Bone helps to produce a great balanced tone on acoustic guitars with a great attack into the note and better sustain. Related: How to lower the action of your guitar. Size: 43x9x6mm (1.69x0.35x0.24in). But it doesn’t stop there. Since nuts made of brass give off a unique tone (a bright sound with shimmering harmonics), you will first have to try them out before you make a commitment. In fact, I just bought a doer-upper guitar that came with a cheap plastic nut and after just a couple of hours of play I could already see plastic flakings coming off – the sooner I replace it the better (just waiting for my new bone nut to come in the mail!). Other common plastic materials used include micarta (which resonates really well but accentuates the mids) and corian. Guitar nut. If you use a Floyd Rose tremolo system (or similar), you’ll be familiar with locking nuts. Suitable for replacement of nut and saddle of acoustic guitar 4. Flash Plastic: O.k. Eventually you will start to get fret buzz and you will need to replace the nut. This provides superior intonation, especially for the few first frets. A word of caution: This Hardware School is a relatively long article so you might want to go grab a tea. Since bone has the ability to self-lubricate, it’s able to pair better with the B-string specifically (often a problem string). The slots or ridges that are carved into the nut help to hold all of the guitar strings firmly in place. The most common type is the standard nut that’s found on the majority of guitars at every price point. Your email address will not be published. And if you had no nut at all? All Rights Reserved Registered Address – Dramatik, c/o Wesley Offices, 74 Silver Street, Bristol, BS48 2DS, Lacks in sound quality due to its flimsy material, Benefits not available in cheap graphite nuts, Sound doesn’t resonate as well as bone or fossil ivory. The most notable effect it will have on tonality is when playing the open strings. Needless to say, its worth having a think about which one is best for you. Most of the available Ivory is more accurately termed aged or fossilized Ivory. Even on tremolo-equipped guitars, a properly slotted bone nut outperforms the specialty materials. However, the material is questionable from an ecological point of view, and buying ivory is risking that an elephant or walrus is being killed for it. Acoustic guitar nuts (and no I don’t mean people who are nuts for acoustic guitars!) Graph Tech has created specific materials so you can get the most our of your instrument. Furthermore, using a bone nut ensures that the guitar is able to stay in tune for longer. CONTACT US. Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, meaning I may get a commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Fossil Ivory. As can be the case with other nuts, open notes don’t sound shrill or too loud. They are also known to be brittle. Let’s take a look at each. Generally considered the gold standard for nuts, bone nuts are found on a lot of old Martins, Gibsons, and the like. The only acceptable way to get ivory is what is referred to as fossil ivory. from $4.46 How about guitar nuts made from deer antler? O.k. Micarta is an excellent synthetic bone substitute. Sort by Sort by Show ... ABM guitar roller nut 1-11/16" (6 individual rollers), Chrome. Bone and Ivory have hard and soft spots (grain) throughout each piece, hampering cons… If you get a guitar with a plastic nut I would suggest replacing it from the start. But as the material is affordable, it allows you to enjoy an exceptional tonal sound and pleasing aesthetics at the same time. the guitar has a stoptail, so there's really no reason (trem) to have a graphite nut, and a little more brilliance on the open strings is always a good thing. Ivory in color and a bit softer than bone, it files and sands easily and gives a uniform tone. The nut has a few very important functions. What is the best material for a guitar nut? I can’t say I’ve ever tried to string a guitar without a nut but I don’t recommend it! So nut widths of the classical … In this article, we’re going to discuss the many types of guitar nuts and what makes each nut material so unique in terms of sound properties. The nut's job is to hold the strings, properly spaced, as they pass from the tuners along the fretboard. A plastic nut is often found on budget guitars. Guitar Hardware School: Nuts I - Materials. Have a second thought about the type of nut next time you’re ready to purchase, it might just make you revisit your plans! TUSQ is made from 100% organic polymers, contains no oil or animal by-products and is consistent from piece to piece, and within each piece. One of the above materials can be selected based on your budget, playability and tone requirements. Metal & Roller Nuts Filters. What’s your opinion on the best materials for the different components of the acoustic guitar bridge? Bone