TUSQ is a proprietary material which is precision engineered under high pressure and heat. It is an organic material that contains no oil or animal by-products. It is specifically formulated to deliver the right frequencies with the optimum transfer rate to the top of your guitar every time. Because of the way TUSQ is made, it is a consistent material that is rich in tone and harmonic content.

How is TUSQ different from any other material (bone, micarta, and corian) used in nuts and saddles?

TUSQ is a very resonant material. This resonance alone will give you a very full and deep sound that will amplify your tone to a whole new level. Secondly, it's a consistent material, allowing every note you play to sound just as clear and full as the next. In comparison, bone has natural grains which cause dead spots. These dead spots damp balance in tone and harmonic content. Micarta is made partially from linen and paper scraps which makes it hard to work with while corian is nice to work with but also damps sound.

Can I modify TUSQ to fit my guitar?

Due to TUSQ’s consistency it is extremely easy to work with. You can easily modify it with fine grit sandpaper or other commonly used shaping tools.

What if the strings start to dig into the slots?

If you’re experiencing any kind of binding you can easily fold a piece of 200 Grit sand paper and sand the notch off. Again, being a consistent material you can file/sand the nut/saddle and you will still be working with the same quality material.

What does TUSQ sound like on an electric guitar?

In comparison to our String Saver saddles, you will notice a peak in the 1K range with TUSQ saddles. You will hear your guitar reaching noticeably higher frequencies. Simply put, you will get a slightly brighter sound and increased harmonic content.

What If I have an under the saddle pick up?

TUSQ is a great way to balance those strings for maximum output and string to string balance. Also, we carry microbalance saddles which give you the option of notching out a groove to configure the output of each string.

How do I know if your bridge pins will fit my guitar?

We make two pin sizes which are available in numerous color and dot configurations. The vast majority of guitars will fit our Traditional sized Martin style pins, while some guitars such as Taylor, Art & Lutherie, Seagull, Norman, Simon and Patrick, Godin, Composite Acoustics, and some Larrivee models will fit our narrower shaft Presentation style pin.

Will TUSQ bridge pins improve my tone?

It depends on who you ask! Some of our customers feel that bridge pins do nothing for tone; they buy them just for their beautiful appearance to complement their instrument. Other people will tell you they make a huge difference. We will defer to one of the highest profile quality guitar manufacturers in the United States, who wrote in an unsolicited assessment that TUSQ bridge pins "contribute to a discernible improvement in tone". TUSQ pins are very light, rigid, and resonant and therefore do not damp the string vibration. Most people will find that their guitar has a more lively sound especially in the bottom end where the most energy is needed to create movement in the guitar body. A little test is to pluck a string and listen. Then pluck it again while holding tightly to the bridge pin with your fingers...you'll hear the difference. Another thing to remember is that the vibration of the string doesn't stop at the saddle; it, in fact, vibrates in a teeter totter motion over top of the saddle terminating at the pin. If a pin is not made of a resonant material then a lot of energy is dampened before it gets to the body of the guitar.

Which manufacturers use TUSQ on their guitars?

To see a list of all the major guitar manufactures that are using TUSQ products on their guitars click here.