Often overlooked in terms of the sound your acoustic guitar produces, the saddle plays a vital role in this regard. The material and construction of the saddle, as well as the bridge pins have a significant effect on how the vibration of the string is transmitted to the top of the guitar, and if used, how an undersaddle transducer (UST) receives a signal from the saddle for amplified playing.  

A LOT of people ask about the density and porosity of these materials as compared to the plastic materials such as Tusq or Micarta….and if  “denser is better.”   Density of the material alone is not a controlling factor.  If this were the case, we'd all have brass, ceramic or iron saddles.  The trick is to get a material that has the "optimum" density so the resonation gets to the top of the guitar at a frequency that vibrates it most effectively.  Not too fast.....not too slow.  Bone, Elephant and Walrus have different densities, but ALL within a spectrum that is OPTIMUM for guitar usage.

As far as use with a UST, the same theory applies.  These saddle materials optimize the strength of the signal applied to the transducer. 

I always pose one very simple question in response to the plastic material versus natural material quandary:   

How many plastic saddles, nuts and pins do you see on guitars made by the elite manufacturers..... where only the very best components will do? 

A BIT OF HISTORY

For years, guitar manufacturers made these saddles out of plastic, bone and occasionally, elephant ivory.  Plastic has always been the most popular simply because it serves as a significant financial alternative to natural materials when mass-producing guitars.  The use of elephant ivory virtually disappeared when issues concerning illegally procured ivory as well as the treatment of the elephants made the use of this material controversial. Manufacturers began marketing more advanced plastics as "synthetic ivory" which worked well and was still priced at a level making it a lower cost alternative to bone.

Between 1988 and 1990, legislation was passed through the U.S. Congress as well as the United Nations which disallowed transfer of any elephant ivory between international borders. Although sale of pre-existing ivory in the United States was always legal, this act appeased the masses, and slowly elephant ivory was reintroduced into the musical instrument community, thereby regaining popularity. This re-introduction also sparked renewed interest in traditional saddle materials, including bone and the newly introduced fossilized walrus ivory.  Fossilized walrus ivory is slowly becoming one of the most sought after materials for these products and is even offered as an "upgrade" from a number of prominent luthiers.

Bone products still stand head and shoulders above all other materials as the STANDARD used by manufacturers today.  Interestingly enough, three of the largest mass-manufacturers within the U.S. and Canada, now offer bone in some of their higher-end models.

All material I use to construct my saddles is legal and fully documented (where required) ....WITHOUT exception..

SADDLES, NUTS, BRIDGE PINS and THEIR INSTALLATION

SADDLES: Installing the saddle is an extremely easy task that requires minimal mechanical aptitude. You will have to sand the saddle to the desired height, followed by minor adjustments for thickness, and finally sizing the ends and rounding off the corners.
Why? Lets say I make a “standardized” saddle that fits a certain make and model of guitar. All bridge slots are different, regardless of the accuracy of the slot cutting machines.  Plus, the size of your particular saddle slot can change over time depending on any number of factors.   A standardized saddle would end up not fitting perfectly in 25% of the guitars. Every guitar is different! I include a DETAILED instruction sheet with every one of my saddles, which will guide you through the entire process. As always, if you feel uncomfortable doing it, your local luthier will probably be happy to do it for a minimal charge. I can also provide this service for local customers and have your instrument completed usually within 24 hours.

NUTS: It is my recommendation to have your nut installed by an experienced technician or luthier. Unlike saddle installation, which is pretty straightforward, installation of a nut requires a certain degree of experience as well as specialized tools. Even if I construct an EXACT duplicate of the factory-installed nut on your guitar, there will still be a greater degree of “finish work” as compared with the saddle.  Nuts come with the final shaping done, but oversized and with the string slots uncut. In short, there is little or no room for error with nut installation.

Having said that, I will be happy to sell you a replacement nut, but it is important that all my customers know what this can entail prior to purchasing!

BRIDGE PINS:  These come as finished products.  There is no major modification to be done.  The only adjustment that may be necessary is to sand the stem with some #150 grit sandpaper to fit them precisely to your pin holes.  Again, EVERY guitar is different and in the event this adjustment is necessary, it should be relatively minor.