Brass gives the most similar tone as the frets for open strings. Different nuts have different jobs. Graphite nuts allow for better string bending. Bone is a classic tone but there is a tone difference on all of them.
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Brass nut-good idea or not?
- Thread starter russosborne
- Start date
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- brass
My Spector came with a brass one. I had an imitation bone cut for BEAD for a little while. I went back to standard, but can't remember where i put the brass one (apparently in such a safe place, i can't even find it 
) so I'm still using the BEAD bone ... My ears can't tell any difference
) so I'm still using the BEAD bone ... My ears can't tell any difference
I managed a guitar store from '88 through '77, the height of the brass craze. I took a lot of money from customers to put brass nuts on a lot of different instruments. My experience is that the only reason why people thought a new brass nut made their guitar or bass sound better was because it was the first time that instrument had ever had a properly cut nut. Almost NO factory nut is cut correctly (notable exceptions are the Westerly RI Guilds, Takamine, US Ovations, and Lakland). Most factories leave the nut way too high because it's all about getting them out, and cutting a nut is a painstaking and time-consuming process. One pass of the file too much and you have to start all over again. So, it's cheaper to leave the nut too high.
Having a properly cut nut, and a fresh set of strings properly set up always sounded better, regardless of the nut material.
j
Having a properly cut nut, and a fresh set of strings properly set up always sounded better, regardless of the nut material.
j
My early 90's US J Plus has a naval bronze nut, but only because it cracked the OEM nut and it's plastic replacement right down the middle of of the G slot.
My tech said he'd make me a brass nut as soon as he could get some stock that was hard enough. I had some key stock made from naval bronze that was really hard so i took him a piece and he used that to make my nut.
Since then i've never had any problems with my bass. Strings stay put, tunes up and stays in tune, and i can't tell any difference in tone between fretted and open at the 5th fret.
I recently picked up an MIM Deluxe J neck with a brass nut and so far it's been fine.
My tech said he'd make me a brass nut as soon as he could get some stock that was hard enough. I had some key stock made from naval bronze that was really hard so i took him a piece and he used that to make my nut.
Since then i've never had any problems with my bass. Strings stay put, tunes up and stays in tune, and i can't tell any difference in tone between fretted and open at the 5th fret.
I recently picked up an MIM Deluxe J neck with a brass nut and so far it's been fine.
