E-minor7

Good idea - don't forget to report ^

In the spring I decided to learn how to carve'n'craft my own nuts over summer. It's a splendid thing to beable to do, 1 to avoid the price at the luthier, 2 for the enormous thrill it is to bring the exact right spacing on to your favorite guitars. Made about 6 until now and it doesn't happen one after the other. Whenever the spirit is there I move – not least because it takes quite an amount of concentration as you don't want to fail by fx getting one groove too deep after everything else is right and ready. Wednesday it was time to replace the pre-slotted black tusq factory made PT 6010-00 on the re-necked 1966 Country Western with a piece of waterbuffalo horn – also black. The hardest part is to get the 5 spaces between the strings identical – first by knifing the extremely precise measured pencil-marks, then by accurate special-tool filing. But there I went and it turned out good. However it wasn't really the succes I thought. Yes, the thing privided more room, which was nice, but the sound, , , , was differnt. I have never been a big believer in sonic effects of nut material. That definitely changed. And I'm absolutely sure as the two blackies have been on and off in 4 rounds now (also because I needed to file a bit more each time). The horn might be smoother – more elegant and classy. It's not bad at all. But the tusq delivers a more pronounced hyper warm tone, which probably in comparison leans a degree toward the primitive. It simply blends better with the rest of the components and my playing. Ahaa, , , ergo the tusq is back on and though it's possible to live with it, the new spacing was fantastic. This means there only one way to go now : Get a piece of clean tusq and begin again. In fact I already ordered 2 blank black blocks this morning - PT 4025-00's - and can't wait to continue the experiment. Will the new one sound as good as the replaced. Will I hit bulls eye with the flown in home-carved spacy tusq, , , or is this pre-cut 6010-00'er something real special, hehehe. . . September will tell – I will report.

OBS - A few years back I launched the quite bizarre fact that the Hummingbird sound used as sonic blueprint for about 75 % of all Bird lovers - the Angie intro with Rolling Stones - was played on a adjustable ceramic saddled H-bird. A paradox as most guitar-people (and Bird-fans) at the point was eager to disqualify that same bridge concept as no good. Now on a similar controversial note, B) - I stand up with the theory that Yesterday from 1965 very well could have been played on a 1964 Epiphone Texan with ceramic saddle, , , , in a plastic bridge ! Over to you folks. . .

Pretty interesting to see the first 3 models are all long scaled - hhmmmm, , , can it be right with that 160E. Maybe. . Btw. mojow - just nail-tap the bridge to check if it's plastic. Or study the grains/missing ditto under looking glass. And yes, most cherry bursts - especially oldies - are major.

. As mentioned, one of the extraordinary things about your Texan is that it still has the original plastic bridge - correct if wrong.

I for my part really like the adjustables and think they offer a handfull of the genuine vintage Gibson sounds. Not saying it's a bad idea to have an ordinary saddle made, but once you go down that road, it's the point of no return. So don't if the original sounds good - and some definitely do. I've tried a couple of early 60's cherry-burst with adj. which were superb. But it has to be ceramic, old vase ivory, perhaps bone (even wood) - not tusq.

J-45 Standards are superb guitars - especially when they begin to break in. Strangely it took about 4 years ! , , , for mine to evaporate a veil of compression (still a bit left). Apart from that, it's pretty serious to go after another cherry burst slope. I presume you realize the Donovan model is something completely different due to the adjustable bridge/saddle. Any thoughts. . . And talking 'bout adj. saddles, it seems the Texan have the metal/ insert w. plast/nylon/bone inlay, , , in the original plastic bridge. Now that's really something. Please post a recording of this oldie - if you feel like it, then shoulder to shoulder with the new (still plast-saddled ?) 45. Congratulations, mojow

Yes, the tusq version is dull - Are you saying the original wooden inserts are ebony ? Sounds reasonable as it is harder than rose. In that case thanks - like groovadelic, I always thought it was palisander.

Arh, the good trend of reviving old threads - I have a weakness for it. Have to say the guitar(s) come across exactly like one would imagine. The rose is a bit more rounded and withheld where the bone shows a crisper edge (clarity/brightness) from the denser material. Just wait till you hear original porcelain, , , tho the ceramics are very hard to find. A little task there - but you don't need it. Both voices sound fine*. My guess would be that the difference is more accentuated live than on tape. I'm close to preferring w over b from what is heard. Good post ^

Just ordered 2 sets after reading this - don't know what to expect, but the line above apparently was convincing. .

I think you are right about it being very difficult to actually record the differences between fx tusq and bone pins, but 30 centimetres away just above the stings'n'sound-hole, you'll hear what happens to single-notes. Regarding Marts., I believe they come with plast. Not sure about the highest high-end tho. .

He definitely has. . . This is one of those cases where you really want a sonic test. Is there anything to be found on the Tube ? Regarding b-pins, you'll hear a lot of people talk passionate about sonic changes from material to material. I'm one ;-) but it primarily comes across when finger and flatpicking - are you a strummer. . ?

Guess this little-big chamber-concert belongs in this thread. Put on the earphones and zoom in on 5:00 (or the seconds before). Lots of wonderful acoustic sounds/playing/singing, , , and you can take the whole show and the Marts as well. . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11HHue911Tg

He, , , would presume they are. Btw. when I say big, it's not physically, rather too 'roomy', , , , like fx the original 12 fret Martin D-28 - now called HD-28VS.

Cuel sounds, badbluesplayer, , , guitar rolls like fish in oil. . .

No, they are too big for me - my F-bird and the re-necked '66 CW give plenty. But intriguing guitars and I'd like to try a few in person. . The R.S. sounds terrific in the cans - so warm, both mellow and crisp. .

But here is the real cake - Also 1934 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfb8nsgA6aE

Worth a listen - and a look. 1934 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPBeV6gGhBM

Amaziing idea - thanx for posting. Guess it would bend toward autoharp, , , with all its pro & cons. .

Thanx for asking, bbg - thought of posting the same Q this very morning. .

I've been using Gibson Masterbuilts and original plastic pins* on 2 Birds since around the 20'th of September. But have a rather uneven history with those strings behind me (accounted for on these pages). At first some years ago, I praised and found them very good. So good that I ordered 3 sets on the web. Those 3 sets really disappointed me and I told about it a few times here. 2 months ago, coincidence presented me a couple of new sets, which came back on as a test and they were splendid. Then noticed the package was different from the 3 bought on the Bay and concluded they must have been old tho still in the box, simply out of niveau. Being played every day, the new Masterbuilts are falling to below average and for the experiment will be replaced by Martin Flexible Core on both guitars at the same time soon. Thing is that the Birds sing so good, even with faded MB steel, that I keep delaying the exchange. . All 12's *normally use bone, horn and wooden pins in 85-90 % of the holes

Thought so, , , kind of recognized the face. Will look a bit into him tonite. . .

Hello to new members (enjoy it here) and congratulations on those new guitars, 45's, 15's etc. . musicbox, you should tell us more about the 13-herd as we go. Rick, Nick is right about Donovan being the most known player of this particular model/burst. When he brought it with him to India in 1968 the Gibson was without pickguard too. 2 or 3 years years later that loyal squire was stolen and never reappeared - he still asks for it on his website. So better check yours - only kiddin', , , Don's had new chrome-tuners at that point as well. The 2 '64 ceramic saddled cherries I've met were both terrific. The lacquer had turned matt - not the sound ! Goin' to a huge guitar-jamboree tomorrow - will surely look out for these orange 45's. .

Groovy set-up there - a little piece of the sky. The basic country-beat meets this oriental fellow in a quite illustrative way - is he on the Sgt. Pepper cover. .