Bone nut & saddle versus Tusq, Micarta? - Page 2

Robin, Wales · #16 10-20-2020, 02:27 AM

This video I found on YouTube gives the best representation to my ears of the difference I get between Tusq and bone saddles on my guitars.

I've replaced Tusq saddles with bone on 4 guitars. I've found Tusq saddles had a little more attack, were brighter and gave more individual note separation than bone. Bone was mellower than tusk and blended the strings more when strumming. Plastic saddles were mellower than bone and bone mellower than Tusq. I have liked bone the best so far on my guitars for its projection and warmth. I have found Tusq saddles generally a little 'harsh'.

Replacing saddles is an easy experiment - the trick is to never work on the original saddle so you always have something to go back to!!!

jansch · #17 10-20-2020, 03:40 AM

I had a Furch OM 22CR that I took to a tech for repair. I asked him to
replace the original tusq saddle with a new tusq saddle (I'd sanded the
original down too far). He put a bone saddle in, and this made the guitar
much too bright.

Furch supplied all of their guitars with tusq and the sound from the
Furch guitars I've had has always been more balanced with tusq saddles.

Mike McLenison · #18 10-20-2020, 04:16 AM

I lock stock bone and titanium bridge pins with a PlateMate.

Wellington · #19 10-20-2020, 06:57 AM

Bone or tusq for me. I didn't change my urea nut on my Yamaha, as mentioned doesn't make much difference in sound, I don't think most outside would actually tell the difference.

mawmow · #20 10-20-2020, 08:27 AM

As some other said, it depends on the guitar...
While bone, micarta or tusk will certainly
positively replace any cheap guitar saddle,
it is not sure a mid-range guitar need its
saddle to be changed : The builder should
have made its homework.

llew · #21 10-20-2020, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evening_crow

That's why I keep the stock Tusq on my J-15.

Tusq seems to work better on the Gibson's I've owned. Tried a bone saddle in a SJ-200 I used to own and it dampened the tone so I put the Tusq back in it. That being said...I like bone saddles in my other guitars.

FingahPickah · #22 10-20-2020, 09:26 AM

I had always been happy with the tone of my 2000 Martin D40. When it needed fretwork - five or six years ago - I brought it to a well respected guitar repair tech http://www.diburro.com/ in New Hampshire f. While in his shop, I asked his opinion regarding saddle materials. (My Martin came stock with a micarta saddle). He did an interesting demo with two pieces of saddle materials - one micarta, one bone - he dropped each (one at a time) from about 6-8 inches onto a hard surface (a plate/dish if I remember correctly). The point was to hear the sound each one made. The bone made a noticeably louder "tink". Every time. He fitted the guitar with a new bone saddle and the guitar's tone and sustain definitely improved.

Iain1231 · #23 10-20-2020, 10:14 AM

Bright guitars like Taylor, Furch seems to work well generally with Tusq saddles. Martin seems to prefer bone as the Martin tone is darker sounding, in addition to their bracing generally more heavily braced.

LakewoodM32Fan · #24 10-20-2020, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iain1231

Bright guitars like Taylor, Furch seems to work well generally with Tusq saddles. Martin seems to prefer bone as the Martin tone is darker sounding, in addition to their bracing generally more heavily braced.

Taylor's gone from bone (for their higher end) to Tusq and now Micarta is pretty ubiquitous in their line, even up to the high dollar builds. I think I read somewhere that they went to Micarta because it sounded best with their ES2 system whose sensors sit right behind the saddle and may even contact it (unsure of the last one).

But as others have said, "improvement" is highly guitar-centric. I put a bone saddle on my K14c recently and while I didn't have the foresight to do a before/after video with fresh strings I can say it sounds great with the bone saddle and doesn't sound too bright compared to what I recall from before. But that guitar also doesn't have an ES2 so I can't compare the effect of that aspect on electronics.

I just purchased a 2015 Custom which has a Micarta saddle+ES2 that sounds fantastic unplugged, but the first time I plugged it in sounded very bass heavy, to the point where I had to turn the bass knob so far down to tame it that in order to lose the "boominess" I ended up losing too much bass. My amp's knobs were at 12 o'clock so I guess I could have dialed it down at the amp. I'll experiment some. But I did just received a bone saddle for it, so on next string change, if I can't dial in a good plugged in tone, I'll see if changing from Micarta to Bone makes a tonal difference on the ES2.

Robin, Wales · #25 10-20-2020, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LakewoodM32Fan

I just purchased a 2015 Custom which has a Micarta saddle+ES2 that sounds fantastic unplugged, but the first time I plugged it in sounded very bass heavy, to the point where I had to turn the bass knob so far down to tame it that in order to lose the "boominess" I ended up losing too much bass. My amp's knobs were at 12 o'clock so I guess I could have dialed it down at the amp. I'll experiment some. But I did just received a bone saddle for it, so on next string change, if I can't dial in a good plugged in tone, I'll see if changing from Micarta to Bone makes a tonal difference on the ES2.

That boomy bass could be an impedance problem between your guitar and your amp. Ask the question in the Acoustic Amplification section of the forum as I'm sure someone there will be able to solve the issue for you.

FingahPickah · #26 10-20-2020, 01:37 PM

Let's ask Andy !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBLxV7XO_Ok

Rmccamey · #27 10-20-2020, 03:27 PM

I changed from Tusq to a bone saddle on a new Simon & Patrick mini-jumbo (spruce-rosewood). I could not tell any tonal differences but the sustain was markedly improved (ie, longer) with the bone.

FingahPickah · #28 10-20-2020, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FingahPickah

I had always been happy with the tone of my 2000 Martin D40. When it needed fretwork - five or six years ago - I brought it to a well respected guitar repair tech http://www.diburro.com/ in New Hampshire f. While in his shop, I asked his opinion regarding saddle materials. (My Martin came stock with a micarta saddle). He did an interesting demo with two pieces of saddle materials - one micarta, one bone - he dropped each (one at a time) from about 6-8 inches onto a hard surface (a plate/dish if I remember correctly). The point was to hear the sound each one made. The bone made a noticeably louder "tink". Every time. He fitted the guitar with a new bone saddle and the guitar's tone and sustain definitely improved.

ALL the above having been said: my X braced Taylor 324e (Mahogany top/ Blackwood b & s) has the stock Micarta saddle and sounds great (the only mahogany top guitar I ever really liked enough to buy) I wonder what bone may or may not do for this guitar.
https://reverb.com/item/7332337-tayl...nian-blackwood

TBman · #29 10-20-2020, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtdmind

TB, I think your Guild D120 comes with a bone saddle?

Yes, I just checked, it does.

rmoretti49 · #30 10-20-2020, 05:59 PM

Some of the bone saddles in my guitars seem very prone to developing a groove at the spot that the string makes contact. Typically this is on the higher, thinnest strings. The groove sometimes makes no difference, and sometimes creates a problem in the way the string rings. I have experienced this with what are likely cheaper saddles, but also with saddles on high end guitars, as well as a Colossi saddle. It has made me rethink whether I always prefer bone as saddle material.