Planet waves nut and bridge lubricant

[avaldes]

Anyone have any experience with this:
https://www.stringsbymail.com/planet...k-01-7798.html
I use pencil lead at the nut, which is unsightly, and parafin at the bridge. But if this works, it could do both jobs.

[Mandobart]

I'm a fan of Big Bend's. This looks very similar.

[John Flynn]

+1 for Big Bends Nut Sauce. I tried it because I thought the name was funny, but it seems to work really well.

[Ron McMillan]

I'd be very curious to learn what it contains. Pure mineral oil can be bought at a fraction of the price, and since that is what is used in Fast Fret, I would imagine it works just as well as a nut or bridge lubricant.

[gtani7]

i use graphite for the bridge. For nut slots, Triflow, the same product described here (note, there's multiple products and some don't work) http://www.lutherie.net/tuner.maintenance.html

It's kind of hard to find, except for bike shops. Lowe's and Home depot sell a teflon based lube, "Dupont teflon multi-use" which seems to work as well.

and use a .010 string to put only a tiny quantity into the slot.

[Bertram Henze]

Nut sauce works for me.

I am not sure what oil would do, since it tends to creep away along the strings. But nut sauce stays put.

[Backlineman]

another +1 for the Nut Sauce, but I wish it was less expensive. I also wonder what's in it, and look for any advice on a more affordable alternative source for the same or similar substance. Seems to be a gelatin consistency.

[GTison]

A'addario Lubrikit smells like petroleum jelly. If that is what it is, it seems expensive for that. It's got a syringe and some little applicators.

[pops1]

Any old number 2 pencil will put a nice coat of graphite on your nut really cheaply. I sharpen to a flat point and it will go into the E string slot easily, a little back and forth until it is black and there you go. These days I don't do anything as I put a graphite nut from tusq on, not sure if it is any better than a good bone nut, but it works with no fuss.

[DHopkins]

I'm with pops1. Graphite works just fine. I happen to use a mechanical drafting pencil with a thin lead because I can retract the lead but I have used a plain old pencil on many occasions and it works just fine...and it's cheaper.

[almeriastrings]

I had a chemist friend analyse one of these 'nut lubricants' a few years ago and she reported back that it was a synthetic grease with PTFE. Apparently the same thing as used in cycling.... whether that is true of all of them, I have no idea.... I do know I have since purchased a tube of the bicycle stuff and it seems to do the job! A lifetimes supply, in fact for under $10.

[Mandoplumb]

When I state that $40 is too much for a pick that I'm going to lose ( I lose all my picks, it's just a matter of time) I'm told be more careful and anyway $40 is nothing compared to what we pay for our mandolins. Yet now we have a thread on how to save a few bucks on nut lubricant. Go figure. LOL

[DHopkins]

I use a graphite pencil. If I thought the other stuff was better, I might use it but the graphite has always worked and "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[Br1ck]

I'm waiting for Blue Chip to come out with nut blanks so we could have endless threads about the value of a $100 nut.

[MissingString]

I use a graphite pencil. If I thought the other stuff was better, I might use it but the graphite has always worked and "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

+1 for lead from a drafting pencil.

[B381]

I'm waiting for Blue Chip to come out with nut blanks so we could have endless threads about the value of a $100 nut.

There's a joke in here somewhere just waiting to make an appearance.

[Bertram Henze]

There's a joke in here somewhere just waiting to make an appearance.

I feel it, too. It's a reverse joke, i.e. the sequence of reading-understanding-laughing is reversed. Better leave it at that.