merseybeat1963 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 My Gibson J200 Prototype has whatever saddle Ren Ferguson put in it in 1988..its an uneven tan looking thing,nut & saddle..which looks like some natural material,but maybe not..but I also have a wood shim under that ,which probably is not good.. so I was thinking of having a saddle made from an antique piece of Ivory..? Any one ever do that,and found any obvious improvement in sound? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Nothing wrong with a wood Shim providing its not to thick... My guess on the J200 is the saddle is Bone.. You wouldnt find any difference with Ivory.. just play it more to get more tone through it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gijs Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Ivory is somewhat harder, but compared to bone the difference is expected to be minimal. I went from plastic fantastic to ivory on my Bird and that indeed was a difference! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadgrateful Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Ivory is somewhat harder, but compared to bone the difference is expected to be minimal. I went from plastic fantastic to ivory on my Bird and that indeed was a difference! Â Actually, standard ivory (the kind most chess pieces are made out of) is softer than bone but is less porous. West African hard ivory on the other hand is much harder (and more expensive). Â I'd suggest going with fossilised Walrus ivory. Looks and sounds great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gijs Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Hmz maybe I was mistaken beceause my luthier used an old ornament from WA-ivory to make my saddle. Shhh, don't tell anybody...:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmonsh Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 ivory will make each note ring out more independent. not good for strumming, great for fingerstyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merseybeat1963 Posted June 3, 2012 Author Share Posted June 3, 2012 Thanks guys. Im sure the shim I have in there is almost like an insulator being some crap wood but I may be mistaken. I like the idea of a more direct route of sound to the top. It would be even more direct if bridge was slotted all the way through and the saddle rested on to the spruce but probably may not hold up. This J200 probably sounds better 9 out of 10 times than the Custom Shop Martin D42 they made me..but deep down inside I probably will not be satisfied untll it is as sensitive as a Lowden. You pluck a note on that lowden ..go to the bathroom..come back & you can still hear the thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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