It’s much more common to find an ebony nut on a non-steel string guitar. Tusk is unlikely to wear out. Ivory is outlawed. We’ll cover the pros and cons of each kind, and hopefully, when you finish reading, you will have a good idea of what type of nut is right for you. The downside of these nuts is that due to the enormous popularity of the Floyd Rose locking tremolo system, there are a lot of knock-offs that use weaker metals to save on cost. Budget steel is soft and will wear out quickly. With acoustics, you need to match the bone nut with a bone bridge, and not one of those useless plastic variations. The final type of nut we’ll talk about is ebony. Just remember to do your research and buy one that fits your guitar. And don’t forget to visit us at humbuckersoup.com, and take a look at our other articles on guitar electronics. In the grand scheme, this is probably true, but bone can be "candled" to check for consistency, and I have yet to see a blank that didn't appear and later sound clean and even across the board. Graphite nuts might not sound as good as bone, but it’s still a vast improvement over plastic. I have a thing about that. Graphite is self-lubricating and is a perfect solution for guitar players who use a lot of the tremolo bar in their playing or have a hard time keeping the guitar in tune. You can do it, but it’s just a little harder, and you might ruin a few nuts getting it right. Steel. NuBone is marketed as a lower cost, high–grade plastic alternative to bone. It also tarnishes and requires upkeep. Bone is one of the most popular replacement nut materials and is the favorite among many discriminating guitarists. FYI, Tusq will render a brittle sound as compared to other materials. There are a few things to look for in any guitar nut. I often do this until a new guitar begins to open up and start to sound richer. We hope that you choose with your ears and not the hype. The maker of Tusq will tell you that bone, being natural, is subject to air pockets or something like that which CAN make them inconsistent from string to string if that ever happens to you. Share Followers 0. The thinking is that if you take two nuts of equal hardness but different weights, they will sound different. Kevin Hall 2009-08-29 18:20:26 UTC. I have bone nuts and saddles on all my acoustics. The harder a material is, the less high-end frequency loss you’ll get. Bone will last a long time and produce great tones. Gibson uses a lot of Micarta for their nuts and bridge saddles. Graphite is another very popular material used to make guitar nuts, and is also a favorite among guitarists. However, Tusq is not just any plastic. Tusq VS bone Tusq VS bone. Tusq was an experiment I definitely won't repeat on the 160. And do you think this is why Martin rarely uses bone or ivory? I like rich tone, so i guess i'll stay away from brass. Tusq vs. bone vs. plastic for nut. As far as I can tell there really isn't a big difference in changing the nut, and I'll usually just leave the nut unless the nut is broken or a very poor hollowed out plastic nut. >> Unbleached Bone Nuts. An ebony nut will need a lot of care and will wear faster than any other material. tusq will be slipprier. Fossilized ivory nuts is a newer growing trend that uses fossilized tusks as a nut material. It will also wear down quickly from the friction with the strings. Tusq, on the other hand, is very bright, even kind of brittle, as noted above. Page 1 of 2 1 2 Next ... One of the cosmetics I deal with fairly early on is the nut. brass nut vs bone vs the rest Discussion in 'Tech-Talk' started by hellfire, Oct 20, 2012. So, tusq vs. bone for saddle. I've done numerous for the same reason you cited. thecableguy, Oct 20, 2012 #3. Then I try bone again, which I generally prefer. The TUSQ vs Bone debate is extremely debated about on mlp and other forums.So bear with me if you get frustrated.. Density will affect durability. Our resident electronics wizard came by his skills honestly — first as an apprentice in his father’s repair shop, later as a working musician and (most recently) as a sound designer for film. Once we start talking about density and weight, we are talking about a much more subjective trait that a nut might exhibit. Bone and Ivory have hard and soft spots (grain) throughout each piece, hampering consistent transfer of vibrations to the guitar top. It’s less expensive than TUSQ and is often less favored for being more brittle and generally harder to work. It’s resistant to wear and produces a bright tone, without it becoming too harsh-sounding. To or ears, it sounded just as good as the bone if not better and is much more durable. Although there are different kinds of plastics, it is generally too soft to use as a nut material. A steel nut is what you get when you use a locking tremolo. Try your own comparison: play a guitar with a plastic nut long enough to get to know its tone and sustain. Or Graphite? The guitar plays well and sounds good, but I haven't compared it to another nut. As flatpicknut noted, it's not a dramatic difference, but it's enough for me to go to the trouble. His passion for guitar led him to Humbucker Soup, where he continues to decode the wonders of wiring and the vicissitudes of voltage. If you have problems with string