Where to buy the brass nuts?

[caesarhong]

Hi, anyone has any recommendations for where to buy the brass nuts.
I am considering to replace the nuts for my Fender P and Warwick convette. Thank you

[joeyl]

Bass Parts Resource*:: Aftermarket Bass Nuts

but watch out: do you have the tools and skills to cut a nut? Working with brass takes longer and is harder on tools for not that much improvement in sound IMO!

[JTE]

Originally Posted by joeyl

but watch out: do you have the tools and skills to cut a nut? Working with brass takes longer and is harder on tools for not that much improvement in sound IMO!

"... not that much..."? IMO, for no improvement at all. Unless you're using open strings, the nut material makes absolutely NO difference in sound. And I like my open strings to sound different from my fretted ones, that's a good reason to use open strings.

I managed a guitar store from '77 - '88, the start and the height of the "brass is better" craze in guitars. I took a lot of folks' money and I put a lot of brass nuts on a lot of instruments. It never improved a single one of them, even on the very few on which it made a change.

But the OP didn't ask all that...

Joeyl does make an important point. No matter what the advertising says, no nut will ever be available that's a proper drop-in replacement. So you have to be prepared to either cut the nut yourself or pay someone to do it for you. Now many people might think in this age of CNC that you can make a stock nut that'll fit correctly your mass-produced bass, and you might even get lucky and stumble on one that mostly works OK.

But given that most factory nuts are cut woefully wrong to begin with, that's a reasonable conclusion. However, after you learn what a completely well-cut nut does to your bass, you'll understand those of us who say you gotta plan on cutting the nut to fit your specific individual bass.

In all the years I've been playing (guitar and bass) going back to the early '70s, I've only played a small handful of new instruments that have proper nut work on them. That's a single Takamine classical guitar, most Guild acoustics (through several different owners including FMIC) I've played, most Laklands, and three Gibson Les Pauls. Everything else needed some attention, and frequently major surgery to get the nut correct.

John

[caesarhong]

This one likes nice

Can I just glue it, or what kinds of tools I may need?

[grendle]

Yep as long as those fit the slot you can just glue them in. Your going to need to deburr them with some sand paper. I have bought a few of them and think their great.

[john grey]

I was one of those who made a few and they can be a SERIOUS pain in the butt. The only positive I'll say is that since they take longer to file it's generally not going to be a situation of that ONE file stroke that drops you too low. Bone can be a drag because occasionally it's not consistent density (organic material) & a crack occurs.

The above pictured nut looks interesting but your spacing will be a bit troublesome if you are 100/105 or thicker on the E (or even a thicker A). I also like to make mine with a angle on the tuner side; but to each his own. It's a flat bottom and some necks have a smaller radius and carry that to the nut-cut slot. but realistically, if you're not ready to use quite a selection of shaping tools, you'll have an annoying time with a great deal of nut blanks. Always be prepared that you're going to have to shape them no matter what advertising says.

With brass, there are high-end files that are often sold at jewelry makers sites that work very well. I like a very sharp, steep angle, half round shape, ultra fine bastard & two tiny rat-tails. make sure you also get a quality file card to get the bits out of the files or you'll draw particle-line from a filled file.

[grendle]

That nut is the warwick version I believe. There's a similar one on eBay a lot. Not as good in the fit and finish as the warwick nut. I string my 4 with a 5 string set (135 B) and don't have any issues. Just take your time and fit it correctly. I'm really anal on my setups and the adjustable nut is perfect for me.

[fhm555]

First...I got a good brass nut blank off ebay.

Second...why all the hand wringing over brass nuts and the effect (or lack thereof) on the sound of a bass?

It's as silly as all the changing bridge hoopla. I changed bridges because the stock L plate on my MIM j bass could not maintain string height and position due to my ham fisted playing style, not because I was worried about some sound difference only 3 people and the dogs of the world could hear.

Same with a brass nut, I had one put on my jazz plus because I broke 2 bone nuts. Again, I'm sure it's my ham fisted approach, but it is what it is, and as far as I can tell, my brass nut has ZERO effect on any of yall's basses.

Oh and BTW...I've never broken that brass nut.

And to finish this rant. In spite of my wrong brass nut and wrong aftermarket bridge, I'm staying pretty busy with both basses

So rather than lecture the guy on why he's all wrong to want a brass nut, why not just help him find one if you can?

soapbox returned to the stowed and locked position.

[JP Morin]

For your warwick corvette warwick sells nut separetely, and the new just a nut III in brass is now available... ask your local dealer he may have or order one from warwick... I'm about to do the same for my old streamer

[XylemBassGuitar]

I've gotta agree with JTE here, changing out your nut will, in all likelihood, only change the sound of your open strings.

Brass is also really hard to work compared to other nuts and you must have tons of good karma/points with god for it to not require extra work when you get it. I'm talking better than Mother Teresa here...

Having said all of that, I have to admit that I kind of want one on the next bass I build for myself.

If you do end up getting one, you'll know the nut is the right height if, when you press a string at the third fret, the string just clears the first fret...about .010" of space (use a feeler gauge).