Tusq nut thoughts.....

[mojosman]

I am putting together a Les Paul Traditional that I bought stripped from a buddy of mine. He's buying a stripped Les Paul from Stratosphere, and kept the hardware and electronics for that guitar. One thing I noticed when I got the Traditional home was this blackish grey stuff on the nut. I asked my buddy about it and he said that the nut was never right from day one, and he had to use graphite lube to prevent tuning issues, and that the high E slot was cut too low. Long story short, I'm planning on changing the nut just to prevent problems. He gave me a Tusq nut that he had intended to install but never did. What are your thoughts on Tusq nuts, I've never used one. They are cheap enough, so I could also buy a bone or brass one if they are better options. Thanks for your wisdom in advance.

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

They are fantastic. Just drop it on a hard surface and you'll hear it sing. In all honesty, they are a great product and you'll have no need to go to bone or brass. As with any nut though, it needs to be the right spacing and installed correctly.

 

[mojosman]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

They are fantastic. Just drop it on a hard surface and you'll hear it sing. In all honesty, they are a great product and you'll have no need to go to bone or brass. As with any nut though, it needs to be the right spacing and installed correctly.

Thank you, I have had old timers tell me that even many old Les Pauls had nylon nuts in them new, and that having a properly cut and installed nut was more important than the nut material, but never having used tusq I didn't know what to expect. Thank you for your response.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

It's not so great. Mostly a marketing deal. But it can be made into a working nut.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

I've used them on several guitars. I like them better than bone or other materials.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

Same here, I'm a fan

ICTGoober doesn't like anything, lol

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

I like bone. And boobs. But not on the same guitar.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

I like Tusq. It sounds great, and is easy to work with.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

Be mindful the original nut may be epoxied into the guitar. You will have to saw it out if that is the case.

Tusq is one of the best materials for nuts and saddles. Sounds like bone but more consistent and is self-lubricating.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

I have some PPS nuts that ring when you drop them on a table
I believe they are the generic material Tusq nuts are made from

The specs on PPS says its dense and self lubricating

With that said I have put Tusq branded nuts on several guitars without issues

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

Tusq is just a brand name for a plastic no better than any other plastic. It's Tusq-XL that is "special," being teflon impregnated, or whatever the hell makes it self lubricated.

That said, on a non-trem guitar, a well crafted nut of any hard enough material should work fine. The key is professional installation, not so much the material used.

FWIW, pencil lead is not pure graphite. It has caking elements that are detrimental to nut slot lubrication. If you are going to use graphite as a nut lubricant, use Neo-Lube or a similar product that uses a solvent as the carrier for the graphite, as opposed to a caking material.

 

[mojosman]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

Tusq is just a brand name for a plastic no better than any other plastic. It's Tusq-XL that is "special," being teflon impregnated, or whatever the hell makes it self lubricated.

That said, on a non-trem guitar, a well crafted nut of any hard enough material should work fine. The key is professional installation, not so much the material used.

FWIW, pencil lead is not pure graphite. It has caking elements that are detrimental to nut slot lubrication. If you are going to use graphite as a nut lubricant, use Neo-Lube or a similar product that uses a solvent as the carrier for the graphite, as opposed to a caking material.

Thank you for this information. The nut I have is just Tusq, not XL. I knew pretty much nothing about aftermarket nuts. I will probably use this one, but have my local luthier install it so that it’s done right. I’ve also never used any lubricant on a guitar nut. I’m starting to believe that no guitar company is worse than Gibson when it comes to quality control in the nut department. This Traditional has a messed up nut, my 2010 Studio had a messed up nut, my nephew bought a Gibson custom shop Angus Young SG came with a nut that needed work too. I hear stories like this way more than you should at this price point.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

The key is professional installation, not so much the material used.

^^^ WHAT HE SAID! ^^^

Also, Chapstick makes a great nut slot lubricant.

 

[VinceT]

Tusq nut thoughts.....

Others have said it, so I’ll just agree - for me, on a non-trem Les Paul, slot height/width/depth/shape is way more important than nut material. Take the time (and/or make the investment) to get that done properly.

You have a Tusq in hand, so get it cut right - it’ll sound better than a bone or brass nut that’s been cut wrong!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Drunken Bowling]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

I've had mixed results.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

I think zero frets need to come back. You hardly see them anymore, and they are such a good idea.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

I think zero frets need to come back. You hardly see them anymore, and they are such a good idea.

Excellent comment. I like 'em.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

I think zero frets need to come back. You hardly see them anymore, and they are such a good idea.

Except that you can't compensate a zero fret nut.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Tusq nut thoughts.....

I haven't had a problem with any nut material that I cut and installed myself, but I prefer bone to anything else. TUSQ is OK but I don't find it so special. Like was said, the setup is by far the most important element.