Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

[tone]

Hey guys.
Has anyone had experience with the nuts installed on necks from Warmoth? Do they cut the nut slots good? I'm trying to decide between an LSR and a graphite nut from them to go with a strat that will use locking tuners and a two point trem. Would one be better over the other as far as tuning stability, and performace for trem use? Also, what kind of differences in tone could I expect from the two?

Thanks!

 

[FenderFan79]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

I have a neck on order from Warmoth for my tele project and I am getting them to install and cut a graphite nut for me. I imagine it'll be done well, at least it sounds like it will. The website explains how they shape and cut it:

"Through a concerted effort we have built a system for precision cutting nuts to fit our custom necks. The actual cutting is done by a bench top CNC mill run by a PC. The program was written in house by Brian Goode. We are able to input all the variables for each specific neck and create a nearly perfect nut for each, compensated for fret height, nut width, fingerboard radius, etc. Two air turbine spindles do all the cutting and shaping of the nut with extreme precision."

So really, it only sounds like you may have to adjust a bit if you play with heavy gauges....

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

There was one guy on here (I can't remember who) who got a Warmoth neck with the nut pre-installed, and they didn't do a very good job. I haven't heard any other complaints though.

 

[walt]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

I have a warmoth neck with a graphite nut and I believe it could have been cut better, but it does work. You have to balance the bridge in order for it to work properly as far as tuning stability. Other than that, my warmoth neck is the best neck I have ever played. It has Schaller locking tuners, graphite nut, 6000 stainless steel frets, and fully scallopped. Once I balanced the bridge (which is floating with full step pull), my strat rarely goes out of tune.

 

[FenderFan79]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

what is it that could have been done better with they way they cut and installed it? I'm hoping mine for my tele is passable, because the closest shop is over 4 hours away....

 

[walt]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

I have 2 strats with a graphite nut installed. One by my guitar tech and one from warmoth. My guitar tech knows how I play and use my instrument therefore he knew how the nut should be cut. Warmoth doesn't know me personally and even though I told them what gauge strings I use and they told me that the way they cut the nut would accommendate the gauge I use, it could have been done a little better. Nothing major just my opinion.

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

Excuse my scepticism, but how can you accurately cut a nut until it's on the guitar with the strings installed?

This is what i hate about the industry at the moment, there is so much kidology around; Pleck machines, LSR roller nuts, locking tuners, relic guitars, BS tempered tuning schemes...

Wise up guys, it's all just ways of squeezing money out of you.

 

[mnbaseball91]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

Hey guys, haven't been here in awhile but I think I may have been the one with a bad Warmoth nut. It was perfectly playable, but I did have to do some touchup work to get it to play and tune properly. You can either spend $6 on a Stewmac precut nut and touch it up yourself or $30 on a Warmoth precut nut and touch it up yourself. Your choice.

 

[theodie]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

Excuse my scepticism, but how can you accurately cut a nut until it's on the guitar with the strings installed?

Yup! My thoughts exactly! Got to have the complete axe on the bench to do it right!

 

[theodie]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

Pre cut nuts are not what they are cracked up to be by alot of folks! I almost have to do the same amount of work on a pre-cut nut as I do a blank! Sometimes (most of the time actually), I much rather have a blank!

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

Pre cut nuts are not what they are cracked up to be by alot of folks! I almost have to do the same amount of work on a pre-cut nut as I do a blank! Sometimes (most of the time actually), I much rather have a blank!

Seconded.
My pet hate is the piece of crap the fit on a Parker fly. The top E is too close to the edge of the fingerboard but the blanks are pre cut so you can't adjust them.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

every warmoth nut i have gotten cut with a neck from them has been cut too low and needed to be replaced.

-Mike

 

[tone]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

Excuse my scepticism, but how can you accurately cut a nut until it's on the guitar with the strings installed?

This is what i hate about the industry at the moment, there is so much kidology around; Pleck machines, LSR roller nuts, locking tuners, relic guitars, BS tempered tuning schemes...

