installing a bone saddle on Loar 600

[Kchristianson]

The Loar 600 factory saddle produced a rather "rubberbandy" sound on the G and D. My local luthier didn't think the instrument was worth investing in a Brekke so I experimented with an inexpensive rosewood bridge with bone saddle from Taiwan that I bought on Ebay. Wow. It's like a whole different instrument now. The sound is so bright that it's almost piercing and the tone of the G and D are quite gutsy now. I think I prefer this tone to the original, but for comparison's sake I'll go back to the original bridge and play it for a while to remind myself how it sounded before. Then I'll make up my mind.

[GDAE]

It would be interesting if you posted sound clips of the difference.

[bmac]

Better still.... have someone install the original bridge or the rosewood bridge (so you don't know which is on the instrument) and either they play it out of your sight, or you play it blindfolded. Then see if you can tell and appreciate the difference in tone, if any.... It is really interesting how we can hear what we want to hear.... regardless of which bridge is on the instrument.

Probably the best Idea is to have someone else play it so you can evaluate the tone as a listener without knowing which bridge is on it. If you are fairly new to the mandolin the sound seems to change as your hearing becomes adjusted to the instrument, maybe for the first year or so... Also your goals tone-wise often change as you mature as a player. At some point you may want to experiment with expensive bridges but maybe that should wait until you gain enough experience to evaluate your instrument and your goals as a player.

[Willie Poole]

I have to agree with Bart...I installed a bone bridge saddle on a mandolin a few years ago and it seemed to change the sound, mainly because I wanted it to do so, after a year or so I went back to the original saddle and was surprised to hear it sounding better than before, mainly because I wanted it to do so...I have left he original saddle on it since then until I recently bought a CA bridge and installed it and it sounds even better now, mainly because I want it to I suppose....

Having sound comparisons to use will tell you if in fact it is better, I don`t so I can only hope that it will stay sounding as good as it is now....

Interesting post and I`m sure there are a lot of opinions on this.....

Willie