Let’s talk nuts…..

On a fixed bridge guitar, I think the Bone nuts work just fine. On a 594, or 245 or whatever hard tail you want to name, the strings are not subject to slipping and sliding as they are with a trem bridge. Bone, although hard, is not a very smooth material in a microscopic level, so the strings will tend to bind when moved and stretched. the composite nuts act as self-lubricating planes that allow a certain amount of back and forth as the strings move. Brass although is an excellent conductor of vibration into the neck, will corrode over time which will affect tone transmission and string life.

I prefer Real Bone on my fixed bridge guitars, and composite nuts on my Trem guitars.

I also like cashews, smoked almonds and peanuts, which really aren't nuts they are legumes. cashews are really seeds but who's counting?
 
I think PRS still uses the brass infused unobtainium nut on the trem-equipped guitars; my 2021 Special has one, as do my PS guitars with trems.

However, the fixed bridge guitars I currently have all came with bone nuts.
Rhythmisking said:
I have a hunch bone nuts are just caving to player's preferences. The composite nut is superior I think, but to the masses it looks like "it has a plastic nut..." which in many players minds equals "cheap".
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I'll have to disagree. I don't think it has very much (if anything) to do with the masses and preference for not having plastic.

PRS' early production guitars were trem-equipped, and had composite nuts because they simply work better with a trem. First, the strings glide through them pretty well with less friction than other nuts, so the strings don't get hung up in them as easily as commercially available nuts other brands use. That matters a lot with the very responsive PRS floating trem.

It's important to mention that PRS still puts the composite nuts on all trem equipped models, and the Hollowbody piezo, so if they were catering to the 'I hate plastic' crowd, there'd be no need to do that. I think Paul puts stuff on the guitars he thinks works for what he wants to do with them.

A large segment of the market definitely wants guitars that sound more like vintage models. Nonetheless, loads and loads of vintage-leaning guitars are made with plastic parts, including large plastic pick guards, for example Custom Shop Fenders, and lots of Gibsons, and people snap them up like candy.

We often hear the phrase, 'greater than the sum of its parts'. Truth is, the parts matter, and taken together do add up to make some of the current PRS models sound more vintage. The bone nut is a small link in that tone chain. Another link is the finish.

Lots of players here have more PRSes than I've had in the past 32 years, but I've had at least 36 that I can think of, starting with a 1991 Custom.

There's no question in my mind that the nitro finished guitars have a subtly different tone than any of the previous poly formulations. The two piece bridge with the current zinc tailpiece instead of aluminum seems to matter a bit, too. By themselves these parts are probably tough to hear, but as I said above, taken together they add up.

Since I still have a vintage Gibson (and have had it since 1967), and owned a lot of vintage gear when it was new gear, I'm familiar with the characteristics of the old guitars. Several of the current PRS models are much closer to that vintage vibe. Before 2010 or so, PRS was less interested in chasing that vintage tone than they are now, but I think Paul himself has come to appreciate it, and as a customer I certainly do.

I don't mind, or care, if a guitar has plastic on it. It's irrelevant to me, as long as the guitar sounds good. But what PRS is doing with its vintage-style guitars sounds great, and I'm happier with the PRSes I've bought over the last decade, and particularly the nitro PS and Core models I've got. I don't think I'm atypical of the PRS players who appreciate the change in PRS' direction over the last decade.
 
RickP said:
Nut discussion… at least no one tea-bagged your drum set :p

I read and watch a lot of Paul’s stuff and, frankly, I think he just changes his mind from time to time about what sounds best or is the thing he wants to use. That’s the only sense I can make of it. More power to him, as he keeps managing to make great guitars with the assortment of ingredients. But it is maddening trying to make any firm statement about “best” based on that, and I see why people get confused.

I don‘t have a hardcore preference, though I always liked the scalloped ones on my 513s. Just for the record, that got eliminated by a “better idea” too.
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Because “ best “ is subjective..honey roasted or lightly salted
” tea bagged your drum set”. LMAO
 
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PRS synthetic nut on the left, bone nut on the Orca (With Mann trem). Zero tuning issues with either. But I’m not very aggressive on using the trems. I remember discussing this issue with Nik on the Huber build, but he was ok with it when he learned I wasn’t trying to do crazy dive bombs. He did talk me into the 2 post term versus 6 screw Mann PRS version I originally ordered. But that’s a different topic :)
 
BrianC said:
Interesting thread from some, thank you.

Others with dumb comments.
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(This is the sound of DTR checking to see if he has previously posted in this thread…).

Nope, I’m safe! I feel good. Relieved. Plus I worked out tonight so I’m still kind of jacked up on adrenaline. Hope this doesn’t sound too…. nuts.
 
BrianC said:
Interesting thread from some, thank you.

Others with dumb comments.
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Yeah I knew that would happen. Anytime you use the word “nuts” you open yourself up to middle school humor LOL But that’s OK. A little laughter is good for the soul. Nothing wrong with sprinkles in between the meat and potatoes of the subject. ;)
 
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