Tusq, bone, brass, graphite, or plastic?

[pianoguyy]

if you want to experiment with 0 fret, use a capo
its not completely the same, but its a good simulator

[BLOOD SPLATTER]

Nut slots keep the strings properly spaced & aligned on the neck....also required to keep the strings in place when bending....no nut slots = no bending!!

[Newc]

At least no Herculean bends, and you'd really have to match string gauge to tuning - 10s for E, 11s for Eb, 12s for D, etc. You'd want as much tension as you could get to keep them well-anchored to the nut.

If you round the back edge of the brass nut, it shouldn't cut the strings with the small amount of sliding you'd get. Brass won't cut steel, and if you retune a lot you'd get grooves eventually, but you'd also get brass dust in the wraps, which could lessen string resonance. But by that point you're probably ready for new strings anyway.

I replaced the plastic/bone/whatever it was nut of my '93 LP Std with a Graph-Tec nut, and the tuning stability greatly improved. It did result in a slightly darker tone, but the 500T in the bridge took care of it. I've also got a naturally brighter tone, so there's that.

The "rule of thumb" is to at least have notches on the nut to hold the strings in place. They don't have to be deep enough for the string to sit all the way down in (so the top of the string is even with the top of the nut), but at least halfway. The slots should also be angled towards the tuning peg, since it's going to pull the string that way. Straight slots when the string angles away will give you tuning problems - pings and slips when bending and tuning.

I'd also recommend having the saddles notched, since those are typically sharper and could result in string breakage, especially since they're steel, and the amount of vibration at that contact point.

[dvscool]

I don't see how the nut could not be slotted. As has been pointed out, as soon as you bend or even get slightly aggressive at all, whats to keep the string from moving right off the fretboard? Even if it only moves slightly, the spacing has changed, the pitch will have changed, I don't see how this could be done. Something, needs to keep that string in place.....but wtf do I know

I have never tried brass or bone. I've only ever used graphite, it it works great.

[bombtek]

I don't see how the nut could not be slotted. As has been pointed out, as soon as you bend or even get slightly aggressive at all, whats to keep the string from moving right off the fretboard? Even if it only moves slightly, the spacing has changed, the pitch will have changed, I don't see how this could be done. Something, needs to keep that string in place.....but wtf do I know

I have never tried brass or bone. I've only ever used graphite, it it works great.

Bend it towards the middle of the board

[Newc]

That will keep the Es on the nut, but what's to stop any string from sliding over? You could end up with 2 strings closer together than you'd like, and fretting them both when you didn't want to when playing Maj chords.

[dvscool]

Bend it towards the middle of the board

Ok. So then the string moves to the middle of the board?.....if it moves at all, its out of tune and the strings are no longer aligned. At the very least the nut needs to be notched. But even then, I have put heavier strings on a guitar and they don't sit flush in the groove of the nut. More then once they popped out.

As a side note, I would love to know how the brass works out. I think YJM uses brass.....I assume there's a good reason...to him...

[bombtek]

Ok. So then the string moves to the middle of the board?.....if it moves at all, its out of tune and the strings are no longer aligned. At the very least the nut needs to be notched. But even then, I have put heavier strings on a guitar and they don't sit flush in the groove of the nut. More then once they popped out.

As a side note, I would love to know how the brass works out. I think YJM uses brass.....I assume there's a good reason...to him...

Will do...oh and by the way..the brass nut is slotted lol...I'm thinking of ordering one of those zero glide nut sets too...but thirty bucks is a lot for a nut

[Cliff]

Regarding different nut materials changing tone, I don't get how it would make any difference on a fretted string. Open strings, sure, but fretted?

[dvscool]

Will do...oh and by the way..the brass nut is slotted lol...I'm thinking of ordering one of those zero glide nut sets too...but thirty bucks is a lot for a nut

Dude...YJM uses brass...therefore; it must be good..lol

[Axewielder]

Dude...YJM uses brass...therefore; it must be good..lol

He despises locknuts, too. I respectfully disagree with the Maestro on this matter.

[leftykingv2]

One of my old strats had a nut and saddle that were brass. it's pretty awesome I must admit. Pretty bright in tone but awesome none the less. It never goes out of tune.

[Newc]

Regarding different nut materials changing tone, I don't get how it would make any difference on a fretted string. Open strings, sure, but fretted?

Shhh. No peeking behind the curtain, Dorothy!

Really, it doesn't matter to a fretted note if you have no nut at all. You might lose some minor sympathetic vibration behind the fretted fret, which some will say holds all the mojo in the note or some random unproven intangible B.S. like that, but in the end, nut material really does only matter to open string notes.