Whether you’re looking to purchase a guitar and want to make sure you start with the best nut type, or you’re considering upgrading your instrument, there are plenty of guitar nut materials to choose from.
In my experience offering guitar repair in Cardiff and the surrounding areas, I have a clear favourite when it comes to guitar nut materials. However, it’s a personal choice, and it’s important for you to find the ideal option for your guitar and playing style.
With this in mind, let’s explore the best guitar nut material options.
Why does guitar nut material matter?
A guitar nut is an essential part of your instrument. This small yet vital component sits at the junction where your guitar headstock meets the fretboard. Its slots guide and hold the strings in place so you can get the ideal spacing and string action.
However, it does a lot more, too — and this is where the material you choose comes into play. Guitar nuts support tuning stability and affect string vibration and intonation, which can impact your instrument’s overall tone.
So, little nut = big effect.
What guitar nut materials are available?
As any luthier will agree, there’s a whole host of guitar nut material options on the market, but not all are made equal. Some have lost popularity over time as technology has evolved, and some have become firm guitar tech favourites.
Plastic
Pros: Plastic guitar nuts are very common and offer great value for money. They’re the most readily available, so handy for a last-minute guitar nut replacement if you’re in a hurry. These guitar nuts are also highly workable — a plus for guitar technicians!
Cons: However, their low price point comes with some downsides. Firstly, plastic guitar nuts are not very durable, meaning they’re prone to breaking. They also lack the same harmonic response as other types, which can result in a tone that sounds dull or less resonant.
Bone
Pros: Bone is a traditional guitar nut material that’s been part of the music world for centuries. Usually sourced from cattle, a bone nut can provide a good harmonic response and is excellent at resonating — and this quality has made it an enduring choice for many guitarists. Cheap bone guitar nuts are also readily available.
Cons: While bone nuts are readily available, it’s a flooded market which makes quality control tricky. Because of this, a lot of the bone is poorly processed — as a natural material, it has weak spots that can crumble as you try to shape it. There are also ethical concerns with bone guitar nuts, so if you’re vegetarian or vegan, I’d avoid this material.
Ivory
My personal opinion is that ivory guitar nuts — even those sourced from fossils — are a big no-go. Ivory offers properties similar to bone, but it cannot be sourced ethically (fossilised ivory might not be poached, but digging it up comes with big environmental implications).
Tusq
Pros: If you want all the resonant qualities of ivory and bone without the worry about ethics (or random weak spots from poor processing), Tusq is the way to go. This synthetic ivory is the best guitar nut material for all kinds of stringed instruments, and it’s a luthier’s dream! It’s incredibly durable and workable, plus it’s permanently lubricated, so you don’t need to oil up the nut slot to fit it. But the best part is its sound — Tusq guitar nuts provide a rich and vibrant tone.
Cons: On the downside, Tusq nuts are limited to the manufacturer’s specifications. So if you have a custom guitar or partscaster (a guitar made from different parts), you’ll need to get a custom nut which can be expensive. I’m aware this should come under the ‘plastics’ heading, but given that Graph Tech keeps its exact composition proprietary, and also because it’s a world away from regular plastic, it deserves its own heading (can you guess which is my favourite yet?)
You can also shape a blank yourself, but if you don’t feel confident doing so, I recommend speaking with a guitar tech or luthier.
Ebony
Pros: If you’re a jazz guitarist, an ebony guitar nut can be a great addition to your instrument. This material offers a lovely, warm tone and is very workable.
Cons: On the other hand, this guitar nut material can’t achieve a bright tone. It’s also not the most durable.
Metal
Pros: Those looking for a really hard-wearing guitar nut can’t overlook metal options. Brass and steel are the most common metal guitar nut materials, and they provide a bright harmonic response and excellent sustain (resonance).
Cons: You’ll need specialist tools to work with metal guitar nuts, so they’re not ideal if you want to work with them yourself. However, any seasoned guitar tech will have all the necessary tools on hand, so you can always contact a professional for a metal guitar nut replacement. Metal nuts tend to be more expensive than other materials, but their durability makes them an investment that will likely last your guitar’s entire lifespan.
Graphite
Pros: The last in our list of guitar nut materials is graphite, a durable choice that’s great to work with. Another benefit of a graphite nut is that, similar to Tusq, it’s permanently lubricated.
Cons: There are generally mixed reviews on graphite’s resonance and sustain so it’s not always the most reliable option for a guitar nut replacement. Some musicians also find its dark colour doesn’t match their guitar’s aesthetic.
Need a guitar repair or nut replacement in Cardiff?
Looking for a guitar nut replacement or any other guitar repair in and around Cardiff? I’m a professional guitar tech and luthier who can help you find the best guitar nut material for your needs. I can also create custom nuts — please get in touch for a quote.
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