hang-ups, it could be a sign that something’s not lining up correctly. The most common type is the standard nut that’s found on the majority of guitars at every price point. The upside is that if you have good steel, you’ll get a great sound that will last a long time. Some people prefer the tone of fossil ivory over bone – but again others swear by bone. Compensated Nut Bone, for me. We would love to hear about your experiments and which one you think sounds the best! Experiment as much as you can — even the woolly mammoth nut isn’t going to break the bank, so try a few out. Frankly I think that's a real stretch, even if theoretically true. So let’s narrow our discussion down to a comparison of three of the most popular types: graphite, plastic, and bone nuts, and we’ll talk about a few other materials as well. Tusk is a very hard polymer that produces a sound that some say rivals bone, while others say it is harsh and brittle. But I would like the strings to "slip" well in the slots. Hardness is probably the single most important quality a nut can have. Tusq is a good material and comes stock on many higher end guitars, but I actually prefer Graph-tec Graphite nuts over the Tusq. – Windsordave. Some people will pay any price, but most of us want to find something that sounds good but isn’t too expensive. Only a plastic nut is cheaper. The choice between Tusq or Bone ? If those are our only three choices, we recommend going with bone. Are they as good as their website says. Primary TB Assistant. People who use a lot of whammy-bar usually use a locking system to prevent the strings from going out of tune. If you are going to file your slots, you will need the tools to do it and some skill with the saw. Tusk is a very hard polymer that produces a sound that some say rivals bone, while others say it is harsh and brittle. To my ears at least, the bone nut and saddle when fit properly improve sound dramatically. The cheap nut that is used in so many guitars will rob you of your sparkling high end and sustain. My only data point on nut materials is the original plastic (worn slots) vs a replacement bone nut in my strat. TUSQ vs. TUSQ XL vs. Nubone vs. Micarta nuts...help! So, let’s compare their similarities and differences in terms of performance, looks, and overall tonality. So I want to upgrade my plastic nut to a bone or tusq nut..just like other threads I don't see this thread finding a single conclusion.. Many guitarists favor ebony because it has a beautiful look and produces warm, smooth tones. Materials used to make them can vary from bone or brass all the way to ‘high tech’ plastics such as corian, micarta, and TUSQ. Charlie (willing to listen) Sikora :)--It's not dating advice, but take out "pam" to reply. If you have an antique ivory nut and are crazy enough to install it, it would sound bright and rival bone. Here are some … Do bone and ivory saddles need to be broken in to remove brittleness? It does what a nut is supposed to do. On electrics, I don't really care all that much. Brass nuts can replace a steel locking tremolo or any type. If I were replacing the stock nut, I'd likely go with Tusq on an electric. Bone is brighter than Micarta, and I don't believe it changes in time the way wood does. The bone brings your guitar to life with a better attack and sustain. Fossilized Ivory The downside to brass is that it’s soft and can wear out faster than plastic. Only a plastic nut is cheaper. If nothing else, bone is a lot harder and more resistant to wear. Micarta is a synthetic bone. Another critical decision you need to make is whether you are going to create the slots for the strings, or purchase a nut with them already cut. Use boxwood pins to soften it a little more. I often hear that the difference in the TUSQ and bone is small compared to the difference between either and micarta. Messages: 35. Tusq Nut vs Bone: Similarities and Differences When comparing plastic and a bone, it’s clear that the bone will dominate. Fossil Ivory: Finally we come to fossil ivory. Discussion in 'Hardware, Setup & Repair [BG]' started by cazclocker, Jun 17, 2015. First fit a Tusq saddle and nut and the sound was better with the urea to my ears. I've tried both, there IS a difference in tone, and the bone nut gives a cleaner articulation, and I definitely noticed it immediately. I wondered if anybody else has compared the tusq saddle to the bone and if I really would have adverse effects with my pickup system? Tusq is very nice in that it is slicker than bone and allows the strings to slide around more so it's easier to tune the guitar and they tend to stay in tune longer. I can hear the difference (or at least I think I can) and bone has a more pleasant tone to my ears. I have a tusq nut on my Godin. One reason I went with tusq is that bone wasn't recommended by fishman for my pickup. 