Changing Nut

[martinsixstringcustoms]

Hi All....

I'm thinking of changing the standard nut on my Agile 2500 Double Cut to a new bone nut. Had anyone had any experience with this? Is it expensive to have done professionally?

Thanks for any info you can provide!

:question:

 

[MDS]

Re: Changing Nut

Nah, it is usually pretty cheap. It isn't a difficult process if you have the right tools and know what you're doing. A tech should do it for $40 or so.

Mike

 

[TwofacePimp]

Re: Changing Nut

Yeah, those Agiles definitely need new nuts! Trust me, I have one. Go for bone. Again, this is a very "standard" service, and any reputable tech should be able to do it.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Changing Nut

Yeah, those Agiles definitely need new nuts! Trust me, I have one. Go for bone. Again, this is a very "standard" service, and any reputable tech should be able to do it.

You know what? Making and installing a new nut is not as easy as you might suppose. Most techs can't do it good enough for me. Most don't shape it right, get the string spacing right and don't get it glued down tight with no gaps. It's very challenging. I would take your guitar to a real luthier...someone who does top notch work...maybe someone who actually builds fine guitars. And I'd ask to see a nut he or she installed first. Lew

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Changing Nut

Are you doing it because the nut doesn't hold in place, or is it a tonal thing? I know some people say brass nuts give different tone or whatever but I think Neal Moser of BC Rich fame said it best:

"Try fretting a barred chord and tell me how the nut sounds."

Food for thought, hahaha...

 

[italic zero]

Re: Changing Nut

I've heard bone nuts most respected on this board, but my guitar teacher, who is as experienced as anyone on the board, reccomends graphite. He said that bone nuts have too much variable densities, which creates inconsistant tone, and that they were respected earlier, but graphite is superior. So I guess it's you old guys who have to have an exact vintage tone? Any thoughts on this?

 

[MDS]

Re: Changing Nut

I think Graphite is good for the lubrication, if anything, though on vintage looking axes a black nut is hard to deal with. Any fairly dense material sounds pretty good on a good guitar. Harder is brighter, in general, but the Moser quote is certianly something to think about. The real important part is that it it slotted and seated in the nut slot correctly.

Mike

 

[Dirtyking]

Re: Changing Nut

I switched out a bone nut for a graphite nut not long ago to solve tuning problems with my SG. I went with a heavier guage string and the bone nuts slots were too small. The graphite nut cured this problem quick and installed it myself. Took a little time, but it's not that hard.

 

[rabidrabbit2727]

Re: Changing Nut

Even if you get it done for you read this first,if for nothing else than for your own info.
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Setup/NewNut/newnut1.html

Thanks John, cool site.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Changing Nut

A bonenut is just not a bonenut.
Pressed bonedust is not very good, like all other materials get something out of good quality.
And cutting one proper is not for amateurs.
As for graphite being superiour....that also depends on a whole lot of things, but a good hard bonenut will probally outlast it with a decade or so.
Plus on open strings graphite has a slight dull sound to them.
But who knows what new tech can come up with.
On nylonstrings I have also made nuts out of mahogony and rosewood, sounds nice on the open strings.

 

[martinsixstringcustoms]

Re: Changing Nut

Thanks for all the feedback guys! Lots to consider. The main reason I'm considering the change in the first place is because of some slight open string buzzing.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Changing Nut

Thanks for all the feedback guys! Lots to consider. The main reason I'm considering the change in the first place is because of some slight open string buzzing.

THAT is usually ( not always )caused by the string buzzing in the fret slot. Either because the string is slapping against the side walls of the slot cut into the nut ( the cure is to file the top of the nut down so the string isn't buried in the slot so deeply ) OR: the slot is not ramped enough towards the peghead side and the string is buzzing against the bottem of the slot...like a sitar. The cure for that is cut a little more angle into the peghead side of the slot so that the string rests against the front/fingerboard edge of the slot instead of buzzing on the whole 1/8" length of the slot. Lew