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Anyone use the GFS nuts? (specifically the bone) feedback?

T

thebutcher85

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I've got 2 PRS SE singlecuts (well, one is an SE 245, the other is a regular singlecut) and instead of paying around $30 for 2 "unobtanium" nuts from PRS, I was thinking I'd replace with bone nuts, might give a more LP-ish tone anyway.

Anyhoo, Guitar Fetish has some bone nuts for $5.95, anyone have any experience with these, (the pre-slotted or the blanks?) are these good, or crap?

https://guitarfetish.3dcartstores.com/Guitar-Nuts_p_1467.html
 
I wouldn't worry about the quality so much as the the return on investment in labor. If you need a new nut anyway, then it doesn't matter. Get the material you want. But, if the nut you have is working for you mechanically, it's probably not worth changing the thing for tone's sake. The only time the nut affects the tone is on open notes, and there are only 6 of those. 97.41% of the notes you hit on a guitar are fretted, so the nut has no effect. You need to worry more about how grabby the thing is on your strings so you don't have tuning stability issues. That's why the Graphtech parts are so popular now. They're fairly hard while still being slippery and wearing well, so you don't have to worry about them.
 
They both need replaced, I was *ahem* a bit too hasty when I was widening the stock nuts for .11 gauge strings that I use, and now they're too low haha. ;) It was a n00b mistake...
 
Don't beat up on yourself too much. Going too far on nut slots is easy to do, and happens to the best of us. It's irreversible so it's always a good idea to have a spare when installing a new nut. it's cheap insurance since even Graphtechs are only $4 or so for blanks.
 
Haha thanks for the advice & kind words, it was definitely a Homer Simpson "DOH!!" moment! haha  :doh:

I think I'll just get a bunch of inexpensive nut blanks and practice haha
 
You don't want to practice. It's a pain in the ass. Just treat each one as a test of your abilities, and be prepared to fail. Eventually, the failures get to be few and far between.

I'm lucky to have a local shop who's very good at such things and very reasonably priced, and if I was smart I'd never cut another nut again. It's how I used to get nuts done in the past. But, there's always that waiting period where you're without the fiddle, worrying about it while it's gone, then there's getting there and back, and in the middle of the night when you need a nut, whaddaya gonna do? Learn to do it yourself.
 
Cagey said:
But, there's always that waiting period where you're without the fiddle, worrying about it while it's gone, then there's getting there and back, and in the middle of the night when you need a nut, whaddaya gonna do? Learn to do it yourself.
Click to expand...

:laughing7: haha exactly. I'll just take my time and do it right this time  :occasion14:
 
You'll do fine. It's like learning to swim or solder or ride a bike. Basically a simple task, but getting up to speed with it involves some initial hardships. I took direction from a guitar repair guy about a 100 years ago and his initial advice was to get hold of some raggedy guitars that you didn't care too much about, or that couldn't end up any worse as a result of your attention and use those as learning tools. Nobody cuts their first nut or dresses their first fret on a legacy Martin.

The other thing is: don't be afraid to spend money on tools. It always comes back. Also, you'll find that it only costs a little bit more to go first class, and you're never sorry. The poor results you get from cheap tools will piss you off, and the cost of replacing them with good ones only goes to show you wasted your money the first time around.
 
No particular place to put this, but there has been a couple of threads about GFS lately with mostly positive reviews. I finally got something that I was not particularly impressed with from GFS, and I don't think it's worth it's own thread.

I ordered a Strat top jack plate in black. I ordered from GFS specifically because I wanted a cheap one made of thin metal to help it bend over a curved surface. I got it yesterday and it's covered in some gunk like it's been in a smokey room for a year. It seems like there was some kind of chemical reaction with something. I don't know enough about plating to hazard a guess and I have zero idea if all of them are like that from GFS. I think it will buff up Ok with some polishing compound. It's not worth returning since it only cost $6.45

FWIW
 
I've had the same experience. It's not a deliberate or residual coating, but oxide on the paint. Not sure what they're using, but it will buff out if you work at it. I stopped using some of their stuff because of it. No sense buying parts that need finish work when you can buy finished parts for only a fraction more money. I don't charge a whole lot for my time, but certainly more than it's worth to dink around with a $5 part.
 
Cagey said:
I've had the same experience. It's not a deliberate or residual coating, but oxide on the paint. Not sure what they're using, but it will buff out if you work at it. I stopped using some of their stuff because of it. No sense buying parts that need finish work when you can buy finished parts for only a fraction more money. I don't charge a whole lot for my time, but certainly more than it's worth to dink around with a $5 part.
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Oh I know it's not deliberate. That is for dang sure. I totally agree that a quality part would only be a dollar or two more but I wanted a cheap thin one and I knew that's what I'd get from GFS.
 
The only rule I have ever heard about using bone is generally you want to avoid bleached bone.  The process tends to make them brittle, crumbly, and not very slick.  The guy that set up Tonars 12 string Taylor talked to me about it, and although very informative, the take home message was unbleached is what you want.  Beyond that, I agree with Cagey on this.  Fitting that piece of the guitar is a pain.  No reason to practice it, unless your first try requires you try again.
Patrick

 
97.41% ?


If you learn how to use the feeler gauges - adding together blades so the width of them forms a positive stop, against which the file can't go any further - it becomes a good deal closer to foolproof. I've done so many of the damn things I have them finished in the vice, ummm...97.41% of the way. It seems odd to me to pay for a "finished" nut when you're going to have to finish it - TOO - if you can look at a blank and see the nut within it, well then. Lately I've been staying ahead on them, sizing the blanks down early so the final stuff is all that's left. Many, may moons ago, we... oh goody! here it is:

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=15949.msg233991#msg233991

Somewhere in there is the "feeler gauge trick."
 
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