Nut material

[davesultra]

Just curious what type of material is used for the nut on an H-150. Thinking the one on my 2011 VSB may be poorly cut, and may have it replaced while getting a good setup.

[DetroitBlues]

Nut work is usually not completed from what I've read. Most often, its roughed in and meant for the final setup by the distributer to fix the nut prior to sale. The idea is not everyone like their guitar setup the same way. Finger pickers and slide players may prefer higher action then some others.

[golferwave]

unless you specify something else they generally will use plastic. When I buy a used guitar I replace the nut with one made from bone. It's the best readily available material in my opinion.

[Kuz]

Replace the nut with bone.

 

IMHO, that is what Heritage should use in the first place.

[yoslate]

Replace the nut with bone.

 

IMHO, that is what Heritage should use in the first place.

 

Bingo...! And get it cut by someone who cares about what he's doing and knows what you want in the setup of your instrument. Nuts are just one part of the enitre set up.

[Kuz]

 

Bingo...! And get it cut by someone who cares about what he's doing and knows what you want in the setup of your instrument. Nuts are just one part of the enitre set up.

 

Yea, Rob I agree. I honestly think that Heritage gives a very "rough" set-up knowing (or hoping) that the dealer will (or should) set up the guitar to the customer's personal specs.

 

I also know that not every dealer does this, which is a shame. So if every dealer doesn't give a free set-up, Heritage needs to step up their set-ups!!!

[Guest HRB853370]

unless you specify something else they generally will use plastic. When I buy a used guitar I replace the nut with one made from bone. It's the best readily available material in my opinion.

 

There are some man made materials other than plastic. I cannot remember the names, but one starts with the letter C, coral or something like that which is what the G brand uses. A good man made material can rival real bone.

[yoslate]

Corian, Will. Works very well. commonly used in counter tops.

[davesultra]

Thanks for the replies. I'm definately going to go with a bone nut. I was really looking to find out what Heritage uses stock. I was guessing it would be either plastic or corian.

[yoslate]

By the way, Dave...really dig the plank in your avatar! "Form follows function." Did a gig this weekend, for which that one would have been perfect!

[brentrocks]

I have had Pete use tusk for nut material on a couple guitars before when he was low on bone....it works very well too

[fretless]

http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/topic/16826-nut-job/

 

 

[JohnCovach]

I have had Pete use tusk for nut material on a couple guitars before when he was low on bone....it works very well too

 

I've got a Tusq nut on one of my 150's and it's great. Highly recommended and much easier to work that bone.

[76mjs]

+1 on the Tusq nut. I use the Tusq XL which are self-lubricating. They work great and you can say goodbye to that annoying "ping" when turning the tuning pegs!

[iim7v7im7]

 

Yea, Rob I agree. I honestly think that Heritage gives a very "rough" set-up knowing (or hoping) that the dealer will (or should) set up the guitar to the customer's personal specs.

 

I also know that not every dealer does this, which is a shame. So if every dealer doesn't give a free set-up, Heritage needs to step up their set-ups!!!

 

Yup...(don't want to revisit this one)

[JeffB]

I cant see how a guitar store could possibly do many nut jobs a day. Im not talking about the people that visit the store.

High end ESP, PRS, Yamaha, Ibanez etc all send their guitars out with very good well finished nuts. Even there cheap models have well cut, shaped, fitted nuts.

The amount of guitars sold from a store in the course of a week would keep a full time luthier flat out just doing nut jobs. If a guitar store is only selling 6 guitars a day its pretty much screwed.

The cost of a proper set up and the time it takes would have to be passed on from the store to the customer and I can just imagine you all clammering to pay that extra bit.

No other guitar manufacturer in the world leaves the nut roughly set so the customer can have it set to how they like it. I really dont believe that is Heritages intention.

All the Heritage that I sold or passed through our store had well cut, fitted nuts. If they didnt they wouldve been sent to a luthier or I wouldve recut the nut and Heritage or their distributor wouldve paid for the work. That work wouldve been done before the guitar made it to the wall.

 

I did set up guitars to customers specs if they asked. It was never because they were set up poorly, it was because they werent set up in a way that the customer liked. If it involved a nut being altered, the customer paid. No way would I do that boring time consuming little task for zilch.

