Brass nut yes or no

[jeff ward]

Just wanted to hear peoples take on having a brass nut on your bass.

Personaly I thnk its the only way to go.

 

[jthisdell]

I think it adds to your sustain. Put one in many years ago.

 

[Riverrunsred]

Works like a champ on open strings, fretted notes.....out of the equation .

 

[Doublesixes]

I think it helps somewhat with sustain. Not really compelling to mod an original bass though. My FJazz was modded many years ago but honestly I don't notice much of a difference.

 

[hdracer]

Never on any of my basses.
Brass nut = BA bridge. To much hype...

 

[OldDirtyBassist]

I want my bass to sound like wood, not a big hunk of brass.

 

[Slevage]

I want my bass to sound like wood, not a big hunk of brass.

What kind of nut and bridge has given you the best result. I like that sound too, but any of the slabs that sounded woody (not just a P with flats),
were very $$$$$.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Kool-aide

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Ask the monkey about brass nuts in the winter.

 

[OldDirtyBassist]

What kind of nut and bridge has given you the best result. I like that sound too, but any of the slabs that sounded woody (not just a P with flats),
were very $$$$$.

I'm not sure what you're asking. A large piece of alder with minimal metal and new strings gives the best acoustic results, which leads to better amplified tone imo.

 

[joe vegas]

to my ears, a brass nut adds more clarity and sustain all around.

naturally, decades of brilliant music have been played on basses with plastic, bone or graphite nuts,
and nut material is clearly a personal choice per player.

 

[bh2]

Yes... put one on my 62 Jazz many years ago. My Aria SB1000 fretless had one fitted.

My two Ps have plastic... if they brake I'll replace with brass.

 

[jeff ward]

I'm not sure what you're asking. A large piece of alder with minimal metal and new strings gives the best acoustic results, which leads to better amplified tone imo.

Do u use passive basses?
Unless your playing acoustic basses or fully passive basses your not getting much use from the tone woods in your bass. Once that active preamp colors your sound it takes away a lot of your natural tone and gives u that EMG, aguilar, or what ever preamps tone your using.

 

[hdracer]

Do u use passive basses?
Unless your playing acoustic basses or fully passive basses your not getting much use from the tone woods in your bass. Once that active preamp colors your sound it takes away a lot of your natural tone and gives u that EMG, aguilar, or what ever preamps tone your using.

Doesn't the pick ups,pots and cap and strings do that too?

 

[Maxdusty]

I think it does make a difference, I have a Riverhead Spector bass that has one and it does hold a note a wee bit longer than any of my other basses. Also sounds like a bit more of resonance to it (or brightness), I can't quite describe it - I use identical strings on all my basses so can compare it to the other 14. It's a slight difference, My bass is passive btw.

 

[Jack-Jack]

Yes for roundwounds, no for flats.

 

[Double Agent]

It's just one of a variety of things that add to, or take away from, the tone of a bass guitar. However, I have never played a bass where I thought a nut change was the one thing holding my bass back from being perfect and I would think the effect of changing the nut material would be minimal, as in only the player would notice it.

I have a Spector with a brass nut. Interestingly, it does not sound like a big hunk of brass as ODB so aptly put it. It sounds like a Spector, which is good, so I have no desire to change it for bone or any other material. But, I wouldn't put a brass nut on my AVRI 62 P-bass either as I want that bass to have a more conventional tone.

 

[silky smoove]

As soon as you fret a note, any difference is gone as the speaking length of the string is now between the fret and the bridge saddle. On open notes... Meh... Minimal difference, if at all perceivable (i.e. not just a psychoacoustic phenomenon based on the expectation of change... is that confirmation bias?).

 

[jeff ward]

Doesn't the pick ups,pots and cap and strings do that too?

Lol ya gess I should have asked if he only played acoustic basses. Only way to get true wood tone

 

[radioface]

I had a Schecter bass that had a narrow brass nut that worked fine but, the custom brass nut I have on my modified Fender J bass, which is wider than the Schecter nut was, sticks like crazy and I hear no difference in sound between brass and whatever material is stock, on the other basses I own.