Les Paul Nut Material...What's best?

Bellycaster

Just noticed the 2017 Classic range have Nylon Nuts. I'm no expert on Nuts, but, from my limited research, the LP's of today seem to have Tek-Toid or Graph Tec or some other weird sounding ones. I assume some of these are self lubricating nuts??

I found this horrific picture of someones new 2017 LP Classic Nut on TGP.

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/gibson-2017-lineup-on-musicians-friend.1741356/page-10

You can clearly see a stress crack in the finish, but, is it my eyes, or do these nuts really protrude that far out from the board, it looks like one of MD Phillips Nuts.

Don't forget, I'm a novice on LP's features and Nuts and I'm just using descriptions for humour

So, is Nylon OK? How do the different types stand up to each other?

Thanks.

Danielsguitars

That's all I use on Lp's, when they're set up they stay in tune so can't complain, apart from they are a pita to make.

meltedbuzzbox

I believed they used Unicorn horn on the 59 models which are widely regarded to be the best

Bellycaster

customkits said:

That's all I use on Lp's, when they're set up they stay in tune so can't complain, apart from they are a pita to make.

Thanks, that sounds reassuring. What do you make of that photo in the link @customkits ;

It's at the top of the page, is that really how far the nut sticks out? I only have 2 "regular nut" Guitars and they are Teles. They don't look like that, although I know they are far from the same beasts.

Bellycaster

meltedbuzzbox said:

I believed they used Unicorn horn on the 59 models which are widely regarded to be the best

Nah, I think that was on the 58. Unicorns are know protected by CITES anyway, so they'd have to use Powdered Rhino horn and stamp them out under a press.

WezV

That is just a finish crack, not brilliant but it's kinda par for the course any time you have a join between two materials on a nitro finish.


i do bone most of the time, but also use tusq, corian etc... I used to talk about the test I did where you drop it on a hard surface.  Plink sounds are good plonk sounds are not.  Then some guy called Paul Reed Smith stole it and rebadged it a rule of tone or something daft.  Anyway, nylon ain't for me

cj73

Chocolate hobnobs

Danielsguitars

Don't be stupid, yes they used nylon back in the day and all the modern stuff is just some form of magic plastic that's cost how much

Nylon is cheap, the strings don't bind when they're done but they take ages to make and are a pita that's probably why most don't use it

I don't get tuning issues that's it in a nutshell and it doesn't wear out 
It doesn't need some sort of nut sauce either, I never used any 

I've had a guitar out with a pro player no problems 

Most of my guitars I put nylon nuts on
tbh because it's easier to machine what size I want from a blank sheet, polishes up nicely too

Bellycaster

WezV said:

That is just a finish crack, not brilliant but it's kinda par for the course any time you have a join between two materials on a nitro finish.


i do bone most of the time, but also use tusq, corian etc... I used to talk about the test I did where you drop it on a hard surface.  Plink sounds are good plonk sounds are not.  Then some guy called Paul Reed Smith stole it and rebadged it a rule of tone or something daft.  Anyway, nylon ain't for me

Thanks @WezV ;

Have they gone for "the cheap" way on these? Like I said, this is all learning for me not throwing accusations, they are not the cheapest model by any means, so I was surprised to see that they didn't use the same nut material as on the others.

The nuts seem to protrude quite a way in that photo? Again. I've never owned a Les Paul, so this could be the way it is normally.

Bellycaster

cj73 said:

Chocolate hobnobs

Danielsguitars

WezV said:

i do bone most of the time, but also use tusq, corian etc... I used to talk about the test I did where you drop it on a hard surface.  Plink sounds are good plonk sounds are not.  Then some guy called Paul Reed Smith stole it and rebadged it a rule of tone or something daft.  Anyway, nylon ain't for me

I've used corian but I think it wears fast and I've had strings bind
Have you found this wez

I use bone when I can be bothered but I'm a cheapskate and just cut the nylon stuff up 

I can't say I've heard much difference between bone and nylon really

I'm not paying for tusq either 

RandallFlagg

I have a nylon nut on my 2016 R8 and its very neatly fitted. It's the best nut on any Gibson I've owned, no sticking whatsover leading to very stable tuning even with serious bending

Bellycaster

RandallFlagg said:

I have a nylon nut on my 2016 R8 and its very neatly fitted. It's the best nut on any Gibson I've owned, no sticking whatsover leading to very stable tuning even with serious bending

This is good news.

SteveRobinson

@customkits what nylon do you use? I bought some sheets of nylon 6-6 but it seems quite soft and not at all like the nylon on 50s Gibson guitars.

Nerine

The best material is clearly whatever a '59 burst came with. 

Danielsguitars

SteveRobinson said:

@customkits what nylon do you use? I bought some sheets of nylon 6-6 but it seems quite soft and not at all like the nylon on 50s Gibson guitars.

i can't remember but it was a sheet and it ain't soft, I think it was 6mm and i thickness on the overhead router

I can only sand it to shape, you have to do virtually all the shaping to size so you only have a bit of nut work
The nut files barely touch it

Like I said it's a pita

Danielsguitars

Nerine said:

The best material is clearly whatever a '59 burst came with. 

that's a stupid statement, why bring the year into it, they used it before then

If you're talking nut material it's really good but horrible to work with simple as that, go and try it

Nerine

customkits said:

Nerine said:

The best material is clearly whatever a '59 burst came with. 

that's a stupid statement, why bring the year into it, they used it before then

If you're talking nut material it's really good but horrible to work with simple as that, go and try it

I think you maybe missed the gag... 

Sassafras

Well, @customkits , that's us lot told.

Danielsguitars

I'm long passed any sense of humor these days 

And I'm not preaching, that's what I use, you lot can use what you like

usedtobe

You need to put a wee smiley in your posts, so everyone knows you're not being totally serious. You can get in all kinds of bother, if you don't!


Ooops! Edit: