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  #16  
Old 05-14-2018, 07:42 AM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wooly View Post
How does one determine the difference between a good quality or poor quality bone saddle blank? For example you have the two laying side by side, how would you tell?

I know there are some very inexpensive ones that can be purchased and then there are the ones from Bob Colosi at a premium.

Thanks
Over the last three decades or so, I've purchased bone nuts and saddles from a number of the usual luthier supply houses. I've never obtained a poor quality nut or saddle from them. I've never purchased inexpensive ones from "alternate" sources and can't comment on them.

Mr. Colosi provides a very specific service for which one pays, should one desire that service.

My conclusion is that if one avoids the very inexpensive "alternate" sources, one can obtain good quality bone, at moderate prices, from respected luthier supply houses without having to seek out premium suppliers.
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  #17  
Old 05-14-2018, 09:38 AM
Shadowfox Shadowfox is offline
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I'm curious, does Bone really sound all that better than Tusq. It's a synthetic ivory and has none of these issues that an organic bone does
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  #18  
Old 05-14-2018, 09:50 AM
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I'm curious, does Bone really sound all that better than Tusq.
You'll have to try a few and trust your ears. My ears tell me bone is far better than Tusq, which I find to be one of the worst sounding materials commonly used. Hate it.
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  #19  
Old 05-14-2018, 11:36 AM
Frank Ford Frank Ford is offline
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I agree that the bone we get from the "usual sources" is generally very good.

"Over-bleaching" can really destroy bone, though, and I have had material that felt just like chalk on the surface when I handled it. I also found it was soft through most of its thickness as well.
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  #20  
Old 05-15-2018, 11:59 PM
tadol tadol is offline
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I’d heard a long time ago that the best came from the thigh or leg bones of oxen, but that could be an unproven old tale -
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  #21  
Old 05-16-2018, 04:31 AM
JDaniel JDaniel is offline
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Originally Posted by tadol View Post
I’d heard a long time ago that the best came from the thigh or leg bones of oxen, but that could be an unproven old tale -
No, not a tale. The long bones of cattle provide a strong and dense substrate for making saddles & nuts. Like any natural material, quality can be variable. I can get saddles/nuts that are very white and polish as well as ivory and except for the absence of Schreger lines, it's hard to tell the difference. I have also seen unacceptably low quality from time to time - fissures, variable density, yellow/brown, etc. I pay a dollar more to have that stuff culled.
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