Nut upgrade questions

[supertd]

I took my new IC420 for guitar lessons the other day. My teacher looked over my setup job, checked my intonation, etc., and then suggested I upgrade from the stock plastic nut to a bone or graphite nut. I was under the impression that the main downside of plastic was that it wouldn't last more than a couple years, and that upgrading the nut was something I should look at after I wore down the plastic nut.

Is a plastic nut something that you would day 1 upgrade?

How much does bone vs. tusq vs. graphite matter? Is there a significant tone or QoL difference?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

On fixed bridge guitars like your Iceman the nut is the primary driver of tuning stability. A nut not properly cut or made out of a more friction prone material will lead to "string binding" or when the strings get a little stuck in the slots due to friction which pulls the string slightly out of tune.

While material makes a difference, making sure the slots are properly sized and shaped for your preferred string gauge is more important.

So, does your guitar go out to tune after some light bending? If so, yeah, your nut might need work.

If it holds tune to your satisfaction, then you can hold off for a bit until you feel it's needed.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

A new nut would only be an upgrade if there's actually an issue with the existing one (i.e. I agree with Max).

If/when you do replace your nut, Tusq would be my recommendation. It's more consistent than bone and neither material is a significant expense in the grand scheme of things. All of the big brands seem to use Tusq as standard on mid to high priced models these days, which is a decent indicator of what is best. If Tusq is good enough for a $20k Taylor acoustic guitar, it should be good enough for your IC420

 

[Grindspine]

As indicated above, if your nut is binding, changing it is a great idea. So if you are tuning and your strings make a "ping" sound, that means they are catching in the nut.

Really, smoothing out a burr in the nut where it is catching is the first step. If your nut continues to develop burrs from wear or is cut too low at any point, it is time to replace. I really like Tusq. It is a durable synthetic ivory with the option of graphite impregnated material to allow for smooth slippage over the nut grooves. It is easy to work with for moderately experienced techs and luthiers. As a bonus, it uses no animal products, so it is arguably more ethical than bone.

 

[SalsaWood]

Should also be told that coming up into tune, in all but pronounced malfunction circumstances, completely negates the impact of commensurate tensions before and after the nut or saddles.

A plastic nut works just fine, unless it's screwed up and in that case it's pretty irrelevant what it is made out of IME.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

Your nut is fine just how it is, King. The sooner you learn to live with what the good Lord gave you, the happier you'll be.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

As a bonus, it uses no animal products, so it is arguably more ethical than bone.

But worse for the environment

 

[Grindspine]

But worse for the environment

Is there a reason for being contrary?

I would argue that poached ivory is far worse for the environment (native fauna) than the production of a synthetic nut.

 

[High Plains Drifter]

@supertd If you haven't before... take a plastic nut and a tusq/ graphite nut and lightly tap them or drop them on a solid surface. The audible difference is what sells a lot of people on synthetic nuts over plastic.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

I got your synthetic nut right here ️

 

[sonoftheoldnorth]

It's nut worth it

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Is there a reason for being contrary?

I just think using bone from an animal that has already been killed for other purposes (e.g. meat), so would otherwise end up in the ground, is more ethical than producing synthetic materials that pollute the environment...which harms animals.
In terms of using the best available material for my guitars, I would go for Tusq though.

I would argue that poached ivory is far worse for the environment (native fauna) than the production of a synthetic nut.

You referred to Tusq as more ethical than bone, not ivory. Ivory is illegal for a reason.
I'm pleased to say I've never encountered an ivory guitar nut. I'm actually only aware that ivory was ever used because Tusq is named after it.

 

[SalsaWood]

The most unethical nuts are security lug nuts from Amazon. They cannot go extinct quickly enough. When speaking of negative consequences to the planet as a result of the industrial revolution I'm not starting at guitar nuts, I'm just not lol. I've probably done more for my local naturalist endeavors than everyone else on this forum combined so I'm gonna use whatever guitar nut I want, turns out that's stock Tusq in all cases because they don't actually make a difference in tone worth bothering about to my ears. If there are so many guitarists the Tusq bufalo can't make it we'll have bigger problems, like all the damn guitarists who typically have minimal other skills or zero other emotional mechanisms.

Fight the battles you can win, it won't be that one.

 

[SalsaWood]

That previous came out a lot more sour than it was in my head as I rushed out the door, I should have just said there are better things to do on that front than worry about guitar nuts.

 

[Grindspine]

I just think using bone from an animal that has already been killed for other purposes (e.g. meat), so would otherwise end up in the ground, is more ethical than producing synthetic materials that pollute the environment...which harms animals.
In terms of using the best available material for my guitars, I would go for Tusq though.


You referred to Tusq as more ethical than bone, not ivory. Ivory is illegal for a reason.
I'm pleased to say I've never encountered an ivory guitar nut. I'm actually only aware that ivory was ever used because Tusq is named after it.

I do believe that it is more ethical, and better for the environment, than bone or ivory.

In the thread on global warming (https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/climate-change.351466/page-18#post-5639997), there is a relevant post.

Instead of asking India and China to play nice, we all could learn from India in regards to cattle industry.
Leave everything as is, all the factories and cars can remain untouched, and outlaw the Cattle industry globally - suddenly our trees get to live; ancient forests are unimpacted; sensitive global eco-systems can flourish; hell, OUR health starts improving, along with the global environment.

I'm not saying we shouldn't make factories/trains/cars/homes more energy efficient. Definitely do that!! But those aren't causing us as much of a headache as the cattle industry is

 

[Neon_Knight_]

I do believe that it is more ethical, and better for the environment, than bone or ivory.

In the thread on global warming (https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/climate-change.351466/page-18#post-5639997), there is a relevant post.

Not really the thread for it, but alternative protein sources aren't too great for the environment either. For example, this clearing in the middle of the Amazon is a soy field: