How did Gibson and others decide to use the wide (1/4") nuts. It really is useless to have them so wide and requires so much more filing to make them work properly. And when they are done right with the back-end relief, less than half of that nut width is even utilized. All the rest just gets in the way. Fender's 1/8" wide nuts are a much better design and make nut filing/adjusting a breeze.
Best Nut width? Why?
- Thread starter GuitarDoc
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P
Plessure
Guest
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
The more stuff, the more tone
That's why LP weighs so much. All of that is tone, man. It weighs a tone.
The more stuff, the more tone
That's why LP weighs so much. All of that is tone, man. It weighs a tone.
Chris Pile
Well-known member
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
The problem with using BEST in a question about opinions is why these posts are useless. Instead, use favorite or something else that actually allows debate.
The problem with using BEST in a question about opinions is why these posts are useless. Instead, use favorite or something else that actually allows debate.
P
Plessure
Guest
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
"Best" does allow debate. We can debate what's best, presenting arguments.
What you want is not debate. Use more appropriate words.
"Best" does allow debate. We can debate what's best, presenting arguments.
What you want is not debate. Use more appropriate words.
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
Well, they would have chosen something that worked with their construction. Gibson has an angled headstock where the fretboard terminates before the nut. It is a design carrying over from acoustic guitars before they started. But in any case the nut is glued down and needs a deal of base width as it has no support from the tuner side - where the string tuning pulls from.
Fender has a slot cut in the fretboard.....something that typically would have been perhaps 2 passes of a industrial type saw kerf. As it has both sides supported and the slot would have been cut to be a speedy operation there is no use in having both the process and material be more costly.
Well, they would have chosen something that worked with their construction. Gibson has an angled headstock where the fretboard terminates before the nut. It is a design carrying over from acoustic guitars before they started. But in any case the nut is glued down and needs a deal of base width as it has no support from the tuner side - where the string tuning pulls from.
Fender has a slot cut in the fretboard.....something that typically would have been perhaps 2 passes of a industrial type saw kerf. As it has both sides supported and the slot would have been cut to be a speedy operation there is no use in having both the process and material be more costly.
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
I’ll admit, I thought it was going to be about neck width at the nut....
I’ll admit, I thought it was going to be about neck width at the nut....
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
Gonna bring up the nut materials issue here instead of highjacking Jeff's LP thread. Sorry to differ with you, but I've A/B'd bone against other materials in one guitar and bone sounded the worst. Not really a preference sort of thing, bone had poor resonance, poor bass, and poor treble. There was nothing redeeming about it at all. Also, fretting notes does not remove the physics of the nut suspending the strings and transferring energy into the neck. Nut materials, in my experience, also affect the sound of the fretted notes.
Gonna bring up the nut materials issue here instead of highjacking Jeff's LP thread. Sorry to differ with you, but I've A/B'd bone against other materials in one guitar and bone sounded the worst. Not really a preference sort of thing, bone had poor resonance, poor bass, and poor treble. There was nothing redeeming about it at all. Also, fretting notes does not remove the physics of the nut suspending the strings and transferring energy into the neck. Nut materials, in my experience, also affect the sound of the fretted notes.
P
Plessure
Guest
Gtrjunior
Well-known member
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
And what was the other material besides bone?
Maybe I missed it but I didn’t see you mention it.
And what was the other material besides bone?
Maybe I missed it but I didn’t see you mention it.
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
In 'one' guitar. So you've only ever tried it once is what you're saying. If this is the case then its hardly a great statistical moment lets face it....and was this 1 guitar vs another or the same guitar with the nut materials changed over.
Now I have over 50 guitars (plus more that have been sold on before now).......and I'd say I have 30 of them currently with bone nuts (of all types of construction) and the others have a smattering of the typical other choices. No obvious differences to my ears. Certainly if we are a/b'ing from 1 different guitar to another then we also have the guitar in question as a whole to consider.
Overall I'd put cutting and mounting as about infinitely more important than material in the experience I've had.
In 'one' guitar. So you've only ever tried it once is what you're saying. If this is the case then its hardly a great statistical moment lets face it....and was this 1 guitar vs another or the same guitar with the nut materials changed over.
Now I have over 50 guitars (plus more that have been sold on before now).......and I'd say I have 30 of them currently with bone nuts (of all types of construction) and the others have a smattering of the typical other choices. No obvious differences to my ears. Certainly if we are a/b'ing from 1 different guitar to another then we also have the guitar in question as a whole to consider.
Overall I'd put cutting and mounting as about infinitely more important than material in the experience I've had.
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
Others were micarta and brass. They were ok but inflicted strange sounds on the tone of the guitar, but had good resonance. Micarta was punchy and middy. And brass was harmonically brilliant.
Corian and Tusq plastic are my favorites because of how resonant and well balanced they are. And I think they're the best and anyone would like them.
Others were micarta and brass. They were ok but inflicted strange sounds on the tone of the guitar, but had good resonance. Micarta was punchy and middy. And brass was harmonically brilliant.
Corian and Tusq plastic are my favorites because of how resonant and well balanced they are. And I think they're the best and anyone would like them.
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
1 guitar. I didn't say 2 guitars.
Would you have to try out 50 packs of 8 gauge strings to determine that they're inferior? I don't think so.
1 guitar. I didn't say 2 guitars.
Would you have to try out 50 packs of 8 gauge strings to determine that they're inferior? I don't think so.
