History of Guild saddles, pins, and nuts

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Hatted Frau is curious about what kinds of materials Guild used on various models at various times. I have almost no knowledge about it at all.

The only thing I know is the consensus about materials available these days: types of bone are the the best, old-fashioned plastic is the worst, and ebony and brass and all of the new synthetics are in between--with some possibly as good as bone. But we have a lot of posts about what is available in 2008. So I'd like to know more about how the technology improved from about 1953 to 2,000.

Is anybody inner rested?

hf

 

[GardMan]

Plastic nut, plastic saddle, plastic pins came on my:
'72 D-35 (the only one I can vouch for as original)
'74 D-25M
'74 G-37Bld
'78 D-35NT (now sold)

Can't remember what nut and saddle were in the '81 D-46NT (pins were plastic). The first three have all been swapped out for bone nut, saddle, and pins, the D-46, got bone nut and saddle, but black horn pins. Don't know nut and saddle material are on the D-44 or D-55, yet... but the pins they came to me with were plastic. The D-44 is in the shop for repairs and setup, incl new bone nut and saddle. I'll order bone pins for her from Gordon Orth in a couple weeks (gotta let the dust settle from buying her). I've never had the D-55 in the shop... so don't know what she has (nut looks too shiny and white to be 15 year old bone, tho'). Probably will take her in sometime this winter...
Dave

 

[danerectal]

A lot of said pieces parts were a composite called micarta. They (not necessarily Guild) still use it pretty frequently as I've been made to understand. Clearly the density of plastic won't compare to bone, hardwoods or metals; but certain plastics can approach it. I still have parents and I still love the old world. Jonathan Richman

 

[chazmo]

Greetings, Darryl,

Plastic pins on my 2006 F512. The saddle is, I'm pretty sure, bone. I'm not sure about the nut.

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Gardia,

Maybe nothing but plastic was used on everything all the way through the 70s, and maybe after that.

Great Dane

Were there different kinds of plastic? Is mycarta a plastic?

Chazless,

The thought plickens..., er, I mean the plot thickens. Since pins, saddles, and nuts can be made from different things, Guild might have started mixing things--maybe ebony pins, bone saddle, and mycarta nut.

Anybody know what mixes they had, and when, and what models?

 

[GardMan]

A lot of said pieces parts were a composite called micarta. They (not necessarily Guild) still use it pretty frequently as I've been made to understand. Clearly the density of plastic won't compare to bone, hardwoods or metals; but certain plastics can approach it. I still have parents and I still love the old world. Jonathan Richman

I've been thinking the nut on my D-55 is a micarta or corian, or some other synthetic... It's NOT Tusq (too creamy-white) and doesn't look like bone (too much sheen). But, I also don't know that it's original...

 

[danerectal]

Great Dane

Were there different kinds of plastic? Is mycarta a plastic?

Yes, Micarta is a type of plastic. It's apparently very soft and easy to work, which is why it was used so frequently.

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Daner,

Since mycarta is soft, it wouldn't be among the best for tone, right?

Also, regarding nut, saddle, and pins, which onesare the most and least important for sound?

der frau mit der hat

 

[danerectal]

Right, soft usually means absorbant when it comes to sound waves. I would assume, to a certain extent the least important would have secondary contact to the wave source (i.e. the pins). However, that's not to say they have no impact. Any weak link in a chain can cause a fault.

Der hut mit drei ecken?