I love how you really break down these topics. In the modern time full of connectivity and information it’s a lot easier to gain a huge perspective and start overlapping that experience to form actual truth and dispel myth. Great job Dylan.
A couple of weeks ago, my guitar tutor was swapping between bone, tusq and plastic as part of his ever ongoing quest of tone. Having heard the 3 of them I can say that the bone was the worst, it sounded very dull. TUSQ was pretty good but it had a bit too much high frequencies and the plastic one was the most balanced of the three. That's my personal experience with nut material.
I always wonder why zero frets, brass, or some kind of metallic material isnt more popular because of the fact that open strings definately sound different than fretted strings.
I am not an expert, I think zero fret is on the same level as the rest of the frets, and it can wear off faster than the rest of the frets, and when it wears just a little bit the string will be behind the first fret. I don't know, I think fret is harder to replace and it would wear off faster. The nut has little more space for wearing off and made of elastic materials. But on the other hand zero fret would sound the same as all other frets. I had few brass nuts and they have sounded similar to the rest of the frets, but they wear off really fast. Like G goes quickly under the first fret.
@@michaelcottle6270 I don't have any experience with it. Maybe someone experienced as Dylan could tell. It can be more durable. I like the idea of the zero fret because it solves the problem of sharp notes at first few frets. But if the nut is well made it can be good without sharp notes. One solution is compensated nut.
I make bone nuts for all of my guitars. Solid, very dense, air dried. I have been making bone nuts for my guitars for about 30 years. I also make compensated bone bridges for my acoustics.
thing is...even the weakest part of a bone nut should be denser than any piece of tusq or plastic. also, bone looks and feels beautiful from an aesthetic pov
I’m also getting a bone nut for my Epiphone to replace the Corian nut. It probably might not make a difference but I like that hand carved bone vibe mojo. It’s the idea of something custom made for me.
Ive used about every nut material from actual ivory (vintage martin still had the original nut), to titanium, and even wood nuts. They all sound different whether its mild or extreme, but my favorite is tusq cause it sounds super close to bone but is more stable. Titanium nuts are cool too cause they basically never wear down, and there adjustable. Nylon nuts can be good if cut right and lubricated properly. Which is really the best is hard to say, because its entirely personal preference. I like graphtech tusq cause it takes forever to wear down, and it self lubricates.
When I was working as a product design engineer, I used a plastic called Ryton PPS (polyphenylene sulfide). I chose it because the application required it to retain its strength at temperatures around 300°F or so. One of its characteristics was that if you dropped a sample on a desk it would 'ring' almost like glass. I've always wondered how it would do as a guitar nut (or saddle on an acoustic guitar), since it was so hard and resonant. Don't know about lubricity though. It was a relatively expensive plastic and needed properly controlled processing to get its best performance.
Thanks, Dylan. You are a voice of reason in a fanatical tone world. I keep asking, though, what is the deal with triple coil pickups? How does the third coil affect the hum factor?
One of my favourite guitars is my jcx strat copy, I've had it 12 years and it was my first electric guitar, it still has the original plastic nut and plays great, I also have an 80s strat copy with what looks like the original plastic nut which also plays/sounds great, it also has the original p'ups and a plywood body! It's my main gigging guitar too :)
good point on the variety of density in bone. I cut my blanks from actual bones I get from the butcher. A lot of that raw material consists of spungy, fat containing bone. and yes, dense bone blanks don't need to be coloured white, they are white.
All good comments on nuts Dylan. We had an old luthier who taught me to make a nut at age 13, in 1969, and it turned out to be ivory. Obviously illegal today , and I had a Fender Heavy pick made of ivory. Both great but wrong in a moral sense. Being an igorant kid i just bought what i thought was best at the time. I enjoyed this video and would've liked to see the guitar - looks like a shade of Mahogany like I'm building a Les Paul jr. out of ATM. Good advice on nuts. Cheers. Terry from Oz.
I do not use bone unless it's a restoration. The reason I don't use bone is you must ask if the person is concerned about using animal material . I make brass and aluminium ( from 6082T6) use Tusq or graphite depending on how the guitar is set up . I like working brass , it's also a self lubricating alloy which is why it's used for plain bearings with steel shafts , and will use brass if there is gold hardware on the guitar . It's available in 3mm flat for metric Srat types and 1/8" flat for Imperial or US Strat types . As is aluminium and also in 3/16" and 5mm flat thicknesses for everything else . I will use brass on bass guitars purely for tone reasons . It's like adding a whole pile of missing frequencies to a really woollen sound . Aluminium is great as the engineer grades are tough and nice to work light and polished look great with nickel or even chrome plated hardware . I've no idea what grade of alloy was used on an original Danelectro but certainly the 6082 T6 is another tone generator and I'm guessing this may have been the single most expensive thing to make for the Dano guitars by weight . Shape it , slot it , and drill a hole in it for fixing before adjusting for height . That is a job , but they sound great ! Stainless steel I have not tried as all of it is difficult to work and the stuff that is available in flat is usually quite rough in finish , which means every face needs polishing. I have used it for neck plates on bolt on necks and left the edges and sides as linished , like a brushed finish . And use countersunk stainless hex screws and stainless inserts in the neck itself , anything better is a one piece through neck design .
Dylan, Gibson used Nylon 6/6 for nuts in the Fifties until around 1964. The up side to the Nylon 6/6 is that it is somewhat self- lubricating. The reason Gibson went to Nylon saddles in 1960 was they got complaints that their guitars were too bright sounding. They did use bone saddles for a few months in the Tune-O-Matic’s before the Nylon was made. The down side of Nylon saddles is it’s slightly darker than brass saddles. The German company ABM/Muller makes some wonderful Bell Brass T-o-M bridges and Stoptails that increase the resonance of your guitar.
finally my local shop is selling Graphtech TUSQ XL white nuts for Yamaha Pacifica! (Ive got 5 Yamahas...)🤓 I have one original plastic spare and a black Tusq XL, now ordered two white Tusq XLs, perfect measurements!! I tune very low with 9-sets so I think Ive got nuts for life!!!!! ( same goes for frets! and I use DUNLOP 65 String Cleaner/Conditioner for the strings, and its also good for fret polishing after the string handling!🤓
I bought a used squire Jazz Bass and it had a semi hollow plastic nut I replaced it with bleached bone nut blank and it made a difference if vibration flowing throughout the body
I use bone for non-vibrato guitars like my Gibsons, and on my some of my older vintage acoustics. I definitely prefer tusq or graphite for any vibrato bridge equipped guitar. I like the way bone looks and enjoy its varying striations on my Les Pauls, etc. Bone certainly is porous and not as consistent as man made materials but that's why I still dig it on non-vibrato bridge instruments. There's a very good reason why Bob Taylor uses tusq, and PRS graphite like our man Dylan tells us-function and consistency!
