More "Tayloresque" in tone. Is it worth it to install a guitar nut and saddle made out of TUSQ bone into my Yamaha FG730S? The improved version of the classic Fender Strat Bridge, The most consistent, top quality Strat® replacement body on the market today. So for the saddle application in my design, it … Of all the man-made nut materials, Corian is my fave - super dense and extremely uniform, and it comes in lotsa colors, and if you use 2" square kitchen counter top samples you can make yer own nuts for free. I had one (1) small item that I did not recieve and they sent another at no charge. And do you think this is why Martin rarely uses bone or ivory? This Tusq saddle dropped right in and the intonation seems perfect. Tusq saddle: Clear, brittle highs, good mids, not quite as strong in the bass. TUSQ DELIVERS THE OPTIMUM FREQUENCIES FROM THE STRINGS TO THE GUITAR TOP, PRODUCING RICHER AND FULLER TONE. TUSQ is an advanced polymer that's formed under high heat and pressure for uniform density. They almost sound like glass when laid on a hard surface, hard to describe. I originally had put a Colossi bone saddle and bridge pins in my 2005 Songwriter deluxe since I had it. Micarta produces a tone that's less bright than bone but still quite clear. —Bob Taylor, Taylor Guitars, 2-29/32" x 3/8" x 3/32"(73.86mm x 9.73mm x 2.57mm)20" (508.00mm) top radius, 2-29/32" x 13/32" x 7/64" (73.81mm x 10.32mm x 2.78mm) Selected this saddle with the advice of a phone rep to rehab an old acoustic 12-string that needed some help with lowering string height. Still, I'm glad that I changed it. TUSQ is an advanced polymer that's formed under high heat and pressure for uniform density. 16" (406.40mm) top radius As to how much it changed the tone of the guitar, it's difficult for me to say because the old strings were dull anyway. Tusq is definitely louder than plastic but not as loud as bone. They had "everything" that I needed. Log in Register. I currently have a tusq compensated saddle on my 000-28ec. I have built a UKE, a MEGATAR, and an ACOUSTIC GUITAR, and bought "everything" from STEWMAC. More "Tayloresque" in tone. Haven't noticed any problems whatsoever with my pickups using the bone saddles. No different than TUSQ saddle for responsiveness. Graphite tends to be too soft for my tastes, though I find Tusq hard plastic to be okay. I have not used this nut yet but I am pleased with it and how quickly it arrived. I bought a new TUSQ Saddle from StewMac to see if I could improve the action / sound on my Fender acoustic guitar. At the same time, many of the Taylor guys (whose guitars come with TUSQ saddles) recommend changing out the TUSQ saddle for bone. One of Tusq's selling points is that, as a synthetic, it can be made more consistent than bone, which is a natural material. That was the conventional wisdom then. All items were delivered in a timely manner and all met my expectations. Available in convenient ready-made shapes and sizes, TUSQ® bridge saddles are preferred by many acoustic guitarmakers for rich tone and sustain. I really like them all as each shines inits own right. This material sands very nicely. A dear friend gifted me a sweet sounding old Yamaha, about 40 years old. While the difference between the two isn’t as pronounced as going from a cheap plastic nut to a bone or Tusq nut, there are definitely some advantages with Tusq. Nevertheless, if the Tusq picks do not wear too much compared to the others, well then I would have to say these are my favorites. No different than TUSQ saddle for responsiveness. The tone is really nice for slide! [/quote'] Well that definitely is a problem if the only ground wire is going from the control cavity to the TOM. I don't know what my old saddle was made of, but I suspect it was just plastic, as it had a much lower-pitched and dull sound. Tusq is a great material though, particularly for nut and saddles of acoustic guitars. In the grand scheme, this is probably true, but bone can be "candled" to check for consistency, and I have yet to see a blank that didn't appear and later sound clean and even across the board. Tusq Picks Choosing one over the other as my prefered pick is quite difficult. I suspect that far more pickup and acoustic tone trouble is caused when the saddle isn't cut evenly and/or