Insert in mandolin bridge

[Mandoplumb]

In the classified section there is an Apitious mandolin with a bridge that appears to have a lighter colored wood inserted at each string. I have never seen this with a mandolin. Is that what I'm seeing and if so what material is it and why.

[lenf12]

Looks like bone inserts to accurately set the intonation of each string pair. I can't tell from the picture but there may be 2 or 3 slots for the inserts so you could easily compensate for different string gauges. Or perhaps they are bone caps on each of the bridge compensations. Nice idea, I wonder how it sounds?

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[pops1]

My guess is the inserts are bone and put there to brighten a dark sounding mandolin, or to clean up the sound of a deep mandolin by adding some highs. I have seen this several times. Hans Brentrup has used two on a few mandolins, so has Austin Clark. I have a bone top on a new saddle on my A2 that makes it sound great, no tubby but warm and deep.