There are many more examples of my work in the "gallery" pages.

Bone saddles are a bleached white color, and can occasionally have some darker “speckling” in the grain. Most saddles can also be ordered in what is known vintage bone.  The only difference between this and regular bone is the vintage bone is dyed to a "baby poop" yellow-brown color to give it an aged or vintage look. 

Bone is usually the first step people choose in an aftermarket saddle, as it is relatively inexpensive, and offers significant improvement over factory-installed components.  Bone increases clarity and sustain, provides better overtones, and provides a better high to low end balance.  It provides a much more “focused” high end and punchier low end,  and is not at all shrill like some plastic saddles render the guitar.  Additionally, bone will long outlast the factory installed plastic saddles.

All the saddles I carry are listed on the pricing/ordering page.  If yours is not listed, I can copy it (in nearly every case) out of any of these materials if you can send it in.

Reminder.... I cannot legally ship Elephant Ivory outside of the United States!

Sonically, this material is virtually identical to the walrus ivory.  This material is significantly different than the regular elephant ivory.  Elephant Ivory is grouped into two distinctly different types known as “soft ivory” and “hard ivory.” Soft ivory is perfectly suited for and makes up the vast majority of popular usage for ivory, including the material most commonly associated with musical instrument components. 

A note about your nuts:    This is easily the most common guitar-use for this type of ivory.  I cannot stress strongly enough that this material is undoubtedly the BEST material I have ever come across for nuts and will endure years of the wear and tear this component normally experiences. As with all the nuts I make, they come oversized with the string slots uncut and need to be installed by your local luthier or qualified technician, unless you have experience changing them..

Click on either image to see an enlarged view.

Fossilized Walrus is harvested from the fossilized remains of LONG dead walrus’ in northern Canada and Alaska. No modern animals are harmed to procure this material. The fact that FWI is more expensive than other materials is due only to the fact that it is less abundant. Unlike elephant ivory, the entire walrus tusk can be used.   The use of different parts of the tusk, along with the fact that a tusk will develop pigmentation depending on where and how long it was buried, results in dramatic patterns, and significant color and pattern differences within each individual piece. 

With a density approximately 25% greater than bone,  it is very well suited for guitar saddle and bridge pin construction.  The Walrus is very similar to the bone in its sonic characteristics but provides better bass response, richer overtones, and sustain.  It is also the brightest sounding of the materials, although not to be mistaken with simply turning up a treble control!  The walrus continues to render the instrument bright and lively, but exceptionally focused.  The high-end notes, although aggressive, still ring out with superb clarity and definition.  Walrus has proven to be the definitive choice for the fingerstyle player, although it is well-suited for use in any style.

Standard Color (shown above)

FOSSILIZED WALRUS IVORY, ELEPHANT and BONE

BRIDGE PINS

The pins can be ordered in any number of inlays including    

-Ebony -Abalone - Faux Tortoise & Padauk   ...All of which I regularly carry.   I also stock some custom double-inlays as well.   

ELEPHANT PINS:  Comes only in the standard creme color, the standard coloration of nearly all elephant ivory. 

WALRUS PINS:   The Walrus pins come in a multitude of beautiful colors and patterns.  I keep photographs of every set in stock, but do not keep them listed on this site as they come and go so frequently.  Please let me know, and I will send you any pictures you need..  tell me what size too, so I send you the right pictures!   NOTE: I send these pics out to many people on a daily basis, so there is no way I can guarantee that the set you like will still be available in the time it may take to decide...so grab the set you like while you can. 

BONE BRIDGE PINS:   A lower cost alternative to their ivory counterpart, although sonically speaking, they are nearly identical. They are fairly unassuming in appearance, but still offer a nice sonic improvement over factory-installed plastic or wood pins.

 The pins are sized for the max size found to fit your guitar.  These may require some sanding of a few thousandths along the stem to fit them perfectly to your pin holes.  Remember, every guitar is different, and an instruction sheet is enclosed with all pins to guide you.

BUFFALO HORN BRIDGE PINS:   Buffalo horn pins are more dense than ebony or plastic pins, but not as dense as bone or ivory.  Buffalo horn pins are great for someone who really does not want to change the appearance of a guitar normally equipped with ebony pins, in that the buffalo horn is black.  You probably won't find a big sonic difference, but they will outlast factory installed components, and look darn nice as well.  Contrary to popular belief, these pins are not "bowling ball" black.  They are indeed black, but have wisps of lighter grain through portions of the material giving it a very natural look.   Buffalo pins are available in size 1, 2A & 4.2c only.

A note about bridge pin sizing!

Bridge pins come in billions of sizes.  Well, it's not that bad, but there are quite a few and unfortunately I can't carry that many sizes in stock.  Luckily, many of the larger manufacturers such as Taylor and Martin use a standard size bridge pin.  Some of the smaller makers do as well.  Some manufacturers use different size pins on the same guitars.  For this reason, I have developed as best I can, a sizing chart for many manufacturers as shown below.  It's not uncommon to have to make a custom size, and that is something we can do in nearly every case.  You can send a pin in, or better yet.....if you have access to a dial caliper, a handy chart is shown under the sizing chart below to show you dimensions I would need to create them.

Click on any of the images below to see an enlarged view

size 1 and 2A only

Elephant Ivory Bridge Pins

Walrus Ivory Bridge Pins

Here are some helpful sizing & application charts:

Good Question!  Many guitars, as listed in the above chart use a standard size pin.  In that case, life is good.  On the other hand,  many manufacturers use varying sizes of pin, and often order pins in bulk, simply fitting what they get to the instrument. 

In this case we need two points of information to get you the correct pin, or make you a custom size if necessary.  To take measurements accurate enough for a correct fit, you'll really need a dial or digital caliper for step 2 of this!

1.  Is the pin slotted and does the slot continue through the skirt or stop below it?

2.  Measure your pin at the following two locations shown in the diagram.  As mentioned above, it is IMPORTANT that these measurements be done with a dial/digital caliper, or other device that will give you the dimension in decimal form to the thousandth  (.210" for example).   Measure in the two places indicated, the lower measurement exactly .750" (3/4") below the top.  This will give us the size of the pin as well as the ability do do some math and figure out the taper angle.

Lastly, PLEASE ensure your measurements are correct !  If in doubt, it's always best to make them slightly oversized and fit them to the guitar. 

I can make press-in 5 degree endpins and strap buttons in Elephant and Walrus.  Both can be ordered with the same inlays as the pins.  I have pieces sold as matching sets as well as individually sold pieces.  Like the pins, I have pictures of all the strap buttons and endpins I currently have in stock.

Bone endpins

I can custom make these to any thickness between 1.25 mm and 2mm although the standard size is 1.5mm

I also make standard pick sizes as well as "mini" versions and can even copy your favorite pick configuration.   Because of the limits of ivory, the smallest thickness of pick I really like to make, where I know it will last a lifetime is 1.25 mm. 

These picks are all made from elephant ivory.  On some occasions I'm able to get fossilized walrus ivory material as well...please call for availability of FWI picks.

Super Bevel:  Beveled edged allow for super quick alternate picking and accentuation of individual notes.

Triple Tip:  Three distinctly different tips:      A) Tight, beveled point    B) Elongated large radius    C) Medium radius     Give the player the ability to suit the attack of the pick to a particular style.

Three Way:  Three identical beveled edges

Standard Pick:  The same shape as the traditional picks you've seen for years

Bambino:  Same shape as the standard, but measuring aprox. 1.1" X .9"     A very comfortable pick for those that don't like holding bulky picks and/or have a more aggressive attack.

Reminder.... I cannot legally ship Elephant Ivory outside of the United States!