guitar-nuts

One of the smallest parts of a guitar is also the most discussed one - the nut. The nut is the area where the strings hit the guitar first, which makes it very important. Nuts are made of a variety of materials and they all can influence your tone – for better or worse – so I think this important part of your guitar deserves a little discussion.

First and foremost, it’s important to know that the material of the nut only influences the tone of the open strings directly. With a good nut the open strings sound balanced and open, with unity gain compared to the other notes. Indirectly, the nut also influences the overall tone of a guitar because the nut transfers the vibrations of the strings to the neck, so the material and density are crucial.

With this in mind, it might seem appropriate that the material for a nut should be the same as the material used for the frets, which is how the “zero fret” came about. The “zero fret” is a normal fret where the nut should be, with an additional nut that simply guides the strings to the zero fret. The method was popular in the sixties, and some manufacturers still use it.

Guitars without a zero fret use a normal nut which still guides the strings, but is also partly responsible for the action of the guitar, the overall tuning stability and playing comfort. With some experience and the correct tools, like nut saws and files, making a nut is not very difficult. Generally, it’s best to let an experienced luthier do it for you, however, as there is little reason to spend money on the tools.

Nut materials are an oft-discussed topic, and everything from forensic physics to esoteric urban legends can be found on the internet to explain the differences. Here are my two cents, mostly based on the “try and listen” method of research.

Plastic Plastic nuts are the most common – even some higher-priced guitars have cheap plastic nuts. Plastic nuts are not very durable, and before too long, the strings will saw through the nut slots. Besides this, low-quality plastic nuts will kill your tone, especially your sustain. It is always a good idea to replace a plastic nut if you get a guitar that has one. Plus, the standard “rhinestone white” color of plastic nuts isn’t the sexiest look, and gives you just one more reason to replace it.