Where are the 6 string brass nuts?

[peoriashows]

I'm having a heck of a time finding a brass nut blank for my luthier to use on my 6 string bass. The neck width is 2 1/4"

Can anyone point me in the right direction. I already checked the usual suspects like All Parts, WD & Warmoth.

[walterw]

he's a "luthier" and he can't source a brass nut blank?

try a machine shop maybe. there's different grades of brass, but one or two in particular are best for bearing surfaces because they have lower friction. that's the stuff you want.

[MNAirHead]

Ken Smith

[peoriashows]

Originally Posted by walterw

he's a "luthier" and he can't source a brass nut blank?

try a machine shop maybe. there's different grades of brass, but one or two in particular are best for bearing surfaces because they have lower friction. that's the stuff you want.

Thanks. Do you know which grade to ask for?

He has a lot of sources for brass nuts, but couldn't find anything for 6 string bass, short of going to a machine shop. That's what's hapening next.

[peoriashows]

Originally Posted by MNAirHead

Ken Smith

Already asked. He won't sell it seperately.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Any machine shop will have plenty.

As will most of the scrap yards.

Any copper alloy will do, but:

I prefer bronze over brass, as brass isn't very good bearing material because of the (obviously) high Zinc content.

From bronzes, I prefer tin-bronze over aluminium-bronze, but mainly because
I prefer it in the bearings as well, so I have plenty. The easiest way to tell Al- and Sn- bronzes is a magnet, quite a few of the most common Al-bronzes contain enough Fe to be noticeable.

Regards
Sam

[AJinAnaheim]

Copper is way to hard to deal with. Bronze is an acceptable alturnative that turns a rainbow of colors when making the nut due to the heat that it's exposed to. I do mycarta, dilron, brass, ebony, tusq, graphite did I miss any stainless touch and expensive labor wise.

Aj

[testing1two]

Here's a handy guide to brass types: Guide to Buying Brass Online | Online Metals Guide to Selecting Metals for Your Project

From it I learned that stripper poles are made from 330 Brass...I sense an ironic band name in the works.

[iiipopes]

Are you sure you really want brass? That's a real late-'70's thing (I lived through it). In the past 30 years, it's been shown that brass can actually be too soft and wear worse than bone for a nut, and there can be a difference in tone and sustain (or lack thereof) from an open string to a fretted string.

I recommend you stick with a traditional bone nut.

[grendle]

Did you try having a dealer order you one for a warwick? The just-a-nut 1 is great and have used it as up upgrade on a few basses. They won't sell parts to the public but will to a dealer.

[Pilgrim]

STEWMAC.COM : Guitar, Bass, Banjo, Mandolin, Parts, Tools, Supplies, Free Information

[slaphappychappy]

Is funny. A luthier put out a book in the 70s and used every possible material for nuts and found it had no effect on the sound at all.

[walterw]

i'd love to see a copy!

i think i hear a difference on open strings between, say, brass and graphite, but once they're fretted, forget it.

i even did a little test on a guitar by using the "worst" nut material i could think of, a chunk of red rubber eraser. shoved under the strings as a makeshift nut, i heard no decrease in tone or sustain of the fretted notes.

[bass rocks]

wish i had some brass nuts

[slaphappychappy]

I'll ask my bass guy what its called cos he told me all about the book. The author is a well known luthier. He tested Wood types and resonance, etc.