Suggestions on saddle and nut?

I have a 88 Westerly JF-30, all maple, that I purchased brand new. I might be wrong so please correct me if I am but I would swear the saddle and nut are plastic. I've always felt the bottom end was lacking and it's a bit thin overall and doesn't quite compare to a few late 60's Guilds I've played.

I know that without seeing/hearing the guitar it's impossible to really give advice here but- this being a Guild forum- are there general things that you guys have done to stock guilds to improve them in general? Things like replacing the saddle and nut with a bone version, changing bridge pins, etc.

It's interesting that, in my travels as a musician, I've never run across other guys playing Guilds. George Strait was the only one and he was not really into talking guitars though his tech was. I've never been able to ask Guild nuts (no pun intended) about their guitars. I'm looking for a guy here in Southern California who really knows Guilds to try to improve my JF-30 but I wanted to bring it to the forum as I've read so much in here about modifications to your acoustics.

PS- A beautiful almost hand-made guitar and then they go and put a plastic saddle on it? Go figure.

Thanks.

Marc

I'll bet the pins, nut and saddle are some sort of plastic. If you know of a good tech in your area, then have him put in a bone nut and saddle, and get some ebony pins. A really inexpensive and most likely highly effective upgrade.

If you just want to do the saddle, talk to Bob Colosi at http://www.guitarsaddles.com. He can make you a saddle, and all you have to do it fit it. No big. He doesn't have any Guild saddles made up, but he can and will make you one. Worth a call if you are a do it selfer.

You may also want to check out this material as recommemded by fellow member coastie99 from New Zealand:

fossilised walrus ivory

Benee Wafers

A beautiful almost hand-made guitar and then they go and put a plastic saddle on it? Go figure.

Click to expand...

Yeah...go figure. Also funny that something as minimal a cost to the factory at that stage would be a few hundred dollar "upgrade" with some manufactures.

FNG was reading my mind & that's exactly what I did with my JF-30. Bone nut & saddle along with oversized ebony pins. Simple change making a mighty difference! I have bone nut & saddle blanks in stock, but afraid I can't be much help to you from Michigan.

Good info. I'm gonna try this on my GF-25.

D

Thank you so much for that info

Thanks for those great tips! The bone nut and saddle seemed so logical that I still scratch my head about why they put plastic on. Go figure. Nice to know you guys have gone down this path before. Thanks again. PS- I just put an email in to Bob Colosi. I'll report back on any changes in sound.

PS- That "special" guitar I was talking about in my very first post was a 45th anniversary F-100. Bruce Bolen Sr lent it to me for a gig at the Grand Ol' Opry while I was in Nashville a couple of years ago. The nicest guitar I've ever played and a nice weight change from the tank-like maple JF-30 I usually use on stage. They ought to call that guitar the "Orthopaedic Surgeon Referrer."

Thanks again.

Marc