Nuts

[Doug Edwards]

I know it's like picks, strings, bridges, and the phase of the moon. Any ideas for a good general material for a nut on a lessor priced mandolin? Bone is a good choice for my Gibson guitar, but my mando is Pacific Rim. Exotic materials may not work as well.

[Michael Lewis]

Doug, if you want a cheap resolution to this, go to a music store and buy a molded plastic nut. #Other than that, the material cost is the least of your concerns because the labor to make it fit and look good is far more expensive than the bone blank.

[Lane Pryce]

Go on and get you a bone nut. Even if a great luither does the job its not gonna bust your wallet. Shop around and you can find someone who'll do for under $50.00. Lp

[Big Joe]

Bone will make your pac rim the best it can be. The cost for a nut replacement is normally around $75.00 for a really decent job.

[Doug Edwards]

Thanks Big Joe. Do you or did you work for Gibson Nashville? If so I spoke with you by phone when I was contemplating my Gibson Gospel in '93.

[steve V. johnson]

I have a '36 Kalamazoo KM-11, and the action was a bit low at the nut,
so I had a local tech replace the old black one with a new bone nut.

I didn't realize it, but the original nut was -ebony- and the bone,
while making the KM louder and clearer, lost some of the great,
characteristic bass sound of the KM... I think it might come back...

Anyway, ebony for nut material is really interesting to me now. I had
not realized it could be used...

thanks,

stv

[Stillpicking]

I had my tech put a pearl nut on my MK and liked the change a lot.
Also replaced the bridge with a Sullivan ebony at the same time,
was worth the money, you can improve the sound by upgrading these things on the mid-priced imports. Also kind of fun to see what happens to the sound when you do, doesn't break the bank either.
Have fun !