I agree with you on the "if it ain't broke don't fix it thing " I just wonder if all the debate is genuine or, peer pressure or old fashioned snobbery Guess the debates will continue on every little minutiae
Dylan, about a year and a half ago, I got a pawnshop prize called a Peavey Raptor Plus EXP. This is a really cheap Strat-oid that had a worn-out plastic nut when I got it. I made one miss and one hit when buying its replacement. I measured incorrectly and got some cheap bone nuts that turned out to be to short to get the strings' action right. I measured better the second time, and was able to get a properly-sized nut at my local Guitar Center. The replacement was graphite and fit so well that I didn't dare remove it after the test fit for fear I'd break it! Needless to say, tuning stability was a challenged under these conditions, but I've used a number of tricks that have worked together well enough that I don't feel the need to spare the vibrato. There was a small difference in sustain and tone after the replacement, but I wouldn't say that the difference was particularly important. Getting the new nut did, however, prepare the axe for a fret job, and that DID make a particularly important difference in sustain and tone. After that, I let the nut "wear in" for a while. That plus the many other things I did to that guitar have made that guitar a monster!😎 You're right when you say that many things come together to create a guitar's tone and sustain. Many things work well as nut materials, which is good as it's simpler: Get one of the good nut materials, fit and cut it well, and you'll have something.😎❤️️🎸‼️
I changed all my plastic nuts on Gibson-style headstocks with Tusq as well as added a string butler to each one (about $50 - $70 per guitar depending on options). Cannot speak to whether or not the tone is any different, my primary gripe was the inability to stay in tune after doing a full bend, especially on the G and B strings. The 2 with Bigsby's still need graphite-coated bridge saddles to help fix this problem. Basically a bad headstock design by Gibson, otherwise I love these instruments. Another reason to build your own or buy used and then upgrade.
If it was previously a corian or micarta nut it probably sounds the same as tusk or bone. The expensive Heritage guitars use corian nuts so I assume it’s probably a good material
I could've sworn I posted this already but here it is anyway. I replaced the nut on my first guitar, a Silvertone SS10 strat clone, because low E was cut too low and I thought it was plastic. Turns out it was exactly the same as what I replaced it with, a GraphTech Black Tusq XL nut. I only figured that out about a week ago and I changed the nut about 3 months ago.
One other consideration is a ZERO nut, which uses a thin piece of slotted, bone nut only used for the string spacing, and half a thickness of fretwire, which I have installed one in a Tele, and must say am very pleased. Kit comes with a few different fretwire heights to choose from. Very little difference in sound from an open chord to a fretted chord or note.
I agree that if it is working, leave it alone. That said when I make nuts (fairly often) I use camel bone. It is a very good material and finishes well. It is more about getting the slots cut correctly and getting it smooth and polished. I use the polishing cord that StewMac sells for the slots after I cut them. Nut goes through the same sanding and polishing procedure that I use on my guitar finish. When I am done it looks more like glass than bone. It is a fair amount of work but I get years of trouble free performance. Not sure how many years as I have not replaced one yet.
Germans like 0 frets. There are some tuning advantages. However, you will need to replace it more often than tusq/bone materials. We are still talking about 10+ years between re-fretting the zero fret (Brian May of the Queens didn't re-fret it for nearly 40 years!) if you are playing a lot....
My concern on zero frets were, that they are worn out faster as the frets. Because they get stringvibration and grind every single note played on that string. Even very slightly, but constantly. A stainless steel zero fret would prevent that, seems a good solution.
Yes, good question. I do know that Vigier now uses a sectional zero fret for easier sectional replacement as needed for a certain area if wear occurs, for one. Superb guitars those Vigiers.
I took the nut out of my player series Strat 2 days ago. It fell to pieces the second I tried to pull it out. It was only about 18 months old but I'm glad I replaced it. My 2008 MIM strat had stronger material than the player series. It was 12 years old when I changed it and it managed to come out in only 2 pieces.
03/16/2020: Hi Dylon. I am a beginner guitar player, and watch your videos. I love that you are on the road in your mobile home and still teaching. Would you mind telling your viewers where you are at each time you move? Such as what state and name of the lake in this video? Oh, it would be cool to do a fast camera scan of the area too ... anyway, I love your videos! Tom, in Orlando Florida (74 years old retired LEO).
Dylan you come off as up beat, very happy, and totally rejuvenated. You must have lowered your stress and it's obvious you love the new lifestyle. Good for you man.
lol. I'm pretty low stress normally. I go through phases where the online audience affects me. The PRS fanboys got me a bit annoyed.... I'm over it lol.
@@DylanTalksTone , I wasn't implying something was off with you, you just seem to have something extra now. I'm with you 100% on PRS. I'm excited to see the lace sensor dissection. You rock, I love the content.
I got cheap guitars with an average light plastic nuts. On electric - I replaced with brass - on acoustic I replaced with bone. They are bigger sounding and more musical to my ear. Tusq would be fine - however I found that bone blank is cheaper - and I did not have a problem with unevenness.
I think the light plastic is fine like the corian and micrata types. As long as they are durable and not fragile, plastic is probably great in its own different way.
"Tusq and bone you can't tell the difference really". Well, I know I can't. That's why I've been using Tusq lately. I can't hear the difference, don't have to deal with the stink, they come in pre-slotted and pre-shaped sizes for most common guitars (which really cuts down on the work), and are self lubricating. It's a no brainer.
Yes sir, we are living in the A.D. period too, if I am not mistaken. Still, some folks are fond of the "paleo" nuts for whatever reasons. Does bone even last longer(?) I just today was wondering?
TUSQ is not self lubricating, it needs to be “TUSQ XL” or “Black TUSQ XL” in order to provide the lubrication - these are the *only* “models”/materials that actually have PTFE (Teflon) impregnated into its polymers Just a pro tip is all 👍 Cheers
My 2004 Squier Stratocaster I am finally going to learn to play and the original nut was always horrible. I got Graphtech to tell me which one is a drop in replacement, but I don't know what height to make the bottom of the slots to the top of the first fret as? Once I get that done I can do the rest of the adjustments as I have the tools for that arriving tomorrow but the nut height I can't get a definite answer too. I know the TusQ XL 5010 is about 3-3.4mm taller and 2mm wider but the rest is drop in replacement. I don't want to have to touch the slots at all and they said I don't need to but what height?
Cool video, my favorite is the graphtech guitar nut, it just sounds the best to my ears. My second favorite is the brass guitar nut, it rings louder unplugged and brightens up the sound a bit. Deez are the nutz!
One suggestion I would make is that when you put new strings on don't stretch them with them laying in the nut slot. Especially the wound strings. The plain strings won't saw into soft nut material like the wound strings will, What I do is put my left index finger under the string and with my right hand I stretch the string from the middle tuning it as close to pitch as you can without putting it in the nut slot. Dylan is 100% correct. The minute you put your fingertip meat in a note your finger functionally becomes the nut and takes the guitar's nut out of the equation.
