Bone Nut

[Ryan.]

So with my new bone nut, what lube would you recommend?

[john_p_t]

I use Big Bends Nut Sauce, which despite its ludicrous name is great. You can use it on the bridge saddles too. Planet Waves make one too, that I've heard good things about. But the other guys are right, a cheap graphite pencil will also do the trick.

[gitmo]

 

So with my new bone nut, what lube would you recommend?

 

 

Honestly, I wouldn't stress over it unless you notice it's a problem. Most notes are fretted which takes the nut out of the equation.

 

If the nut was cut properly the grooves fit the strings and were sanded smooth with 600-1000 grit sandpaper. The grooves of good quality bone sanded properly should be like glass.

[john_p_t]

 

Most notes are fretted which takes the nut out of the equation.

 

 

For tone, yes, but not for tuning stability. Whenever you bend a string, you stretch it, and the point it rests on the nut slides out towards the fingerboard a bit. The problem with the stickiness of a nut is that the string doesn't always land smoothly back were it belongs, and you end up progressively more out of tune.

 

This isn't fundamentally in the nature of bending (or trem use) and sorting out your snagging points will really solve it. I've got a completely bog standard Fender trem on my srat, and I can dive bomb like a mofo since I got a graphtech nut on it, and it stays bang in tune. On the other hand. my affinity tele with a plastic nut is slightly out after a solo no matter what I do.

[gitmo]

 

For tone, yes, but not for tuning stability. Whenever you bend a string, you stretch it, and the point it rests on the nut slides out towards the fingerboard a bit. The problem with the stickiness of a nut is that the string doesn't always land smoothly back were it belongs, and you end up progressively more out of tune. This isn't fundamentally in the nature of bending (or trem use) and sorting out your snagging points will really solve it. I've got a completely bog standard Fender trem on my srat, and I can dive bomb like a mofo since I got a graphtech nut on it, and it stays bang in tune. On the other hand. my affinity tele with a plastic nut is slightly out after a solo no matter what I do.

 

 

Graphtech uses two different plastics AFAIK, a graphite blend(black) with lubricating properties and a white plastic which doesn't have any lubricating properties that I'm aware of.

 

The white plastic used by Tusq for nuts and saddles is very hard. If the string grooves are the proper size and smooth I doubt they'll stick much if at all, especially on unwrapped strings. Drop a Tusq nut(white plastic) on a floor tile and it rings like metal. File it with a steel file and it almost doesn't cut.

 

I'm not arguing with your sticking string theory but I can't imagine it's a huge problem. I've worked with some strong, exotic plastics and the formula Tusq uses for their white nuts and saddles is one of the hardest I've come across.

 

Bone I might lube. Graphtec, I wouldn't.

[john_p_t]

TUSQ is hard as nails, but it is also self-lubricating. It's impregnated with Teflon all the way through. Notice how you get that black / grey gunk building up on them over time; that's the particles of Teflon flaking awa as the string rubs in the groove. Despite which, they last quite a long time.

 

I sound like a salesman here, don't I? No affiliation, I promise.

[john_p_t]

Hang on, sorry, I'm talking about TUSQ XL, which is a combo of TUSQ and the usual graphtech. You're quite right about standard TUSQ. But TUSQ is engineered to be like bone, which is indeed smooth. All of these things beat straight plastic, is all I'm saying.

[gitmo]

 

Hang on, sorry, I'm talking about TUSQ XL, which is a combo of TUSQ and the usual graphtech. You're quite right about standard TUSQ. But TUSQ is engineered to be like bone, which is indeed smooth. All of these things beat straight plastic, is all I'm saying.

 

 

Graphtech is the company name.

 

I've not worked with the XL, I'll have to get one. It does have teflon.

 

My biggest point would have to be that a good hard nut:facepalm: with properly cut and sanded grooves shouldn't be catching/binding steel strings.

 

Lubing is beneficial but probably unneccessary for most players. MWO.

[john_p_t]

No kidding?

 

I didn't know you whether you were serious or not. Nut myths are pretty high up in the roll-call of guitar myths, I find.

[john_p_t]

 

Graphtech is the company name.

 

 

Yeah, I know. Sorry, I meant to type "the usual graphtech lubrication", as in the same stuff that's on the saddles. Am up too late and losing my ability to communicate.

[EADGBE]

 

I didn't know you whether you were serious or not. Nut myths are pretty high up in the roll-call of guitar myths, I find.

 

What I meant was bone being more dense should increase sustain and also increase volume. As it has less of a dampening effect as opposed to plastic. And yes it's most apparent when playing open strings.

[ΨWindingΨ]

So I just had a bone nut put on my Gibson LP... I don't know much about guitars. What exactly is this going to do for me?

 

Probably not much and the only real benefit you'd notice if any would be open strings strumming. I have a bone nut on my lester too.

[gitmo]

I'm talking about TUSQ XL, which is a combo of TUSQ and the usual graphtech. You're quite right about standard TUSQ. But TUSQ is engineered to be like bone, which is indeed smooth. All of these things beat straight plastic, is all I'm saying.

 

So look what shows up. I didn't realize I had ordered XL.

 

I guess I'm an authority on Tusq XL now.