Hi, my Martin d1gt is due a string changeI've been thinking about putting some different bridge pins on itEbony, brass or boneDoes anyone know if they make a big difference in sound or are they more for decorationIf anyone has used all 3 what were the differences you noticedI think the d1 has either plastic or more than likely compensated tuskIt sounds great as it is but im always searching for more tones and wondered if bridge pins add that extra tone or not before I buy anyCheers.
Mine are 21 and 22 years oldthey are out 24/7 all year round, with a run in shedThey will, by choice, stand out in 30 degree below 0 F windy, snowy weather with the shelter 10 feet awayThey are never blanketed and they are never sickDo not blanket your horse, which inhibits the skin from reacting to shortened hours of sunlight to allow normal hormonal responses so his coat will develop fullyWhen the cold hits, don't groom him unless you have to, since the coat forms air pockets that insulate the horse better than any blanket canI have kept horses this way for over 50 years without a problemThey can stay out in downpours when it is just above freezing, and never shiverThey do not get sickAt their advanced ages, they never cough or have a runny nose, as you see with stalled horses and blanketed horsesI make sure they have free access to hay 24/7, which keeps fermenting in the gut and producing body heatThey are also fed Senior Equine feed year roundJust be sure he has shelter if he wants it.mine are in and out all the time.
MY 6 horses are on turnout 24/7 with adequate shelter - they are not blanketed whatsoeverThey can get in out of the wind and weather at their choosing - we can't tell when they're too hot, too cold, therefore I don't think we can tell when they need the blanket on or offIf a horse is blanketed and the day turns out warm, the blanket can make them feel awfulIt is my opinion that they are healthiest turned out 24/7 with adequate food and shelter rather than stalls and blanketsThey can move about which keeps their digestive system functioning as close to normal as possible, the air circulating takes dust such as hay away from them whereas when cooped up in a stall, the air carries dusts in bedding and feeds and keeps it there for them to breathe inNot to mention their ability to move about and stay freed up in their muscles and their minds.
I have a Gypsy Vanner that is also 15.1, so almost the same situation as youWe keep him out almost 100% of the time, unless he is all cleaned up for a showIf you don't already, as mentioned above, put some sort of shelter in the field, but depending on how your winters are and whether or not you have a shelter, your horse might not even need a blanketMy horse and another gelding were out all last winter, and they were just fineJust be prepared- that first bath in the springtime was torture! xP He looked like a wooly mammoth from being out there all winter, he grows a really thick winter coat and gets himself dirty really easilyAnyways, your horse should be fineMy horse can't stand being in, he will get cranky and start bucking and biting people if he is in for a few days, so he is out all of the timeGood luck!
Depends on how harsh your winters areHorses are pretty hardyIf he is comfortable turned out then I wouldn't worry about rugging himI have three horses and only blanket one in the winter (below 40 degrees F.) because he is a weenieThe other two grow good winter hair and don't seem to feel the cold as muchThey do have shelter at nightIf your horse can get into a shelter and is not visibly shivering I wouldn't worry about himAs long as there is shelter available for when the weather turns really crappyPlease don't try to cheap out on your horses care thoughThere really are no short cuts if you are taking proper care of your horseAlthough I will admit that some people really do go over the top and do more than is necessary.
Compensated Tusq has to be referring to the saddle, not the bridge pinsYou can't compensate pins, and although I suppose there's no reason they couldn't be made out of Tusq, I don't think I've run into anyA lot of people claim that denser pins give more sustain and better toneThe density is probably more important than the exact materialHowever, the effect is pretty minor compared to that of the saddle material, or the nut material when playing open stringsFWIW, I didn't really see a difference after replacing the ebony pins on my '45 OOO-18 with walrus ivoryI still have the original (?) plastic ones but never tried themSome fairly dramatic claims were made by manufacturers of brass pins a few years backI've never tried them but I tend to take the claims with a grain of saltWouldn't really expect metal on the bridge to give a great tone somehowIt was something people mostly did to try to improve the sound on cheap guitarsIMHO the best thing you can do for that sort of instrument is make a nice, properly fitted bone saddleI do that fairly routinely when fixing up an entry level/midrange guitar for resale - the effect is obvious and it generally assures a quick sale - but I never bother replacing pins unless some are missing or damagedP.SGo for fossil ivory if you want the bestI had found a chunk of walrus at a flea market and had a friend with a milling machine, so we kitted out both our best guitarsBut it's not as dense as regular ivoryHas an interesting pearly appearance thoughP.P.SBuffalo horn is lovely stuff to work with, sort of like celluloid as to feel and heftTakes a really nice polishI would really not expect it to sound any different from plastic thoughBone would probably give you the closest sound to ivory.
