Impact of higher quality nut/saddle?

I've been looking at Kamaka sopranos lately and have an opportunity to purchase a vintage gold label soprano in great shape for about $500. I notice the vintage models appear to have a wood nut while the newer models have a plastic or bone nut and a compensated saddle. Unfortunately I don't have any new Kamaka's nearby to try out and compare. Would it be worth it to pay the extra $400 or so for a new Kamaka? Do the new ones have better tone due to the upgraded nut/saddle?

What makes you think it's necessarily an upgrade? A vintage kamaka and new kamaka will sound different. The nut material would be the least of your worries in choosing between the two..

I've had some experience with this. I had the Kamaka plastic nuts and saddles replaced on a Soprano, Tenor, and a Baritone white label with bone. The work was done by an expert luthier. Frankly, I couldn't hear any difference after the work was done. Maybe if I could have heard the before and after side by side I would have noticed something. But whatever the difference was, if any, I couldn't hear it when comparing them to the way I remembered them sounding before the work was done. So, any difference wasn't very significant. Now, that's from plastic to bone. I don't know about the wood nut and saddle.

Edit: Although I didn't hear anything from the replaced materials, I did get a performance boost from the setup I got with the new stuff. That left me with the impression that setup is a much bigger issue than the material used for the nut and saddle. Just thought I should mention that.

I replaced the rosewood saddle on my Kelii with a Tusq one. I haven't heard much of a difference. It did lower the action. I'm thinking about putting the old saddle back in. Unless the old saddle is really worn and not useable, I'd just go with it.

A gold label Kamaka would have an ebony nut and saddle, so it's a hard wood. I would leave them alone unless the action needs to be adjusted for your preference. I have a white label concert and it sounds awesome! I understand bone makes a difference on guitars because of the bigger body and the harder material transfers vibrations to the top better. I'm about to replace a plastic saddle with a bone one on a Tacoma, and in the Tacoma forum owners say it increases volume and brightness. My Martin ukes have bone saddles but my Kamaka is louder, so...

You can ask about this in the luthier section too.

It's all about preference in what tone you would like....I'd get a newer on if you like the newer uke sound rather than the woodsy vintage warmer tone....