TUSQ Nut

[Guitarmusic]

I have played guitars with Tusq nuts already installed on them, but I have never had a nut replaced on a guitar. Does anyone have experience replacing their Factory Guitar nut with a Tusq Nut? Is it an improvement?

 

[Clint 55]

The preslotted tusq nuts are hollow and don't conduct as well imo. You can get solid slabs but then you have to spend a lot of work shaping it and then it's pretty tough to get right. So if you already have a decent nut in there, I would say stick with it. That said, tusq is my favorite nut material for bright/general playing, corian for a warmer sound. (The 2 materials that warmoth offers in their necks.)

 

[Mincer]

I've replaced the factory Strat nut with TUSQ and it was super easy. Gone were the buzzy open notes, and the open strings had that 'bell' quality back. I am a fan.

 

[GuitarStv]

The preslotted Tusq nuts I've used were certainly not hollow. I've sanded and filed them down quite a bit with no issue.

I prefer Tusq to bone. It is more consistent, sounds better, and is easier to work with.

 

[ICTGoober]

It is more consistent, sounds better, and is easier to work with.

That has certainly not been my experience. I think it's appeal is all marketing. Bone rules. Period. Full stop.

 

[GuitarStv]

Sound is subjective, so . . . meh. I don't see how you can argue that bone is more consistent or easier to work with though.

 

[Clint 55]

The preslotted Tusq nuts I've used were certainly not hollow.

That's good to know.

 

[Clint 55]

Bone rules.

Bone is the worst piece of kit I have EVER used.

 

[Gtrjunior]

I’ve got the Tusq XL on 2 guitars and couldn’t be happier. I bought the pre-slotted but had my local shop install it.
I’d recommend them to anyone.
I swapped the bridge saddles in my LP with tusq too.

 

[Lewguitar]

The preslotted Tusq nuts I've used were certainly not hollow. I've sanded and filed them down quite a bit with no issue.

I prefer Tusq to bone. It is more consistent, sounds better, and is easier to work with.

I don't know that I prefer Tusq to bone or ivory but I like the way my guitars with Tusq bridges and nuts sound. My Tusq nuts were not hollow. I don't think that you could go wrong with Tusq. If you get the slotted version you'll still need a set of nut files to do the final tweak of the string slots but most of the work will have already been started for you.

 

[ehdwuld]

There's a difference between Tusq and TusqXL
one has graphite, according to the literature

I believe they are an industrial material called PPS
I bought the PPS from China after seeing it listed on a Dean guitar I bought

The PPS from China has the same glass like ring when dropped on a table
In the research I did it is self lubricating like nylon
The material has all the physical properties attributed to Tusq

 

[Mincer]

The XL version is the one I have the most experience with, and certainly recommend.

 

[ICTGoober]

The maker of Tusc - Graphtech - also makes a variety of nut material known as NuBone. It comes as standard equipment on many Alvarez guitars and a few other brands. It's available in blanks, too. It's a creamy tan color, and works exactly like bone. It even smells like bone when you hit it on the sander. I find it works much easier than Tusc. If I didn't have bone blanks running out my ears, I would stock some to use at a clients request or on my own projects.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

The maker of Tusc - Graphtech - also makes a variety of nut material known as NuBone. It comes as standard equipment on many Alvarez guitars and a few other brands. It's available in blanks, too. It's a creamy tan color, and works exactly like bone. It even smells like bone when you hit it on the sander. I find it works much easier than Tusc. If I didn't have bone blanks running out my ears, I would stock some to use clients request or on my own projects.

Does NuBone have the same self-lubricating quality as TusQ? Or is it more akin to real bone?

 

[ICTGoober]

In my experience, it's very much like bone.

 

[Bogner]

Tusq XL has the lubricating material impregnated into the nut. Any time I need a nut replacement I have been using the TUSQ XL and find them superior to anything else. they do enable your guitar to ring out a bit more acoustically. I don't find them any easier or more difficult to work with than bone. I can see a bone nut being less forgiving if not cut properly and all things between the two materials identical because the bone nut will not have the teflon so strings potentially could hang up etc a bit easier.

 

[ColeJustesen]

I find that working and shaping Tusq and bone nuts takes about the same amount of effort. I personally prefer the bone, but not so much that I would replace a Tusq nut that was installed on a guitar with bone. If it needed to be replaced, I would more than likely go with bone or buffalo horn (depending on what color I wanted). If I didn't have bone and horn blanks, I would personally try to get graphite nut blanks before buying Tusq.

Cole

 

[St_Genesius]

Unless your nut is broken, just leave it alone.

If your nut IS broken, the Tusq XL is an excellent choice for a replacement part.

 

[donaldr]

Have 2 guitars retrofitted with Tusq nuts, one being black Tusq XL. I think the XL is a bit brighter/cleaner.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I replaced the cheap plastic nut in my PRS SE with a Black TUSQ nut, and I did not notice an improvement in tone or tuning stability, TBH.