Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Tech => Topic started by: Fubar on August 23, 2006, 02:25:32 PM
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My strat needs fitting with a new nut (after a bit on the low E string came flying off), I'm a bit confused by the possible alternatives; what effect will changing it to brass or graphite have on tone, sustain, string wear etc. looking at the spec of the american version (it's a malmsteen sig) it has a brass nut, I remember reading years ago that this apparently "improves" tone but in what way does it change it?
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I replaced the stock plastic (?) nut on my 50s reissue strat with a graphtech graphite nut. There's no difference at all in tone, and I haven't broken a string since fitting it.
There's some pics of the installation in the blog link in my sig. It wasn't too bad, but it did require a fair amount of sanding to get rid of the central notch that the nut came with. I think I just got lucky because it now seems perfectly fitted, and I definitely wasn't an expert (read: had never removed/fitted a nut before).
I'm not sure about the brass nuts. It sounds like they'd add a fair amount of weight, although that might be desirable - kinda like a permanently installed Fat Finger on the headstock :)
Hope that helps,
Jordan
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A brass nut will increase sustain, but also brightness. They can be a bit "sticky" as metal to metal doesn't go together well. On a guitar with a vibrato, I'd see this as a bit of an issue. My Gordon Smiths have brass nuts - they're fixed bridges but I still get creaking and the odd tuning issue after heavy string bending etc.
Graphite nuts are great for vibrato guitars - very low friction to aid tuning and harder than plastic so you get increased sustain and a touch more brightness. I'd recommend one of these for a strat. I believe the GraphTec ones are the best.
You can also get bone or man-made bone nuts. These are more often used for acoustics but I have a Tusq nut on my SG and it's great. Increased sustain over the cheap plastic nut that was on there originally plus a bit more warmth and acoustic tone. It gives the guitar a very natural sound. It's subtle, but you can tell it's there.
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If you want to hear a real improvement in tone change to a bone nut, although even graphite should be better than plastic.
Brass nuts were a big thing at one time but they have fallen out of favour. The idea was that they improved sustain because they were heavy brass. In fact the oppostite usually applies, but tonally they are still better than plastic which sucks tone away. One of my friends has a 68 les paul black custom which had a brass nut put on it and that actually sounds ok because the added brightness helps the solid mahogany body
one advantage of brass nuts is that the open strings sound closer to the sound of the fretted notes.
I have been using graphtech, Tusq and delrin (slipstone) nuts for a while but now i have got used to the awfull smell of cutting a bone nut i will stick with them.
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Cheers for your help guys! :D
Jordan - Looking at your blog it looks like you've just completed what i'm kinda setting out to do, i've been looking at the titanium saddles that are now available instead of the graphite ones, yet again, they're "the single most important mod you can do for your tone" or somesuch! :lol: Am also looking into refinishing it as a.) it's taken a huge amount of abuse over the last 13 years and b.) When I was younger I wanted to be andreas Kisser from Sepultura and decided to cover it with stickers! :lol:
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Jordan - Looking at your blog it looks like you've just completed what i'm kinda setting out to do, i've been looking at the titanium saddles that are now available instead of the graphite ones, yet again, they're "the single most important mod you can do for your tone" or somesuch!
Titanium?
Ah, you must have perfected the art of cr@pping money :-)
I looked at all the titanium parts you can get, and they do seem pretty sweet, but the saddles would have cost more than the set of Apaches I put in!
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WOW
You must have read my mind. I was just thinking about changing out my nut, but am unsure if its the plastic kind. I have a Gibson SG standard.
If it is plastic, what nut would you guys recommend. thanks!
Sorry to hijack
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Have now ordered a Graphtech graphite nut, i'm not actually a heavy whammy bar user but that strat has always had horrible problems with tuning instability when even using it slightly. Now i've gotta decide wether I can actually pluck up the courage to try and remove the old one and fit the graphtech or wether to wimp out and pay someone else to! :lol:
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WOW
You must have read my mind. I was just thinking about changing out my nut, but am unsure if its the plastic kind. I have a Gibson SG standard.
If it is plastic, what nut would you guys recommend. thanks!
