What's the best synthetic nut material?

[Chuckboy]

Not bone.
No animals were harmed in the making of this nut.
Synthetic nut material only - recommendations please.

 

[JuneauMike]

I have to say it depends on the instrument. Some guitars are made better by plastic nuts. There, I said it.

 

[Peegoo]

#1: Tusq
#2: Corian
#3: Nylon (as used on Gibsons)
#4: Melamine (as used by Fender)
#5: Everything else

^^^ Based on my experience. You may disagree and that's fine with me. We all have our favorites.

 

[That Cal Webway]

Depends.

I like Tusq.

But keep in mind a well-cut nut is very important. ++
And the 'best sounding' nut only relates to the open strings of course.

.

 

[Richie Cunningham]

I donno, but the worst material is usually the one I have most recently put on one of my guitars.

 

[Richie Cunningham]

Depends.

I like Tusq.

But keep in mind a well-cut nut is very important. ++
And the 'best sounding' nut only relates to the open strings of course.

.

Well, just don’t play any open strings, I guess.

 

[19sixty3]

Short version: Tusq. Period.

Long Version: Tusq is a very hard polymer that produces a sound that some say rivals bone, while others say it is harsh and brittle. If I would have to choose from any of the synthetic options, I go with the Tusq nut. To my ears, it sound just as good as bone.

 

[bgmacaw]

Is brass synthetic?

 

[Jakedog]

I like Tusq a lot.

 

[myteleplaysjazz]

Not bone.
No animals were harmed in the making of this nut.
Synthetic nut material only - recommendations please.

What?
No animals were harmed. They were already dead.
No one killed a Woolly Mammoth to make the bone nut from.
Given that, I like natural bone first, then Tusq and Corian.

 

[DavidP]

Tusq!!!

 

[That Cal Webway]

I'm expecting Lindsay Buckingham to chime in sometime and say,

Tusk


.

 

[HotRodSteve]

https://guitarpartsandmore.com/products.php?Fossil-Mammoth-Ivory-Nut-Blanks-1

 

[Buckocaster51]

Corian can be awfully good.

Plus it comes in colors.

and...there is a very good chance that you can snag enough free samples to keep you in nut blanks for a looooooooonggggg time

 

[Joshtheguitarguy]

Graphtech.

 

[chezdeluxe]

My 1989 Martin 000-28 has a Corian nut. It sounds fine.

My Rizzolo archtop has a graphtech nut It sounds fine

My 1941 Gibson Kalamazoo Oriole has an ebony nut. I think it would sound better with bone.

 

[alnico357]

My Taylor has Tusq. My Carvin has brass. My Harley Benton, unknown. I think it makes about as much difference as the current weather on Neptune.

 

[alnico357]

Brass is a man-made alloy of copper and zinc. It qualifies as synthetic.

Is brass synthetic?

 

[pi]

I've had guitar with tusq, corian, and bone. They all seem about the same to me.

 

[Rocky058]

Silicon.