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 can get quite pricey. TUSQ nuts have harmonically rich tone, without the inconsistency found in ivory, bone or other natural materials. (If you’re feeling scientific, record the guitar’s sound to compare later.) I currently have a tusq compensated saddle on my 000-28ec. I think tusq is a definite step down I managed to shave too much off my stock bone saddle on my BR160 and replaced it with tusq. Shooz Matthews says it's so. What do you think? It's a synthetic alternative to bone or ivory. If we could choose from any of the options, we might go with the Tusq nut. There’s nothing wrong with graphite if you like it, but most people go for it based solely on its lubricating qualities. If it isn't bone, I replace it with bone. I then made a new saddle out of a bone blank from Stewart McDonald and the original tone came roaring back. Hardness is not just crucial for sound quality — it’s also responsible for the longevity of the nut. My experience is that original graphtech sounds warmer than tusq, with a more fundamental focused tone and less harmonics. Got the action right but never happy with the sound. Tusk is unlikely to wear out. Plastic nuts are the most common, by far. We recommend prefab nuts so your slots will be consistent. Bone is my first choice but cutting a bone nut is a very labor intensive process and you really need to take your time and get it right. This is the brand name for an alternate man-made material that is often used today in place of traditional bone or ivory for acoustic guitar saddles and nuts. Are there any bone nuts pre-slotted? I disagree with the above. I prefer bone, hands down, but it means you have to contour your own They claim it's for consistency purposes, but as you say, they seem to be pretty consistent. I have found Tusq nuts that are pre-slotted for fender basses. I have Tusq nuts on 2 guitars and they are great. I think they do sound brittle at the beginning--as opposed to micarta. They are cheap to make, cheap to buy, and almost every guitar has them pre-installed. Leave the nut and change out the saddle to micarta. At the same time, many of the Taylor guys (whose guitars come with TUSQ saddles) recommend changing out the TUSQ saddle for bone. Tusq is a brand name of synthetic ivory that is rapidly growing in popularity due to its clean, bright tones. Just tried replacing the urea nut and saddle on my new Yamaha GC12 Classical. One of Tusq's selling points is that, as a synthetic, it can be made more consistent than bone, which is a natural material. The strings don't bind at all. Now install a bone nut and listen again. Swapping out a Micarta saddle for bone will definitely yield a brighter tone. They’re commonly walrus tusks, but we’ve seen wooly-mammoth ones as well. Then switched to bone and the improvement was far better than either the urea or Tusq. Bone is the traditional choice of material for acoustic guitar nuts. An Unofficial forum for those who love Martin instruments - Founded by Steve Stallings. The self-lubricating feature will allow the strings to slide over the nut with less friction, reducing tuning issues and hang-ups. If your original nut is bone, tusq would be closer to it than original graphtech. Brass is similar to steel, but it is softer and caters to a niche guitar population that likes the warmer tones that brass provides. I prefer bone on my acoustics for the nut and saddle. The difference is subtle but it’s there (for a few weeks I even had a mix of both saddle types on the guitar). But, when it comes to deciding on a replacement, you’ll find that there are quite a few different types, and making a choice can be difficult. In looking up information on Micarta vs. Tusq vs. Plastic will absorb your high-end and dull your tone. It will also rob you of your high end and sustain. It produces a similar tone, but it does wear down faster. I suspect that far more pickup and acoustic tone trouble is caused when the saddle isn't cut evenly and/or doesn't fit the slot properly. Hey guys, Just wondering, what are people's opinions on graphtecs nubone saddles and nuts? If you have enjoyed reading this article and have learned a little more about the different styles of nuts available to you, please feel free to share this guitar nuts article with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Fossilized ivory is from tusks buried underground for thousands of years. Let’s look at the some of the differences between graphite, plastic, and bone nuts. Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 Next > hellfire Strat-Talk Member. I always swap Tusq for bone at the saddle right off, and at the nut when it becomes necessary or convenient. My 000-15 still has its original Micarta saddle because I really like the tone as is. Bone and Ivory nuts and saddles have one inherent problem - they're made from organic materials, and therefore have inconsistent soft or dead spots because of their natural grain. I'm not asking which is better than the other.. Bone, the information I found indicated that Tusq is denser than Micarta and has more sustain. Both Tusq and Bone should have as good a tone as you're going to get from a nut, better than some of the cheaper plastic stuff. Tusq is a brand name of synthetic ivory that is rapidly growing in popularity due to its clean, bright tones. Bone is very hard, yet it is easy to shape. By danxrs05, April 8, 2010 in Acoustic Guitars. Tusq saddles and nuts are actually made from an extremely high-quality polymer, formed by high levels of heat and pressure, which allows them to transfer string energy and sustain more consistently and efficiently.
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