Sorry to hijack
The properties of them all are pretty well outlined above! :) Just because your guitar had a plastic nut to start with, it doesn't mean that you can't change it.
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I really like the Graphtech and Tusq nuts as well as good old fashioned bone
Just to throw a spanner in the works I will comment on something that we have started stocking: Earvana nuts
These are an alternative to the much discussed Buzz Feiten system for improving the intonation of the guitar at almost every fret position.
We are fitting them as an option to our custom built guitars and also fitted the retrofit version too.
Below are their claims for improvement in pitch from using their system
(http://earvana.com/earvana.data/Components/pitch_comparison.gif)
Do have a look at the site http://earvana.com/
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I really like the Graphtech and Tusq nuts as well as good old fashioned bone
Just to throw a spanner in the works I will comment on something that we have started stocking: Earvana nuts
These are an alternative to the much discussed Buzz Feiten system for improving the intonation of the guitar at almost every fret position.
We are fitting them as an option to our custom built guitars and also fitted the retrofit version too.
Below are their claims for improvement in pitch from using their system
(http://earvana.com/earvana.data/Components/pitch_comparison.gif)
Do have a look at the site http://earvana.com/
Is that like an adjustable nut or one that's a pre-set different shape?
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It's a preset
The retrofit has a separate sliding top that you have to set in place
(http://earvana.com/earvana.data/Components/stephen_holst_guitar_retro.jpg)
The one for guitar makers is different but you must remove aout 2mm+ of fingerboard
(http://earvana.com/earvana.data/Components/earvana_esp_oem_nut_blk.jpg)
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how does that work if you have a floyd rose?
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About the Earvana nuts...is the nut hieight preset?
I ask because I am having trouble with my new Warmoth neck and getting it right. Everything above the 12th fret hits the frets.
I'm just assuming that it is the nut height, I'll probably get one anyways, but I just need to know.
I chose an odd sized neck, ans I think they can do the size I need. Graphtech is a little too wide.
Sorry for the Hijack!
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About the Earvana nuts...is the nut hieight preset?
I ask because I am having trouble with my new Warmoth neck and getting it right. Everything above the 12th fret hits the frets.
I'm just assuming that it is the nut height, I'll probably get one anyways, but I just need to know.
I chose an odd sized neck, ans I think they can do the size I need. Graphtech is a little too wide.
Sorry for the Hijack!
Nut height only really affects open strings
Frets 1-6 affected by truss rod and height of bridge (or uneven frets)
Above 7th only affected by height of bridge (or uneven frets)
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Do the Earvana do what they say? Is it worth it?
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IMHO, the Earvana nut does exactly what it says it will do. One of the most frustrating aspects of my early guitar learning was, let's say, tuning a 1st-position Emaj chord to perfection, then strumming a Dmaj and having it sound like a warped record. Then, I'd correct the Dmaj, and the E would sound horrible. One would constantly tweak the G string to try and find an OK compromise. With the Earvana, problem solved instantly.
Now, of course, nothing in life is for free. I have found that the Earvana can cause some slight pitch problems with partial chords higher up the neck (e.g., the opening riff of "You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise" comes to mind right now). If you do a lot (and I do mean a lot) of chording higher up the neck like that, the Earvana may not be for you. It's not a huge problem, but it is noticeable. I've read that some jazz purists don't like it, but I've never been able to quite decipher their admittedly very musically sophisticated comments as to why (being neither a jazzophile, nor much of a purist at anything).
For me, however, it really turned my playing around since I had my first one installed (I guess about 5-6 years ago), and one has made its way onto every guitar I own. I've yet to personally meet anybody who actually tried one who didn't like it. I think that it's one of the best bang-for-the-buck (pound?) tonal improvements that one can make on a guitar. (With the exception of BKP's, of course.)
cjpm
No, I own no Earvana stock, take no kickbacks, etc. :)
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If the scale length for each string is what the Earvana nut supposedly fixes, why can't you just adjust the saddle positions at the bridge to change the scale length?
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^
because the frets would then be in the wrong place and your intonation would be horrific :D
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hey just wanna ask
ya guys know where can i get nut replacement for SA260FM
after checking the measurement is 6*42 mm
i wonder which will fit it
thanks