'76 D-35: bone or nut?

Charlie Bernstein · Nov 8, 2017

Hi!

I'm doing some upgrades on my favorite axe and wonder: Are the nut and saddle on a '76 D-35 bone or nut?

Thanks!

adorshki · Nov 8, 2017

Charlie Bernstein said:
Hi!

I'm doing some upgrades on my favorite axe and wonder: Are the nut and saddle on a '76 D-35 bone or nut?

Thanks!

Hi Charlie, welcome aboard!
Never heard of Guild installing bone until Tacoma.
Assuming they're original, 99.9% probability they're Micarta.
First heard it here from Hans Moust several years ago.

chazmo · Nov 8, 2017

BTW, if your axe wasn't bought new, Charlie, someone might've replaced the saddle/nut before you. Honestly, if you're worried about that aspect of originality, I wouldn't. Use bone.

dreadnut · Nov 8, 2017

Yeah, what Al said, Micarta.

txbumper57 · Nov 8, 2017

I am a big fan of the Bone nut, Saddle, and Bridge pin upgrade. Has made every one of my Westerly made Guilds even better than they were to begin with. As far as the originality aspect I think the upgrade far outweighs any issues you may encounter with keeping it 100% original.

TX

hansmoust · Nov 8, 2017

adorshki said:
Never heard of Guild installing bone until Tacoma.
Assuming they're original, 99.9% probability they're Micarta.
First heard it here from Hans Moust several years ago.

If you're going to quote me, make sure that I was talking about the same period!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

adorshki · Nov 8, 2017

hansmoust said:
If you're going to quote me, make sure that I was talking about the same period!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

Apologies, but I didn't recall you saying it varied by period.

The Retro Rocker · Nov 8, 2017

txbumper57 said:
I am a big fan of the Bone nut, Saddle, and Bridge pin upgrade. Has made every one of my Westerly made Guilds even better than they were to begin with. As far as the originality aspect I think the upgrade far outweighs any issues you may encounter with keeping it 100% original.

TX

+1

Plus, the OP said he said he was doing "upgrades", not restoration.
Even if it were a restoration, I would think that bone upgrades would be acceptable.

dreadnut · Nov 8, 2017

I guess I really don't understand the question: "bone or nut?"

adorshki · Nov 8, 2017

dreadnut said:
I guess I really don't understand the question: "bone or nut?"

Maybe they were makin' 'em outta coconut husk at one time?
Initially I just assumed it was a typo and drove right on by.

Charlie Bernstein · Nov 9, 2017

dreadnut said:
I guess I really don't understand the question: "bone or nut?"

Sorry, meant "bone or plastic."

I'm my own wurst prufe-reeder.

Charlie Bernstein · Nov 9, 2017

adorshki said:
Maybe they were makin' 'em outta coconut husk at one time?
Initially I just assumed it was a typo and drove right on by.

You read my mind like an open comic book.

Thanks, gang! The saddle and nut don't look like bone to my untrained eyes, but thought I'd ask folks who know before making changes - and someone at another forum suggested I ask here.

So now I know. Now excuse me while I contact StewMac about their vaunted coconut husk upgrade . . . .

fronobulax · Nov 9, 2017

Charlie Bernstein said:
You read my mind like an open comic book.

Thanks, gang! The saddle and nut don't look like bone to my untrained eyes, but thought I'd ask folks who know before making changes - and someone at another forum suggested I ask here.

So now I know. Now excuse me while I contact StewMac about their vaunted coconut husk upgrade . . . .

To tell, with an untrained eye, I think you take the saddle out, heat a straight pin and then poke the saddle with the pin in an inconspicuous place. If the result smells like burning plastic then you don' have a bone saddle. If it matters someone who knows will certainly correct me or confirm ;-)

adorshki · Nov 9, 2017

Charlie Bernstein said:
So now I know. Now excuse me while I contact StewMac about their vaunted coconut husk upgrade . . . .

To be fair I thought it was entirely possible you knew something I didn't know about what might have been used long ago as an alternative to bone, and I was thinking "Maybe he really does mean 'nut' ?", as in some kind of nut shell.
Which led me to wonder what kinda nut could have a shell big, thick, and hard enough to serve the purpose?
All I could come up with was coconut.

'76 D-35: bone or nut?

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