Koa Pili Koko nut and saddle

ukebrudder

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I'm not really liking the wooden nut and saddle so I decided to switch to bone or synthetic bone material, but I'm not sure where to order it from or what sizes to get.

Can anyone help me out?
 
I just ordered a new saddle blank from here:

http://stores.ebay.com/Ant-Hill-Music

I've ordered from them in the past and its a good vendor.

Just search the store for nuts and saddles. They have Graph Tech. The one ukulele nut they have is pretty tiny, can get a blank slab and make a nut out of that. Just be certain to keep the old nut and saddle and measure carefully prior to ordering.
 
Check your local music stores first, I found bone, and plastic saddles and nuts at a local music store in my small town in Hawaii for much cheaper than anywhere online even excluding shipping.
 
If you've got some wood working equipment and minimal skills go to your local cabinet shop and ask for some micarta scraps. You'll get the for free and for the sizes you need you'll probably find them on the floor. You'll need to cut and sand them yourself of course but it's pretty soft material and works well. A lot of builders use micarta as nut and saddle material, it's good stuff.
 
Wow, Micarta for a nut/saddle material - cool! Thanks for the idea, Chuck. I used to own a pocket knife with micarta inlays, and loved it.
john
 
How would micarta compare to bone for the nut? I swapped the saddle on my KPK for a bone one and I'm not entirely happy with the nut since it seems to make tuning a bit harder.
 
Bone, being harder, is going to give you a brighter sound while Micarta is more mellow, similar to true ivory. Not sure why tuning with a bone nut would be any more difficult..........
 
How would micarta compare to bone for the nut? I swapped the saddle on my KPK for a bone one and I'm not entirely happy with the nut since it seems to make tuning a bit harder.

Maybe the slots aren't completely smooth? Just a guess.
 
Bone, being harder, is going to give you a brighter sound while Micarta is more mellow, similar to true ivory. Not sure why tuning with a bone nut would be any more difficult..........

He swapped the saddle, but doesn't sound like he swapped the nut. My guess would be he doesn't like how the rosewood nut on the KPK tunes (I've heard people complain about the strings not adjusting smoothly).
 
Is there different widths for the saddle? I want it fitting snug and I wasn't sure if there was a universal size for all saddles or not.
 
He swapped the saddle, but doesn't sound like he swapped the nut. My guess would be he doesn't like how the rosewood nut on the KPK tunes (I've heard people complain about the strings not adjusting smoothly).
You hit it right on the nose. It's not the sound that I'm complaining about, but the way it makes tuning a bit of a chore. I usually have to press on the C and E strings between the nut and tuning peg when they're getting close to being in tune. I don't know if filing them a tad wider than the strings will help. If it does, then I might go back to the rosewood saddle.
 
I have some problems with tuning my KPK as well I guess I am just used to it now. I was told the next time I change my strings to put some graphite in the grooves/slots the strings sit in. It will act as a lubricant and let your strings move more freely without sticking to the wood nut.
 
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