Help me pick a graphite nut! (Will? :D)

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Metaltastic

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Feb 20, 2005
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So I'm getting so fucking sick of my high B and E (actually G and C, technically, but nevermind ;)) going flat when I do a monster bend, and dealing with that "plink" when I tune them back up to pitch, so I really wanna grab a Graphite nut from Graph-tech. However, I took measurements of my current nut, and none of the nuts there match up exactly to it in all dimensions, and some have different shapes too. So here are the dimensions of my nut:

Thick/Width: 3/16"
Length: 1+11/16"
Height: 5/16"
E to E: 1+7/16"

And here are my options

http://www.graphtech.com/product-308-2/
(same shape as current, 1/16" longer and 1/32" taller than current, identical E-to-E spacing)

http://www.graphtech.com/product-312-2/
(Slight slope, 1/32" longer and taller than current, 1/16" less E-to-E spacing)

http://www.graphtech.com/product-310-2/
(More extreme slope, 1/16" taller than current, but other dimensions identical)

http://www.graphtech.com/product-314-2/
(another extreme slope, but a bit enigmatic, because despite having 1 11/16" in the model name, the length on the specs says 1 23/32; otherwise, it's also 1/32" taller than current, but other dimensions identical)

So what sayest thou? I'm honestly kinda leaning towards the second of the 4, because I feel my current (stock) nut could benefit from being a little taller and having slightly less E-to-E spacing (I sometimes accidentally pull the high-C off the fretboard), but does anyone think those differences in dimensions from the stock nut (as well as the slope, my stock nut is rectangular-shaped like the first) would cause any problems? (mainly intonation) FWIW, my headstock has a 13" downward angle rather than any string trees, which leads me to believe that the slope wouldn't be a problem, but I'd still like confirmation from an expert! (like Will Stinett :D)
 
Oh, and I'd be getting this installed by a good tech (luthier really), so he could take care of any filing/sanding that might need to be done!
 
I would go with the third but file it to become same height as your old one.
The nut on my warmoth was high and i had to lower it to arrange the action properly.At first it buzzed as fuck.
 
What guitar will this be going on? If it's the Ibby in your sig, the nut width is probably expressed in mm's, not in inches. Even if the inches are approximate, when you get the nut, the string to string distance won't be identical, and the nut will not be a flush fit width-wise. Obviously a luthier can take care of all that (not the string to string space, though), but ordering the nut in mm's may make everything easier for you and the transition to the new nut seemless. Even small changes in the string to string spacing, or the distance of the outer strings to the edge of the fretboard can mean modifying your playing style (IMHO). This would only be a big deal if you got the nuts that are slightly wider than your neck, though. Any that are smaller would probably meet your needs if you want a slightly smaller e to e spacing. But I think it's important to think of the distance between each string as well.

EDIT
Nevermind, the website pretty much gives you the mm's, too. I'm an idiot.

I've never had good luck with Graphtech nuts. I don't take mine to a luthier, but I've never found them an easy fit. I took the easy way out on my ESP Viper and just bought one of the retrofit Earvana's made for ESP/LTD's (My ESP's neck specs are the same as the LTD's). perfect fit with no mods, no luthier necessary.
 
The slope is there to create downward pressure and make sure the termination point of the string is positively at the fretboard edge of the nut. Too much slope and the string is sitting across a theoretically sharp point which can make it bind easier (plink!), and it will also wear the nut down faster. I doubt any of those nuts are angled that sharply.
I like the slot to have perhaps a little less slope than the headstock angle, but to gradually increase and round over toward the tuner side of the nut. I also like the slots to get a little wider toward the tuner side.

The e-e spacing is all about personal preference. Whichever nut you choose, I would expect to do a fair bit of custom filing and fitting. If you're taking it to a luthier, why not just get a blank and let him shape it from scratch? It literally only takes a few minutes with the Graphtech material.
 
