Replacing the nut for increased sustain, what material should I use?

T

The Darkchild

New member
Hello people,

I'm planning on replacing my current guitar nut with one that is of beter quality. I own a very cheap Stagg (Stratocaster) guitar. Needless to say, it doesn't play so smooth. What bothers me is the minimal amount of sustain and the high action of the strings. So after doing a load of research on guitars and studying my friends squier (wich is of much better quality), I believe that by replacing the nut I will be able to significantly improve on both aspects.

My current nut is made of (most likely cheap/ low quality) plastic. This soft material really kills the sustain. On top of that, the nut is way to low. I mean it's about as high as the first fret! This ofcourse means that I have to significantly raise the bridge saddles to prevent the E string from hitting the second fret.

Anyway, what I'm not sure about is what material I should use. So far I've seen TUSQ, Carbon, Graphite, a Carbon Graphite composite and good ol' Brass. TUSQ is a bit of a softer material (still better then plastic lol), meant to preserve tone as far as I can tell. So I won't be using that one. All I care about right now is the sustain. So it's going to be one of the others. But I have no idea wich is better for sustain.

Brass is a heavy metal alloy (s'cuse the pun hehe), so it's very good for preserving sustain. Heavier materials always improve overal sustain.

Graphite is not so heavy, but it's VERY stiff. I read somewhere that graphite is about three times as stiff as steel(!) The stiffness of a material is also very important for sustain.

As for the Carbon and the Carbon Graphite composite, I think they're a bit like Graphite except that they're probably a bit lighter and a bit less stiff. In essence, I think that Graphite is a better choice then Carbon or a Carbon Graphite composite (I think).

What I really don't know is if Brass or Graphite is better for sustain. They're both good (Brass is also used on Yngwie Malsteen Stratocasters). But I really need to know wich one will be best.
 
Graphite is good but a normal bone nut will be good enough. FYI, it is not easy to replace the nut. A guitar tech will need one or more days to replace the nut as it requires a lot of procedures to get the right height.
 
Hehe, not to discredit you or anything (I'm no expert in my own right) but I think that bone was a bit like TUSQ, heavier and firmer, but still not to heavy
or firm as to preserve tone and ressonation. Both of wich aren't important to me right now.

As far as I could tell from what I've read, Brass and Graphite seem to be the best "insulators". Keeping maximum vibrational energy in the string. As far as the nut is concerned, I'm not to worried about it. Guitars nowadays (especially the cheaper strat copy's) are made in a way that makes them very resceptable to adjustment. They're all built the same standard way, to mimic a real Fender Stratocaster. What makes them of less quality are the cheaper materials used to make them and less (strict) quality control checks. So in my opinion if I replace the nut it'll most likely come out at about the appropriate hight.

What you are talking about is someone who has the time and skill to measure and make sure that the nut is in the PERFECT position. Down to the micrometer. Not very necessary for me and my cheap Stagg.....
 
I would advise you to sell the Stagg and get a better guitar. The Squier Classic Vibe Strat seems really promising, and retails for only about $600.

There are many factors that contribute to sustain: the body wood, the mass of the trem block, etc. Replacing a nut may set you back about $100, which may not be worth it in the long run.

If there comes a point where you are unhappy with your pickups, that is going to be another $300 easily for the pickups and wiring, etc.
 
Buying another guitar is not an option at this moment. And selling mine would not only be difficult, but it probably wouldn't even bring up a hundred bucks. Besides, it has sentimental value:) Why would I want to sell the guitar that I learned how to play on. As soon as I can spare the money I'll buy a YJM Strat though:mrgreen:

And I know that there are a lot of factors that contribute to sustain, but the most ressonation of a guitar is at the neck/headstock. It's a simple matter of picking a string and placing your hand all over the guitar to feel where it is vibrating the most. Then consider that there is this cheap piece of plastic (that might even be hollow on the inside) guiding your strings. And you will soon come to the conclusion that is the main sustain killer (and the easiest to replace to;)).