I put a black graphite nut on a Squier Telecaster and it sounds amazing , the rhythms sound is real warm and the leads really scream out but that's the only guitar I ever had one installed on . Now that have the time and money plan to install more on the rest of my other guitars .
I just installed brass neck nut, brass saddle, and brass pins on my Martin. However, it is thought to file and adjust brass compared from plastic, bone or graphite nuts. I do recommend doing this if you really like to make your acoustic more brighter and add more sustain but it is definitely a pain work with brass. On my electric guitars I always use graphite nut and I never have a problem. It does helps to lubricare your strings tension, keeps in tune your guitar longer than other nuts. Definitely recommend to use graphite on the electric guitars. Good topic and discussion Dylan. Keep it up!
There are 2 things that change the tone/sound via the nut given it is slotted properly. 1. Contact. How much contact the nut makes in the neck slot and how much contact with the string. 2. Brass. All standard nut materials basically sound the same except for brass. **This only applies for nuts and is not true for bridge saddles especially those with undersaddle piezos! For most of my personal guitars I make my own guitar nuts from brass.
I know you said acoustic guitars are different, but for what it's worth I used to have a Taylor K14c that came stock with a plastic nut I believe. I sent it back to the factory once for them to add electronics and a bone nut to it, and I can tell you the bone made a huge difference in tone. It made the guitar much more "alive" sounding and a bit brighter, stronger. I loved it.
On electric, you’re 100% right; it’s about the function. Tusq/graphite for keeping the strings from binding, & if plastic is working, no need to change. On acoustic, though, I upgraded my ultra-cheapo acoustic’s stock plastic saddle/nut to bone & it made a gigantic difference in tone. Night & day! Instantly sounds like an expensive guitar. Blew me away.
Tusq is best. Have had guitars sit around for years without any lubrication, restring it - still smooth as silk when tuning and that's what matters in my opinion. It's all about tuning stability.
"If it works, then forget about it" total antithesis of the vintage tone freak, but so true. I have a Classic Vibe '60s Strat with a bone nut and it stays in tune beautifully. The only nitpick I have with it is the saddles and their height adjustment screws. Other than that, it's a great guitar, snobs be damned! I've replaced the pups 'cause my music room is SUPER noisy, with what I won't say, 'cause you don't like 'em, but they work for me so far (replaced before I found your site, I wouldn't have bought them if I'd seen your review of them). Keep up the good work, science beats 'mojo' every day. :)
I remember I changed the nut on my Epiphone Les Paul Zakk Wylde, from the stock plastic to a Tusq and what a difference. The sound is much more transparent and crisp. The sound was actually quite different for mine. Especially when you do artificial harmonics (pinch harmonics) they seem to leap off the fretboard. I couldn't believe the difference. I've always been wanting to do a roller nut.
@@lone-wolf-1 yeah I can see that. Their was another UA-camr that swore by them, he use to be a touring tech of sorts. I can't remember his name , but I can probably dig it up. His theories make sense too, it was more about letting the strings move freely and return to zero again without catching or hanging up .
Coincidently, I'm just about to finish re-fretting my 20yr old strat neck, and I'm going to use a Graph Tech nut on it too. Never tried them before, but I'm glad to hear that you recommend them.
As far as the bone nut density theory is concerned I have to disagree. The type of bone used for nuts is more like a fibrous yet somewhat brittle hardwood (think hard maple). The nuts are going to be cut in line with the fibers of the bone so the long side of the nut will be with the grain as opposed to against the grain. The density should be pretty consistent throughout.
I absolutely agree with you. I had a plastic nut on one guitar, it broke while changing strings, although it served it's purpose for more than ten years on that cheap Strat type guitar, no intonation, tuning or buzzing problems. Since it's a tremolo guitar, I replaced it with a graphite nut, and I can say as well - it might be the best solution for guitars with tremolo, there are no problems with guitar staying in tune, it lubricates itself and is very sturdy! Absolutely worst experience I had with bone nuts, they are so uneven and inconsistent, it is only for "authentic guitar purists", as I think all modern technology surpassed what people had to use before - they didn't have a better choice than bone. Plus using animal products is unnecessary nowadays. I have a guitar with bone nut that couldn't stay in tune because the high E end of it was just too soft. I am about to replace this nut soon with a graphite one, although now I am considering to try brass one, since it is the only one I never tried!
I had a broken plastic nut in my Epiphone Les Paul Special and replaced it with bone. It was a pain to file and sand it and I was lucky the material was uniform. Next time I replace a nut, it will be Graph Tech TUSQ
I am fortunate enough to have a custom guitar with brass bridge saddle & nut. The 'ping' 'life' 'liveliness' it has even with strings that are well played-in is amazing. Brass is the bees knees lizards gizzards & ducks nuts! Try brass nut & saddle / bridge, you'll never go back if rock's your bag.
Just picked up replacement nuts for my 2 Squiers(2000 and 2007 models). First one was cut wrong but was solid plastic. Second one was cut correctly but was semi hollow. Both were white...which I didn't like. So, bought two black Tusq XL with the string trees. I really like the looks of the black with my guitars. Tone?....I haven't had them on long enough to tell a difference. But, doubt it is too significant. Thanks for the video!
I didn't know this was still a topic of contention. Even Dan Erlewine uses Tusq almost exclusively for repairs on the best instruments. From what I understand, Tusq is impregnated with PTFE, which is the slipperiest substance known to man. I think they sound better than anything I've tried. I also have an American Select Strat with the LSR roller nut, which is spring loaded stainless bearings. Bright tone, but it matches well with the darker humbucker. I love that guitar too, it never goes out of tune.
There's another reason for choice of nut material: I put a brass nut on my Bullet just to match color with the rest of the "gold tone" metal parts I've installed.
Great episode...A good nut can make the diference. I bought and installed temporari a graph tech tusq nut (without pfte impregnated) in my strat. and at time i bought a graph tech xl tusq nut (with pfte impregnated).. Never have installed the nut with pfte.. Tusq nut (without pfte) works perfect for me. ahh i can listen a diference on tone between a bad plastic and a tusk or bone nut...more in acoustic guitars... for me afected the tone, and more the functionallity obiously..
3:05 good point 4:39 based on your experience or some studies? To remember: 4:47 - the problem is that cheap guitars comes with cheap palstic ABS, not desne, and soemtiems even nhollow.
Thinking about energy between the saddle and upper bridge..I mean nut..that's a great way to think about it. Any noise like fret buzz or string noise near the tuners or saddles is lost energy..that's a great visualization!
Good video. On my electrics (strat, tele & Les Paul custom) I use tusq nuts (string trees & saddles as well) and couldn’t be happier with it. All stay in tune very well, harmonics and everything is superb.
A good plastic nut will suffice for my style and choice of tonewoods. I think a solid plastic nut can give a warmth to open notes, compared to other options.
