Grateful Dead Music Forum

Ok I'm fed up. I have a Daion acoustic guitar that I've owned since I was young and "handfull", and I regularly break strings on it. Not the standard high 'E' either, but any given string.
So after not jamming with anybody for quite some time, I got together with a new guy at work at lunch in the park to pick some and sure enough, I bust the 'D' string about three songs in. This was a shiny fairly new set of Elixar strings. Damn!
The bridge on this guitar, like the nut and fretboard parkers is brass. It seems to be a design element although at the time this guitar was made brass was a popular material. I am ready to experiment with replacing that metal bridge with another, maybe more forgiving, material. Thoughts?

I remember those brass nuts and bridges. At the time they were popular.

I would go with bone or ivory. Not cheap, your looking at over $100 for a nut and compensated bridge from any decent luthier.

Thanks for the reply Dan. I actually got it done for about 45 bones. I really like the bone nut, it seems the sound is slightly mellower but with some delicate zing to the treble strings. Less clangy than the brass nut. The harmonics are happening all over!

hi django. what model daion do u have. i'm thinking of changing the nuts & saddles on my caribou, gazelle, & clasical daions i have to elephant ivory (legally obtained of course) or bone.

Sorry, I had spaced this topic off!
I have a Daion Heritage '78. It's a dreadnaut sized guitar. I saw above in my second post that I said nut, but it was just the bridge I replaced. I am having no trouble with the nut.
Played it several times since then and still no breakage. I am happy.

thanx django for the reply. does anybody have any opinions or experience w/ modifying the nut, saddle & bridge for better intonation & tonal qualities. i'm thinking of modifying my bridge into a pinless bridge. doolin guitars have a pinless bridge that's differnt than others i've seen. it has tiny steel rods that the ball ends of the strings anchor onto to sit flush below the bridge surface. also, the row of ball ends is curved instead of straight as is usually the case. he claims perfect intonation from the nut to the 22nd fret. i'd love to try this. could i do this w/ the bridge on the guitar or do i have to take it off? or would i have to replace it? any opinions, advice, experiences would b appreciated. thanx.