Brass nut upgrade worth it??

[Fat Rich]

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1377689184' post='2190326']
Does extra sustain matter? I seem to spend a fair amount of time muting notes when moving across strings as well as trying to stop other strings vibrating in sympathy when I'm playing (poor technique obviously) but it's rare you ever hear a note being allowed to ring out so why is sustain so highly valued?
[/quote]

I think it's maybe less about the overall length of the note and more about the amount of volume in the first few seconds of the note. In other words how the note decays after the initial attack.

I use to use a brass nut but I found the open strings a bit too clangy and alive compared with fretted notes, cheap old plastic that most guitar builders use seems to be the best solution for me.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Fat Rich

[Mr. Foxen]

Phosphor bronze is better than brass, looks about the same, doesn't dull as much and is self lubricating.

[Fionn]

[quote name='such' timestamp='1377552503' post='2188851']
... harmonics. Very obvious improvement there. If there was no difference, we could just as well have plastic-made bridges.
[/quote]

Like the man said. It makes brighter, more sustained harmonics. Aye, it's noticable.

[ead]

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1377696706' post='2190486']
I think it's maybe less about the overall length of the note and more about the amount of volume in the first few seconds of the note. In other words how the note decays after the initial attack.
[/quote]

OK that makes some sense to me. The string mass must be relevant too I think. I was experimenting with by brass nutted Spector and the E & A ring better that the D & G (when fretted carefully and plucked carefully in a scientifically reproduceable manner ). All that extra inertia flapping around I presume.

Edited August 29, 2013 by ead

[iiipopes]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1377646235' post='2189969']You've just contradicted yourself as well - if a brass nut wears, it'll be advantageous to be able to adjust it.[/quote] No, if a brass nut wears, it usually wears laterally widening the string slot so that the string loses its secure "witness point" and intonation goes wobbly. The adjustable nuts that are really nothing more than height adjustments can't adjust to this, because if it is turned, then the string is at a different height, and that can negatively affect intonation on the first few frets, either by being too low and causing fret buzz, or by being too high and causing core stretch which pulls the intonation sharp on the first few frets.

[JamesFlashG]

={ i dont like that sound of that i cant stand intonation being out... I have a mid range 6 string bass and I can never get the intonation right on the B string it bugs me so much i don't play it I am quite good at setting up a bass to play how I like it but it seems with this one gota get a luthier to look at it - The nut should arrive next week ^^ going to get some new strings to fit for when I change the nut as well quite excited about it + I just bought a USA precision and barefaced midget ( which will take about 1000months to arrive) but pretty excited about my new gear on its way =}

[tauzero]

I wouldn't worry about the intonation going out. It certainly doesn't match with my experience of 12 years without adjustable nuts and 25 years with them...

[xgsjx]

I might try putting plastic on the saddles & string holes on my bridge where the string makes contact & see if there is any difference in sound. I know there wasn't between the high mass Ibby bridge & the Vox bridge that I now use (similar to Fender's bent metal thingy).

[JamesFlashG]

It has arrived

[JamesFlashG]

Well the change is complete here are some pictures for anyone that is interested no new strings yet so have not played it but looks good at least

[url="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dslx39bumgsr1ow/PfLYIJLw3N"]https://www.dropbox....r1ow/PfLYIJLw3N[/url]

Gave whole bass clean / wax so a few pictures in there to show of its lovely woods!

It was not very difficult to fit you can see in one picture i had to file an angle into the base of the brass nut to make it fit properly other than that was simple. Get the old nut off, clean away the glue that was left, file the brass nut for a tight fit and glue it in place!

Edited September 3, 2013 by JamesFlashG