Is PRS using Faux Bone (Tusq) nuts on certain core guitars?

[Justcantshred]

I picked up this gorgeous 594 Hollowbody this year and I just defaulted to assuming the nut was bone, but it's a bit too pure white and perfectly squared off.

Especially relative to the bone nuts on my other PRS Core guitars (594 and Pauls Guitars). I know PRS does make little changes to hardware without much fanfare now and then. Photo for discussion.

Disclaimer: Do I care if it's Tusq? No, it's an epic guitar.

 

[bodia]

Nah, it’s bone. I think they’d go back to the PRS bronze infused self lubricating nut before they went to a Tusq. Of course, if there are supply chain issues…..

They do use synthetic bone on the SE Silver Sky

 

[László]

Bone. Not Tusq.

 

[24Fretter]

I think they’d go back to the PRS bronze infused self lubricating nut before they went to a Tusq.

Guess what - that's graphtech.

Much rather have a graphtech nut than bone on an electric. Bone is fine for acoustics where you aren't bending strings, but it's a high friction material and on electrics, ESPECIALLY electrics with trems, it's a tuning problem. I don't like it on any electric, I'd NEVER use it on an electric with a trem under any circumstances unless a customer demanded it, and then I'd warn them that they were buying a tuning problem.

All my cores and S2s have graphtech nuts on them from the factory, GOOD!

Speaking as a luthier who doesn't tolerate tuning issues.

Personally I use a special material designed for low friction industrial gears that is both harder and far more slippery than graphtech, and doesn't wear down over time like graphtech. But for commercially available nut products on an electric with a trem, graphtech is the way to go.