 

Just out of curiosity, how long do you think it takes to cut/reshape a nut, change strings, intonate properly(or as much as a guitar will allow) adjust neck relief and generally do all the stuff you have to do for a proper set up?

[Kuz]

FWIW, All the guitars I got from Heritage had decent setups, playable but not to my personal taste. I do my own setups so adjusting the neck relief, bridge height, pickup height, and intonation are easy.

 

All the nuts were adequate, not perfect, but I only had one changed out because it was cut too low. So 1 out of 10, 10-30% is probably the correct amount of Heritages that need better nut work.

 

I admit that the Heritage guitar's nut are their weakest area of attention, but it has become over blow at times to. Not every guitar coming out of Heritage needs a new nut, but they certainly can improve in this arena.

[the jayce]

 

There are some man made materials other than plastic. I cannot remember the names, but one starts with the letter C, coral or something like that which is what the G brand uses. A good man made material can rival real bone.

Agreed! Alot of materials are over-rated. Cheap plastic is definetaly not a good option but brass, stainless, and other man made composits easily rival a bone nut. I currently have a bone nut on a guitar and dont really see what all the fuss is about.

[Kuz]

I cant see how a guitar store could possibly do many nut jobs a day. Im not talking about the people that visit the store.

High end ESP, PRS, Yamaha, Ibanez etc all send their guitars out with very good well finished nuts. Even there cheap models have well cut, shaped, fitted nuts.

The amount of guitars sold from a store in the course of a week would keep a full time luthier flat out just doing nut jobs. If a guitar store is only selling 6 guitars a day its pretty much screwed.

The cost of a proper set up and the time it takes would have to be passed on from the store to the customer and I can just imagine you all clammering to pay that extra bit.

No other guitar manufacturer in the world leaves the nut roughly set so the customer can have it set to how they like it. I really dont believe that is Heritages intention.

All the Heritage that I sold or passed through our store had well cut, fitted nuts. If they didnt they wouldve been sent to a luthier or I wouldve recut the nut and Heritage or their distributor wouldve paid for the work. That work wouldve been done before the guitar made it to the wall.

 

I did set up guitars to customers specs if they asked. It was never because they were set up poorly, it was because they werent set up in a way that the customer liked. If it involved a nut being altered, the customer paid. No way would I do that boring time consuming little task for zilch.

 

Just out of curiosity, how long do you think it takes to cut/reshape a nut, change strings, intonate properly(or as much as a guitar will allow) adjust neck relief and generally do all the stuff you have to do for a proper set up?

 

Interestingly, the one guitar that I ordered that had the worse nut ever coming straight from the factory was..... my PRS David Grissom Trem. It cost my two setups, from two different luthiers and nearly $200 to get right. Of course now it plays light a dream!!!!

[Kuz]

Agreed! Alot of materials are over-rated. Cheap plastic is definetaly not a good option but brass, stainless, and other man made compasites easily rival a bone nut. I currently have a bone nut on a guitar and dont really see what all the fuss is about.

 

I am in the camp for bone is superior, especially in acoustic guitars. I have heard the before and after tones, and bone wins to my ears.

[JeffB]

Sorry if my post came over a bit, I dont know, uptight, wiggy, douchey, what ever. I dont know why I posted along the lines I did.

[the jayce]

 

I am in the camp for bone is superior, especially in acoustic guitars. I have heard the before and after tones, and bone wins to my ears.

Yeah, definetaly a personal taste sort of thing for sure. For me the stainless steel ball bearing nut set up fender uses on there delux stratocasters are the opitamy of perfect. There is no one true best material, just what ever the individual likes, and thats cool.

[JeffB]

Yeah, definetaly a personal taste sort of thing for sure. For me the stainless steel ball bearing nut set up fender uses on there delux stratocasters are the opitamy of perfect. There is no one true best material, just what ever the individual likes, and thats cool.

Agree. My strat has that set up and the guitar does not go out of tune from the time the strings are fully stretched in to the time I replace them even with some reasonably heavy trem manipulation.

[Guest HRB853370]

Since we are on the nut topic, does anybody put graphite (pencil tip or liquid) on their nut (notice I didn't say nuts) when changing strings?

[Kuz]

Since we are on the nut topic, does anybody put graphite (pencil tip or liquid) on their nut (notice I didn't say nuts) when changing strings?

 

Yep, a very small amount.