Tusq saddle vs Bone saddle...what's on your's ?

[eighthnote]

Tusq will definitely cause some trouble on the nut end as the strings cut down through the softer material and
begins to change the angle to the tuner post. It will eventually cut down to the point of resting the string on the 1st fret.

And it boggles my brain, as I try to understand, why Larrivee has switched to using Tusq.  More cost effective?  Perhaps.  Is it reinforcing Larrivee's niche reputation?  Nope.  Very disappointing...one can only hope, that they change their minds, back again...

[pacoima4]

Thank you to all who replied.  I will report my findings after the next string change...

[Michael T]

I disagree, the softer the material the more dampening you'll get.

Agreed overall, however, compared to a unlevel or loose seating of the saddle, or, if the height was lowered the notable volume differential and resonance change would be more dramatic. In the instance where Pacoima4 changed to bone from tusk and experienced a deadening of resonance it struck me more of a mechanical rather than material issue. My experience as well as many other postings has been directly oposite.

[flatlander]

In the instance where Pacoima4 changed to bone from tusk and experienced a deadening of resonance it struck me more of a mechanical rather than material issue. My experience as well as many other postings has been directly oposite.

[drathbun]

D Bone and nuthin' but D Bone!

[Danny]

Last night a friend was looking at my LSV-11 and said something about the top looking 3 dimensional, I said that's the silking in the premium spruce. Then he said WOW and the saddle is glistening, why is that? I told him it was BONE
                               I guess I should mention he owns a Taylor 814ce which retails for a few hundred more than my LSV... but his top doesn't look like that    Danny

[Flake]

Good evening-
     As of tonight my SD50 has bone (again) after my switching back and forth from standard Larrivee' bone to Tusq (lowered significantly from original height) back to reintonated and lowered bone....then to Tusq lowered to 3/32" bass and 1/16" treble then back to the bone lowered to about that measurement.  I have only had it since late April but have tried three different sets of strings counting those it came with and currently have an extra set of ball ends slipped over the coated DR Rares which are installed on it.  This was done to assure no windings were resting above the bridge or anywhere near the saddle.  This can affect intonation.
     When I procured my guitar the intonation was off enough to bother me.  The setup I have settled on has each string leaving the bone saddle at the extreme front edge of it.  The intonation is now nearly perfect with the high E very slightly flat at the 12th fret.  This is something I have encountered before on Larrivee's I have owned and at first I attributed this to my keeping a very flat neck.  I have just less than 1/16" saddle above the bridge where my high E leaves it and just under 1/8" above the bridge where the low E leaves. I have followed the radius of the neck as well as I could and pulled off a pretty buzz free setup. 
      As for what sounds best....to me-the bone by a pretty good margin but that is just on this particular guitar.  I generally like bone better but have (like others have mentioned) definitely preferred Tusq on some other guitars I have owned. 

[rrgguitarman]

Bone is the way to go, even on a cheapo guitar.

[Jeff]

Bone is the way to go, even on a cheapo guitar.

Concur completely.  I had Jason at Notable install a Colosi FWI saddle for me before shipping my LV-03, so I didn't have a chance to compare it to the stock saddle.  But I installed a Colosi saddle in my old laminated Univox, and the difference was astounding--every aspect of the sound was improved. 
Jeff

[Danny]

BONE cheaper than gasoline!

[prof_stack]

Anything is cheaper than gasoline these days, even a gallon of milk!   

On some guitars for some players tusq is better.  Happened to me on an L-03MT.  The Larrivee-bought bone didn't get it done for my ears.  Would Bob Colossi's product have worked better?  Maybe.

Seems like a lot of us like to tinker with what we get, to try to make it better. 

[Danny]

 Yea when my D-09 with a tusq nut and saddle had slots cut in it so deep that the strings were resting on the frets, I tinkered with it and went all bone. Danny

[kwakatak]

Bone saddle and stock tusq nut on my OM-03R. The saddle switch was a no-brainer because the guitar sounded like it was full of socks. As for the nut, it sounds clearer with a capo installed which tells me that it's the next thing to get upgraded. I just haven't gotten around to it. I'm still experimenting with strings too. I ditched Elixir Nano PB's in favor D'Addorio EJ16s but the guitar now sounds too bright and a set of EJ17s are waiting in the wings.

BTW - I tried mediums before and didn't think much of them because at the time I was playing more fingerstyle and missed the lighter string tension. Nowadays I'm doing more strumming and am considering on dropping the guitar down a 1/2 step.

[Danny]

Bone saddle and stock tusq nut on my OM-03R. The saddle switch was a no-brainer because the guitar sounded like it was full of socks. As for the nut, it sounds clearer with a capo installed which tells me that it's the next thing to get upgraded. I just haven't gotten around to it. I'm still experimenting with strings too. I ditched Elixir Nano PB's in favor D'Addorio EJ16s but the guitar now sounds too bright and a set of EJ17s are waiting in the wings.

BTW - I tried mediums before and didn't think much of them because at the time I was playing more fingerstyle and missed the lighter string tension. Nowadays I'm doing more strumming and am considering on dropping the guitar down a 1/2 step.

                 I used Dean Markley Alchimey Gold Bronze CL 12-54 on my LV-03R. I thought they were great. I don't know how they will do on your OM but they are a little easier than mediums to play. Danny

[Tfreeze]

I've been using a bone saddle and a corian nut that i made on my seagull and I think that the bone saddle is much clearer sound across the spectrum than the stock tusq saddle that I removed. The tusq saddle had a much brighter sound. The original tusq nut and saddle wore very quickly. The bone saddle and the corian nut are proving to be more durable than tusq. Make sure that you get good bone that isn't super porous or your will sound dead.

[canoe65]

My Larrivée L-03 came with a Tusq saddle and Tusq bridge pins.  And when I bought it, I fell in love with it's sound immediately.

I changed the bridge pins to ebony (with abalone dots), partly for appearances, but that change definitely didn't hurt the sound.

At this time, though, I am quite happy with the sound of my L-03 with the Tusq saddle and I have no intention of changing to any sort of bone / ivory / fossil whatever.

It's the sound of my playing that needs the most attention at the moment.   

[Danny]

My Larrivée L-03 came with a Tusq saddle and Tusq bridge pins.  And when I bought it, Ifell in love with sound immediately.

I changed the bridge pins to ebony (with abalone dots), partly for appearances, but that change definitely didn't hurt the sound.

At this time, though, I am quite happy with the sound of my L-03 with the Tusq saddle and I have no intention of changing to any sort of bone / ivory / fossil whatever.

It's the sound of my playing that needs the most attention at the moment.   

I never touched the Tusq nut or saddle on my LV-03R, I just played it. The only thing I've done to my LSV is lower the bone saddle and adjust the neck (not in that order), put on new strings and humidify it properly. Since those 1st 2 days all I do is play it. (it came with a nice bone nut and saddle from Larrivee)
                   You make a good point about playin. At times I spend to much effort on tweaking my gits.