Bone nut vs PRS USA? Any Experience?

[GavQuinn]

Has anyone had a bone nut added to a Core model? If so, was there any perceived tonal difference?

 

[walrus]

I bought my Hollowbody Spruce used, with a bone nut already added. The original nut was in the case. I have not swapped it back, and don't plan to. I guess the previous owner thought it was worth it.

 

[GavQuinn]

I bought my Hollowbody Spruce used, with a bone nut already added. The original nut was in the case. I have not swapped it back, and don't plan to. I guess the previous owner thought it was worth it.

What are your thoughts? I'd imagine it might be warmer?

 

[walrus]

Well, I haven't done a comparison between the two. "Warm" is not a bad description of the tone of this guitar. But how much is the hollow body and other things and how much is the nut? I really can't answer it.

BTW, personally I also like how it looks as opposed to the black nut. That's why I never swapped it back, and the guitar sounded great as soon as I took it out of the case and played it! I decided not to mess with greatness...

 

[BWV548]

I’ve a bone nut on a WL 594 SH and a “standard” PRS nut on a PS 594 SH. Impossible to compare tone due to pickup differences. However, the standard nut seems to hold tune better across different conditions

 

[vchizzle]

I’ve always been a bit curious about this as well.

 

[Huggy Love]

Bone is normally brighter than graphite, and the strings don't move a smoothly over bone either. I think it's a step backward.

 

[CyFan4036]

I’ve always been a fan of bone over graphite. If it’s cut properly, there won’t be any tuning issues whatsoever. Bone seems to add a bit of sustain, clarity and resonance over graphite in my experience.

 

[László]

I have a few PRS that came with bone nuts: my PS acoustic, the McCarty Singlecut, and a pair of 594s. PRS does choose bone nuts on models they feel need them.

The only PRSes I now have with composite nuts are the ones with trems, where presumably the composite material works better.

I realize this answer doesn’t help you, because I don’t have the same model with one of each, but I thought I’d mention it.

 

[GavQuinn]

Bone is normally brighter than graphite, and the strings don't move a smoothly over bone either. I think it's a step backward.

I feel you, however, I wonder does the graphite compound add brightness.

My SE245 is in for a refret, the luthier here wants to cut a nut for the guitar, as it's getting a refret it's recommended to replace the USA that's there now, which was cut rather low. A properly cut bone nut is as good as anything, I know that myself.

So it's getting a bone nut. I will report back when I can!

 

[Ovibos]

The PRS USA nut is vegan.

 

[garrett]

Bone is normally brighter than graphite, and the strings don't move a smoothly over bone either. I think it's a step backward.

Agree on the former, disagree on the latter. A properly cut and lubed bone nut, along with good tuners and trem, will stay in tune great.


I swapped the old nut on my former HBII with bone and it was marginally snappier, but it's not exactly a game changer. I pretty much always default to bone (or Tusq), but I wouldn't go out of my way to replace a PRS nut that's in good shape.

 

[jvin248]

.

Check the hardness of both materials.
I have found strings seem to dig in the graphite impregnated plastic nuts.
You also have to be good or find a good tech to swap and correctly cut the nut slots for the strings or you are worse off than you started.

First question I ask is did you upsize strings from say factory 9s to 10s (and didn't adjust the slots).

Buy a little container of dry graphite lock lube and put that in the slots under the strings.

.

 

[Huggy Love]

Out of all of them, bone sounds most dead to me.

 

[Huggy Love]

A properly cut and *lubed* bone nut, along with good tuners and trem, will stay in tune great.

Who wants to stuff graphite in the slots of a bone nut anymore? I was doing that in the 70's before they came up with graphite or floyd rose locking nuts. That's why the invented them.

 

[Andrew Paul]

Out of all of them, bone sounds most dead to me.

He likes dropping his nuts........ ​

 

[Casi1]

Bone has always added brightness/snappiness when used on all of my guitars... and I’ve found that the TUSQ nut didn’t result in significant differences on my SEs so I’ve never changed out my PRS core nuts. If one of them had issues, I would probably try TUSQ before bone unless the guitar needed brightness (but I’ve never played a PRS guitar that needed extra brightness).

More often than not, I’m looking for ways to tone down the brightness. I just installed a nylon nut on a LP for that very reason.

 

[dogrocketp]

I’m all about the PRS USA nuts. I use the trem a lot, and I love the sound and the way they stay in tune. I have a bone nut on my SE Alex Lifeson. Other than that, it’s all USA, including my SE’s.