Totally not surprised that a good quality plastic nut is indistinguishable in playing compared to a bone nut. Makes total sense. String gauge and pickups are going to be far more important. But dang, if people will just tune properly, and take some lessons, that would have a far bigger effect! :)
I'm very particular about nuts. I don't like old nuts, because they usually have a stink to them (probably could be washed?). I'm not particularly fond of black nuts (prefer white). I definitely can't stand when nuts hang out too much, either. Personally, I get compliments all the time about my nuts. People say they're smooth to the touch and their hands never catch on them when they're running their hands up and down. My nuts are the best.
About nut material. As has already been covered, the strings on a guitar need to be fretted for it to make melody and chords. To be played. Once a string is fretted it takes the nut out of the equation which really makes nut material a moot point. My 2¢ for what it's worth.
The only rule i follow is use only what you can afford .Whatever others say doesnt matter if you cant afford it.But Synthetic bone PPS works fine for me .
I'm surprised people are finding nut wear issues, I'm a locking tuner and floating two-point guy and really push the boundaries of what I can get away with. I usually use bone, because it sounds great and I've not had wear issues. But I've not had wear issues with anything else.
I have a hatred of the cheap black plastic ibanez are using are using on their midrange Indonesian (Cor-tek?) models. It goes fluffy when you try to cut it down from the top so it's a pain to fettle properly, and it sounds way dark compared to bone, brass or hardened steel Floyd clamp. Same stuff is in my Samick made Aria. I don't know what's in my squier (cor-tek) Jazzmaster but it's thin enough and cut well enough to have not offended me yet. The really hard and brittle black plastic Gibson are using is nice. Is that a tusq? I had some graphtec saddles on a strat I bought back in 2003 and they are incredibly dark, unusably so. I know we're talking nuts but I had 10 years of not playing the guitar much untill I put some steel saddles back on it.
I got a neck with a hallow plastic on it. Finally got around to making an axe master nut fit. Made a huge difference. I've changed solid plastics for synthetic bone (whatever that is really) that tinkled better than plastic and also made a difference in holding the energy. I have two with graphite and are good. Bought a tusk but haven't tried it yet.
I’ve def put graphite nuts in guitars with tremolo’s and appreciated the increased tuning stability. The nut in my PRS S2 is some proprietary graphite nut and the timing is spot on 100% with its trem system. My PRS Angelus has a bone nut and I had it slotted and set up correctly and it’s beautiful and lush. I did swap out the plastic bridge pins for a set of Tusq bins and it seemed to brighten or add some sparkle to the guitar. I agree with Dylan that most well-made guitars are tuned/setup for the material that suits them best.
Put a tusq nut in my les Paul and it helped with the tuning a million percent...and I agree...I can’t hear any “tone” difference...use what works the best....and it has to be cut correctly
Interestingly, on orchestral string instruments the hut is a piece of ebony, same as the fret board... excuse me... that would be finger board. ON those instruments I think it would really matter for tone if the nut was not the same as the fret b... man, I keep wanting to say fret board... finger board. But that's because of how we play those instrument, resorting a lot more to open strings than when we play a solo on a guitar. Although it could be argued that an open string does not produce the same tone as string that is pinched down onto a flat ebony surface by a soft finger.
I appreciate your comments about bone and tusq. I recently had a set-up done on my acoustic with tusq nut and saddle. We replaced the tusq saddle with bone because the treble e was cutting into the tusq. Maybe I will have the same problem with bone.
I use 12-60 strings on my strat and 11-56 on my SG and Flying V. I was leaning towards bone nuts but thinking about you comment on bone being porous I wonder if heavier gauge strings would actually wear that material down quicker. Really interesting video, I was definitely one of the bone fanatics but now that your comments have got me thinking about the reality of the materials I am starting to think otherwise.
Thanks Dylan. I was waiting for this one....So a guitar has strings resting between a bridge(saddles) and a nut. In between those 2 points are 22-24 other Nuts called “frets”. Unless I’m playing “A Horse With no Name” all day I am doing 98% of the playing between the frets and a bridge. So my choice for a guitar nut rests on reliability. Tusq and graphite are my favorite.
To me brass nuts with a self adjustable screw per string is the Holy Grail and moreover it sounds great. If you don't have any luthier skills, it's very easy to setup... believe me or nut!
I bought this Glarry 335 copy cause it was sharp and cheap. When I got it the nut was so high which I expected so I grabbed a Tusq replacement that I had laying around. To my surprise the Glarry was bone. I had to sand the bottom and square the nut ledge but I was surprised at how easy it was to work with verses cheap plastic. I was also shocked at how good those cheap guitars can be with a little work and a few new parts.
I used to put Mother of Pearl nut on cheap strat , i felt it bring out some brilliance tone and brighten up open strings , pretty nice , wanna try put it on Fender someday
I have a lot of electrics and I don't notice a major difference in materials except the cheap plastic. On a DIY kit strat I had it had plastic until I replaced it with graphite, but it broke, then I either got tusq or bone and it's held up great. Other guitars I can't tell you what it is but I'm curious about using metal material for longevity sake. However after hearing this I might be better off with tusq.
These are the Nut files I use for those that were asking during the premeire amzn.to/2IS9JoQ
I love how you really break down these topics. In the modern time full of connectivity and information it’s a lot easier to gain a huge perspective and start overlapping that experience to form actual truth and dispel myth. Great job Dylan.
A couple of weeks ago, my guitar tutor was swapping between bone, tusq and plastic as part of his ever ongoing quest of tone. Having heard the 3 of them I can say that the bone was the worst, it sounded very dull. TUSQ was pretty good but it had a bit too much high frequencies and the plastic one was the most balanced of the three. That's my personal experience with nut material.
I’m a fan of bone and tusq but I have to admit my micarta nut on one of my guitars is fantastic. Gorgeous nut
I always wonder why zero frets, brass, or some kind of metallic material isnt more popular because of the fact that open strings definately sound different than fretted strings.
I am not an expert, I think zero fret is on the same level as the rest of the frets, and it can wear off faster than the rest of the frets, and when it wears just a little bit the string will be behind the first fret. I don't know, I think fret is harder to replace and it would wear off faster.
The nut has little more space for wearing off and made of elastic materials. But on the other hand zero fret would sound the same as all other frets.
I had few brass nuts and they have sounded similar to the rest of the frets, but they wear off really fast. Like G goes quickly under the first fret.
@bro Cetta good answer to a question I was thinking of asking. But, would a stainless steel zero fret solve or at least help with that?
A difference in response from an open string could be a good thing.
@@michaelcottle6270 I don't have any experience with it. Maybe someone experienced as Dylan could tell. It can be more durable. I like the idea of the zero fret because it solves the problem of sharp notes at first few frets. But if the nut is well made it can be good without sharp notes. One solution is compensated nut.
@@andymellor9056 I agree, it is good to try different types and decide what most suits you best.
