Question on nuts for experienced Luthiers.

[SJ318]

Hello,
I would like to stay simple and not veer off course. O.K., tell me please, all you veterans, forget bone, micarta, black graphite, etc. If you had to choose between two nuts for a very good floating trem, would you choose:
1. An LSR nut ala Fender's current style or,
2. A TusqXL nut. These are your only choices for this question, I really want to hear from some pros on this narrow choice. Very much appreciate your opinion/view. Saying niether wouldn't do me much good here. I am installing one or the other tomorrow, and there must be a difference, but I am not experienced enough to know for sure. String gauge .009-.46 (custom).
I really thank you in advance, seriously. I'm gonna do it. Not theoretical.
Steve Buffington

 

[CTN]

Re: Question on nuts for experienced Luthiers.

Disclaimer: i am by no means an experienced luthier but i have buiot a few guitars and have worked on many more. I have tusq or tusq xl nuts on almost all my guitars, have installed them on several customers' instruments and love them to death.

Reason why is that they sound just awesome. Bright, detailed, crystalline note definition and in the case of the tusq xl nuts they are also self lubricatng so as long as the nut slots are well cut, it's basically self maintaining. Did i mention they sound great?

 

[Oinkus]

Re: Question on nuts for experienced Luthiers.

+1 on the Tusq ! When I added a Tusq nut , saddle and bridge pins to my Alvarez acoustic it came to life. What CTN sed ^

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Question on nuts for experienced Luthiers.

Tusq would be my choice over LSR (or any natural material)

Tusg sounds good, is easy to get and work, and is consistent.

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Question on nuts for experienced Luthiers.

Tusq over any roller nut format, if no other reason than it is replaceable. Roller nuts are a permanent mod, and you have to cut into the fretboard. You may someday lock the trem with a Tremol-no, or otherwise decide that you DO want the sound of bone (or whatever special unicorn horn is popular at that time) and the roller nut mod blows it. You also may have a refret someday, with higher or lower frets, and with roller nuts that's a shim or re-cut exercise. Just my opinion, roller nuts stay in tune just fine, so long as they don't bind up with sweat or other environmental consequences. Tonally they are different, but I can't tell you what you'll like better. I like Tusq better than roller nut, you may feel otherwise.

 

[SJ318]

Re: Question on nuts for experienced Luthiers.

Thank you gentlemen,
What I should have made more plain was the ability of each to stay in tune. But it sounds like TusqXL is best for that too. Sorry I was not more precise, my fault. Thanks everyone.
SB

 

[jimsreynolds]

Re: Question on nuts for experienced Luthiers.

TusqXl on nearly all my guitars and it has done wonders for tuning stability in many cases (big bends stand less chance of trashing your tuning).

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Question on nuts for experienced Luthiers.

The LSR Roller nuts work well, but they do nothing to improve your tone. If you want to take them off and install a regular nut, you can't easily because of the way the neck has to be cut to install them.

 

[TeleLubber]

Re: Question on nuts for experienced Luthiers.

I end up having LSR roller nuts installed on all my trem equipped guitars, I find them to be extremely reliable!
Use the tapered locking tuner sets, remove the string trees, and yer good to go!
It's good enough for Jeff Beck, and he abuses the sh*t outta his wiggle stick..
They won't do much to help a Bigsby setup tho, that's just doomed for failure.. lol
And - as for tone? I don't see the difference between the open strings being on metal vs. a fretted note being on metal, so .. I don't sweat it, nor do I understand the long drawn out debates about 'em.. a bone saddle impacts your tone much more than a nut anyway..

 

[SJ318]

Re: Question on nuts for experienced Luthiers.

Well,
As far as the most important aspect-tuning stability, it looks like a hung jury. Locking tuners are a given, that's for sure. If only Hendrix had one, I'd be able to listen with much more pleasure all of his bootlegs. I don't know how he made it through "Voodoo Chile'", apparently that was one take. He did deck his trem though. Maybe he had someone spraying vaseline mist on his nut during that recording as well as having his strings soldered on the tuners. I know, just kidding, no hate posts needed. Many have done great pre-locking tuner recordings and still do, though I don't know how! Please-no angled claw posts.
As my back is ruined, the J. Beck neck w/LSR is way heavier than the Squire neck w/the TusqXL. I guess that will need to be the tie breaker. If we can go to the moon and invent the Simpsons, Fender should be able to rig a direct LSR replacement nut that needs no wood hacking. It is just physics. Should be physics 101. Thanks for all your input, I should say support, really.
SJB