Nut Replacement for L2500
 

TB'ers, I recently broke the nut (B string side)on my L2500 and have a few questions.
1st, the fretboard is ebony and I'm concerned about problems with cracking or chipping the fretboard while replacing the nut. Is this a legit concern or just a routine situation that is nothing to worry about?
Also, a bandmate (guitar plyr) advised me to consider a graphite replacement nut as an option for the sake of durability. I had thought of going with a brass nut for this reason but am not sure what the effect will be on tone/feel, etc. Additionally, are there any set-up issues to consider here? Will intonation, string buzz, etc become an issue? I use stainless steel DR Lo-Riders exclusively on this bass that are strung thru the body and dont want anything to change if it's not absolutely necessary. This instrument "sings" and plays like a dream!
Any advice would be welcome.
Thanks