Brass nuts

Re: Brass nuts

Solder sticks to them just dandy!

Sorry - couldn't resist. I made one in my teenage years (My destructive years) with a needle file set. No feelings positive or negative.

What's wrong with Bone? Supposed to be harder than brass. You could even go with stainless, like one of this forum;s members had made.
 
Re: Brass nuts

Bone is pretty hard, but brass has to be harder based on how much more difficult it is to cut. Regarding use as a nut material, I don't like it on guitars but it's great on fretted basses. Longcat's Spector has a brass nut and open strings really do sound identical to fretted ones.
 
Re: Brass nuts

I've had a brass nut on my '76 Precision for years and I think it's more resonant than it was with the stock nut.
 
Re: Brass nuts

+1

I have a brass nut on my 78/79 factory fretless P. I suspect that the brass has possibly smoothed things out too much. I might be better off with bone or synthetic ivory.
 
Re: Brass nuts

I think I played a bass that had a brass nut, but it was so long ago I can't remember if I liked it either way lol, I guess thats the price of getting older!
 
Re: Brass nuts

I have never had a problem with my strings having a different timbre open rather than fretted, regardless of nut material. I was tempted to put a brass nut on my Rickenbacker way back when, 'cause brass nuts were all the rage in the late-70s-early-80s. But I'm glad I didn't. I don't think it would have helped the sound at all, and it would have made my black Ric a little goofy looking.

I do find it interesting that many people had brass nuts put on their basses back in the day, and yet when old basses are being sold on ebay or elsewhere, I never see a brass nut.
 
Re: Brass nuts

way back when, 'cause brass nuts were all the rage in the late-70s-early-80s

I got my '76 P in 1982. I think I had the brass nut put on very soon: It was probably when I had QPs installed.

yet when old basses are being sold on ebay or elsewhere, I never see a brass nut.

Good point: I don't think I have ever seen one listed. Maybe these folks are hanging on to those basses. I am certain I will never sell mine.
 
Re: Brass nuts

the brass nut on my spector seems to make it brighter and tighter. my ibanez doesn't have one and i'm planning on installing one, i like it so much.
 
Re: Brass nuts

I'd think it would increase the amount of presence on open notes, but I like my bass tones to be extremely warm. Like a thick wool sweater on a 110F day. Anyone have actual experience with it? I know I made an oak nut for a friend once. It actually sounds good, but it is one of the softer materials compared to bone, but it's still hard enough since it is oak.
 
Re: Brass nuts

I'd think it would increase the amount of presence on open notes, but I like my bass tones to be extremely warm. Like a thick wool sweater on a 110F day. Anyone have actual experience with it? I know I made an oak nut for a friend once. It actually sounds good, but it is one of the softer materials compared to bone, but it's still hard enough since it is oak.

:lol: brass nuts are not for you. maybe consider flats?
 
Re: Brass nuts

:lol: brass nuts are not for you. maybe consider flats?

I've already been using flats haha. It's a Fender Jazz 24 with the SD AJJ-2 set + active on-board EQ where I cut the mids and treble, boost the lows, and use only the neck pickup. It sits well in whatever mix I have. I wish the EQ would only cut the higher mids and not so much on the lower mids. If there was something simple to just shift the mid range down so I wouldn't really have to cut them out as much.
 
Re: Brass nuts

I've already been using flats haha. It's a Fender Jazz 24 with the SD AJJ-2 set + active on-board EQ where I cut the mids and treble, boost the lows, and use only the neck pickup. It sits well in whatever mix I have. I wish the EQ would only cut the higher mids and not so much on the lower mids. If there was something simple to just shift the mid range down so I wouldn't really have to cut them out as much.

Does your amp have high and low mids so you can cut the highs? I do the same sort of thing with my G&L Sb-2. That P style pickup is a force to be reckoned with.
 
Re: Brass nuts

I've already been using flats haha. It's a Fender Jazz 24 with the SD AJJ-2 set + active on-board EQ where I cut the mids and treble, boost the lows, and use only the neck pickup. It sits well in whatever mix I have. I wish the EQ would only cut the higher mids and not so much on the lower mids. If there was something simple to just shift the mid range down so I wouldn't really have to cut them out as much.

you're looking for EQ with a sweepable midrange. i don't know if the SD one does that, but i know EMG makes a 3-band preamp that does it.
 
Re: Brass nuts

Does your amp have high and low mids so you can cut the highs? I do the same sort of thing with my G&L Sb-2. That P style pickup is a force to be reckoned with.

I can use the 4-band EQ in the mixer I DI the bass into. It just requires more fiddling, but I still think it sounds great for bass. I just find having a more fine-tuned signal before the EQ makes things easier.
 
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