nut material

[phynie]

I am thinking about getting a new nut put on my mandolin. I know that Pearl and Bone nuts sound different. But, which material wears the best? I have heard that Pearl can crack while carving it into the correct shape. Does it also crack over time, or is it pretty much safe once you work it into the desired shape? But, I have also heard that bone nut slots tend to wear with time and tuning. Anyone else know if the pearl nut slots wear faster than bone? Thanks!

[Big Joe]

Pearl is pretty tough material. More important than which wears better, since they can both wear for longer than our lifetime, is what sound do you want? If you need a little brighter sound the pearl would be better. If you want it just a bit darker, then the bone would be better. I find fossil Ivory a good mix between the two. JMHO.

[Luthier Vandross]

If a proper piece of pearl is selected, it will outlast you. With inclusions, pearl is not a good choice. Select pieces are the best choice you can make.

Bone wears faster, ivory wears even faster, the hardness of ivory is lower than bone, and it's kind of chalky in comparison.

I like nice pearl.

M