Nut material preference?

axisus

Just knocking up my 'basic' Tele project at the moment, and I realised that the one part I have forgotten to order thus far is a nut. I was wondering what the preference for nut material is around here? 

I'm not planning on anything fancy like earvana, roller nut etc, just thinking about materials.

As it happens, I have just found a nut in the loft that I didn't even know I had - A tele shaped Brass nut - opinions on brass?

Andyjr1515

Brass is great

Funkfingers

GraphTech TUSQ, pieces of dead cow (bone), antler could be interesting.

WezV

If it plinks when dropped on a hard surface I am happy to use it.  If it plonks I won't.

TimberG

Wanted to use brass on my latest build however used bone instead, I used a roller nut and hate it 

carbon fibre?

ICBM

Bone or hard plastic (eg Corian) for preference.

I'm not a big fan of metal nuts of any kind, or soft plastic ones - including most 'graphite' nuts. Tusq is OK, although it's at the softer end of the range. I don't mind real mammoth or walrus ivory, although if it has to be a bit of dead animal I prefer bone.

But unless it's a total piece of soft moulded plastic junk (usually with spaces inside the moulding) the way it's fitted and cut is usually more important, and I will rarely change one just for the material.

gary_mac

WezV said:

If it plinks when dropped on a hard surface I am happy to use it.  If it plonks I won't.

I like this technical approach and may employ it myself

WezV

gary_mac said:

WezV said:

If it plinks when dropped on a hard surface I am happy to use it.  If it plonks I won't.

I like this technical approach and may employ it myself

I have been saying it for years.  There is a video of Paul Reed Smith saying essentially the same thing as one of his secrets of tone - He must have stolen it off me

Obviously its only a general rule - Carbon fibre was mentioned above and whilst I am sure it would sound fine the practicalities of cutting it might rule it out

I like brass when its freshly cut and polished.

Some plastic is fine too - I don't mind a graphtech or tusq nut

I think this is the PRS vid

gary_mac

Cheers Wez, will watch that vid in a while.

JayGee

I can't help thinking that inn principal if you want consistency between open and fretted notes the answer ought to be either "the same stuff the frets are made out of" or "anything you like and use a zero fret". The fact that neither approach is wildly popular suggests I'm missing something though...

lee

I'm liking brass at the moment

ICBM

JayGee said:

I can't help thinking that inn principal if you want consistency between open and fretted notes the answer ought to be either "the same stuff the frets are made out of" or "anything you like and use a zero fret". The fact that neither approach is wildly popular suggests I'm missing something though…

You would think so, wouldn't you! But it doesn't seem to work quite like that.

Even odder is that the nut material seems to slightly affect the tone even when you are only playing fretted notes, when in theory the nut is then not part of the vibration path. Or isn't it… the strings often ring behind the fretted position and between the nut and the machineheads too - maybe that affects the way the neck vibrates or something. I only notice it on acoustics really, though.

Veganic

JayGee said:

I can't help thinking that inn principal if you want consistency between open and fretted notes the answer ought to be either "the same stuff the frets are made out of" or "anything you like and use a zero fret". The fact that neither approach is wildly popular suggests I'm missing something though...

I assume that a zero fret is like having a capo on.  Makes bends weird.

Other than that I have more questions than answers.  Open strings always seem to sound slightly different but then again so do wound vs unwound.  In fact if I am honest I think most electric guitar tones sound a bit shit in isolation but somehow the music doesn't. 

So, er, I have gone off-topic. Sorry.