which nut and why?

bryanjnkns · #1 12-20-2006, 07:35 AM

I am curious to know what kind of nut you guys prefer to use for both sound and workablity, because im not really sure which one i will use and the only one that i have any experience with is brass. Thnks

Tony G · #2 12-20-2006, 07:54 AM

I'm not a luthier, but I prefer graphite nuts. I feel they are very workable, highly durable, and inexpensive. Overall a very good choice.

Musiclogic · #3 12-20-2006, 10:23 AM

I voted for graphie off this list, as it would be my preference of these options. I personally use Ivory, M.O.P., or TusQ nuts as a general rule in that order, but have ocassionally used graphite and bone only if requested.

Phil Mastro · #4 12-20-2006, 10:52 AM

I voted for Ebony, cuz I have tons of scraps of it at home lying around. It also helps keep the sound a bit more even on fretless basses than a nut made from something very different from the fretboard.

Phalex · #5 12-20-2006, 11:50 AM

I voted for brass because it's fire proof.

bryanjnkns · #6 12-20-2006, 11:50 AM

Thanks for your responses guys. What are your opinions on brass nuts. I know that workability is a bit more difficult unless you have the means, but what about sound and tone. How does brass match up to trusQ, graphite or ebony? I was under the impression that brass was better.

PaleMelanesian · #7 12-20-2006, 12:23 PM

I like brass on a fretted bass, fretboard wood (ebony usually) on a fretless - both give more consistency in tone. On fretted, I actually prefer a zero fret over a brass nut for a variety of reasons. There are threads discussing zero frets, and they sum it up pretty well.

I don't think you can say any one is better overall, just better for the particular application.

Luke Sheridan · #8 12-20-2006, 12:50 PM

I like Brass and its very workable with even the cheapest of files. Jeff Beck summed it up perfectly on his Guitar Shop album: "Brass nut..Balls Deluxe"

tonytdodd · #9 12-20-2006, 01:08 PM

Please can somebody explain what the importance of nut design/materials is?
Surely the only notes affected are open strings, otherwise the nut is behind the vibrating portion of string.

PilbaraBass · #10 12-20-2006, 08:14 PM

graphite is great for the strings...
brass and corian is easy to work with.
bone smells and quality is not consistant.
and I wouldn't go with wood for a nut (just a personnel pref, I think)

I chose graphite

pilotjones · #11 12-20-2006, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonytdodd

Please can somebody explain what the importance of nut design/materials is?
Surely the only notes affected are open strings, otherwise the nut is behind the vibrating portion of string.

+10000

Musiclogic · #12 12-21-2006, 02:02 PM

Brass is very easy to work with. Soft metal, adds a measure of brightnes to tone, Tusq nuts are similar, but brass is still brighter Tusq and graphite are almost exact to each other.

spudmaster34 · #13 12-21-2006, 05:19 PM

I like graphite, the nut really dosn't make to big of a sonic change, imo, but graphite helps with bending

Suburban · #14 12-22-2006, 01:21 AM

Well, for a fretted instrument the nut material is not really interesting. It's there to keep the strings in position, that's it. The tonal effect is in the zero fret.

For a fretless, you want a consistant feel/tone. So the 'zero' definition is a minimal, wooden ridge, preferably the same material as the fretboard. The nut is still a string spreader.

For fretted: corian. Most fretted players don't mind the difference in color from the wood around it.
Fretless: Ebony - or rather whatever really hard hardwood.

ZolkoW · #15 12-22-2006, 02:42 AM

bone for JB-like instruments with dark fretboards, (I hate the smell, anyway..) and ebony for fretless... and for maple fretboard, for looking..

bone is hard, good to work with, except the smell

Maybe, I won't hear/feel the tonal difference between bone and plastic, but bone sounds better to me