How can I tell if my saddle and nut (original for each) are plastic? Each have an aesthetically tan patina and feel like plastic. The saddle is not compensated, has a "tan line" below the bridge and has never been shaved down in the 24 years I've had it.
If it's your D50, it was built with micarta, used for nuts and saddles until Tacoma.
It ages the way you describe too.
Why micarta? Extremely consistent and durable.
From Wiki:
"Micarta industrial laminate sheet is a hard, dense material made by applying heat and pressure to layers of prepreg. These layers of laminations are usually of
cellulose paper, cotton fabrics, synthetic yarn fabrics, glass fabrics, or unwoven fabrics. When heat and pressure are applied to the layers, a chemical reaction (polymerization) transforms the layers into a high-pressure thermosetting industrial laminated plastic.
Micarta industrial laminates are manufactured in dozens of commercial grades."
