Roller Nuts

shredist

shredist

New member
Some guy on ebay was selling a strat neck with a wilkinson roller nut, he said that it rarely goes out of tune when you use the whammy bar.
Would it be a good idea to install one of these on my ibanez sa160qm and locking tuners? I find it goes out of tune a little too often.

LSR_nut.jpg


thanks guys
 
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Re: Roller Nuts

Tuners are going to be what add to your tuning stability more so than the nut. People use a roller nut when they've got issues with string binding at the nut. I've found that a properly cut graphite nut performs just as well as a roller nut.

However, unless that Ibanez has a Floyd Rose tremolo, dive bombs will almost always pull something a little out of tune. Any V-Trem (vintage tremolo) is bound to go flat or sharp if you are excessive on the trem bar.

If you are having problems with string binding, I'd try a little nut lube before I'd replace the nut entirely.
 
Re: Roller Nuts

I've heard problems with the roller nut- most notably, it robs sustain, and it must be frequently lubricated or else the rollers stick. I haven't heard those complaints with a properly cut graphite nut
 
Re: Roller Nuts

its just the stock nut at the moment.
and its just a piezo non-locking trem
 
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That picture is not a wilkinson nut, it is a LSR nut. I personally really like them!! I have used graphite and other materials but, the LSR is hard to beat. I think most people give it a bad rap!!! With that nut and locking keys, it will almost stay in tune as well as a Floyd. Just make sure that you have someone with experience installing them to install it.
 
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I have a roller nut on my Strat, along with Sperzel tuners and Graphtec saddles. I tighten the claw down to essentially hardtail the trem, and you can set a bomb off on the guitar and it will stay in tune :).
 
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I always found that the Floyd Rose locking nut worked best for tuning stability. With even roller or graphite nuts, there is the potential for pinching and binding and whatever else could happen to knock the string out of tune.

I found that the double-locking design of the Floyd Rose was just untouchable for tuning stability. I could dive bomb the living crap out of the guitar with very little, if any tuning problems, and those that I had were easily fixed with the fine tuners on the trem itself.
 
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No kidding the Floyd rose is the best at tuning stability but, The LSR/locking key setup is the next best thing plus, it is much less complex than the OFR.
 
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There's something about the tone that's different with metal nuts, so I don't care for them myself. A guitar that goes out of tune needs nothing more than a perfectly cut nut and a perfect intonation job.

It's far easier for a tech to install a bone, graphite, or Tusq nut than the LSR. If you notice, the break-point on the LSR isn't at the edge of the nut, it's in the middle, so you can't just put one on easily.
 
Re: Roller Nuts

Gearjoneser said:
There's something about the tone that's different with metal nuts, so I don't care for them myself. A guitar that goes out of tune needs nothing more than a perfectly cut nut and a perfect intonation job.
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99% of whammy-related and tuning problems I've solved with making sure the nut is cut right and using Tri-Flow in the grooves to make sure that the string moves through it without resistance.

I've found most tuners to have very little to do tuning stability, that is unless were talking about sloppy wrapping.
 
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I have to agree with Dave AKA theodie. I have a LSR nut and locking tuners on my strat and I do not have a problem with it going out of tune. I have not oiled the LSR in about two years and it is still working great.
 
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While I haven't had to replace a nut, I have replaced all the saddles on all of my guitars with GraphTech saddles. That alone took care of 90% of my tuning problems and about 70% of my string breakage problems. I can only imagine how well a graphite nut and good tuners can make for any additional tuning problems.
 
Re: Roller Nuts

I had an LSR nut put on my Strat not because it went out of tune but because I bend the strings so often that they wore out the nut. I oiled the LSR nut as soon as I had it put on and I have had it for over two years and there is no problem with it what so ever. I think it is made of stainless steel and it should last a long time. This nut needs some precision work to install, so be very careful if you want to do it yourself. I don't use my whammy bar at all, so I can't tell if the nut will still stay in tune when you do the dive bombing. I think the Floyd Rose may work better in a dive bombing situation.
 
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lol thanks everyone that recommended the floyd rose... i have one on my fender, but i dont want to route out my ibanez.
ill go with the locking tuners and LSR nut :) alternate tuning is such a pain with my floyd rose.
 
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A guy i know uses a Mexican strat with a LSR roller nut and locking tuners added... he can pretty much use the trem like a floyd.....
 
Re: Roller Nuts

theodie said:
That picture is not a wilkinson nut, it is a LSR nut. I personally really like them!! I have used graphite and other materials but, the LSR is hard to beat. I think most people give it a bad rap!!! With that nut and locking keys, it will almost stay in tune as well as a Floyd. Just make sure that you have someone with experience installing them to install it.
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+1... biggest problems are that it´s not adjustable for radius (i think 10" is what they´re available in, can´t remember if there were other radii...), and they slightly limit string choice....one was always for 10 and under the other for 11s and up... or was that 9s and under/ 10s and up :smack: ???

They really work great, but I prefer to cut a good graphite or bone nut ;)
 
Re: Roller Nuts

Zerberus said:
+1... biggest problems are that it´s not adjustable for radius (i think 10" is what they´re available in, can´t remember if there were other radii...), and they slightly limit string choice....one was always for 10 and under the other for 11s and up... or was that 9s and under/ 10s and up :smack: ???

They really work great, but I prefer to cut a good graphite or bone nut ;)
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definately, im pretty sure the one the fender supplier stocks is for 8s. And im a 10 or 11 man myself, but ill sacrifice guage for the price of routing for a floyd anyday. I could buy a guitar at the local pawn shop with an OFR for the same price... that may actually be a better idea.
 
Re: Roller Nuts

shredist said:
... I could buy a guitar at the local pawn shop with an OFR for the same price... that may actually be a better idea.
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If your goal is Whammyage, this will almost certainly work out better, and having a second (3rd, 4th, 100th :D) guitar is never a bad thing ;)
 
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