Gtrjunior
Well-known member
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
I had a brass nut in my LP Special. I thought it sounded ok enough but the strings wore grooves into it and the tuning stability sucked from the strings binding.
I replaced it with a nut from graphtech. Tusq I believe it is.....so far so good.
I had a brass nut in my LP Special. I thought it sounded ok enough but the strings wore grooves into it and the tuning stability sucked from the strings binding.
I replaced it with a nut from graphtech. Tusq I believe it is.....so far so good.
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
If I wanted to be taken seriously as someone who knows what I was talking about, yes of course.
Trying to make global assertions about parts from only 1 experience only makes you look foolish.
If I wanted to be taken seriously as someone who knows what I was talking about, yes of course.
Trying to make global assertions about parts from only 1 experience only makes you look foolish.
Jeff_H
Dean Hardtail Fanologist
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
I don't have a dog in this debate. If the nut I have is well cut, shaped and all the depth are correct for my string gauge, I'm going to leave it alone. I am curious about nylon. I've read the original LP's had nylon nuts, but there is so much disinformation out there.
I don't have a dog in this debate. If the nut I have is well cut, shaped and all the depth are correct for my string gauge, I'm going to leave it alone. I am curious about nylon. I've read the original LP's had nylon nuts, but there is so much disinformation out there.
MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
This thread is confusing. First of all, Nut "Width" is generally the width across the fretboard, not the "thickness". Then we started talking about the materials of the nut.
For Gibson, I'm not second guessing the Nut Thickness, as it has to be the best for a Gibson in thier time honored skill and tradition, regardless of what some so called tech thinks.
I digress from the OP's topic as have others in the thread, but as far as nut "width" , in a Fender, it's a matter of how big your hands are, and if you do not mind the strings so close to the edge of the fretboard. One and 11/16'ths is about as big as I want to go for a Fender cause my paws are small. One and 3/4's is way too big for me and one and 7/8's which is superwide is flat out unplayable for me, but good for others with very large hands.
The Nut width on a Fender type neck of One Point 6.50 , is good for me, but just a bit too small on a standard width Fender neck.
You also have to factor in the neck width on aftermarket necks for a nit width choice, which can be standard, wide, or superwide.As far as ny width, it begs the quastion of your differnt Neck widths, many of which are just too wide for my stubby hands.
This thread is confusing. First of all, Nut "Width" is generally the width across the fretboard, not the "thickness". Then we started talking about the materials of the nut.
For Gibson, I'm not second guessing the Nut Thickness, as it has to be the best for a Gibson in thier time honored skill and tradition, regardless of what some so called tech thinks.
I digress from the OP's topic as have others in the thread, but as far as nut "width" , in a Fender, it's a matter of how big your hands are, and if you do not mind the strings so close to the edge of the fretboard. One and 11/16'ths is about as big as I want to go for a Fender cause my paws are small. One and 3/4's is way too big for me and one and 7/8's which is superwide is flat out unplayable for me, but good for others with very large hands.
The Nut width on a Fender type neck of One Point 6.50 , is good for me, but just a bit too small on a standard width Fender neck.
You also have to factor in the neck width on aftermarket necks for a nit width choice, which can be standard, wide, or superwide.As far as ny width, it begs the quastion of your differnt Neck widths, many of which are just too wide for my stubby hands.
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Ayrton
New member
Re: Best Nut width? Why?
Since this one has already run off the tracks, let us address the nut material. Much like the capacitor debate, people have their opinions and I have long given up trying to convince them otherwise. I offer my logic, and if it make sense to you, great.
The material used for an electric guitar matters very little in an amplified signal. Fretted notes even less because the string is vibrating between the fret and saddle. The portion of the string between the fretted note and the nut is being silenced by your finger.
Bone, horn, ivory, or any other natural material is by nature inconsistent and therefore subject to change. Bleached bone sounds different than unbleached, and so on. Builders still use bone because it is “vintage correct”, easy to work, cheap, plentiful, polishes up beautifully, and because people believe it is the preferred material.
Charvel used phenolic nuts, Gibson used nylon, and everything from graphite to Corian has been tried since. Plastic is the dominant material now among manufacturers.
Choosing a made made material like Tusq will give more consistent results in tone, and better tuning stability because it self lubricants better than say unbleached bone.
The bottom line is a properly cut nut is far more crucial to your sound and tuning over what material is used.
Since this one has already run off the tracks, let us address the nut material. Much like the capacitor debate, people have their opinions and I have long given up trying to convince them otherwise. I offer my logic, and if it make sense to you, great.
The material used for an electric guitar matters very little in an amplified signal. Fretted notes even less because the string is vibrating between the fret and saddle. The portion of the string between the fretted note and the nut is being silenced by your finger.
Bone, horn, ivory, or any other natural material is by nature inconsistent and therefore subject to change. Bleached bone sounds different than unbleached, and so on. Builders still use bone because it is “vintage correct”, easy to work, cheap, plentiful, polishes up beautifully, and because people believe it is the preferred material.
Charvel used phenolic nuts, Gibson used nylon, and everything from graphite to Corian has been tried since. Plastic is the dominant material now among manufacturers.
Choosing a made made material like Tusq will give more consistent results in tone, and better tuning stability because it self lubricants better than say unbleached bone.
The bottom line is a properly cut nut is far more crucial to your sound and tuning over what material is used.