I make bone nuts for all of my guitars. Solid, very dense, air dried. I have been making bone nuts for my guitars for about 30 years. I also make compensated bone bridges for my acoustics.
thing is...even the weakest part of a bone nut should be denser than any piece of tusq or plastic. also, bone looks and feels beautiful from an aesthetic pov
I got a bone nut put on my Squire P bass. The repair man did a good job and it looks more elegant than the original stock bone nut.
I’m also getting a bone nut for my Epiphone to replace the Corian nut. It probably might not make a difference but I like that hand carved bone vibe mojo. It’s the idea of something custom made for me.
Ive used about every nut material from actual ivory (vintage martin still had the original nut), to titanium, and even wood nuts. They all sound different whether its mild or extreme, but my favorite is tusq cause it sounds super close to bone but is more stable. Titanium nuts are cool too cause they basically never wear down, and there adjustable. Nylon nuts can be good if cut right and lubricated properly. Which is really the best is hard to say, because its entirely personal preference. I like graphtech tusq cause it takes forever to wear down, and it self lubricates.
I like them all. Lately I’ve been enjoying a nut made out of micarta. Gorgeous nut
When I was working as a product design engineer, I used a plastic called Ryton PPS (polyphenylene sulfide). I chose it because the application required it to retain its strength at temperatures around 300°F or so. One of its characteristics was that if you dropped a sample on a desk it would 'ring' almost like glass. I've always wondered how it would do as a guitar nut (or saddle on an acoustic guitar), since it was so hard and resonant. Don't know about lubricity though. It was a relatively expensive plastic and needed properly controlled processing to get its best performance.
That's the new business, in the tone world, we need! That stuff is like $400 for a 12x24x0.25 piece...
Thanks, Dylan. You are a voice of reason in a fanatical tone world. I keep asking, though, what is the deal with triple coil pickups? How does the third coil affect the hum factor?
One of my favourite guitars is my jcx strat copy, I've had it 12 years and it was my first electric guitar, it still has the original plastic nut and plays great, I also have an 80s strat copy with what looks like the original plastic nut which also plays/sounds great, it also has the original p'ups and a plywood body! It's my main gigging guitar too :)
Love the nylon nuts on the gibson customs.
good point on the variety of density in bone. I cut my blanks from actual bones I get from the butcher. A lot of that raw material consists of spungy, fat containing bone. and yes, dense bone blanks don't need to be coloured white, they are white.
This guy knows plenty and shares it. Got to hand it to him.
Thanks
All good comments on nuts Dylan. We had an old luthier who taught me to make a nut at age 13, in 1969, and it turned out to be ivory. Obviously illegal today , and I had a Fender Heavy pick made of ivory. Both great but wrong in a moral sense.
Being an igorant kid i just bought what i thought was best at the time.
I enjoyed this video and would've liked to see the guitar - looks like a shade of Mahogany like I'm building a Les Paul jr. out of ATM.
Good advice on nuts. Cheers. Terry from Oz.
An ivory nut would be great if it’s an old stock from a 100 years ago before the problems
I wore out a cheap plastic nut on a $300 bass in like a year. Every string change my action was lower lol
I do not use bone unless it's a restoration. The reason I don't use bone is you must ask if the person is concerned about using animal material . I make brass and aluminium ( from 6082T6) use Tusq or graphite depending on how the guitar is set up . I like working brass , it's also a self lubricating alloy which is why it's used for plain bearings with steel shafts , and will use brass if there is gold hardware on the guitar . It's available in 3mm flat for metric Srat types and 1/8" flat for Imperial or US Strat types . As is aluminium and also in 3/16" and 5mm flat thicknesses for everything else . I will use brass on bass guitars purely for tone reasons . It's like adding a whole pile of missing frequencies to a really woollen sound . Aluminium is great as the engineer grades are tough and nice to work light and polished look great with nickel or even chrome plated hardware . I've no idea what grade of alloy was used on an original Danelectro but certainly the 6082 T6 is another tone generator and I'm guessing this may have been the single most expensive thing to make for the Dano guitars by weight . Shape it , slot it , and drill a hole in it for fixing before adjusting for height . That is a job , but they sound great ! Stainless steel I have not tried as all of it is difficult to work and the stuff that is available in flat is usually quite rough in finish , which means every face needs polishing. I have used it for neck plates on bolt on necks and left the edges and sides as linished , like a brushed finish . And use countersunk stainless hex screws and stainless inserts in the neck itself , anything better is a one piece through neck design .
Dylan, Gibson used Nylon 6/6 for nuts in the Fifties until around 1964. The up side to the Nylon 6/6 is that it is somewhat self- lubricating. The reason Gibson went to Nylon saddles in 1960 was they got complaints that their guitars were too bright sounding. They did use bone saddles for a few months in the Tune-O-Matic’s before the Nylon was made. The down side of Nylon saddles is it’s slightly darker than brass saddles. The German company ABM/Muller makes some wonderful Bell Brass T-o-M bridges and Stoptails that increase the resonance of your guitar.
"Keep it below PG13 tho, we're talking about nuts here", nice pun LOL
finally my local shop is selling Graphtech TUSQ XL white nuts for Yamaha Pacifica! (Ive got 5 Yamahas...)🤓
I have one original plastic spare and a black Tusq XL, now ordered two white Tusq XLs, perfect measurements!!
I tune very low with 9-sets so I think Ive got nuts for life!!!!! ( same goes for frets! and I use DUNLOP 65 String Cleaner/Conditioner for the strings, and its also good for fret polishing after the string handling!🤓
I bought a used squire Jazz Bass and it had a semi hollow plastic nut I replaced it with bleached bone nut blank and it made a difference if vibration flowing throughout the body
I use bone for non-vibrato guitars like my Gibsons, and on my some of my older vintage acoustics. I definitely prefer tusq or graphite for any vibrato bridge equipped guitar. I like the way bone looks and enjoy its varying striations on my Les Pauls, etc. Bone certainly is porous and not as consistent as man made materials but that's why I still dig it on non-vibrato bridge instruments. There's a very good reason why Bob Taylor uses tusq, and PRS graphite like our man Dylan tells us-function and consistency!
I was going to change my nut on my MIM Players strat for the hell of it. I guess not.
Thanks!
I agree with you on the "if it ain't broke don't fix it thing "
I just wonder if all the debate is genuine or, peer pressure or old fashioned snobbery
Guess the debates will continue on every little minutiae
Mostly snake oil based on myth with no blind testing or testing that has any measurable, usable, or actual value.