And really lol, the nut is one of the cheapest parts of a guitar. I've seen Graphite nuts for maybe five bucks. And seeing as how I'll be doing the replacing myself..... (I have experience working with wood, about two or three years of it).

I won't ever need to replace the pick-ups because they produce sound, and that's good enough for now. You see, I'm still learning how to play. So a little while back I discovered that my guitar is actually quite uncomfortable to play. When practicing you get a little bit faster by the day, eventually the bad construct of the guitar starts to take it's toll on your performance.

I'm just trying to improve my guitar a little bit and learn something about the thing in process. It's fun:cool:
 
Quote:

Sorry if i'm asking a stupid question but isn't the nut glued to the guitar?


Not stupid at all. Yes, the nut is glued to the neck. But if the person that built the guitar had any sence, he will have used White/Wood glue. These types of glue are specifically designed for woodwork and make it so that the glued object can also be removed if necesarry (they don't stick as ferociously as Bison or epoxy or what not). I think Stagg is a decent enough guitar manufacturer to have taken this into consideration. If done properly, the nut can be removed without any damage to the neck.
 
you are NOT going to get sustain with a nut change. EVAAAH. really.

at most an improvement of tone and maybe oh so slight sustain on OPEN strings. Fretted notes WILL STILL SOUND like normal. Fretted notes = Nut material out of the equation.

My choice of nut material? Tusq. It works as it should and way better than plastic and easy to shape and cut.
 
ROFL. In my excitement I forgot to look at it that way. You're absolutely right. Damn it. Here I was thinking I was finally making some headway in understanding sustain. XD

You seem like a knowledgable guy, do you know what it is exactly that produces sustain. Now i'm thinking it's mostly the body of the guitar and the connection of the bridge to the guitar. I had considered this before.

But one thing about it bothers me. The JEM from Ibanez sustains like crazy. But my friend once told me that those guitars are very very light. How can this be when you need a body made out of heavy material to bounce back the energy to the strings. It boggles me.
 
The Darkchild said:
What you are talking about is someone who has the time and skill to measure and make sure that the nut is in the PERFECT position. Down to the micrometer. Not very necessary for me and my cheap Stagg.....
Click to expand...

If you have a nut that is not in the proper height, you will have high string action which is not enjoyable to play with.
 
ok so I stand corrected, interesting theory but what are the author's credentials? didn't go and clikityckik on google to find out. skali one of those forum "technically mumbo jumbo professors".

I've not noticed the changes before when I change nut materials... or maybe I just don't play enough of ONE guitar(or any guitar for that matter) to know the differences! :mrgreen:

Maybe next time I pick up a guitar and I'll insert something inbetween the nut and the frets to see if it changes anything.
 
His explanation makes sense and gives weight to what myself and many others have experienced. I have never bothered trying to explain the impact of it because I didn't have proper scientific/empirical evidence. As for his credentials, I think its not necessary to find out as he doesn't sound like quack.

If the nut didn't make a difference, then changing the end pins to bone/ebony/tusq on an acoustic shouldn't make a difference either. Same thing, the more solid the resting points are, vibration is transferred better. Same concept for machine heads, tone pro bridges, steel blocks on trems etc.

Whether these translate to actual real world results on stage for the player is really up to the individual which will be meant for another thread.

KC
 
Shouldn't it only affect open strings?

Once fretted, the fret pressed essentially acts as the nut, which is usually fret 0.
 
hey maybe lets not discredit the link that KC posted. its worth giving it a try to shove something plastic nut like material in between the 1st fret and the upgraded nut and play the fretted notes.

however it doesn't make sense to shove a cigarette pack or something other than a plastic nut if you observe the theory correctly. A cigarette pack would definitely decrease the sustain... so soft what! insert the old plastic nut and see if the difference is noticeable.
 
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