fasthand......................

I also like the looks of Buffalo pins (amber with pearl eyes). If you have a tortoise bound guitar, those pins really make it look cool. Buffalo pins don't make much difference in tone, but they really do look cool.

Is it possible that the bone Collings uses is already quite glassy, and FWI is a small change? Verses the difference in micarta and FWI would be quite noticeable.

And getting extra sustain, that is a different subject all together, as many flatpickers actually prefer less sustain to obtain separation in the notes. I have heard sustain is energy that remains in the string that would otherwise be going into the top and become volume and tone. Or not !!!