Trueno Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 I have a fretless 4 string Thumb BO. Although it is wonderful in every way, I'm wondering if it will be even more spiffing if I replaced the plastic nut with a brass one. I did have one of the pesky plastic ones break on another Warwick some years ago, so I know they're easy to replace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorris Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Are you noticing any difference between open strings and fretted notes ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trueno Posted July 14, 2016 Author Share Posted July 14, 2016 [quote name='rmorris' timestamp='1468486013' post='3091196'] Are you noticing any difference between open strings and fretted notes ? [/quote] No Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 (edited) [quote name='Trueno' timestamp='1468487786' post='3091217'] No [/quote] There's your answer. There is a difference, but it's not massive. If you don't play a lot of open stings then the difference isn't £50 massive. I have a fretless Streamer. It has a plastic JaN3. I also have a brass one in the draw ready to go on it. The plastic one isn't broken, so I've not rushed to change it yet. My other 3 Wicks have brass ones, because the nuts were broken. Edited July 14, 2016 by Grangur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trueno Posted July 14, 2016 Author Share Posted July 14, 2016 The plastic ones break easily, but I learned my lesson after I broke the first one... take the E and G strings off first when you replace them and put them on last... then the nut doesn't tip and break the little plastic nobblers at the sides. So... I'll spend me £50 on a Spyder hard case for my Gordon-Smith then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 It's a nice upgrade, particularly if your bass has the Just a Nut II fitted. Awful nut! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 JAN3 seems good, I fitted one to a W that I bought that had suffered the JAN2 broken tabs. Am not sure the brass version is worth £££ more. Cheapest price I found on JAN3 was from Australia, go figure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trueno Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share Posted July 18, 2016 Oo-er... split decision. I'll have to think about that one. If I think about it as "I want to spend some money on some bling" then I may well go for it... not for a while yet, though. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 I fitted the plastic one to my own fretless and the thumb tribute I built a few years ago. They are absolutely fine, but I've opted for the brass ones on three builds since. I would defy anyone to detect any difference tonally- especially on fretless if you adjust, as I do, to string contact at the fretboard corner edge. However, the adjustment fit on the brass one just feels a bit slicker. Either are fine, but I would personally choose brass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 [quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1468917529' post='3094224'] I fitted the plastic one to my own fretless and the thumb tribute I built a few years ago. They are absolutely fine, but I've opted for the brass ones on three builds since. I would defy anyone to detect any difference tonally- especially on fretless if you adjust, as I do, to string contact at the fretboard corner edge. However, the adjustment fit on the brass one just feels a bit slicker. Either are fine, but I would personally choose brass. [/quote] The concept however is superb, whether plastic or brass. I would never ever fit a standard nut nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 [quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1468917529' post='3094224'] I fitted the plastic one to my own fretless and the thumb tribute I built a few years ago. They are absolutely fine, but I've opted for the brass ones on three builds since. I would defy anyone to detect any difference tonally- especially on fretless if you adjust, as I do, to string contact at the fretboard corner edge. However, the adjustment fit on the brass one just feels a bit slicker. Either are fine, but I would personally choose brass. [/quote] I've changed from plarstic to brass on 3 of my W'wicks. I noticed a difference in the tone straight away. Mind you, the 3 I changed had broken tabs at the sides. The open-string sounds with the brass were/are more like the fretted note sound. I do still have a fretless Warwick and I've not yet changed that. I doubt it would be so marked on the fretless. Also, the tabs on that nut aren't yet broken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trueno Posted July 19, 2016 Author Share Posted July 19, 2016 I presume the frets on a Warwick are brass (All of my Warwicks have been fretless... so I'm not sure). So it would make sense to make the nut out of brass too... tonewise... or maybe have a zero fret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 [quote name='Trueno' timestamp='1468918770' post='3094244'] I presume the frets on a Warwick are brass (All of my Warwicks have been fretless... so I'm not sure). So it would make sense to make the nut out of brass too... tonewise... or maybe have a zero fret. [/quote] All my Warwicks are German made. So I believe mine probably are. I can't say for Rockbass Wicks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trueno Posted July 19, 2016 Author Share Posted July 19, 2016 [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1468919734' post='3094254'] All my Warwicks are German made. So I believe mine probably are. I can't say for Rockbass Wicks [/quote] Can't answer that, but my first two fretless Warwicks were Rockbasses, and they had ebony boards... which was quite impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 [quote name='Trueno' timestamp='1468922278' post='3094272'] Can't answer that, but my first two fretless Warwicks were Rockbasses, and they had ebony boards... which was quite impressive. [/quote] Sometimes using high quality materials can seem surprising, but if the factory uses ebony as standard on many other basses, then keeping to the same materials can be cheaper/easier than to go out of their way to find a low-cost alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted July 19, 2016 Share Posted July 19, 2016 [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1468917986' post='3094230'] I've changed from plarstic to brass on 3 of my W'wicks. I noticed a difference in the tone straight away. Mind you, the 3 I changed had broken tabs at the sides. The open-string sounds with the brass were/are more like the fretted note sound. I do still have a fretless Warwick and I've not yet changed that. I doubt it would be so marked on the fretless. Also, the tabs on that nut aren't yet broken. [/quote] Yes, I agree - for a fretted bass and with no zero fret I think it does make a tangible improvement to tone in the same way as fitting a bone nut to an acoustic guitar absolutely does. With a fretless raised off the board also. With a fretless set to 'strings on the board' or a fretted with a zero fret I'm not sure I would be able to tell the difference, but I still think the brass one is a cut above in quality and usability terms and worth the extra £20 or so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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