In Praise Of Tusq Pins

coastie99 · Jun 21, 2006

I have an all-mahogany bodied F4ce, which, in spite of being strung with Elixirs, sounded somewhat "dead".
I've previously had two acoustics fitted with Fossilised Walrus Ivory nut/saddle/pins with a very satisfactoty, albeit expensive, result.
I really didn't want to go to all that expense again, so thought I'd give Tusk a shot. I've fitted the pins and will have the nut/saddle fitted when the weather improves sufficiently to get to my guitar-fixit man.
I am very impressed at the improvement in volume for such a small investment, although I doubt that the pins have made any difference regarding tone/sustain - which, after all, is not what I was after anyway.
The only down side, is the god-awful colour of these things ! A definite grey-ish colour which looks a bit strange.
As an aside, I've read praise for ebony bridge pins. Surely wooden pins would dull volume ?

Mr. P ~ · Jun 21, 2006

coastie99 said:
I am very impressed at the improvement in volume for such a small investment, although I doubt that the pins have made any difference regarding tone/sustain - which, after all, is not what I was after anyway.
The only down side, is the god-awful colour of these things ! A definite grey-ish colour which looks a bit strange.
As an aside, I've read praise for ebony bridge pins. Surely wooden pins would dull volume ?

I put Tusq saddle and pins on my D-25 and got obviously improved sustain, improved string to string clarity, and of course more output. I have not tried the Tusq Nut yet, but the nut material only has a bearing on OPEN strings. Once you fret the string the effect by the nut is gone. I will probably try one anyway.

I consider the color to be a cream color, but I chose the black tusq for my bridge pins, which looks....how can I say it.....Black! :wink:

If you get a chance for an experiment (at the local guitar store works), take a plastic saddle blank, a bone blank and a Tusq saddle and drop them each from a 12 inch height onto a glass surface. The plastic part makes funky "Clud" sound (clank + thud = clud), the bone has a clank sound and the Tusq has a clink sound. Very non-technical, but the sound of each is succesively higher in pitch indicating succesively higher density. Give it a try some time.

coastie99 · Jun 22, 2006

Interesting comments Mr. P and thank you.
My Tusq bits are definitely of a greyish hue - I wonder is there more than one manufacturer ? Mine came from Allparts, who I must commend for providing an excellent international service.
Interesting too your comment re the nut being "effective" only on open strings. Hadn't considered that, but it certainly seems logical. I could imagine tone-hounds debating that one to death !

dklsplace · Jun 22, 2006

coastie, did you buy those directly from Allparts website? I have a set in stock.

Out of curiosity, how much did they charge for shipping?

coastie99 · Jun 23, 2006

Yes Don, got them direct from the website. Freight was US $24.50.
Shipping costs are always a bitch, but I think one comes out ahead of the prices in N.Z.
Funnily enough, I did think after I'd ordered "Why the hell didn't I enquire of Don ?" Am I right in assuming you carry a comprehensive inventory of guitar "stuff'?

"Hey Gary ! Wake up !" Maybe the man has a website ??????
I'm off to look now.

dklsplace · Jun 23, 2006

Am I right in assuming you carry a comprehensive inventory of guitar "stuff'?

I AM an Allparts dealer. Anything on their website (& lots not listed) I can get you. What I have in stock is usually an assortment of small stuff. Pots, caps, knobs, screws, jacks, tuners, etc. Too much stuff to try to detail here. Also things salvaged from various projects & the odd used instrument or two.

Anybody really serious about cables? I can get you Klotz cables at a better price. They're still really expensive, but they have a serious reputation.

coastie99 · Jun 23, 2006

Bugger it !!!!!!!
Bought a Klotz cable too !!!!!!!!!

sedona · Jun 28, 2006

Recently i had a mammoth tusk saddle put in my dv-73, by a proffesional in connecticut, when i got it home i was really let down, i kept playing it thinking i know it sounded better before, so i put an old bone saddle back in it myself one that didin't even fit properly and bang, it started to wake up. i can't tell if maybe it wasn't shaped right or something. I don't know, now i am so worried about going backwards i don't want to mess with it any more even though it isin't even tight in the slot.

West R Lee · Jun 28, 2006

Sedona,

I am no guitar repairman, in fact totally ignorant on the subject. I was however, ready to make a saddle and pin change on my D-25. I am just curious after reading your post, if the fit from saddle to bridge might be the problem? It sounds as if maybe the old saddle had a little slack in the fit, and the new one fits snugly. I just wonder if that effects vibration transfer?