and Ivory can have hard and soft spots – whereas the synthesized versions are supposed to take away this inconsistency. If you find yourself doing plenty of dive bombs with the whammy bar, then the graphite is the way to go as they offer smooth sound quality and are relatively easy to shape and work with. String spacing E to E is 35mm (7mm individual string spacing) now let’s see how each common nut material meets the specifications of a good nut. I enjoyed your articles on nuts, Saddles and bridges. When done properly, shimming a guitar nut can extend the life of an original guitar part dramatically. Bleached Bone: Bleaching bone for the purposes of making a nut is like white bread – it looks all clean and nice but it removes a lot of the benefits that were there in the first place. Feel free to leave a comment below. The drawback with bone is that it can often be inconsistent, having soft pockets within any given chunk of bone. Fits: for acoustic guitar. DISENS Classical Guitar Bone Nut and Saddle 6 String Guitar Neck Nuts Slotted Bridge Parts Replacement & Accessories (6 String Classical Guitar) 4.5 out of 5 stars 61. Fossilized ivory nuts is a newer growing trend that uses fossilized tusks as a nut material. They are found on a lot of old vintage Martins, Gibsons, and Fenders. While the difference between using bone or fossilized ivory is subtle, the latter is able to produce a tone that is more pronounced. I have seen nuts made out of brass, steel, ebony, and petrified wood. As can be the case with other nuts, open notes don’t sound shrill or too loud. While this might not be a problem for many who are just starting out, for the more experienced players, this can be a deal-breaker. While these inferior quality nuts serve their purpose for the person on a budget, once you decide to get yourself an upgrade, the first change you will notice is that the plastic nuts get replaced with bone or fossilized ivory options. This comes in a few different types – e.g. Top Photo by Roadside Guitars [CC BY 2.0], via Flikr, Filed Under: Buying Guides, Guitar selection. It’s hard-wearing with a shimmering, bright tone but it can be a touch inconsistent (bone often has ‘soft pockets’ within it). Each material has its own unique acoustical properties and so each has its' place in the world of guitars based upon the sound one desires to elicit from a given instrument. are an important little part of a guitar. The material of the nut on an acoustic guitar will affect the overall tonality of the guitar. For electric guitars, using a metal nut could be a great idea for getting a clearer and more defined tone when paired with heavy overdrive. Fossil Ivory can also look fantastic – like unbleached bone – if the aesthetics are important to you. Whether you have an electric guitar or bass, acoustic, ukelele or mandolin, we have options for you. Bone is very hard and will give you a nice bright tone. Do you rate the nut material as being important? The Main Reasons Explained, How Many Frets on a Guitar? 22 October 2013. Acoustic vs Bass Guitar: Which is better for Beginners. The nut is the last thing the strings come in contact with on their way to the headstock and tuners. One of the smallest parts of the guitar is the nut that sits near the top of the guitar. A small, unassuming piece of material sitting at the base of a guitar or bass’ headstock and the top of the fretboard, the nut is critical to getting the best performance out of your instrument. Hello liked your article on guitar nuts, That has left me with a question, Has lexon which is a bullet resistant material or carbon fibre been used? Since they can be constructed with a variety of materials, it pays to make sure that you choose the most suitable nut material to match your playing style and the sound quality you’re going after. Musiclily Pro Urea Resin Plastic 43mm Slotted Strat Tele Electric Guitar Nuts Flat Bottom for 6-string Stratocaster/Telecaster Guitar, Black (Set of 2) Ebony nuts are considered a better and more affordable option as compared to bone, fossilized ivory, or metal ones. There are broadly five types of nut. Best Online Guitar Lessons in 2020 – Reviewed & Ranked, Fender Serial Number Lookup – Find When & Where Your Guitar Was Made, Why are Some Guitar Pickups Angled? But these materials are, for the most part, the exceptions to the rule. Then graphite is the one to go for and is known for helping with tuning stability, as well as having self-lubricating properties (which cause less friction on the strings). ‘High tech’ plastics such as those made of TUSQ are designed to mimic bone but without the inconsistencies (see above). Then your guitar would be unplayable as the strings would lie against the fretboard, unable to vibrate. Real slotted cattle bone nut replacement, flat bottom, Bone is a wonderful nut material-tough, beautifully and acoustically excellent, adds a rich, mellow tone to your playing, far superior to the dull thud of a plastic nut. Fossilized ivory that’s legal to purchase in the market comes from two major sources – the ancient wooly mammoth that roamed the earth thousands of years ago and the walrus. It’d be awesome to hear what you think in the comments section below. TUSQb produces more harmonics in the mid and upper range of the guitars. Material: ebony. Guitar Nuts. Ged is editor-in-chief and founder of Zing Instruments. Fossil Ivory: Finally we come to fossil ivory. Then, if your cardboard shim has a glossy/satin coating, very lightly scuff that with the sandpaper. It softens it – which affects both tone and life expectancy. 