Comparison Tests of Nut Material

For me is this subject is so complex with combinations and variations on top of which you could add changes effected by string changes to a point that it boggles the mind. At least my mind.

I’ve had a little experience trying different saddles on a guitar and on a ukulele and in that direct A/B comparison I picked bone over TUSQ for one and the opposite for the other.

So I think the most useful thing would be to try different saddles of interest on the same instrument with the same strings left on and maybe separated by a day or too.

Of course someone could suggest that with a different saddle it might be worth trying different strings again.
I, myself, would not suggest this as that would be kinda mean. Possibly.
 
Jeffelele said:
For me is this subject is so complex with combinations and variations on top of which you could add changes effected by string changes to a point that it boggles the mind. At least my mind.

I’ve had a little experience trying different saddles on a guitar and on a ukulele and in that direct A/B comparison I picked bone over TUSQ for one and the opposite for the other.

So I think the most useful thing would be to try different saddles of interest on the same instrument with the same strings left on and maybe separated by a day or too.

Of course someone could suggest that with a different saddle it might be worth trying different strings again.
I, myself, would not suggest this as that would be kinda mean. Possibly.
Click to expand...

I may have chosen the wrong formula for this, but if you test ten different brands of string and six different saddle materials, you wind up with 256 combinations. Of course you would have to do those tests with all of your ukes to make them all sound "the best." :D

I'm pretty sure this isn't the correct formula because you could wind up with two saddles and no strings, and vice versa.

https://www.mathsisfun.com/combinatorics/combinations-permutations-calculator.html
 
Jerryc41 said:
I may have chosen the wrong formula for this, but if you test ten different brands of string and six different saddle materials, you wind up with 256 combinations. Of course you would have to do those tests with all of your ukes to make them all sound "the best." :D

I'm pretty sure this isn't the correct formula because you could wind up with two saddles and no strings, and vice versa.

https://www.mathsisfun.com/combinatorics/combinations-permutations-calculator.html
Click to expand...

For each saddle you would have a choice of 10 sets (I'm assuming that's what you mean) of strings, so you would only have 6x10 = 60 combinations to test.

If you want to throw nuts into the mix, for each of the 60 saddle/string combinations, you would have 6 nuts to test, or 60x6 = 360 saddle/string/nut combinations. With each uke. So if you have 10 ukes, 3,600.

Of course to get the most honest results, you would have to do the test double blind...
 
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AustinHing said:
Pardon me, are we running out of bones that we need to get replacement materials? I always thought a high quality uke always uses bone. I would expect minimum to be a Tusq for a high end uke.
Click to expand...

As long as there are humans and other animals dying, we won't run out of bone.

I watched the entire video, since I don't bore easily. I learned that I need to let my builder select the saddle and nut material, and that she uses bone, no matter the variation in density over samples.
 
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Human bones as saddle and nut, yikes. I’m sure someone has done it.
 
AustinHing said:
Imagine an uke with one’s bone nut and saddle as a remembrance when one passed. Kind of like a necklace made with the bones of a passed pet.
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing. People have urns of ashes in their homes, trees grown with the help of the deceased, ashes included in objects both large and small, so why not the bones of a relative for nut and saddle? I certainly wouldn't do it, but to each his own.

https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/blogs/things-do-cremated-ashes
 
Jerryc41 said:
I was thinking the same thing. People have urns of ashes in their homes, trees grown with the help of the deceased, ashes included in objects both large and small, so why not the bones of a relative for nut and saddle? I certainly wouldn't do it, but to each his own.

https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/blogs/things-do-cremated-ashes
Click to expand...

Guess this can certainly add to the list! Meanwhile, breaking news of death by playing musical instruments
https://newsthump.com/2016/04/25/playing-musical-instruments-leads-to-death-finds-daily-mail/
Haha..
 
Has anyone with a plastic body uke changed from a factory plastic nut to bone ect and noticed a improvement in sound thanks.
 
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