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Nut materials, your thoughts

#42
xgabriele said:
So, if I understand what you are saying, most "graphite" nuts are in one form or another emulsified graphite? So technically calling them a "graphite" nut isn't exactly wrong, just short sighted?
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Less than complete would be better, as there is certainly graphite in abundance in there.

:)
 
#43
I replaced the plastic nut on my Precision with brass several years ago after it split. It did make a slight difference in the way the open strings sound. I don't play many open strings. Brass has less surface friction than the metals most strings are made of and I think that makes it a great choice for a nut material.

Bone is what the Ritters have on them (those that don't have Mammoth ivory). It works very well also. Bone can be polished so that the strings slide over it easily. I really like the bone for its' look. It contrasts nicely against a dark fingerboard or fretboard. Bone is the traditional material for centuries on fine lutes and guitars. If I had it to do over I'd have the Precision nut done in bone because that would look more original than the brass.

On double basses, the nut is generally ebony and I don't know why the nut on a fret-less EBG is not ebony. It would make sense for the open strings to sound closer to the stopped ones if they dead end into the same material as they are stopped against. Another good choice would seem to be Lignum Vitae (wood) which is denser than ebony and has a self lubricating oil in it.
 
#46
I agree that the nut only affects the tone of the open strings.

For basses with Hipshot D-tuners, we use self lubricating Delrin. StewMac sells it as Slipstone. For all others we use ivory (legal estate ivory) or Micarta. This helps the E string stay in tune while using the D-tuner.

Graphtech's TUSQ material is very good too.

I haven't made a brass nut in 25 years. I find that brass causes tuning problems as there is more friction between the string and the nut.


Roger
 
#48
fishtx said:
wow...not much discussion on brass...interesting...
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Brass was popular kind of like mentioned;- 25 years ago! In fact I think mine was done in 1979. It is not that uncommon. A friend of mine plays a fret-less 1975 Fender P and she has had a brass nut on her bass for years also. I've never had any tuning problems with it at all, and I usually use half rounds, although I've had a set of DR's on it also. I think some basses made in the early 80's came with brass and it became a popular replacement. And more than a few of the original Fender nuts broke. Mine was done at the original Clark Music on Ponce De Leon Ave., here, by Chris Greene.
 
#49
rusty66 said:
All very interesting! I love the brass nuts on my warick & tomkins, never had any tuning probs at all with either, I have a graphtech on my frettless & that works just as well! There you go, horses for courses! I do like the idea of polished ivory for looks, but the poor elephant....... :(
Cheers!
Rusty
Click to expand...
The only ivory that is legal to use is mammoth ivory, which apparently there is plenty of left from the Pleistocene. The mammoths have been dead a while.
 

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