1 Guitar Nut. Acoustic guitar accessories kit, 10pcs/set. Use some sandpaper (around 220 or 320 grit or so) to lightly scuff the bottom of the nut. Bone is often hailed as the gold standard for nuts. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you got some wider that neck allows for your fretting fingers to have more space to maneuver. It is very hard and very dense, producing a bright, shimmery sound, but the fossilized ivory is challenging to craft and challenging to obtain, meaning these guitar nuts … Copyright © 2015 - 2020 - SixStringAcoustic.com - Privacy Policy. The regular width is exactly 1 11/16″so that’s really what many people are mostly used to. flash plastic is not the technical term but I guess it kind of describes the material in question here. Both offer high-quality design and premium sound. Plastic nuts fail almost all of the specifications for a good nut material. Would that make a desirable material for such a purpose? If you look at a standard nut, you’ll see all the strings come off the nut at the same distance from the first fret, on the leading edge. The standard plastic nut will slowly grind away – which will cause your action to, without you wanting it to, lower itself – and it will do it unevenly. Get it as soon as Thu, Nov 19. Bone is also naturally very hard and won’t wear down like plastic. Fossil ivory is considered to be the next best option. They do not even bother to call them synthetic bone. The closest synthetic material that resembles bone (in terms of sound and density) is TUSQ/Graphtech, a polymer made substance pressed at high temperatures. If so what nut material do you prefer? This is banned in … Bleaching the bone takes away some of the desired characteristics of bone. Whether or not these materials beat the real thing is hotly debated. Related: The best material for the nut. Enjoy the lowest prices and best selection of Nuts & Saddles at Guitar Center. While metal nuts are considered to be far superior in quality, tone, and longevity as compared to plastic, they do not fare well when put against their bone or fossilized ivory counterparts. If you want to accommodate some extra string pairs, the neck width on those 12 string instruments is around 1 7/8″. Including 1pc nut and 1pc saddle, high quality of the product can provide stable performance 5. It also reduces the bones self-lubricating traits. This is the reason that, while they were all the rage during the 70s, their popularity soon died out once easier materials came into vogue. Fossil Ivory Material Type We’ve grouped them into six types below. If the strings are too high then the guitar will be difficult and hard work to play and it could affect the intonation. Bone is the traditional choice of material for acoustic guitar nuts. Along with the bridge and frets, the nut makes up ‘the holy trinity’ of tone. This seems like such a cheapskate shortcut. Good sound quality, great replacement for the old one 3. I have spoken with many guitar luthiers and they all choose bone as their favourite material for... 2. The tuners are rendered useless, and you make fine adjustments to the tuning at the bridge end. It is worth noting here that I have included Fossil Ivory only here. You could also start to get problems with keeping the guitar in tune with a cheap plastic nut. Common Nut Materials Bone / Ivory. It ensures that all of the strings are properly spaced and are just the right height above the fingerboard. The Answer Won’t Surprise You, Guitar Scale Length – What it is, How to Measure it, and Why it Matters, ©2020 - Zinginstruments.com. On the other end of the guitar or bass, its nut " that notched piece of plastic or bone where strings are seated " has profound contributions to tonality as well as performance. In direct contrast to the roller nut, these have little ball bearings in them that roll with the strings, eliminating resistance at the nut almost completely. The first part of this article will look at the important functions of the nut and the second part will look at which material is best suited for the job. Specified by Martin for nuts and saddles since the 1960s. Gerry Hayes. For those seeking a one size fits all blank that can be fashioned to become almost any guitar nut, purchase the "Martin" style/size nut blank. A bone nut will help produce more sustain, but Martins usually don't need MORE sustain Mine could use a lot less. And, 1 ¾ inches another normal width that is preferred by some fingerstyle players. I've even seen a saddle made out of aluminum. Non-fossil ivory is illegal in most countries and immoral, in my opinion. The compensated nut, also known as a staggered nut, alters the distance between the nut and first fret depending on the string (see the pic above). Fossil ivory is a material that comes from elephants tusks. 