1991 d-4 saddle

[gmcdeadhead]

i have a 1991 d-4 guitar with origanal saddle , i would like to put bone or some other type of saddle in it , right now it produces a deep sound , i would like to tone it up a bit , any suggestions , thanks .

 

[gmcdeadhead]

i have a 1991 d-4 guitar with origanal saddle , i would like to put bone or some other type of saddle in it , right now it produces a deep sound , i would like to tone it up a bit , any suggestions , thanks .

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I have a JF-4 from '91 and prefer Tusq, myself, although camel bone is good, too. :!:

 

[kydog]

I to have a 91 D4 and had a synthetic bone saddle put in and a set up done the tone did not change as that I could tell but there was not as much low to high diffrence as before Kinda even accross the board. Try a lighter string this may tone it up a little However I love the sound that My PB mediums give my guitar

 

[coastie99]

Has anybody fitted Tusq bridge pins to their D4 or D25 ?

If so, what specific pin did you fit please ?

 

[RussD]

Bone.

My personal, and very strong, opinon, is that composites, plastics, substitutes, at their very best duplicate bone. Bone is not particularly expensive and conducts vibration very well.
For less than 10 bucks each, you can try a lot of options. Let us know what you end up with!

Though, if someone would manufacture one, a carbon-graphite saddle would be interesting to try...

 

[chazzan]

+1 on the BONE- it sounds way better than plastic for the saddle- micarta is OK but "you get more tone with bone"............

 

[GardMan]

Has anybody fitted Tusq bridge pins to their D4 or D25 ?

If so, what specific pin did you fit please ?

Hey Coastie... Neither style of Tusq pins fit my D-25 all that well... both being too small. The plastic pins that came in my D-25 measured out closest to size 2 (0.220" shaft and 5 degree taper).

I started with the "Presentation" style with the larger ab (Paua) dots, but they have a max shank dia of only 0.192"...They were very loose, and I didn't care much for their look (they have sort of a flat head).

So I tried the "traditional Martin" style with the smaller ab (Paua) dots. They have a smidge larger diameter (0.202" max shank dia), and the head has a more traditional look... but they were still pretty loose. The heads looked better (IMO)... but they still weren't what I was looking for.

So I went with bone made by Gordon Orth... Sent him a couple of the plastic pins to copy, so I knew they would fit better. My advice would be to measure the pins you are replacing... as I have found 3 different sizes in my five Guild dreads.

I do think the Tusq pins (and a Tusq saddle I had put in) improved the tone and sustain over the original plastic... you really can tell the difference in materials if you drop the pins/saddle blank onto hardish surface plastic goes "thunk;" Tusq "rings" or "tinkles" more like ceramic or glass. I just didn't like the loose fit or the appearance, so I swapped out to bone. Couldn't hear much of a change from Tusq to bone...

 

[gmcdeadhead]

i got a set of bone pins and bone saddle from bob colosi for my d-4, it realy opened up the sound for me , before it was a little dull , now it sounds pretty good , .

 

[coastie99]

Hey Coastie... Neither style of Tusq pins fit my D-25 all that well... both being too small. The plastic pins that came in my D-25 measured out closest to size 2 (0.220" shaft and 5 degree taper).

I started with the "Presentation" style with the larger ab (Paua) dots, but they have a max shank dia of only 0.192"...They were very loose, and I didn't care much for their look (they have sort of a flat head).

So I tried the "traditional Martin" style with the smaller ab (Paua) dots. They have a smidge larger diameter (0.202" max shank dia), and the head has a more traditional look... but they were still pretty loose. The heads looked better (IMO)... but they still weren't what I was looking for.

So I went with bone made by Gordon Orth... Sent him a couple of the plastic pins to copy, so I knew they would fit better. My advice would be to measure the pins you are replacing... as I have found 3 different sizes in my five Guild dreads.

I do think the Tusq pins (and a Tusq saddle I had put in) improved the tone and sustain over the original plastic... you really can tell the difference in materials if you drop the pins/saddle blank onto hardish surface plastic goes "thunk;" Tusq "rings" or "tinkles" more like ceramic or glass. I just didn't like the loose fit or the appearance, so I swapped out to bone. Couldn't hear much of a change from Tusq to bone...

Thanks Gard.

I've replaced nuts, saddles and pins in four acoustics (3 Guilds) with either bone or FWI and found the change well worthwhile.

I'll shortly be on the lookout for a D-4 which I'll have set up for slide, and thought that I might try Tusq this time around. The only Tusq nut and saddle I've ever seen was a horrid greyish colour, so would have been looking at buying them, and the pins, in black.

But, since there seems to be a potential pin-sizing problem, I'll probably go with black Tusq nut and saddle, and bone pins. I'm thinking that the Tusq may add a little more brightness than either bone, or FWI.

 

[gmcdeadhead]

bob said my original pins are a in between size , so i have to get the holes reamed out a little so the bigger pins he sent me will fit just right ,. right now they stick up about a 1/4" high .