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Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/407153
tariconroy - Posted - 02/01/2026: 14:39:32
How can I tell if old insert banjo bridges are bone or ovoriod?
Culloden - Posted - 02/01/2026: 15:15:32
Shave a piece of the bone off with a file and strike a match to the dust. Bone has a dead smell to it.
lapsteel - Posted - 02/02/2026: 05:29:15
…or you could heat a needle tip in a candle flame and touch the insert. It will smell like plastic if it is plastic. This will leave a mark though. If you have access to a loupe, look for striated marks or pores under a strong light. Plastic won’t have these.
Edited by - lapsteel on 02/02/2026 05:32:33
Bart Veerman - Posted - 02/02/2026: 06:32:31
Just curious, why would you want/need to know?
By "ovoriod" do you mean ivory or ivoroid? the latter pretty much is some kind of plastic.
Plastic was the common thing to use but one bridge maker used taqua nuts (sorry, forgot his name and spelling).
The plastic stuff was/is not really suitable for banjo bridges as the bridge's wood usually shrinks resulting in gaps between the wood and the plastic. This way the plastic stands alone and the string sliding/rubbing back and forth on top of it could easily crack the plastic part off the bridge.
Emiel - Posted - 02/02/2026: 12:53:02
quote:
Originally posted by Bart Veermanbut one bridge maker used taqua nuts (sorry, forgot his name and spelling).
Jim Farquhar…
tariconroy - Posted - 02/03/2026: 09:47:49
Well, here's my story. ... I spent 2 1/2 years and built a 28 style 5 Gibson (Just like Ralph's) --- Prewar 1928 tone ring, prewar Gibson ring... From old pics I see that Ralph used a Grover insert bone bridge on his style 5. I bought a bunch of old insert bridges from the Handout. . Newer Grover insert bridges are ivoriod,, (like modern Martin guitar nuts and saddles).. It's a very hard plastic. It actually sound quite good,, ... .... Modern Saga insert bridges are bone,, but the two new Saga bridges I bought have tiny little bone inserts, half the size of the old ones.. PS- I do reglue the old insert bridges with hide glue when the wood shrinks up, but I still am not 100% sure which are bone..
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