Dylan, about a year and a half ago, I got a pawnshop prize called a Peavey Raptor Plus EXP. This is a really cheap Strat-oid that had a worn-out plastic nut when I got it. I made one miss and one hit when buying its replacement. I measured incorrectly and got some cheap bone nuts that turned out to be to short to get the strings' action right. I measured better the second time, and was able to get a properly-sized nut at my local Guitar Center. The replacement was graphite and fit so well that I didn't dare remove it after the test fit for fear I'd break it! Needless to say, tuning stability was a challenged under these conditions, but I've used a number of tricks that have worked together well enough that I don't feel the need to spare the vibrato. There was a small difference in sustain and tone after the replacement, but I wouldn't say that the difference was particularly important. Getting the new nut did, however, prepare the axe for a fret job, and that DID make a particularly important difference in sustain and tone. After that, I let the nut "wear in" for a while. That plus the many other things I did to that guitar have made that guitar a monster!😎
You're right when you say that many things come together to create a guitar's tone and sustain. Many things work well as nut materials, which is good as it's simpler: Get one of the good nut materials, fit and cut it well, and you'll have something.😎❤️️🎸‼️
I changed all my plastic nuts on Gibson-style headstocks with Tusq as well as added a string butler to each one (about $50 - $70 per guitar depending on options). Cannot speak to whether or not the tone is any different, my primary gripe was the inability to stay in tune after doing a full bend, especially on the G and B strings. The 2 with Bigsby's still need graphite-coated bridge saddles to help fix this problem. Basically a bad headstock design by Gibson, otherwise I love these instruments. Another reason to build your own or buy used and then upgrade.
If it was previously a corian or micarta nut it probably sounds the same as tusk or bone. The expensive Heritage guitars use corian nuts so I assume it’s probably a good material
thanks for the little sit down on nuts
I could've sworn I posted this already but here it is anyway. I replaced the nut on my first guitar, a Silvertone SS10 strat clone, because low E was cut too low and I thought it was plastic. Turns out it was exactly the same as what I replaced it with, a GraphTech Black Tusq XL nut. I only figured that out about a week ago and I changed the nut about 3 months ago.
I really noticed the diference when I changed my cheap plastic nut to bone, like a lot.
One other consideration is a ZERO nut, which uses a thin piece of slotted, bone nut only used for the string spacing, and half a thickness of fretwire, which I have installed one in a Tele, and must say am very pleased. Kit comes with a few different fretwire heights to choose from. Very little difference in sound from an open chord to a fretted chord or note.
I agree that if it is working, leave it alone. That said when I make nuts (fairly often) I use camel bone. It is a very good material and finishes well. It is more about getting the slots cut correctly and getting it smooth and polished. I use the polishing cord that StewMac sells for the slots after I cut them. Nut goes through the same sanding and polishing procedure that I use on my guitar finish. When I am done it looks more like glass than bone.
It is a fair amount of work but I get years of trouble free performance. Not sure how many years as I have not replaced one yet.
This got me thinking, what are your thoughts on zero frets?
I also got the same thought about a zero fret so that all notes on the guitar has a fretted sound.
Germans like 0 frets. There are some tuning advantages. However, you will need to replace it more often than tusq/bone materials. We are still talking about 10+ years between re-fretting the zero fret (Brian May of the Queens didn't re-fret it for nearly 40 years!) if you are playing a lot....
I've built a few guitars with stainless steel 0 frets. It's my favored design.
My concern on zero frets were, that they are worn out faster as the frets. Because they get stringvibration and grind every single note played on that string. Even very slightly, but constantly. A stainless steel zero fret would prevent that, seems a good solution.
Yes, good question. I do know that Vigier now uses a sectional zero fret for easier sectional replacement as needed for a certain area if wear occurs, for one. Superb guitars those Vigiers.
TUSQ is definitely the way to go for me.
'Lubed nuts lets your mojo move more freely." -Captain Obvious. "Nuts"-General Patton's reply for surrender.
General Anthony McCaulife said nuts not Payton.
Ah yes, good catch, well corrected, and definitely NOT "Payton" either.@@leonardkrasner5811
I took the nut out of my player series Strat 2 days ago. It fell to pieces the second I tried to pull it out. It was only about 18 months old but I'm glad I replaced it. My 2008 MIM strat had stronger material than the player series. It was 12 years old when I changed it and it managed to come out in only 2 pieces.
03/16/2020: Hi Dylon. I am a beginner guitar player, and watch your videos. I love that you are on the road in your mobile home and still teaching. Would you mind telling your viewers where you are at each time you move? Such as what state and name of the lake in this video? Oh, it would be cool to do a fast camera scan of the area too ... anyway, I love your videos! Tom, in Orlando Florida (74 years old retired LEO).
Dylan you come off as up beat, very happy, and totally rejuvenated. You must have lowered your stress and it's obvious you love the new lifestyle. Good for you man.
lol. I'm pretty low stress normally. I go through phases where the online audience affects me. The PRS fanboys got me a bit annoyed.... I'm over it lol.
@@DylanTalksTone , I wasn't implying something was off with you, you just seem to have something extra now.
I'm with you 100% on PRS. I'm excited to see the lace sensor dissection.
You rock, I love the content.
I got cheap guitars with an average light plastic nuts. On electric - I replaced with brass - on acoustic I replaced with bone. They are bigger sounding and more musical to my ear. Tusq would be fine - however I found that bone blank is cheaper - and I did not have a problem with unevenness.
I think the light plastic is fine like the corian and micrata types. As long as they are durable and not fragile, plastic is probably great in its own different way.
"Tusq and bone you can't tell the difference really". Well, I know I can't. That's why I've been using Tusq lately. I can't hear the difference, don't have to deal with the stink, they come in pre-slotted and pre-shaped sizes for most common guitars (which really cuts down on the work), and are self lubricating. It's a no brainer.
These are exactly the reasons I use TUSQ nuts and recommend them to my customers.
Yes sir, we are living in the A.D. period too, if I am not mistaken. Still, some folks are fond of the "paleo" nuts for whatever reasons. Does bone even last longer(?) I just today was wondering?
TUSQ is not self lubricating, it needs to be “TUSQ XL” or “Black TUSQ XL” in order to provide the lubrication - these are the *only* “models”/materials that actually have PTFE (Teflon) impregnated into its polymers
Just a pro tip is all 👍
Cheers
@Club Soda From a grave?
My 2004 Squier Stratocaster I am finally going to learn to play and the original nut was always horrible. I got Graphtech to tell me which one is a drop in replacement, but I don't know what height to make the bottom of the slots to the top of the first fret as? Once I get that done I can do the rest of the adjustments as I have the tools for that arriving tomorrow but the nut height I can't get a definite answer too. I know the TusQ XL 5010 is about 3-3.4mm taller and 2mm wider but the rest is drop in replacement. I don't want to have to touch the slots at all and they said I don't need to but what height?
Cool video, my favorite is the graphtech guitar nut, it just sounds the best to my ears. My second favorite is the brass guitar nut, it rings louder unplugged and brightens up the sound a bit. Deez are the nutz!
One suggestion I would make is that when you put new strings on don't stretch them with them laying in the nut slot. Especially the wound strings. The plain strings won't saw into soft nut material like the wound strings will,
What I do is put my left index finger under the string and with my right hand I stretch the string from the middle tuning it as close to pitch as you can without putting it in the nut slot.
Dylan is 100% correct. The minute you put your fingertip meat in a note your finger functionally becomes the nut and takes the guitar's nut out of the equation.
