guthriej -> RE: black diamond saddles (Mar. 28 2014 14:56:17)
|
OK, I have not read everything but enough to explain most of what is being asked. First I do not blame anyone like Estebnana for wanting proof, and he is right about it is our burden to prove what We have claimed. Also everyone knows in the past attempts to replace bone focused on a cheap low skill molded plastic. If you build 50,000 a year you have to have that to compete with China. We have decided to try the other approach of making a much better saddle. and We discovered this all by mistake so We did not at first set out to find saddles much better that what exist. We were testing for durability, strings braking etc. The tone shift on all of the stringed instruments tested so far is something You will not believe until You experience it either as the picks or the saddles. The material is so little known, and so different form what most people have ever worked with Tech's ,and Lutheirs will have to be schooled in it. Much like if I was asking for them to ship me the cut wood, and tools to make My own guitar. They could not cover than it an email either, it might be funny though to see the mess I make. It is not like learning to be luthier but is is not like just shipping blanks, and parts without ever teaching them how to work with it, and more important what it can do. Also I do not dislike bone. It has served Luthiers well for centuries, and if the instrument is built right it can sound amazing too. Even the very well biased (adjusted) instruments to bone or Ivory, can still be improved by a lot. If You went back in time an tried to explain jets, and sports cars to people that worked with stables they would think You have been drinking too much or something else. If an instrument is very well built to the saddle material, and is not a weak instrument it is almost impossible to beat the saddle material that was used with any other solid saddle I know of even the BD. Taylor, and Tim Tell at Martin have done this with Tusq some too. If You take the Martin X series to get it the best as We could We had to use hybrids, bone was OK acoustically and, horrible plugged in. Most classics are weak by design compared to steel string dreadnoughts. Plus they have small saddles mass wise, and mass is critical with bone because it is not a very good conductor. Not a bad one but now a good one either. So I think most of the nylons can use either the solids, and I know the hybrids will work on all too. There are also many, many different types of saddles We can make mostly because this material only has to have a sliver between the strings, and saddle base to transfer more energy that a full bone saddle. That means You can use any shape, or size (larger for more punch or volume on a dead sounding string). If You want more sustain, or less You can use a base that does that, and or larger inserts. Much, much more too already tested. So yes luthiers are going to have total control on making the saddles, well because they will have too. Plus they are luthiers, and tech's, and are already good at this just not yet able to work with this technology until We show it to them. We are still a small start up I wish We could gear up fast for a manufacture to mass produce all of the blanks , and other parts. Plus with the Economics of scale over time cost will go down much like VCR's, and microwaves did. Right now We need to focus on figuring all of this out for example a classical guitar might just want a Mesquite hybrid. Were a Flamenco might be best with a White proprietary treble, and a Cedar or Brazilian Koa ( not Koa) bass side. Inserts also give very good string tone separation, and would be much less muddy that any bone saddle could ever be etc. So luthiers can get blanks ready to drop in or as coated (over size all over) or as lapped to a thickness or finished with intonation, They can get blank bases, or at any state of assembly they want, or just the inserts. Please make them Yourself because I am very lazy. last but not least when Jon calculated the cost He factored in enough so anyone ordering in quantity would not have to pay $99.99 each even now. A solid saddle right now cost as much to make as coated as what a bone saddle cost installed. so It has to be much better. Luthiers need not fear We will never let this material bully anyone, and everyone will get treated the same. It is going to require everyone that wants these new options to help, and anyone can that wants to. I learn more from want people don't like than what they do like. So please point out anything You want or want changed too. We should have the builders do the first testing so we can cut to the chase. Peter, and the others on other forums are telling you the truth, and it is for real this time, and is for everyone that wants it. Much, much more later. Jim
|
|
|
|