doesn't fit the slot properly. I really like them all as each shines inits own right. Is it worth it to install a guitar nut and saddle made out of TUSQ bone into my Yamaha FG730S? DON'T MISS A BEAT, sign up for StewMac news, Cyber Monday Sale! Bone saddle: Rounder highs (looses its brittleness), good mids, deep throatier bass response. Bone saddle: Rounder highs (looses its brittleness), good mids, deep throatier bass response. Will the sound drastically change? One reason I went with tusq is that bone wasn't recommended by fishman for my pickup. Save on Over 900 Items, Find the proper fret position with the official Stewart-MacDonald Fret Calculator, Stewart-MacDonald is PCI compliant and validated for secure e-commerce. After a bit of sanding, it worked perfectly. Tusq vs Nubone Saddle Comparison on Acoustic Guitar - YouTube Bone is brighter than Micarta, and I don't believe it changes in time the way wood does. Man-made ivory from Graph Tech, for enhanced tone and sustain. I am a satisfied customer. I replaced Tusq saddles with bone in all of my Taylors and a Tacoma EM9, all with good results, but I left the Micarta saddle in my 000-15 because I love its tone as it is. Members. Guitar makers and players agree...acoustic guitars come alive with TUSQ man-made ivory. ... though I find Tusq hard plastic to be okay. When lightly dropped onto a hard surface, this TUSQ saddle has a nice, high-pitched, glassy sound. Thanks, Stewmac. My 000-15 still has its original Micarta saddle because I really like the tone as is. Current visitors. Tonal Differences. (71.42mm x 7.94 x 3.175) No problem. Bone is bright, but compared to Tusq the tone is cleaner and separation is better. In what way? tusq saddle fit perfectly and the guitar sounded great. Don't make a new nut just to fix a low slot—fill it! I often hear that the difference in the TUSQ and bone is small compared to the difference between either and micarta. It worked exactly like it was supposed to. Fender's most popular pick shape in different materials, Man-made ivory from Graph Tech, for enhanced tone and sustain. They almost sound like glass when laid on a hard surface, hard to describe. Haven't noticed any problems whatsoever with my pickups using the bone saddles. Many think that it conveys vibrations to an under saddle transducer better than bone. The original 2013 514e/516e FLTD ads (if I recall correctly) indicated the bridge saddle was bone and then the specs were changed to Micarta. I think they do sound brittle at the beginning--as opposed to micarta. After doing some sanding to reduce the height of the saddle, I also had to sand the thickness down just a bit, the guitar plays and sounds so much better!Tip: before you order, check the guitar model to get the exact dimensions, so you can order the right size.Thanks StewMac! Build the pedal that redefined overdrive. Ordering parts online was easy, shipment was quick, and items were just as described. 16" (406.40mm) top radius We now use them on all models." Tusq Picks Choosing one over the other as my prefered pick is quite difficult. TUSQ is simply more efficient at transferring vibrations to your guitar top, resulting in big open lows and clear bell like Tusq saddle: Clear, brittle highs, good mids, not quite as strong in the bass. I have a membership for 1-year that gives me free shipping with other benefits. Nevertheless, if the Tusq picks do not wear too much compared to the others, well then I would have to say these are my favorites. Available in convenient ready-made shapes and sizes, TUSQ ® bridge saddles are preferred by many acoustic guitarmakers for rich tone and sustain. Final trimming required; please measure your bridge slot before ordering. Will the sound drastically change? In what way? It installed perfectly. the nut had been lowered so low that even the extra notch under the bridge pin was not enough to give it enough angle. Fully compensated, 2-13/16" x 5/16" x 1/8" I then realized my B string was buzzing at the nut. It's designed to transfer string energy more efficiently, to make guitars come alive with enhanced harmonics, volume and sustain. "TUSQ nuts and saddles have improved the sustain and clarity of our guitars. They claim it's for consistency purposes, but as you say, they seem to be pretty consistent.