Our nuts

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Although I'm looking forward to puns from Texas to New Zealand, I'm also looking for info about the best nuts for various guitars. Does it vary depending on electric versus acoustic, 6 versus 12 string, size of guitar, woods used, music style played, etc? One thing I'm sure of: with a 12 string, getting a nut requires twice as many sluts..., er, I mean slots.

 

[coastie99]

I'm laughing so much, I can't focus on what to say !!

[img:0]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/coastie99/A1EOM9.jpg[/img]

 

[coastie99]

And I'm laughing even more now, 'cos laughing so much I shagged up the entry information several times, and after finally getting it all corrected Photobucket have somehow censored me !!

I'll just pop off and take a photo. of my own.
Now. where's that wide-angle lens ?

 

[Guildmark]

Guess I'm chuckling, too, but I'm also interested in the question. My G312's nut has a tiny chip out of the high E end. My local luthier doesn't consider it critical because it doesn't reach the string slot, but I am planning to eventually replace it. Hopefully before it gets worse. I asked the luthier (who is an authorized Guild repair site) if this comes under the lifetime guarantee. He said, "No." I have only had to take advantage of the guarantee once - the bridge started to lift when the axe was about 5 years old. Sent it back to Westerly for repair and it hasn't come up since - about 23 years now.

So, Darryl - is there a specific reason you're asking? ... a particular problem you're trying to solve ... a specific guitar you need it for?

Guildmark

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Guildtrademark,

No particular problem. But I hear a lot of talk about different materials. One guy raves about his mycarta, another guy raves about his Corian, and West raves about his bone....

I think it might even be possible that some materials work especially well with Guilds, though that might be a longshot. Even for West.

 

[West R Lee]

:lol: Darryl,

To be honest with you, I can't tell you what my nuts are made of. I think the D25 has a plastic nut on it and I had talked with Don about making me a bone saddle for it. It's just that it's had the same nut for 27 years and I'm apprehensive about changing it just to tweek it. I suppose I'm just not yet convinced that it will make a new guitar out of it.

As time goes on, the DV72 is a different story. It's got an undersaddle pickup and the previous owner shaved the saddle to lower the action. I don't think low nuts ensure better action. (bone I think, but not positive) I've noticed that if I really hit the low "E" hard, I'm getting some buzz. I may eventually have to "get a nut"........or 2!

Anybody out there know what material was used in the nuts (and saddles)of DV72s in 1994?

Darryl, tell me about your nuts? Having nut problems? Are your nuts low?How's your action? Do your nuts effect your action?

West

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

How could I have problems with my nuts? I never use them.

 

[coastie99]

What does that Nut Sauce stuff that I've seen advertised do ?

Do you swallow it, or apply it ?

 

[West R Lee]

Nut sauce Coastie?

 

[West R Lee]

Darryl,

I usually accidently get lemon oil on my nuts as I work my way rubbing down the neck.

:twisted: West

 

[Squawk]

I'll try hard (real hard) to be serious here - IMHO, there are two issues with nuts - the major one being that it is properly slotted (or slutted for DH) for the strings you are using. I think the material issue is minor as I could only see it affecting the sound when the string in question is played open. Saddles, on the other hand, I do think make a difference - perhaps not as much on flat tops (Micatra vs. Tusq vs. ivory vs. plastic) but more so on archtops (ebony or rosewood vs. metal). Likewise, bridge pins can make a difference - like tailpieces on archtops (plastic vs. wood pins and trapeze vs. stop tail vs. frequensator).

 

[West R Lee]

Stop tail................................................NEVER! :lol:

West

 

[coastie99]

NUT SAUCE..............

http://www.guitaristonly.com/

"Safe for you and your instrument".

Ah guys, shouldn't geezers of your age be tucked up in their beds ???

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Sqwalk,

Makes sense that the nut wouldn't matter except when the string is open.

Does anybody use a wood saddle with a bigsby?

What saddle would you recommend for a starfire 12 to make it sound more like a Rick?

For flat tops, what are the tone and volume difference in saddles and bridge pins? This discerning geezer doesn't know.

 

[coastie99]

Darryl.

I can tell you that I got a very substantial increase in volume out of an F4CE (all-mahogany) merely by swapping to Tusq bridge pins.
As to tone, I'm not absolutely sure. I can say I don't hear any tone degradation.
I'd have to say that I was hugely surprised at the volume difference - I'm highly sceptical of most claims by manufacturers that I read.

I've previously had FWI nut/saddle/pins fitted to two guitars which "probably "enhanced tone and certainly added a nice aesthetic, but I'm sure I didn't hear the difference in volume that I've experienced with Tusq.

And I can't see how ebony pins can increase volume or enhance tone. Surely, they should decrease volume and "mellow" tone.

I do wonder if the bridge pins that we have in some of our guitars simply are not a correct fit, and the "quantum" difference we notice with a different material is substantially down to those new pins simply being a proper fit.

Here's a photo. of my little Maton, fitted with FWI saddle and bridge pins, and a Greenstone (Jade) scratchplate............

[img:640:480]http://www.i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/coastie99/IMG_0542.jpg[/img]

 

[dklsplace]

Big Bends Nut Sauce came up on the old forum. I discovered the company was not far from me & made a comment on the forum about trying to obtain a sample. Soon after I received an email from Brent, one of the company founders, & we met over a cup of coffee. I've been using the sauce ever since & would recommend it to anyone.

 

[Squawk]

Darryl & Coastie -

Regarding flat tops:
I flat pick using a relatively thin pick. I find that wooden pins soften the sound - still bright, but not tinny. Noticeable, but not drastic. No effect on volume. Plus I think they look nicer. Also depends on the guitar, but I put ebony on my 2 Guilds (D50 and JF12-30) - slight but noticeable difference in both.

Regarding 12 strings:
D - the tail piece here could be a bigger issue - does your Starfire 12 have a stop tail or trapeze? The Rick has a trapeze type - as well as a bridge cover.

As to the saddles, does your SF have 6 or 12 saddles? I read on the Rick forum about replacing the 6 saddle 360 bridge with a 12 primarily for intonation - but I found with a lot of perseverence and the right strings, I was able to balance intonation. This of course doesn't really help answer your question, but in your line of work, you're used to that.

Regarding wood saddles w/Bigsby:
I would think metal is needed so the strings slide easier - this also sounds like a good place to test out Nut Sauce. I have one guitar with a Bigsby - SF3 - which has a nice sweet sound, but not "woody" (like my X170) - which I think is the function of a few things, including the bridge.

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

Coastal One,

I too have wondered about the fit of bridge pins. It seems to me that maybe they should be numbered for each string, and the groove should vary according to gauge. But if that were necessary, it would have been done by now. On the other hand, even if it's unnecessary, I wonder why some con artist hasn't done it claiming that it will make a Harmony sound like Martin. A Gibson, maybe.

Squaw K,

For my starfire, I got a 12 slut nut. It has the original old tailpiece, but I'd be happy with any tailpiece at my age.

Has anybody ever tried a bigsby on a 12?

Could the tone of the single coils on your Rick be compared to a P90, or DeArmond, or HiLotron, or strat, or tele? Were those toaster pickups single coil?

 

[West R Lee]

OK Don,

I give........what exactly does "nut sauce" do for you? I'm trying to learn here.

West

 

[dklsplace]

...what exactly does "nut sauce" do for you? I'm trying to learn here.

Great for tremolo/Bigsby allowing string movement through the nut without binding. Also aids in that one pesky nut slot that everyone has experienced....when trying to tune up ever so slightly & you hear the "ping" as the string finally catches up with the tension you've been putting on it from the keys....then you're sharp.