Saddle Material Question

[gordon]

I'm trying to get a bit more clarity out of the low bass strings particularly when I tune down to C.  
Is there a consensus that one particular material renders better separation and clarity over another?
What's your experience? Thanks!

[Tim Mace]

Yes... but it may also depend on the instrument.What gauge on bass string or have you already tried larger?

[gordon]

Tim. I like light gauge strings. I've used heavier and if anything that tends to "muddy" it more. I play small body, cedar topped guitars. I like the tone but find I'm always looking for a bit more separation and clarity in the bass.

[Mark McLean]

Hi Gordon
Small body and cedar top are two factors that are not encouraging a snappy base tone. I love that combo too (like the one in your avitar) for its overall balance - but it is always going to favour the mids and highs. Essentially it comes down to how well the bass strings can drive the top (transfer their energy). A lot of the factors controlling the physics are fixed in the construction of the guitar. The stiffness of the top (cedar is less stiff than spruce), the bracing, the surface area and the size/weight of the bridge all contribute. Can't easily change those now. The factors that you can control are the string tension and the nut/saddle (hey, you already know that - hence your question - I'd better get to the point).

A dense nut and saddle will optimize transmission of string energy to the body of the guitar. What are they made of now? I have noticed a big change in cheap guitars with a plastic nut and saddle after replacing them with bone or Tusq. If you already have done that I don't know of anything better. Some people claim that similar material for the bridge pins also helps. While you are at it check that the nut and saddle are well fitted - good contact with the bottom of their respective slots all the way across. Uneven slots or badly fitted under saddle pickups can rob you of a lot of efficiency in transfer of energy.

Tim's point about strings is important. Again; thinking of energy, it is determined by string tension. More tension is more energy. Light strings, short scale length, and tuning down all decrease tension. That is why they make the action better and make less work for our left hand. However, the flipside of that is less string energy and less sound, especially in the bass. Why does Leo Kottke play with really heavy strings? It is not because he is a masochist.

All of this provides justification for owning multiple guitars. Keep the cedar OM but get yourself a spruce/mahogany SJ as well!
Best wishes
Mark

[Ron Frazier]

The lighter the strings to be able to play hard you need to raise the strings- the heavier the strings the closer to the frets you can have the strings and whale the daylights out of them as the heavy strings do not vibrates as much.

Ron

[Antonio Cotichini]

Well, I have this strange guitar, a DAION made in Japan in the early 80s, then disappeared from the market.
It's an L999 model, Cedar top and East Indian Rosewood b/s. It has a Parlour shape but deep (small jumbo) sides.
I can't say it has strong bass tones, but good enough and balanced. It came from the factory with brass nut and saddle.
Too much metal;I changed with bone and it gained sweetness. I use mediums (0.13) D'Addario phosphor bronze.