back of the saddle just a bit. Anyway, thanks for the review!
@@jampay44 I've never tried a wound 3rd, doesn't it just feel like playing an acoustic? 😬 I'd love to know what you especially like about it 😊 Haha yeah I did reshape the bridge slightly after I finished filming 🙄 Thanks so much mate!
@@MarkB.Guitar I think as a former bass player, it definitely feels more familiar. It's probably a little warmer sounding too, but I've never done a comparison!
@@jampay44 That makes sense mate, fair enough! I've never tried one, but I think it would feel so alien to me! Maybe one day 😄
For sure this is connoisseur stuff! Maybe I will try one for my 2020 ultra jazzmaster. I like 12-52 Diaddario NYXL, wound 3rd.
@@zororosario Haha it is, I feel like the kind of players who tent to gravitate towards offset guitars are the ones who love tweaking and modding their guitars and getting into all the really nerdy nuances! Cool, that sounds great! I don't think you'd have any of the string skipping issue with a wound 3rd! It looks like Kendall has just listed the updated version of the bridge on Reverb this morning!
Yeah my brother's 65 Mustang with flat wound pyramid strings was my first electric guitar and what an experience 😁
@@zororosario Ha wow that's sick mate! A dream setup right there 🥰 Do you still use flats?
I have 2 of these Bensonites - one on each of my JM builds. What took so long for you to get around to these? lol
I really appreciate your detailed reviews. Especially on bridges.
Sweet, very nice mate! Haha I've got so many videos on my list to make but am only able to upload every other week! I've got one offset bridge I've been set to test and try out, so I should be early with that one at least! 🙈
@@jjstrumr692 Ah thank you man, much appreciated ❤️🙏🏼
@@MarkB.Guitar You have me seriously considering the High Spirit bridge, but they give no specs on their website. I'll watch your vid again to see how you put it on. I'm starting a Thinline JM build in a few weeks and thinking about the High Spirit just for something different. And Gemini Goldfoil JM pickups
@@jjstrumr692 The High Spirit is genuinely amazing, still as close to my ideal bridge as I can imagine 😊 Yeah I appreciate the website isn't the most informative. It's an aluminium base with brass saddles. The bridge studs are standard USA Fender size! Goldfoils on a thinline sounds killer! 😍
It looks so much better than the Mastery. I hope they address the low E intonation issue.
Do you think the Jaguar mute could fit on it?
Having more options for offset bridges is what we need, specially speaking as someone who lives in latin america. I wish we had more affordable options. Recently Guyker dropped a new bridge, which would be a Mosrite style Roller Bridge, but with regular Jazzmaster steel base plate.
It looks really nice, right? I think Kendall did a really good job with the aesthetics!
Oo good question, I should have addressed that - the legs on the Bensonite are the same size the non-adjustable/non-threaded portion of a standard offset bridge leg, if that makes sense? So it should be fine!
Ah yeah, I bet everything is really expensive in Latin America 😓
Oh cool, I missed that bridge, I'll check it out! Do you know the radius?
@@MarkB.Guitar it's fixed 9.5 radius ;-;
@@alvaromejia9569 Interesting, glad to know it's not 12" 👀 All my guitars are 7.25" at the moment, but I'll bear it in mind if I get any 9.5" in the future!
if you had to get this or the high spirit bridge for a jazzmaster which would you get and why?
@@lilgassy Hey Omar, that's a great question! Kendall has tweaked the design of the Bensonite bridge based on the feedback I gave in this video and he just sent me the new version of the bridge - I haven't really had a chance to test it yet, but it looks like the Low E string intonation and the string skipping issues have both been resolved.
I would say the Bensonite bridge definitely makes your guitar louder and fatter; it can be installed without modification on an MIJ, MIM, or Squier guitar; the settings are locked in and you won't change them by accident when working on the guitar; and it's never rattled or buzzed once.
The High Spirit Bridge is amazing for behind the bridge playing; the tone is even, balanced, and airy; the intonation range is huge; but it does require US Spec bridge thimble routes to install.
Despite what I said in my interview, I have found that over time the High Spirit Bridge did develop various rattles and buzzes and I just applied Loctite to my second HS bridge this weekend. Also, if you're really heavy handed with the vibrato, I've found that the strings can dig into the raw brass saddles on the HS bridge.
