Recommend a setup for a OM-03MT?

[Big Martin]

I see where several who frequent this category have an OM-03 MT.  I just obtained a beautiful specimen of one of these, and would like to hear opinions of successful configurations.

What saddle, nut and bridge pin choices have you found the best?  I really like the tusc but could I be doing better?

With the full mahogany, I was thinking that bone or one of the fossilized ivories might be the way to go, to let a little more shimmer come through.

Ideas?

[Mr_LV19E]

I put a Colosi bone saddle on mine and I can't say that it changed the tone any, maybe a little more sustain.

Still experimenting with string choice.

Not sure if I will change the bridge pins, maybe, but not in the near future.

The nut, well, I have questions about the nut. Do the strings have less friction over a bone nut than tusc? I seem to have a problem occasionally with the g string sticking during tuning, I have not had a tech look at it but I did graphite it when I changed strings to try to eliminate it but that didn't work. It hasn't been a big enough nuisance to warrant taking it in. If a bone nut would take care of that problem then I would change that out.


Roger

[imwjl]

I've left both of my Larrivees stock, but played my D with somebody who spent real money on fancy pins, saddle and nut as well as played and heard several of same Martin I have that had the sort of modifications you mention. As far as the Larrivees, the difference was present no revolution and my HD-28 still kicked both if one does this for more volume, cutting tone, sustain etc... I've also played and heard several of same model Martin I have that have had these changes and I again find the differences to be no major revolution. One with a bone nut did not play as well as mine with a recent perfect setup.

I'm thinking of upgrading pins because some are chewed up, and I'll probably get better than stock so I'm not putting these upgrades down, but I am personally getting a realization that nothing has made my tone better than the past year of working hard at playing better and my past year's dreadnought experience has taught be that I got what I wanted in the guitar and not changes to the guitar.

I think it's all fun stuff to work with, and don't mean to sound too negative, but when it's a good guitar to start with I'm not hearing revolutionary changes, but more like subtle changes like string changes etc.... Maybe the revolutionary changes are for the people who think their guitars have all of a sudden opened up with an explosion. I'm taking my changes more evolutionary than revolutionary and doing them when a repair or setup or something like that is needed.

Have fun with it all no matter what. I really had a lot of fun buying and trying all sorts of stuff in the past year and it really did help me sort out what I like, don't like and want, but now I have parted with 3 guitars and other stuff with more to go and am concentrating on playing.

Bottom line: I feel fresh strings and a good setup do the most to what is already a good guitar and I'd play a new guitar a while to make sure you really know what you want or of that guitar will be a keeper.

[jeremy3220]

The bone saddle made a small improvement but both sound good in this guitar. The Tusq sounds soft compared to the bone.
The OM-03MT does not care what pins are in it. I've owned a guitar where I've had to have one set of pins over another but it makes no difference in this guitar.
I like a vintage sound and play vintage music to match (country blues, old time) so I always use 80/20 strings; either plain ol' Martin 80/20's or Schoenberg 80/20's (John Pearse work great too). I had used a few different sets of phos bronze a few months ago and they made the low E string sound weak for some reason.
And believe it or not, I can't stand to have heavy tuners on it. It sounded so weird with the new Gotohs(w/ metal buttons) I bought that I went back to the Pings w/ebonite buttons.

[Blue in VT]

I like the bone saddle...it balances tone better than tusq on my hog.  I agree that pins probably make little difference,,,but they are cheap enough that I would replace plastic ones with ebony...with or with out pearl or abalone....probably without for an 03 series guitar.

I for one like Elixir Nano light Pbs on my hog top...especially after they have settled in for a week...after that they are good for at least 3 months.

Cheers,

Blue

[bluesman67]

Congratulations on your hog top.  You are a lucky dude to get one of them and they are AWESOME!  I got mine, which is a 12-fret, from a fellow forum member who got himself a couple nice guitars in place of it!  Thanks Jeff!!

As for recommendations....   Bone saddle.  Bone pins look good but don't do anything.  D'Addario EJ19's phos/bronze bluegrass.

Roger,

What strings have you tried and liked so far?

[rrgguitarman]

The OM-03MT does not care what pins are in it.

Mine does! it loves the Tusq.

[Mr_LV19E]

Roger,

What strings have you tried and liked so far?

The cleartones that came on it were OK but I didn't get to try them very long. When I lowered the action and tightened the strings back up I broke one so I changed them out for DAddarrio EJ 16's. I have many of those on hand. They lasted a couple of months with periodic play because I was up north a lot and have a beater I keep up there. They were dead when I changed them out with Martin Fingerstyle SP 92/8 Phosphor Bronze Mediums. They sounded good when I put them on but improved greatly after about a week of play, now they are starting to die at a month old. I think I like the mediums though, so I am going to try DAddario mediums next. Or GHS, I used to use the GHS brand on my twelve string when I played 25 years ago but had trouble finding them for a twelve when I started up again, but I see them at my local store in many variations for six string.

I'm open for anything though for fingerstyle play.