Maritime and other Seagull models bridge pins.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Wayne Simpson on April 17, 2012 at 9:36pm

I think all newer Seagull guitars come with Tusq bridge pins, but exactly when the change was made I don't know. If the old and new pins look and feel different, I would say the old ones were plastic. I know the original pins in my 03 or 04 Portrait were plastic.

Permalink Reply by Peter Pauer on April 17, 2012 at 9:50pm

Tusq!  Great I can't even spell it right, never mind tell if something is made of it.  8-)

Guitar is fresh from a large Canadian music chain store, so it was most likely made in either 2011 or  2012.

Godin's serial #'s don't seem to help in identifying the actual manufacture date.

Permalink Reply by Jud Hair on April 18, 2012 at 7:42am

Graphtech markets TUSQ as "synthetic ivory", but TUSQ is actually a plastic ... it's just has different properties (harder, denser) from the traditional plastic normally associated with saddles and bridge pins on acoustic guitars.  Even though the components themselves are pretty equal to (some say even better than) the natural products made of bone or fossilized ivory, etc., TUSQ can be molded rather than having to be carved, so it's cheaper to produce the nuts. saddles and pins.

Permalink Reply by Blues Agent on April 18, 2012 at 10:01am

This bridge pin thing is starting to make me wonder if it is truth or hype. I simply cannot tell the difference with better pins. I do admit there is the placebo, warm fuzzy thing going on when the pins come in a nice package and cost three/four times as much, but my question is.... Do the Tusq or bone pins really make a noticeable difference to other users?

Permalink Reply by Jud Hair on April 18, 2012 at 10:05am

This is a source of continuous debate.  Lots of strong opinions in both directions.

 One thing I do know that influences my thinking on the matter .... Lowden guitars costing $5,000+ don't even use bridge pins. 

Permalink Reply by Blues Agent on April 18, 2012 at 10:28am

Right.... and a quicker string change also. I find it difficult to believe that whatever string vibration there is, between the saddle and the pin, will somehow have a better transfer to the wood because it is wedged in with a denser pin... or that a better pin is going to change the overall top vibration enough to  produce an audible difference.

Permalink Reply by Jason Derrick on April 20, 2012 at 7:54am

Breedlove also doesn't use pins on a good majority of their guitars. Mine doesn't have them anyway. Of course, it didn't cost $5K... :-)

Permalink Reply by Wayne Simpson on April 18, 2012 at 10:17am

Given that you typically replace the strings at the same time you replace the pins, it would be hard to tell whether any improvement was the result of the pins or the strings. I replaced the plastic pins on my Portrait with Tusq and will likely do the same with my Mahogany Folk one of these days. The cost is realistic at about $20 for plain old black dot pins, and they are denser, harder and generally nicer than the el-cheapo plastic.

But do they actually sound better? I dunno. I guess we could do a scientific test where we just replace the pins and play, but it seems like a lot of effort for not a lot of reward. I think the choice of material for the saddle is much more important, and within that, the flatness of the saddle bottom and bridge groove.

Permalink Reply by Blues Agent on April 18, 2012 at 10:43am

I agree that the saddle and its seat is where it's at.

Permalink Reply by Jud Hair on April 18, 2012 at 11:00am

Worth considering ... Martin puts plain old el-cheapo plastic bridge pins on all their "Standard" line models from D-18 all the way up to D-45 ...

Permalink Reply by Wayne Simpson on April 18, 2012 at 11:11am

A Martin D-45 lists for something like $10K. At that price point, they should be using fossilized Mastodon ivory.

Permalink Reply by FloridaGull on April 18, 2012 at 11:18am

At $10K, they should use moon rocks... ;-)

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