Thanks for the responses guys! Will, that's interesting that you say it'd be a really quick job to get the string grooves cut in a Graph-tech nut blank; the last time I got my guitar set up I asked the dude about getting a new nut in there and he said it'd be around $80 to cut one from a blank, though maybe he'd lower than once he realized the apparent ease with which he could do it with that material (it's not too soft though, is it?). Still, I'm a bit hesitant, and the above ones do look pretty damn close.

On that note, thanks for the thoughts and suggestions Nate, I understand what you mean about precise measurements, but since a lot of these dimensions (specifically 1 11/16" length and 3/16" width) are pretty standard (this I gather from both the Graph-tech site and also Warmoth's nut options on their custom necks), I doubt Ibanez would deviate from those standards, so I'm willing to bet that's what they are (and the measurements did line up pretty much exactly on the ruler, there wasn't any fudging, at least for the length and width). So unless anyone has any major objections I think I'm gonna go for the second one and hope for the best, thanks guys!
 
Just a note: Those Graphtech TUSQ nuts aren't really graphite. It's very good plastic and the black ones are Teflon impregnated.

That being said, I really like them. If you got a skilled luthier on hand, why don't you just order a blank one and get it filled to how you want it?
 
slashvanyoung said:
Just a note: Those Graphtech TUSQ nuts aren't really graphite. It's very good plastic and the black ones are Teflon impregnated.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I noticed it never actually said they were graphite (I guess because graphite would be too soft? Or do you think it was a cost-saving measure and there are better options?)

slashvanyoung said:
That being said, I really like them. If you got a skilled luthier on hand, why don't you just order a blank one and get it filled to how you want it?
Click to expand...

Metaltastic said:
Will, that's interesting that you say it'd be a really quick job to get the string grooves cut in a Graph-tech nut blank; the last time I got my guitar set up I asked the dude about getting a new nut in there and he said it'd be around $80 to cut one from a blank, though maybe he'd lower than once he realized the apparent ease with which he could do it with that material (it's not too soft though, is it?). Still, I'm a bit hesitant, and the above ones do look pretty damn close.
Click to expand...

;)
 
Metaltastic said:
Yeah, I noticed it never actually said they were graphite (I guess because graphite would be too soft? Or do you think it was a cost-saving measure and there are better options?)
Click to expand...

Well they kinda accumulate the best characteristics of bone, real graphite and plastic nuts, while being pretty cheap to manufacture.

The white TUSQ ones were created to give and improve the tonal advantages of a bone nut while remaining the convenience of plastic.

The black ones are basically the same but the Teflon coat makes them more similar to graphite (self-lubricating etc.).

Replacing the standard nut on my Tele with a TUSQ one made a huge difference.

And yeah, I didn't see you other post. ;)

My Epi Les Paul Prophecy has a real graphite nut and that thing stays in tune like none other non-trem guitar I've ever had.
 
Fuck yeah, #2 just arrived today, and from eyeballing it looks like it's pretty much identical to my current nut in every dimension! (except for the slightly smaller E-to-E distance, which I wanted anyway) Can't wait to get it installed! :headbang:
 
Cool beans! I'm pretty sure you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's amazing what a difference the nut can make. Report back when it's done! ;)
 
Metaltastic said:
Fuck yeah, #2 just arrived today, and from eyeballing it looks like it's pretty much identical to my current nut in every dimension! (except for the slightly smaller E-to-E distance, which I wanted anyway) Can't wait to get it installed! :headbang:
Click to expand...

Ah, too bad!
I was just going to recommend getting a brass nut! ;)

Ive played 3 guitars with brass nuts, and ive found them to sound MUCH better then any other guitars ive tried out.. but hey, graphite is great as well! :)
 
Ta-da!

Graphtechnut.jpg


#2 from the above list (the Black Tusq XL Slotted 1 23/32", now there's a catchy model name :loco: ), installed and good to go; all it needed was a little shimming to get it at the proper height, and the luthier I take it to said it was top-quality and really well-cut (this dude is seriously legendary with his skills and credibility, and he's totally cool with the customer watching, probably because he loves to talk :lol: ) - so far no tuning "plinks", so I'm happy as hell, and I highly recommend this upgrade to any and everybody!
 
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