rossnuk Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Hey I have a Gibson j45 2004 - I purchased it several months ago second hand off a guy. It is the historic model with the white tuners. He claims that the nut and saddle are both Tusq and were as standard with the guitar. If anyone can back him up and agree that these are tusq that would be cool - It sounds great hover I dont like the fishman undersaddle pick up - I feel If I take it out altogether, the guitar will sound even better. I dont plug in the guitar anyway. I may get a bridge pickup at some point. So, I may consider putting a new bone nut and saddle in it but not sure how it will change the sound. Can anyone help with telling me what the difference between Tusq and bone will do with the sound? Cheers Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajsc Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 My understanding is......Gibson uses bone nut, & saddle, if the guitar has no pick-up. Bone nut, & tusq saddle, if there is a pick-up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonCarlos Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Well, I can tell you that my 2008 J45 came standard with a bone nut and tusq saddle and plastic bridge pins. I am guessing it would have been the same in 2004.......but I am sure someone here on the forum owns one and can clarify that. I really do not have an opinion on the sound difference between Tusq and Bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajsc Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Gibson likes tusq better for playing plugged in. I took out the pickup from mine (2005) & replaced the saddle, & pins with bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul E Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 I just purchased a 2004 Southern Jumbo with no pickup. It has a tusq nut and saddle thats being replaced with bone at the local guitar shop. Most of my other Gibsons have a bone nut (J-45RW, Blues King, LG-2 Reissue, & AJ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkharmony Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 It sounds great hover I dont like the fishman undersaddle pick up - I feel If I take it out altogether' date=' the guitar will sound even better. I dont plug in the guitar anyway. I may get a bridge pickup at some point.[/quote'] I have serious doubts that taking out the undersaddle pickup will affect the tone in any way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Guy Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I have the same J-45 as you , rossnuk, mines a 2005 "Historic". I threw away the stock pick-up as it was rubbish & repalced it with soemthing better. I replaced the tusk saddle with bone & the plastic pins with bone too. I left the nut unchanged. Sounds wonderful, even better than before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryp58 Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 The standard is most likely bone nut and Tusq saddle. Again, I must refer you Bob Colosi and purchase a bone saddle and bridge pins. You'll be pleasantly surprised, to say the least! I guarantee it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eds111 Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 My 2004 Blues King has a Tusq nut and saddle. Tusq is very gray compared to bone. Also, my 2001 Hummingbird has Tusq nut and saddle. My other guitars have bone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modac Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 As far as I know, all the guitars from that era, except special runs, came with tusq saddles and nuts. To the OP....if the nut is well cut and works properly, try changing just the saddle. I changed both on my Nick Lucas Elite, now I wish I had let the tusq nut be (like I did on my J-185). I'm going to be making an ebony nut for it, as soon as I can stop reading these weenie boards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenumber2 Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I have a 2008 J-45 that I just replaced the TUSQ saddle with bone. The nut is already bone as I understand. The difference is very subtle to me, but it's there. Bone gives a bit richer sound. The most noticable change was to the bass. Sounds clearer and more "present" if that makes sense. It was definitely worth doing. The TUSQ saddle was also starting to get some grooves where the strings hit and was causing slight buzzing. I don't use my pickup much but you never know when you might need it. I would recommend keeping it as it won't really affect the unplugged sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertjohn Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 My 2007 SWD cutaway, with Fishman on board electrics has, I believe, tusq nut and saddle, and plastic pins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajsc Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 My 2005 Historic J-45 came with a bone nut! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aymeric22 Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 It really depends on which sound you want and how you play... It can' be said that one material is always better than an other. For example I changed the bone sadlle of my Hummingbird TV for a Tusq one, and now it's really a perfect strumming machine ! I found bone saddle more done for flatpicking, less compressed sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I don't think anyone has mentioned yet that it's easy to tell Tusq saddles from bone saddles on Bozeman acoustics: the Tusq saddles have compensation for the B-string; the bone saddles don't. BTW, I've always thought I could hear the difference between Tusq and bone, and replaced Tusq saddles with bone saddles. But now, I'm not so sure. I was replacing the broken nut on my travel guitar (a Traveler Escape) the other day with a new Tusq nut, when I managed to drop the replacement on the floor in the middle of fitting it. It made a distinctly bone-like "ping" when it hit. Not plastic-like, or even micarta-like, at all. If one were to play [sesameStreet]One of these things is not (sonically) like the others, one of these things just doesn't belong, ...[/sesameStreet] with a bone nut, a Tusq nut, and an "ordinary plastic" nut, no question that the "ordinary plastic" would be odd man out. So now I'm worried that, in a blind test, I couldn't tell the difference between Tusq and bone, and I've just been deluding myself. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajsc Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I have to agree with rar on this, after changing the saddle on mine I can't really tell a nickels worth of difference. But after removing the pickup, I did need to change the saddle so I went for bone. Just seemed like the thing to do?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonCarlos Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 couldn't tell the difference between Tusq and bone, and I've just been deluding myself. That's called the "colosi effect'. :- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossnuk Posted February 4, 2010 Author Share Posted February 4, 2010 what about taking the under saddle pick up out - will there be a noticeable difference in sound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkharmony Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 what about taking the under saddle pick up out - will there be a noticeable difference in sound? like I said above, no. But YMMV. Why don't you try it and report back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajsc Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 what about taking the under saddle pick up out - will there be a noticeable difference in sound? Not to my ears!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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