Hello All:

What is the general opinion in regards to bone versus fossilized ivory bridge pins? My CW-18 came with ebony pins, and I am considering swapping to bone or ivory. Is the sound that much different? Enough to justify the $$$? Who is the best source for these items, other than Elderly?

CW-18
D2-H (1992!)
D-18 (1955!!)
D-28 Marquis
D-18 GE Sunburst

There's a website (FIking, I think) linked through Cotten Music that has the most extensive stock I've seen. There's some controversy, as is there is about every niggling detail of guitar tone production, about pins, whether bone or stone or cloned. The principle, as I dimly understand it, is that heavier pins unnecessarily load the bridge and damp the sound. My theory: if FI pins made the guitars sound better, Bill and the Boys would already do it. They sure look cool, though.

General opinion will not help you much. Your opinion is the only one that will count. Is the sound that much different? Yes. Bone will be around $30. Fossil ivory will be around $135. Enough to justify the $$$? Probably not, but maybe. IMHO, ebony favors bass over treble compared to bone/ivory. Bone/ivory adds brightness and sustain. This is something some people do not like in an 18 (mahogany) style guitar that is bright (compared to rosewood) already. There are a lot of materials to consider: Ebony, Boxwood, Rosewood, fossilized walrus ivory, fossilized mammoth ivory, fossilized walrus jawbone, elephant ivory, cow bone, camel bone, ox bone, Tusq, faux tortoise shell, brass, water buffalo horn, etc. You have to find the combination that works for you. Bone will give you the best bang for the buck.
You are already driving a ferrari. What's left to do, turbo or nitro injection?
Sources: John Mickelson fossilivory.com; Vintage Ventures guitarivory.com; Stewart-MacDonald stewmac.com; maurysmusic.com musiciansfriend.com
Good luck.

A great source for bridge pins is Dan Lashbrook. I have low profile ebony, braz rosewood and bone pins for my D1A and D2Hbraz custom. The advantage I have found is that Dan's pins are not generic. He had my D1A for a fret job and the pins it came back with are the best fitting ones I've had. The bone pins in my D2H are sized 0.002" larger for the 1st & 2nd strings. Like John said, the bone will give you the best bang for the buck.

Doc

I forgot to mention Bob Colosi at guitarsaddles.com. He will make you saddles, nuts or pins out of bone or fossil ivory or sell you the material and you make the item. I just purchased a bone compensated saddle from him for my D1ASB and it was perfect. He has pictures of everything at his website. IMHO, if you are ready to take the fossil ivory plunge, I believe a FI saddle would provide much more of what you are looking for over FI pins. Of course you could go the full monty and do both. On the subject of pins, would you go slotted pins or slotted bridge? And if your pin holes are drilled straight, would you ream them out to the same angle (3 degrees or 5 degrees) as the pins? So many things to consider.

Thank you all for the information. I just got my D-18 GE, and it has ebony pins also, as does my old D2-H. I will most likely order a set of bone pins and try them out on a few of the flattops. Thanks again.

Craig