Wise up guys, it's all just ways of squeezing money out of you.

I don't have anyone who does nut work anywhere near me. Only way to get it done would be to ship the guitar somewhere.

Safest bet is probably to just get an LSR?

 

[theodie]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

I don't have anyone who does nut work anywhere near me. Only way to get it done would be to ship the guitar somewhere.

Safest bet is probably to just get an LSR?

It will be the same deal, with the LSR a certain amount of material needs to be removed from the fretboard to install it properly. It cant be properly done unless the guitar is complete! They may be able to get it in the neighborhood but, its not going to be perfect!

 

[Stratman]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

Excuse my scepticism, but how can you accurately cut a nut until it's on the guitar with the strings installed?

This is what i hate about the industry at the moment, Pleck machines..(

Actually, the Pleck is used with the strings tunes to measure the distance between the strings and frets/neck. AND IT WORKS!

 

[Stratman]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

Normally, I post negative comments concerning Warmoth based on some bad experience with their sales department and product errors.

However, I have not had any problem with the nut cut (Can you call it that ?) on Warmoth necks that I purchased from them.

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

Actually, the Pleck is used with the strings tunes to measure the distance between the strings and frets/neck. AND IT WORKS!

I know what the Plek machine does, i just think it's a ridiculous extravagance.

It's only justification might be in a factory environment where there are insufficient skilled technicians to dress frets as guitars come off the production line. Even then, it could only be as good as the original fret job.

However it would be a waste of time and money in the Ibanez factory as all their guitars seem to come off the production line with loose frets. I can't imagine that a robot like the Plek could deal with frets that routinely bounce by more than the amount it is taking off to dress them.

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

It will be the same deal, with the LSR a certain amount of material needs to be removed from the fretboard to install it properly. It cant be properly done unless the guitar is complete! They may be able to get it in the neighborhood but, its not going to be perfect!

Now the LSR; my favourite story.

The LSR started out as a nice idea; cradle the string between a couple of tiny ball bearings in a sprung cradle, almost no friction! Virtually no harmonic damping either!

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about let me explain.

For a nut to function efficiently it has to reflect the pulse which travels along the string after you pull and release it. This is essential for sustained resonance. The ball bearings don't provide the lateral support required to do this and which is responsible for harmonic damping and ultimately the resonance process.

Without harmonic damping behind the nut the pulse travels through the nut to the tuner where it is dissipated as enharmonic resonance in the length of "dead' string behind the nut. This also feeds back unwanted harmonics into the string, creating enharmonic overtones; the tone of the string sounds odd and buzzy.

The designers' solution to the LSRs lack of harmonic damping was to place a little block of rubber behind the ball bearings. While solving the problem of harmonic damping, this also restored the friction that the designers hoped to eliminate through the original design...

Another problem is that the LSR nuts only work with certain gauges of string. Many of my customers have bought a Strat + deluxe and tried to string it with .009s or .008s only to find that the top E slips through the ball bearings in the E position.

My feeling is that they make a guitar sound dull and lifeless.

 

[MikeS]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

every warmoth nut i have gotten cut with a neck from them has been cut too low and needed to be replaced.

-Mike

I concur. The tele I picked up from you with a precut Warmoth nut is cut too low. I set it up as best I could and it plays fairly well, but open would strings can and do buzz with a heavy attack. Replacing that nut is on my to-do list for gear. Otherwise, the neck is fantastic.

Hey, there's always setting it up for slide!

I'd recommend playing an LSR before succumbing to their marketing ploy and buying one. They have a different feel and tone that I thought would be difficult to get used to. IMO, there’s no better nut than a properly cut graphite nut. Even a properly cut and lubricated bone nut is far and away better than an LSR IMO.

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: Warmoth nuts and LSR vs. Graphite tuning stability and tone

Even a properly cut and lubricated bone nut is far and away better than an LSR IMO.

Yay!:fing2: