I've read many times that a zero fret improves tuning stability. It seems like a good idea to cut grooves in the nut so the strings have as little contact as possible, similar to a zero fret.
Nut - the least friction
- Thread starter CarlosG
- Start date
I conducted an experiment. I cut identical grooves in each material and strung a string on a makeshift tool. I rubbed the string in each groove. The string moved most smoothly in brass and bone, while the TUSQ XL caused the string to jam.
ehdwuld
A Ficus
I got some nuts from China some years back
Different materials
ABS
PPS
The PPS has the "glass" tinking as it is dropped
After looking at the physical properties of PPS
I believe this may be what is trade named TUSQ actually is
We just have marketing here in Murica
They wont say that
Different materials
ABS
PPS
The PPS has the "glass" tinking as it is dropped
After looking at the physical properties of PPS
I believe this may be what is trade named TUSQ actually is
We just have marketing here in Murica
They wont say that
Chris Pile
Well-known member
Tusq is just marketing. I won't stock them. I used to make clients buy a blank if they wanted one. Now I won't even do that. IMO it's a shit material. I do like Graphtech's NuBone. It looks just like unbleached bone. If you shape it on the sander it even smells like bone. It works like bone when slotting a new nut. They don't sell blanks, but several makers offer nuts and saddles of NuBone already installed. I like that stuff.
All I stock these days is bleached bone and unbleached bone. I have about 5 pounds of bone blanks in all sizes. If you want a bone nut on your 10 string lap steel - I got it. Need a bone nut on your mando? Got ya covered. Want new bone saddles to replace your cheap plastic saddles? No sweat.
As for nut lubes, I've used them all - and went back to using the same stuff I use to lube woodscrews for necks - Chapstick. It's cheap, and a tube lasts for years. It's easy to apply, easy to clean up, doesn't contaminate the wood fibers.
All I stock these days is bleached bone and unbleached bone. I have about 5 pounds of bone blanks in all sizes. If you want a bone nut on your 10 string lap steel - I got it. Need a bone nut on your mando? Got ya covered. Want new bone saddles to replace your cheap plastic saddles? No sweat.
As for nut lubes, I've used them all - and went back to using the same stuff I use to lube woodscrews for necks - Chapstick. It's cheap, and a tube lasts for years. It's easy to apply, easy to clean up, doesn't contaminate the wood fibers.
Chris Pile
Well-known member
Any nut material can have problems if the luthier didn't cut the slots properly.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Agreed. I've had 12 new nuts cut though . . . four bone - all of which had binding issues and needed to be replaced. All of the tusq nuts were cut properly the first time. I figured that it must be an easier material to work with or something (more consistent maybe?).
Bill Dennis
Active member
My hand
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
There ain't nothing in this rock and roll world built on parameters and measurables.
Bill Dennis
Active member
That's what I thought... SMH..My hand
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Chris Pile
Well-known member
YE GODS!
There can really only be two causes for this tuning instability: tuners or nut. I'd like to know what guitar/headstock style we're talking about, because Gibson types are the worst. Fender type headstocks with straight-pull strings thru the nut are by far the best. But IF the nut is "properly slotted" even Gibsons can be pretty stable. Carlos says that, "The grooves (in his nut) are perfectly formed", but I seriously doubt that. The technique of slotting a nut is far more important then the material used for the nut. Out of well over 100 guitars that I have made or owned and have worked on the nuts, I can count on one hand those that had tuning stability problems. Even guitars that had very cheap tuners and plastic nuts. But the guitars that DID have stability problems after I had worked on the nuts were all due to the cheap tuners. None of them that had problems were due to the nut (after I had worked on them).
So, if the tuners in Carlos' guitar are reasonably good tuners, then the slotting in the nut (no matter what it's made of) IS the problem, no matter what his luthier says. Obviously this is my opinion, but it is based on a lot of experience making and working on nuts.
So, if the tuners in Carlos' guitar are reasonably good tuners, then the slotting in the nut (no matter what it's made of) IS the problem, no matter what his luthier says. Obviously this is my opinion, but it is based on a lot of experience making and working on nuts.
