What material makes the best guitar nut?

[Lewguitar]

Re: What material makes the best guitar nut?

Over on the Acoustic Guitar Forum they argue about this stuff like we argue about pickups and reverb pedals. lol!

I really think I can hear or sense a difference between bone, Tusq and ivory on my acoustic guitars...especially with the saddle material.

I prefer bone for both the nut and the saddle on my acoustics.

I can hear/sense a difference in the bridge pins too. There I use fossilized walrus ivory.

Although fossilized might be an incorrect term because I think of fossils as being rock. When I shape fossilized walrus or mammoth ivory it smells like teeth being drilled in a dentist's office. Not rock.

As always, some of us are sensitive enough to hear and sense subtle differences in tone and response between different nut and saddle materials and some folks are simply not.

 

[Bludave]

Re: What material makes the best guitar nut?

I hear of people using real bone or brass over say just some type of plastic.

Is there any sonic difference between the plastic nuts that come on many guitars and some of the higher end replacements you find?

Any Opinions, facts or superstitions?

I think a lot of it depends on the guitar in question. For acoustic guitars there is no question that the nut material will improve on the guitars overall tone. On my high end acoustics which came stock with bone well they sound extremely good, however when a nut needs to be replaced I will usually replace it with Ivory. Ivory adds a little more umph to the tone and the notes ring much clearer.

On electric guitars I prefer bone or Graphite. Bone on guitars that are non whammy guitars, Graphite on guitars that I use the whammy. Now I am not overly aggressive with my whammy, but I prefer graphite nut, saddles & locking tuners. This just makes the guitar stay in tune better.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: What material makes the best guitar nut?

I like bone. my problem with guitar nuts has not been their tone, it's been how they break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

plastic ones suck!!!! they break easily.

 

[The Dali]

Re: What material makes the best guitar nut?

Wow... the things that people think affect tone... unreal.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: What material makes the best guitar nut?

I get my bone materials here. They are unbleached, reasonably priced and solid shipping.

http://www.guitarpartsandmore.com/

Cool, thanks!