There's a video where Paul Smith is dropping guitar nuts onto a hard surface and he's saying that the one that rings or "plinks", better is the better material. I replaced the the on a Tremonti SE Custom I had with bone that I shaped myself. It came out well, but I noticed that the nut I removed seemed to plink every bit as good as the bone. I proceeded anyway because I prefer a nicely shaped bone nut vs the typical SE nut with the deep slots. Does anyone know what material they might have used for the Tremonti Custom nuts? Seems that it was definitely better than mere plastic. I'm considering replacing the nut on my Soapbar SE with the nut from the old Tremonti, but if it's the same material it would be a waste of time. I guess that's the other question. Are the nuts on the old Soapbars just plastic or something better?
The "plink" test.
- Thread starter Torvald
- Start date
bodia
Authorities said.....best leave it.....unsolved
If it’s a new Tremonti it was probably the Core nut. It seems that sometime in the last year or two they quietly started using Core nuts on the SE line. They’re definitely not the cheap plas ones they used to use.
I should have thought of this earlier. I just hung my three PRS'S side by side on the wall. My Soapbar SE, my Paul's SE, and my S2 Vela. Strumming the open strings, the two SE's sounded identical. The Vela was a little louder and brighter. Of course it weighs a pound less than the other two, which are about 7 lb. 7 oz. and 7, 2 for the Soapbar. Based on what I heard I won't be changing the nut. I will touch up the slots with my nut files, because I am getting a little binding/ sticking of the strings in the slots and rounding off those darn square corners.
That's what I figured too. Based on my comparisons, I didn't think it was worth changing. A little work with the nut files and the strings are no longer binding and the corners are rounded nicely just like the Paul's. The nut and the fretwork are excellent on that one.
Yeah, I think the nut on the Tremonti was of good material. I'm comparing apples to oranges here when they're plugged in as the Soapy has Lollar mini humbuckers and the other guitars are stock. It's close, but I'm favoring the sound of the Soapy. Could be just down to the pickups. Maybe next string change I'll consider doing a comparison "plink" test.