I put a black graphite nut on a Squier Telecaster and it sounds amazing , the rhythms sound is real warm and the leads really scream out but that's the only guitar I ever had one installed on . Now that have the time and money plan to install more on the rest of my other guitars .
I just installed brass neck nut, brass saddle, and brass pins on my Martin. However, it is thought to file and adjust brass compared from plastic, bone or graphite nuts. I do recommend doing this if you really like to make your acoustic more brighter and add more sustain but it is definitely a pain work with brass. On my electric guitars I always use graphite nut and I never have a problem. It does helps to lubricare your strings tension, keeps in tune your guitar longer than other nuts. Definitely recommend to use graphite on the electric guitars. Good topic and discussion Dylan. Keep it up!
There are 2 things that change the tone/sound via the nut given it is slotted properly. 1. Contact. How much contact the nut makes in the neck slot and how much contact with the string.
2. Brass. All standard nut materials basically sound the same except for brass. **This only applies for nuts and is not true for bridge saddles especially those with undersaddle piezos!
For most of my personal guitars I make my own guitar nuts from brass.
I know you said acoustic guitars are different, but for what it's worth I used to have a Taylor K14c that came stock with a plastic nut I believe. I sent it back to the factory once for them to add electronics and a bone nut to it, and I can tell you the bone made a huge difference in tone. It made the guitar much more "alive" sounding and a bit brighter, stronger. I loved it.
On electric, you’re 100% right; it’s about the function. Tusq/graphite for keeping the strings from binding, & if plastic is working, no need to change. On acoustic, though, I upgraded my ultra-cheapo acoustic’s stock plastic saddle/nut to bone & it made a gigantic difference in tone. Night & day! Instantly sounds like an expensive guitar. Blew me away.
David Paul
If the difference was hearable on the acoustic, there should be definitely be a difference on the electrics also😉
Tusq is best. Have had guitars sit around for years without any lubrication, restring it - still smooth as silk when tuning and that's what matters in my opinion. It's all about tuning stability.
"If it works, then forget about it" total antithesis of the vintage tone freak, but so true. I have a Classic Vibe '60s Strat with a bone nut and it stays in tune beautifully. The only nitpick I have with it is the saddles and their height adjustment screws.
Other than that, it's a great guitar, snobs be damned! I've replaced the pups 'cause my music room is SUPER noisy, with what I won't say, 'cause you don't like 'em, but they work for me so far (replaced before I found your site, I wouldn't have bought them if I'd seen your review of them).
Keep up the good work, science beats 'mojo' every day. :)
I've used deer antler, worked really well, antler is used for bridges on violins or so I've heard
I remember I changed the nut on my Epiphone Les Paul Zakk Wylde, from the stock plastic to a Tusq and what a difference. The sound is much more transparent and crisp. The sound was actually quite different for mine. Especially when you do artificial harmonics (pinch harmonics) they seem to leap off the fretboard. I couldn't believe the difference.
I've always been wanting to do a roller nut.
Charles B
Had roller nuts also in mind. But cancelled, it has too many moving parts, that can cause weird ringing and buzzing😏
@@lone-wolf-1 yeah I can see that. Their was another UA-camr that swore by them, he use to be a touring tech of sorts. I can't remember his name , but I can probably dig it up. His theories make sense too, it was more about letting the strings move freely and return to zero again without catching or hanging up .
bone is cool for acoustic guitars it just sounds awesome
my nut came from the factory with the high e string cut too far down so the string is always sliding off the frets. theres a reason to get a new nut
Thank You
For That Info,
Much Appreciated.
Coincidently, I'm just about to finish re-fretting my 20yr old strat neck, and I'm going to use a Graph Tech nut on it too. Never tried them before, but I'm glad to hear that you recommend them.
I replaced the plastic nut in my fender strat with a brass nut and it was so much better than the plastic one that came out on it from the factory
As far as the bone nut density theory is concerned I have to disagree. The type of bone used for nuts is more like a fibrous yet somewhat brittle hardwood (think hard maple). The nuts are going to be cut in line with the fibers of the bone so the long side of the nut will be with the grain as opposed to against the grain. The density should be pretty consistent throughout.
I absolutely agree with you. I had a plastic nut on one guitar, it broke while changing strings, although it served it's purpose for more than ten years on that cheap Strat type guitar, no intonation, tuning or buzzing problems. Since it's a tremolo guitar, I replaced it with a graphite nut, and I can say as well - it might be the best solution for guitars with tremolo, there are no problems with guitar staying in tune, it lubricates itself and is very sturdy! Absolutely worst experience I had with bone nuts, they are so uneven and inconsistent, it is only for "authentic guitar purists", as I think all modern technology surpassed what people had to use before - they didn't have a better choice than bone. Plus using animal products is unnecessary nowadays. I have a guitar with bone nut that couldn't stay in tune because the high E end of it was just too soft. I am about to replace this nut soon with a graphite one, although now I am considering to try brass one, since it is the only one I never tried!
I had a broken plastic nut in my Epiphone Les Paul Special and replaced it with bone. It was a pain to file and sand it and I was lucky the material was uniform. Next time I replace a nut, it will be Graph Tech TUSQ
14:21 "BONE BONE BONE BONE BONE!" xD
Those are probably necromancers ._.
I am fortunate enough to have a custom guitar with brass bridge saddle & nut.
The 'ping' 'life' 'liveliness' it has even with strings that are well played-in is amazing.
Brass is the bees knees lizards gizzards & ducks nuts!
Try brass nut & saddle / bridge, you'll never go back if rock's your bag.
Just picked up replacement nuts for my 2 Squiers(2000 and 2007 models). First one was cut wrong but was solid plastic. Second one was cut correctly but was semi hollow. Both were white...which I didn't like. So, bought two black Tusq XL with the string trees. I really like the looks of the black with my guitars. Tone?....I haven't had them on long enough to tell a difference. But, doubt it is too significant. Thanks for the video!
I've replaced several nuts with Tusq pre cut ones with wider string spacing. I sanded the bottom to adjust for height and don't even own any nut saws.
Hi Dylan, The background noise from the motor boat was no problem, it was still easy to hear you.
I didn't know this was still a topic of contention. Even Dan Erlewine uses Tusq almost exclusively for repairs on the best instruments.
From what I understand, Tusq is impregnated with PTFE, which is the slipperiest substance known to man. I think they sound better than anything I've tried. I also have an American Select Strat with the LSR roller nut, which is spring loaded stainless bearings. Bright tone, but it matches well with the darker humbucker. I love that guitar too, it never goes out of tune.
There's another reason for choice of nut material: I put a brass nut on my Bullet just to match color with the rest of the "gold tone" metal parts I've installed.
Great episode...A good nut can make the diference. I bought and installed temporari a graph tech tusq nut (without pfte impregnated) in my strat. and at time i bought a graph tech xl tusq nut (with pfte impregnated).. Never have installed the nut with pfte.. Tusq nut (without pfte) works perfect for me.
ahh i can listen a diference on tone between a bad plastic and a tusk or bone nut...more in acoustic guitars... for me afected the tone, and more the functionallity obiously..
3:05 good point
4:39 based on your experience or some studies?
To remember:
4:47 - the problem is that cheap guitars comes with cheap palstic ABS, not desne, and soemtiems even nhollow.
Really valuable information for me, btw this wooden finish on telecaster looks awesome.
Thinking about energy between the saddle and upper bridge..I mean nut..that's a great way to think about it. Any noise like fret buzz or string noise near the tuners or saddles is lost energy..that's a great visualization!
Once you have chosen your prefered material, try to get the nuts made in USA. IMO the worst ones are Sugondese.
Good video. On my electrics (strat, tele & Les Paul custom) I use tusq nuts (string trees & saddles as well) and couldn’t be happier with it. All stay in tune very well, harmonics and everything is superb.
A good plastic nut will suffice for my style and choice of tonewoods.
I think a solid plastic nut can give a warmth to open notes, compared to other options.
thank u 4 the deep explanation
Totally not surprised that a good quality plastic nut is indistinguishable in playing compared to a bone nut. Makes total sense. String gauge and pickups are going to be far more important. But dang, if people will just tune properly, and take some lessons, that would have a far bigger effect! :)
I'm very particular about nuts. I don't like old nuts, because they usually have a stink to them (probably could be washed?). I'm not particularly fond of black nuts (prefer white). I definitely can't stand when nuts hang out too much, either. Personally, I get compliments all the time about my nuts. People say they're smooth to the touch and their hands never catch on them when they're running their hands up and down. My nuts are the best.
graph tech is like stewmac self defeating prices
About nut material. As has already been covered, the strings on a guitar need to be fretted for it to make melody and chords. To be played. Once a string is fretted it takes the nut out of the equation which really makes nut material a moot point.
My 2¢ for what it's worth.
The only rule i follow is use only what you can afford .Whatever others say doesnt matter if you cant afford it.But Synthetic bone PPS works fine for me .
I'm surprised people are finding nut wear issues, I'm a locking tuner and floating two-point guy and really push the boundaries of what I can get away with. I usually use bone, because it sounds great and I've not had wear issues. But I've not had wear issues with anything else.
I have a hatred of the cheap black plastic ibanez are using are using on their midrange Indonesian (Cor-tek?) models. It goes fluffy when you try to cut it down from the top so it's a pain to fettle properly, and it sounds way dark compared to bone, brass or hardened steel Floyd clamp. Same stuff is in my Samick made Aria. I don't know what's in my squier (cor-tek) Jazzmaster but it's thin enough and cut well enough to have not offended me yet.
The really hard and brittle black plastic Gibson are using is nice. Is that a tusq?
I had some graphtec saddles on a strat I bought back in 2003 and they are incredibly dark, unusably so. I know we're talking nuts but I had 10 years of not playing the guitar much untill I put some steel saddles back on it.
I agree about bone is very variable but a good one is still outlast Tusq.
glad to see u are making videos outside intead of inside lol
I got a neck with a hallow plastic on it. Finally got around to making an axe master nut fit. Made a huge difference. I've changed solid plastics for synthetic bone (whatever that is really) that tinkled better than plastic and also made a difference in holding the energy. I have two with graphite and are good. Bought a tusk but haven't tried it yet.
Big fan of high quality nuts and have upgraded. However my one guitar has a cheap micarta nut and I like it so I didn’t change it.
I’ve def put graphite nuts in guitars with tremolo’s and appreciated the increased tuning stability. The nut in my PRS S2 is some proprietary graphite nut and the timing is spot on 100% with its trem system. My PRS Angelus has a bone nut and I had it slotted and set up correctly and it’s beautiful and lush. I did swap out the plastic bridge pins for a set of Tusq bins and it seemed to brighten or add some sparkle to the guitar. I agree with Dylan that most well-made guitars are tuned/setup for the material that suits them best.
Is Corian a type of plastic?
You should include the Zeroglide in the nut comparison
Put a tusq nut in my les Paul and it helped with the tuning a million percent...and I agree...I can’t hear any “tone” difference...use what works the best....and it has to be cut correctly
I use Graphtech nuts in all my guitars 👍 great products!!
Awesome backdrop and setting for your video. Looks awesome.
Excellent video. I couldn't agree more.
Interestingly, on orchestral string instruments the hut is a piece of ebony, same as the fret board... excuse me... that would be finger board. ON those instruments I think it would really matter for tone if the nut was not the same as the fret b... man, I keep wanting to say fret board... finger board. But that's because of how we play those instrument, resorting a lot more to open strings than when we play a solo on a guitar. Although it could be argued that an open string does not produce the same tone as string that is pinched down onto a flat ebony surface by a soft finger.
Do you have a video on correctly cutting a nut?
i have now seen a couple of your videos great job very interesting
I appreciate your comments about bone and tusq. I recently had a set-up done on my acoustic with tusq nut and saddle. We replaced the tusq saddle with bone because the treble e was cutting into the tusq. Maybe I will have the same problem with bone.
thank you
I use 12-60 strings on my strat and 11-56 on my SG and Flying V.
I was leaning towards bone nuts but thinking about you comment on bone being porous I wonder if heavier gauge strings would actually wear that material down quicker.
Really interesting video, I was definitely one of the bone fanatics but now that your comments have got me thinking about the reality of the materials I am starting to think otherwise.
Thanks Dylan. I was waiting for this one....So a guitar has strings resting between a bridge(saddles) and a nut. In between those 2 points are 22-24 other Nuts called “frets”. Unless I’m playing “A Horse With no Name” all day I am doing 98% of the playing between the frets and a bridge. So my choice for a guitar nut rests on reliability. Tusq and graphite are my favorite.
To me brass nuts with a self adjustable screw per string is the Holy Grail and moreover it sounds great. If you don't have any luthier skills, it's very easy to setup... believe me or nut!
I bought this Glarry 335 copy cause it was sharp and cheap. When I got it the nut was so high which I expected so I grabbed a Tusq replacement that I had laying around. To my surprise the Glarry was bone. I had to sand the bottom and square the nut ledge but I was surprised at how easy it was to work with verses cheap plastic. I was also shocked at how good those cheap guitars can be with a little work and a few new parts.
I used to put Mother of Pearl nut on cheap strat , i felt it bring out some brilliance tone and brighten up open strings , pretty nice , wanna try put it on Fender someday
Fantastic video
I have a lot of electrics and I don't notice a major difference in materials except the cheap plastic. On a DIY kit strat I had it had plastic until I replaced it with graphite, but it broke, then I either got tusq or bone and it's held up great. Other guitars I can't tell you what it is but I'm curious about using metal material for longevity sake. However after hearing this I might be better off with tusq.
No mention of roller nuts, or adjustable?