dubstar Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 If I were to replace the saddles on my MIK Casino with nylon ones, can anyone recommend a source and / or part number? Would I need to have them cut or are they available pre-cut? Could I do it myself, or is it tricky? I searched and found a few options, but looking for opinions from those more knowledgeable than myself. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lerxst1281733995 Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I never understood the benefit of nylon saddles... What does it do for the tone? I'm sure they'd wear out faster... no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I never understood the benefit of nylon saddles... What does it do for the tone? I'm sure they'd wear out faster... no? Kills it deader than dirt. The first thing I did when I got my '65 Casino a few years back was replace the original bridge with nylon saddles with a new ABR-1 bridge. I think people like the nylon saddle thing mostly for the "vintage vibe" it gives and I've seen the original bridges with nylon saddles go for stupid money. I don't know where you could get nylon replacement saddles or a reproduction of the old bridges but I know they are available..I just never wanted them. ...and Al's your uncle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Flick Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 If I were to replace the saddles on my MIK Casino with nylon ones' date=' can anyone recommend a source and / or part number? Would I need to have them cut or are they available pre-cut? Could I do it myself, or is it tricky? I searched and found a few options, but looking for opinions from those more knowledgeable than myself. thanks[/quote'] Not sure about finding nylon saddles, but Graph Tech makes saddles for Epiphone bridges: GraphTech for Epi I have used them for some of my guitars with Bigsbys, in theory the strings won't bind as much. Gotoh makes replacement bridges with white plastic saddles. The ones I've used had to be notched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokestack Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I'd agree with the guys above. If you want nylon saddles purely for "vintage correctness", fine. But otherwise spend the time making sure the existing saddles are correctly radiused and dressed. That is worthwhile The sound of nylon sadles might sometimes be perceived as "warmer"...but that's really a consequence of losing some high frequency energy. If it's preferred it may indicate that something else in the rig is responsible for adding the "wrong kind" of brightness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted February 11, 2008 Author Share Posted February 11, 2008 OK, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Hi dubstar,i`ve put Gotoh Nashville type Nickel bridges with nylon saddles on two of my Japanese Matsumoku Casino`s(don`t know about ones that would fit the Korean Casino`s).They tend to round the notes out a bit,and give a bit more of a honky tone to the guitars,which is great for Rhythmn guitar,you do lose a little sustain,but i also added the larger,heavier, more authentic 6 inch tailpiece(seen on the originals and John lennon reissues)as well,and that got some of it back.It`s horses for courses really,i prefer the mods but can understand why others don`t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokestack Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 It's all in the ears and down to taste. It would be a pretty boring world if we all shared the same subjective opinions about everything.B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I'm going to provide a slightly dissenting opinion. I've got both an Elitist Casino and one each of the Lennon reissues, with nylon nuts and saddles. The Lennons sound superior to me (though I'm not convinced their pickups are the same as the Elitists, and thier body dimensions are different). To my ear, the biggest difference is in how quickly a note's attack decays. Don't confuse this with sustain. Decay is how guickly sound energy falls from its peak. Rising to that peak is the attack, and falling from it is the decay. How long the sound lasts in general is the sustain (though we often describe sustain as a combination of decay and sustain). I think the effect of the nylon saddle is to increase the decay (the note falls faster after the attack), which makes the Lennons snarl a little more, to me. It sustains plenty. EDIT: Frenchie was posting at the same time I was. I think his description of honky and rounded is what I am describing, too. After the initial fast decay (honky), the note's decay is more constant during its sustain (rounded). END OF EDIT. I don't think of the nylon as robbing tone on the Lennons, but contributing to their qualities. That said, I'm happy with the sound both the Elitist and Lennons produce. I wouldn't rush out to change the saddles to nylon on the Elitist or from them on the Lennons. Besides, I don't know where to get them, same as the rest. Anyway, in your quest for tone, what may be of more importance you is the quality and condition of the TOM bridge itself. If any of the components seem loose or rattle, some sound energy is surely being lost before being conducted through the bridge to the body. No or poor saddle notching can also rob the string itself of vibrational energy (as can a poorly cut nut and many other factors). Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lerxst1281733995 Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Red, you said you have one each of the Lennon Casinos... Do you perceive a substancial difference in tone between the 1965 and the Revolution? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted February 11, 2008 Author Share Posted February 11, 2008 thanks for the opinions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Red' date=' you said you have one each of the Lennon Casinos... Do you perceive a substancial difference in tone between the 1965 and the Revolution? [/quote'] They do sound slightly different from one another. My Revolution seems more resonant than my '65, especially unplugged. It may be the relative lack of finish, or it may simply the the difference between any two similar guitars. I kind of think the additional mass the tuners adds to the Revolution's neck may have something to do with the two guitars sounding a bit different from one another, too. I prefer the Revolution because I like satin finishes (as my screen name suggests); however, the satin finish on the Revolution seems much more easily scratched and gets shinier from body contact than my ES333 (though I sort of buffed that to a more vintage patina). That said, either Lennon reissues or the Elitist are excellent instruments. Even though they're expensive for Epiphones, they're really priced quite sensibly when compared to similar quality Gibsons (the Elitist being a relative bargain). The Lennons, in particular, are special instruments, collectability or artist association aside. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 thanks for the opinions... Where'd you find those saddles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubstar Posted February 11, 2008 Author Share Posted February 11, 2008 allparts...right click view image for the part number.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hand Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 somewhat related to the bridge/saddle question. i was wondering if anyone is using tonepros bridge for casino. i read they have a bridge that would fit the elitist. (metric) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 allparts...right click view image for the part number.... Thanks. I've got their latest catalog. I never noticed the saddles there before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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