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A buddy brought by his guitar complaining about high action.His guitar is only a few years old,so all it needed was a little nut and saddle work.The saddle already has grooves where the strings have cut into it.According to the specs on this particular guitar the nut and saddle are made of bone.None of the guitars I have made with bone saddles and nuts have grooves in the saddles from the strings.The oldest one is about 3 years old.The saddle also seems pretty easy to bend and it smelled different than any bone I`ve worked with.So the question is.Is it bone?,and if so should the grooves in the saddle be there,or maybe some lesser quality bone,if there is such a thing.Just trying to figure out what`s up.This guitar sounds pretty good now.If I replace the saddle with what I know to be bone,will it enhance the sound enough to make it worthwhile.?That`s another question.
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

I take it back.I noticed a very slight groove on one of the strings on one guitar I built,but it`s very slight compared to the guitar I was talking about.I bet a lot of you repair people have a pretty good idea what`s normal wear on bone for string grooves.
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Easy to bend=plastic.

A well-fitted bone saddle will make a huge difference in tone. Note, "well-fitted"; I'm an old school, pick-up-the-guitar-by-the-saddle, advocate.

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https://soundcloud.com/jeffreylsuits/he ... -runnin-13

I'm with Jeff, replace them with real bone. Soft Bone? Maybe if it was over bleached. Real bone will make a difference.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Does it seem right to you guys that the saddle would have pretty deep grooves if it`s only a few years old?
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

James,
I have seen a few bone saddles that have had some fairly deep grooves on guitars where the player is a heavy strummer with a thick pick and played or strummed in between the S.H. and the bridge. So it's possible that this may be the case.

Cal

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