New nut

**Matthew Tucker** · #1 06-25-2009, 09:02 AM

Lace She-Oak nut blank

hard as nails.

Reckon these could catch on? Or does it have to be boring old ebony?

Rickett Customs · #2 06-25-2009, 09:10 AM

I think she'll stand out, of course that's not a bad thing either. Plus the grain looks nice.
I used red oak on my eub, the grain didn't look nearly as good as that one.

kurt ratering · #3 06-25-2009, 10:23 AM

i dont care for the contrast, but thats just me. it is pretty though. i like boring old ebony french nuts (stop your snickering!) boring old ebony german ones i could do without

Caoimhín · #4 06-25-2009, 12:37 PM

I think on its own it's gorgeous.

I'd like to see the whole bass to see how it looks in context with the scroll etc.

Any chance of a pic of the scroll and nut and top of fingerboard Matt?

Jake deVilliers · #5 06-25-2009, 01:37 PM

You guys know me by now. Its not what it looks, its what it sounds like.

I've never heard a piece of oak make a nice sound when I drop it on the table saw, so I won't use oak. I know your Aussie oak is different. I like the sound of Brazilian & Indian rosewood nuts and find walnut to be a good substitute.

I like the additional tonal colouration from these warmer woods.

To be clear, I'm not criticising your work Matthew, just voicing my opinion. The nut looks good to me.

**Matthew Tucker** · #6 06-25-2009, 04:32 PM

Heck, it's just a nut. "She-oak" is casuarina, a completely different wood to oak.

I have some wenge I'm trying, too.

I doubt whether there will be any discernable difference tone-wise ... Jake do you thing so??

Of course it wont suit every bass, but I think a matched nut/saddle pair would be nice on some basses.

Paul Warburton · #7 06-25-2009, 05:27 PM

You really didn't ask for opinions, Mathew. Good move.....

When I lived in Aspen many years ago the great bass teacher Stuart Sankey had a fabuolous Testore with an ivory nut.
Man, that drove me right up the wall. It wasn't about it being ivory, it was about my sense of bass tradition. There's a picture of Gary Karr playing that bass in an old edition of the Simandl book. To this day it disturbs me. Why the hell is that?
Because it's white? What?
Maybe I shoulda been an interior designer.
Anyway, I like yer nut.

Gearhead43 · #8 06-25-2009, 07:14 PM

I dig it.

salcott · #9 06-25-2009, 08:15 PM

Does the nut have to have any other characteristics other than hardness and being properly grooved? It seems to me the only influence it could have materialwise is on open strings. After that, the way the grooves/slots are cut seems to be the most important factor.

Pentabass · #10 06-25-2009, 11:55 PM

I like to think that Lignum Vitae makes a good nut.
Since it has lubricating oils inside, it is often used in bearings, or hinges, and I theorize that it should let the strings slide nicely - less need for the pencil lubrication underneath the strings.

In spite of it's hardness, Lignum vitae does not seem too hard to be worked with normal woodworking tools.

For looks, though, the lignum vitae is a bit more traditional than that very pretty piece you found, Matthew.

Jake: what sound do you want the nut to make as it strikes the table saw top? I am going to make a few recordings, and compare...

**Matthew Tucker** · #11 06-26-2009, 12:13 AM

Functionally, I think a nut just has to be able to hold the strings in position.

I think it needs to be reasonable hard so the grooves don't get deeper with every tuning.

*I* don't think the material a nut is made of will make any discernable difference to the sound, as long as it is well fitted.

I don't glue a nut in position, as it holds very well under string pressure alone, and as we boys all know, removable nuts are terribly handy.

There are only a few places on the bass where a slight deviation from 'standard look' are possible. Nut, tailpiece, saddle, and the strips that run along the side of the neck. I don't particularly love the way that ebony is the "standard" choice for this last one, either. Sometimes it looks plain odd.

And Paul, I don't like the look of an ivory nut much, either. Too much like white chocolate.

Eli_Upright12 · #12 06-26-2009, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew Tucker

There are only a few places on the bass where a slight deviation from 'standard look' are possible. Nut, tailpiece, saddle, and the strips that run along the side of the neck. I don't particularly love the way that ebony is the "standard" choice for this last one, either. Sometimes it looks plain odd.

I noticed that too, actually with clear varnish over it, it often looks like hard plastic too me. And actually I encountered a 60s Roth bass that had bone colored plastic for those strips and also an E H Roth emblem at the top of the back glued on, made out of the same stuff.

Eric Hochberg · #13 06-26-2009, 07:42 AM

The Kelischek bass has a bone colored nut. Any idea what that is?

Paul Warburton · #14 06-26-2009, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehochberg

The Kelischek bass has a bone colored nut. Any idea what that is?

As I remember Eric, it is ivory....as well as the tailpiece fret.
The bridge he carved is unbelievable. The wings are carved in the likeness' of elephant's trunks. As is the entire bridge in that "elephant" vibe. I'll try to find those pics for you.
Tom is getting some good exposure around here lately.
I agree with Matthew about nut material. I feel it's no biggie as long as it's hard, stable and well fitted.
Damn I'm gettin' all excited again.