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Whats the best place to get bone?


DarkHorseJ27

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In China they're using Ox bone, not sure what a local source would be in the UK. Don't know how much trouble you'd want to go to but if you could get a leg bone from a Cow you migh be able to cure and use it. Other wise I'd just order pre-made nut and saddles in bone from a company like Elderly Instruments or try some of the local luither shops.

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If you want to get really "organic", get a piece of leg bone from a butcher (most have these for dog/etc. owners), boil it a while (couple hours) to get the remaining meat off, bake it in the over at 400, and cut it to size.

 

Lot of trouble, but so is building your own guitar...some folks love to do their own thing, though! :)

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I'm planning on making my own nut and saddle for my Alvarez, and I was wondering what place I should order the bone from.

 

 

 

I buy both bleached and unbleached bone blanks from StewMac. They will come slightly oversized and you can get them pre-radiused if you want. Colosi will sell you a saddle that is pre compensated and will drop right into your guitar, but as you know you really can't buy a premade nut that will work very well. You know also that making a saddle from a blank is pretty straightfoward, making a nut is not (and does require a sizeable investment in tools)

 

If you get bone from a butcher shop and band saw it I have heard that you want to soak it in something like white gas for a while to get all the grease out, and I don't know what to use to bleach it.

 

I worked on a nut for my new 12 string today - I've probably got about 2 hours in it and I'd say I'm half done. I've taken a bunch of pics - if anyone is interested I could do a little thread.

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Very interesting. I personally have bone on all my acoustics and I have found it to be the way to go. What about Ivory? One of the sites listed on this particular form stated that you get more sustain and and volume out of Ivory than you do bone???? Wouldn't this mean that Ivory is the way to go???? I never realized this until just now. Anyone have any experience on Ivory versus bone and which is truly better? If so how noticable of a difference does Ivory really make?

 

Like I stated I have always had great luck with bone but I usually just pay my luthier to install my bone and do a setup. So the idea that Ivory is supposedly better is pretty new to me since I just read about it in relationship to this post.

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I buy both bleached and unbleached bone blanks from StewMac. They will come slightly oversized and you can get them pre-radiused if you want. Colosi will sell you a saddle that is pre compensated and will drop right into your guitar, but as you know you really can't buy a premade nut that will work very well. You know also that making a saddle from a blank is pretty straightfoward, making a nut is not (and does require a sizeable investment in tools)


If you get bone from a butcher shop and band saw it I have heard that you want to soak it in something like white gas for a while to get all the grease out, and I don't know what to use to bleach it.


I worked on a nut for my new 12 string today - I've probably got about 2 hours in it and I'd say I'm half done. I've taken a bunch of pics - if anyone is interested I could do a little thread.

 

 

Mr. Keller, I really don't weant to see your nuts!

 

 

BigAl :facepalm:

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