Let us know how you come out. By the way, that was me that you sent the pictures of your DV-72 to some time back. Thank you again, I really appreciated that. Great guitar you've got.

West

dreadnut · Jul 10, 2006

just got some tusq bridge pins with abalone dots from Don, put 'em in my DV-52, and they definitely made an improvement in the tone, I noticed it immediately as I changed them. Didn't even change the strings, just loosened them one by one and popped in the new pins. Made a great sounding Guild sound even better

Will probably try the saddle next.

Mr. P ~ · Jul 10, 2006

Be aware of this problem with the Tusq saddle. It is a "die cast" part and therefore has some "negative draft". They cast the parts with the string bearing edge of the saddle buried down in the die, so parallel sides of the saddle are not really parallel (if this is not done the part can not be removed from the die). So the saddle must to be sanded so that the sides of the saddle are really parallel, otherwise the saddle will rock or lean forward in it's slot. The leaning forward can cause the bridge to split.

You have to hold your mouth right to do this. It is worth the effort, but it is not a simple slide in, like the pins are!! :roll:

dreadnut · Jul 10, 2006

thanks for the heads-up, Mr. P. I'll let my guitar tech handle this one because I also have a LR Baggs under the saddle pickup.

Mr. P ~ · Jul 10, 2006

drednut said:
thanks for the heads-up, Mr. P. I'll let my guitar tech handle this one because I also have a LR Baggs under the saddle pickup.

That'll work! 8)

West R Lee · Jul 10, 2006

P,

For once I'm going to ask a serious question. Are you saying that "tusq" is a composite material? Please don't laugh at me, but I've always assumed it was actually a cut and sanded piece of animal tusk....elephant, rhino, walrus?

West

john_kidder · Jul 10, 2006

Made right here in British Columbia by Graph Tech Guitar Labs.

Very cool little company.

Mr. P ~ · Jul 10, 2006

West R Lee said:
P,

For once I'm going to ask a serious question. Are you saying that "tusq" is a composite material? Please don't laugh at me, but I've always assumed it was actually a cut and sanded piece of animal tusk....elephant, rhino, walrus?

West

West,
John Kidder gave you the "straight skinny" on the Graph Tech company.

Don't miss this chance to learn something about saddle materials.

Get with the tech that is going to install the new saddle and do this little experiment. Get him to bring out a micarta saddle blank, a bone saddle blank and a TusQ saddle blank. One at a time drop each blank so that lands flat on its long side from about 6 to 8 inches onto a glass counter top. Notice how the TusQ saddle "rings", compared to the other parts.

The higher the density off the saddle the better the sustain, the louder it will be, and in the case of the TusQ saddle in my D-25 the thicker or more harmonically rich the sound becomes.

I will try Fossilized Ivory one day, but I like the TusQ parts a lot. 8)

West R Lee · Jul 10, 2006

Guys,

I really do appreciate the tip on "Graph Tech guitar Labs". I did go there and read a bunch and learned quite a bit. Unfortunately, I did not discover what tusq is. "P", you stated that it is actually poured into a mold, which to me would imply that it is a composite. Is tusq graphite? Is tusq a combination of graphite and other materials. Sorry to be so persistent, I suppose it is the technician in me.

West

West R Lee · Jul 10, 2006

After a little investigating, it appears that tusq is actually a polymer, referred to as "man made ivory", it apparently is an extremely dense plastic manufactured just as you described "P". Under extremely high pressure and temperature.

Ya'll aroused my curiosity,

West

Mr. P ~ · Jul 10, 2006

Well, I meant to say die cast. Die cast machines for plastics inject molten plastic/composite material into a die at high preassure. The dies then are raised in temperature to cook or "cure" the material.

In effect I believe what Graph Tech has done is develop a "heat treated plastic", that is very dense due to the pressure used to make it.

I don't think there is any carbon in the composite, but I don't know and that is the way Graph Tech intends to keep it. That recipe is what makes them special and they sure don't want some off shore company to start underselling them using their own product. :roll:

West R Lee · Jul 11, 2006

Do Graph Tech own the patent on tusq?

West

In Praise Of Tusq Pins

coastie99

Enlightened Member

Mr. P ~

Gone But Not Forgotten

coastie99

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dklsplace

Senior Member

coastie99

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dklsplace

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coastie99

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sedona

West R Lee

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dreadnut

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Mr. P ~

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dreadnut

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Mr. P ~

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West R Lee

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john_kidder

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Mr. P ~

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West R Lee

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West R Lee

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Mr. P ~

Gone But Not Forgotten

West R Lee

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