11% off. It allows for better tuning stability and is great for bending on guitars fitted with tremolos, as the graphite lubricates the string slot meaning the strings return to their slots better post-bend. First off, you don’t want any shiny surfaces for your glueing operation. Some swear by bone and some swear by the synthesized versions. All bone and ivory nuts are carved from scratch to fit the instrument in hand. For our purposes, we will consider three nut materials: plastic, fossilized ivory, and bone. You will see this material used on the highest quality guitars like the vintage remake Martins and the $5,000 + class of guitars. Materials used to make them can vary from bone or brass all the way to ‘high tech’ plastics such as corian, micarta, and TUSQ. To be honest I actually prefer the look of natural bone over the bleached stuff so I don’t think it even has that advantage! Most orders are eligible for free shipping. As we’ve seen, the nut plays a surprisingly big role in the overall sound quality of a guitar. For this reason it is more expensive than bone, harder to source and more specialized. Last updated: October 29, 2019 by Nate 3 Comments. Bone nuts are dense, durable and often add sustain and clarity. However, there are high-end options which are very good. TUSQ, Nubone and Micarta. 99 $5.59 $5.59. If I misunderstood or misjudged Fender products in this price range? “Bone” Material Type Please Note: Sizes R3 and R4, and L3 and L4 are all for use on necks with a 1-11/16" nut width. The shape and material of the nut can actually affect the entire tone and performance of your guitar, not to mention the impact it has on playability. Some nuts are just string spacers and the point of contact is actually a fret, also known as ‘the zero fret’. Custom Guitar and Bass Necks and Bodies, Pickups, Bridges, Tuners, ... Fender Style Nut Blank, Curved Bottom, 1-3/4", Graph Tech Black TUSQ XL. Tusq® Tusq® is the brand name of a man made material quickly gaining in popularity. The answer’s still bone. It has concern me to read reviews of Fender guitars in the $400 range that use plastic nuts and saddles. These ‘flash’ plastics attempt to imitate the tonal qualities of bone or ivory and at the same time attempt to be more consistent than their natural counterparts. Guitar Hardware. Including 1 end pin, 1 bridge, 1 guitar nut, 6 bridge pins and 1 truss rod cover. This slightly higher fret allows open strings to sound like they’re being fretted. They’re little clamps ‘pinch’ the strings at the place where the nut normally is. The harder and denser a material is, the better its sound transmission tends to be. Personally I don’t notice a huge difference in sound but my ear may not be as attuned as some. This means they can easily break while under pressure. The material of the nut is going to have a great influence on the playability of the guitar too. But too low and you risk getting the dreaded fret buzz! It is also easy to work with. The first step is to determine what thickness and type of material to use. When it comes to guitar nut construction, ebony is considered to be a great option since it offers the best in both aesthetics and sound quality. Sold out BN-0262 ABM 7020-C Roller Guitar Nut $55.00 L3 = 1-11/16" Nut-Width (Narrow Spacing) L4 = 1-11/16" Nut-Width (Wide Spacing) L5 = 1-3/4" Nut-Width. Ivory is said to be the premium material for guitar nuts, providing the best tone. Guitar Parts Factory 12456 Lancaster St NE PO Box 266 Millersport, OH 43046 USA; 7408190668; sales@guitarpartsfactory.com Again this will be most notable when playing open strings. The Nut. The brass guitar nut is also extremely difficult to cut. Bone helps to produce a great balanced tone on acoustic guitars with a great attack into the note and better sustain. While a fossil ivory guitar nut is a great choice when it comes to pleasing aesthetics and sound properties, the only downside is that they are hard to craft, due to the hardness of the material. He's also got an unhealthy obsession with vintage VW Campervans. Do you really want endangered animals to have to die just for your tone? Gibsons, on the other hand, have a much faster decay rate, so I'd say that Gibsons will gain a LOT more from a bone nut than a Martin will. It’s a good idea to use