So it kinda depends on your usage! I might make a video comparing all the bridges in the £130 price range directly 😊
@ I appreciate the in depth response Mark :)
the bensonite sounds low maintenance and solid in comparison. You mentioned the bensonite beefs up the tone - does that mean it’s a darker base tone?
@@lilgassy No worries! I wouldn't say it darkens the tone, the acoustic tone of the guitar is still bright and vibrant, and there is a notable boost to the upper mids when using the bridge. But the extra fatness in the low end and loudness overall is definitely noticeable.
Thank you for the video and sound examples!
one of my mjt jazzmasters has a mastery set - bridge and vibrato and I am very pleased with it, more than 5 years. I recently purchased another mjt jazzmaster with a mustang bridge and of course I am thinking about upgrading to the mastery
now having found this video I am thinking about purchasing this product and I would like to hear the opinion of people who own guitars with bridges from both: the mastery and the bensonite. If it makes sense to pay an overhype??
Hey mate, you're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed the video/found it useful!
I have to confess that I've not yet tried the Mastery. I'm personally very turned off by/cynical of hype; the fact that people who have only tried the Mastery and no other bridges claim it's the best (how can they know if it's the only one they've tried?), and that people who haven't even tried it at all also insist it's the best/only offset bridge upgrade (how can they know if they haven't used one?), makes me very suspicious! That being said, I'm sure it is still a very good bridge and I'll get round to trying one eventually 😊
It's very different to the Mastery but it's an excellent bridge. I hope somebody who's tried both will be able to give you the input you're looking for!
I have both - Bensonite does a great job as is. The only major difference is that with mastery you can swap the bridge out and put in with a different radius neck, Bensonite is fixed radius
@ thank you!
Shimming the neck will likely sort out the intonation range issues.
@@colmkelly5524 I shimmed the neck an additional 0.5° after filming (1.5° total with angled neck pocket) but still ended up taking a small amount of material out of the bridge base to increase the travel of the Low E saddle to get it perfectly intonated. It was fine before but it's very slightly better now!
The posts sticking out the top is not a great design choice. It will be irritating like the screws sticking out of saddles.
I fully agree that rocking is superior for stability and thicker screws just add beef in the post like Staytrem did.
I think the ultimate bridge for me would be a Staytrem with thicker base plate steel but not too thick maybe double what it is now and grooves in the back so strings will pass throuh like the Halon when used with a Descendant.
I have a Staytrem with a avri trem on my CS Jazzmaster and a Halon bridge with Descendant trem on my Oopegg. I did convert my Halon posts from solid to rocking by ordering new posts from Halon. Great tuning stability now.
A 0.25° shim was enough to get the top of the posts down below the top of the bridge - obviously it'll vary from guitar to guitar, but that's 1.25° total pitch back on this Jazzmaster. Yeah I prefer rocking and I really like the extra grip in the string grooves you get from the Bead-Blasted finish to make sure the bridge always goes back to centre! That sounds like a cool design, maybe you'll have to make it 😉 Have you seen the new Aldridge JagJazz Bridge? That or the Bensonite might be the closest I've seen to what you're describing! I'm hoping to get an Aldridge bridge in the future to demo 😊
@@MarkB.Guitar The Aldridge does look cool. The way they have undercut the recess corners to maximize intonation travel is what Bensonite need to adopt. I much prefer reducing the number of parts to a minimum hence why I like the Staytrem plus it is cheap even with the 12 week wait I had.
My ideal bridge would have
- no springs for max intonation room
- offset the intonation screws
- larger pivot grub screw diameter
- no height screws in the saddles (set radius)
- grooves in the back of the base plate for string clearance.
- a range of saddle and plate materials
- additional grub screws to lock down on the pivot screws on the same axis to hide them
so basically a modified Staytrem
@@markharmon9892 Yeah it's a pretty interesting design! I was hoping they might send me one to demo 👀 but I don't think they're going to at the moment, and sadly I can't afford one right now. Hopefully in the future, though!
That sounds like a great bridge design, I'd definitely be down for something like that too! With so many people making an offset bridge these days, maybe someone will put a design like that into production 🤷🏼♂️