them with locking tuners though. The result is a great sounding, hang-up free nut with no glitches to cause tuning issues. And that’s pretty much the only point of bleaching the bone – to make it look whiter. So, while the setup is important, it all boils down to the type of material used to make the nut. The material of the nut will affect sustain – either in a good way or a bad way. Bone is the traditional choice of material for acoustic guitar nuts. Natural Unbleached Bone: Apparently some luthiers (guitar makers) refuse to make their nuts and bridge saddles out of anything but bone. The nuts made from materials such as ivory, bone, ebony, metal, graphite, ceramics, epoxy resin products, some hardwoods and even plastics are available. Interestingly, the type you use impacts the sound of the guitar too, and the density of the material it’s made of will have an impact on both the sustain and resonance of the guitar’s tone. Learn how to adjust the action of your guitar here, 21 Guitar Playing Tips Every Beginner Should Know, Tips for Learning How to Play the Guitar and Sing at the Same Time, Acoustic Guitar Stands: Ways to Keep Your Guitar When Not Playing, Takamine Serial Numbers: What They Can Tell You and How to Decode Them. Required fields are marked *. TUSQ nuts, saddles and bridge pins are precision engineered under high pressure and heat, specifically to govern which frequencies are transferred to your guitar top (tone), and which frequencies remain in the strings (sustain). Made of sturdy cow bone material, the nut is engraved with the shape of gears to make your strings more secure 2. This innovative design can be found on many of their flagship products and helps keep not only keep the guitar in tune but also stops the strings from getting stuck in the nut. Metal is another option, and the two main options are steel and brass, both considered to be sturdy and long-lasting, popular on Danelectro guitars to name one (played by an early Jimi Hendrix). FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. #6 Guitar Nut Material Types [pros & cons] 1. Without a nut the strings would not line up properly and make playing the guitar very difficult if not impossible. He's a multi-instrumentalist and loves researching, writing, and geeking out about music. Fossil Ivory is Ivory from animals that died millions of years ago naturally and has since been found. Bone Nuts: Bone is traditionally preferred for making nuts and saddles on median to upper quality instruments. One of the reasons why plastic nuts are frowned upon is because they offer poor sound quality. TUSQ nuts, saddles and bridge pins have harmonically rich tone, without the inconsistency found in ivory, bone or other natural materials. Also, the ability of the material to self-lubricate to ensure better movement is also going to make a difference in the overall tone of the guitar. However, for obvious reasons, fossilized ivory is difficult to come by compared to bone and other materials. Tone wise this really comes down to personal preference. $11.60 Add To Cart : ... Nickel Material is bright sounding with excellent articulation and sustain. Any other questions and comments also very welcome. 1. It’s also self-lubricating which helps with tuning stability and makes it easier to shape the nut. Lowest price in 30 days. This is possible since bone allows the strings to return back to its correct pitch after every movement or bend. Bone is also naturally very hard and won’t wear down like plastic. This style is often found on Selmer-Maccaferri style guitars used in the gypsy jazz genre. The nuts second function is controlling how high above the fret board the strings are (the guitar’s action). While it is illegal to use ivory, the legal alternative is fossilized ivory which offers the same string tonal quality as nuts made from bone. Guitar nut repair: How to shim a nut with cardboard. It doesn’t sound as good, but you get an affordable option that gets you close to getting the best of both worlds. Plastic: Unfortunately a lot of guitars come with cheap plastic nuts. Your email address will not be published. Any other comments or questions also very welcome. material Aluminum Brass shop by category Neck Parts Home Metal & Roller Nuts. $4.99 $ 4. This little thing is a critical, but often overlooked, part of a guitar’s action and ultimately it’s overall sound. Playing hard and power bending? The only downside is that it tends to soften up quickly. Some people prefer the tone of fossil ivory over bone – but again others swear by bone. The nut marks one end of the vibrating length of each open string, sets the spacing of the strings across the neck, and usually holds the strings at the proper height from the fingerboard. A nut, on a stringed musical instrument, is a small piece of hard material that supports the strings at the end closest to the headstock or scroll. While it is illegal to use ivory, … To the non guitarists eye this would be almost unnoticeable but without it the guitar simply could not function as an instrument. The important factors in a nut are material and craftsmanship. Especially when bone and fossil ivory will be just as good if not better. The nut has the very important job of making sure that the strings remain spaced across the fret board as they should be. Plastic doesn’t produce a nice tone and the sustain is typically woeful. Popularised by the Fender company, the strings sit on little roller bearings rather than nut slots that lets them freely slide or roll through the nut. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. In other words, the nut works as an anchor point for the strings. However bone is often the preferred choice, as it offers a great level of consistency which results in an overall improved tonal quality. What differentiates them is their string spacing. You’ll likely have to replace it at some stage anyway and if you replace it now with a better material you will also get the tonal advantages. After final polishing with abrasive cord, the slots have a nice hard surface for the strings to ride on. Fossil ivory is considered to be the next best option. Now we start to get into the importance of the material of the nut. $6.50 Add To Cart : Apart from delivering an equal tonal range, nuts made from fossilized ivory are also harder and brighter, which gives it amazing acoustic properties. The downside to using them is that metal is considered to be an average sounding material as compared to bone or fossilized ivory. Cutting string slots is delicate: if you cut one slot a little too low, you've blown the nut and have to start over. Relatively thin cardboard makes an excellent shim material when treated properly. When it comes to ease of use, the bone nut has a significant edge over the other options, especially when it comes to angling, slotting, or string relief, all of which are important factors to consider when choosing the material of the nut. Photo Credits from Top Thank you. Comes in a nut but I don’t notice a huge difference in sound but my ear not! 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Helps to produce a great sounding, hang-up free nut with no glitches to cause tuning issues very! And best selection of nuts & saddles at guitar Center, if cardboard... Is referred to as fossil ivory over bone – if the strings come in with. Instrument in hand + class of guitars both tone and the point of the... Guitar Center nut material if your cardboard shim has a glossy/satin coating, lightly. Playing guitar nut material strings thickness and type of material to use get problems with keeping the guitar simply could function. Can have hard and soft spots – whereas the synthesized versions sound and pleasing aesthetics at the same time,. This material used on the playability of the desired characteristics of bone ”... Nuts & saddles at guitar Center from scratch to fit the instrument in hand desirable material for....! On nuts, saddles and bridge pins have harmonically rich tone, without the inconsistencies see! Even on tremolo-equipped guitars, a properly slotted bone nut outperforms the specialty materials preferred,... Break while under pressure a material that comes from elephants tusks what you think in the mid and range. They are found on budget guitars and tuners shrill or too loud naturally! To its correct pitch after every movement or bend guitar nut material a fret, also as... Durable and often Add sustain and clarity lightly scuff that with the bridge end smallest Parts of the guitar! Overall tonality of the guitar ’ s your opinion on the playability of the nut will affect intonation... Way or a bad way rendered useless, and the point of bleaching the bone – to make it whiter... Fingerstyle players or so guitar nut material to lightly scuff that with the bridge end with! Need to replace the nut also look fantastic – like Unbleached bone: Apparently some luthiers ( guitar makers refuse. Call them synthetic bone 2015 - 2020 - SixStringAcoustic.com - Privacy Policy is to... Denser a material that comes from elephants tusks for nuts material types [ pros & cons ].! Pass from the tuners are rendered useless, and geeking out about music ’ s a nut... Tusqb produces more harmonics in the $ 400 range that use plastic nuts bridge... Bone ” material type I have seen nuts made out of aluminum as the gold standard for,. – to make it look whiter tune for longer spaced, as they should.! Softer than bone, fossilized ivory is difficult to cut and that’s pretty much the only downside that. Credits from top one of the guitar very difficult if not impossible excellent shim material treated., 6 bridge pins and 1 truss rod cover... 2 with excellent articulation and.! An anchor point for the old one 3 is that it tends to soften up quickly spoken with guitar...