-
Hello. I am considering switching over from round to flatwound strings.
At the same time, I'd like to switch from the Gibralter bridge to an ebony bridge and the plastic nut to a bone nut. I am not having trouble locating a replacement bridge, but I am having no luck finding a drop-in bone nut to replace the plastic nut that the guitar came with.
There is a company in Germany that sells Ibanez parts but, for some reason, Ireland is on a list that they will not deliver to. The only other option that I an find is to order from Japan, which is very expensive.
The measurements that I am getting are 43mm L x 5 mm W x 10 mm H with a top radius of 12".
Has anyone attempted to replace the nut on this guitar?
Any information about drop-in replacements are welcomed. If not, maybe you could tell me how you went about it.
-
03-22-2026 08:03 AM
-
Does TUSQ have one that'll fit? Supposed to be very close to bone.
-
I get mine from AliExpress. They have a lot of different sizes
IGuitar Bridge 1pairs 6/12 String Acoustic, Classical, YMH Real Bone Guitar Nut Saddle, Unbleached and White, Made of Bovine Bone
https://a.aliexpress.com/_ExejpMYLast edited by Little Jay; 04-10-2026 at 04:36 PM.
-
I recently made one from bone blanks at ali also.
If you have time to kill and you are good with abrasives you can do the job yourself.
On an Eastman the bottom of the nut has a steep angle that I had to cut. Im not sure about your guitar.
T
That said, I make sax mouthpieces so I shape a lot of things by hand with sandpaper. If you have not done it you might find it a daunting task.
I used these
https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/10050...yAdapt=glo2fra
-
Do you have a luthier you can work with? If you have a new blank bone or tusq fitted to your guitar, you can also get the action at the nut cut closer than the "safe" standard that stock nuts are set to. You'll find the difference can be anywhere from easier to life changing.
I worked for Ibanez and there was a standard nut string height and it was strictly enforced, but it was far from optimum. Why? To assure that the hardest hitting player with the worst technique and bad string choice wouldn't never even hint at buzzing close to a fret. That makes for a guitar that's hard to play; harder than it ever needs to be.
I'd recommend going to a luthier, having a new nut fitted to your guitar and action fitted to your playing style. Personally, I like to set the action first set at the bridge, neck set for the relief I need, tune the guitar THEN take the nut string height just a little proud of zero fret height (that means the height at the first fret is just a little more than the height clearance at the second when string is depressed at the first.). Everybody likes/needs their own action. Know your needs, then have a luthier set your guitar up for your hands. Your guitar, don't settle for factory specs designed for someone other than yourself.
My two cents anyway.
-
In a factory, time is money, and it takes time to get nut slots to the optimum depth, the closer you do the more time it takes. And go just a little too far and you have to completely start over. I can't blame factories for shipping guitars with nuts cut too high, but I almost always have to tinker with the nut slots when I acquire a guitar. I've acquired a couple of Benedetto guitars with perfect nuts, but they weren't new so I can't say how they came from the factory. One was built by Bob in 1978, so it had decades to be adjusted if needed. Nut work is just something I expect to have to do. I've never paid anyone to do it, and so have plenty of practice in recovering from mistakes.
-
On my most recent guitar I learned just how much a poolry cut nut can just reek havoc on an archtop...especially one that is carved. I think the one that came on the guitar was cut by a young chimp. I thought I had a dud gutiar until I corrected the nut. Boomy notes, dead notes...just a mess, muffled notes. The bridge wasnt much better. I finally cut a new nut and the guitar is amazingly responsive and almost too sensitive for my clumsey playing. Its so important. If you dont do it yourself make sure the guy who does it actuallly cares about his work. Its not rocket science but it takes time and attention.
And yes, the height makes a big difference in how the guitar feels. Even most sites on the internet suggest heights I think are too high. I guess its ok if you hammer out cowboy chords but otherwise I cant make the strings rattle with anything I consider normal playing.
-
Cutting a nut on a guitar for me there is almost zero room for error. It is either clean and easy playing, or I took one swipe too many and it buzzes when played hard. If I leave it even just a shade high, it feels way different than being right on the money. Spacing depending on the situation there is more wiggle room for sure but not huge amounts. Frankly I cannot charge too much to cut a new nut I almost rather not do it. You cannot do anything with the action or dressing of frets until at least the Hight at nut is correct.
-
Mark, I cant agree with you more on not being able to charge too much for a nut.
Ive spent the past 20 years making hand crafted saxophone mouthpiece. Im very familiar with making near zero tollerace products with abrasive where subtractive processes are the only existing methods. I did my own nut simply becuase I thought I could and I also felt that anyone charging a low fee on a nut probably would not bother to get it right. My guess is that the only way to get a decent fee for doing a nut is when its folded into a larger job. Some guys would pay but many would underestimate what the job requires.
In my very limited experience (experience with a guitar with a bad nut and a bad saddle cut) the Nut and the saddle are under appreciated. A lot of players dont realize that those are the meat of the guitar. You can have the best wood in the world and a perfect fret job but a bad nut and/or saddle can render them useless and make a great guitar sound like trash. I dont pretend my work was perfect and I will probably cut another one eventually but it is worlds better than what the chimp who worked on my guitar performed.
I think its important for players to realize that when you pay for a luthier to perform a task you are not just paying an hourly wage. You are paying for the accumulated knowledge attained that indiviudal. Im sure someone with experiece would be much faster than the several hours it took for me to shape a nut. However, that someone would likely be better. I also know as a mouthpiece maker that I would charge a lot for that task.
-
Hypothetical Question?
If you don't use open strings.
Do you need a Nut cut so high?
With a extremely low cut Nut (to the fretboard), the strings could be on top of the first fret (but, there would be no open strings).
It's just a Hypothetical Question.
-
Hopefully Mark will answer but I think it still matters.
If its too low when you fret something...lets say the third fret...if you dont have some height you will actually have to apply more pressure becuase the string is hitting earlier frets before the third..so you have to press harder. Not being an expert I cant say how far down the neck this would occur.
Also you might get back buzz?
I think mostly its just not right and I know I would never want to NOT be able to play open strings. Sooner or later you are gonna want to do it...even if its mixing an open string with a chord down the neck. I think its one of those things a luthier wouldnt do...even if asked. Somewhere down the line someone else is likey to play the guitar and say "WTF!".
I wonder if too low would almost be like when you go to extremes in adding dampening material to strings behind the bridge. Tone just dies.
I fully admit Im a consant fiddler with stuff that can be adjusted. Im glad there are only a few thngs to mess with. I think there is a point of dimisihing returns. I got the action quite low on my acoustic archtop but in the end was not happy with it. Im sure it would be fine on my lam top but the real acoustic flavor of the guitar just dimished. I like roundwounds and that color just got eaten. Ive cranked the action up to something pretty normal and it just rings. Also, there is a pretty decent range where it plays well with different truss adjustments. In a small rane it can go from sounding tight to just too loose in terms of tone. Finding just the right spot has been important too. Someday I will put the cover back on my truss rod!
-
Given a straight neck and level frets, the nut slots can be too low and the guitar can still be very playable. The strings will buzz on the first fret, but the fretted strings above the first fret will play fine. Truthfully, I don't completely understand why all guitars don't have zero frets. That makes life easier for everyone. The person doing the setup doesn't have to worry about nut slots, because they only keep the strings in place laterally. But tradition rules.
-
Currently, I've setup one of my guitars with very low cut Nut slots (as string guides), so the strings are laid onto 1st fret. The 1st fret now acts similar to a Zero fret.
Originally Posted by sgosnell
It works very well, but only because I don't need or use open strings.
-
In terms of real zero frets, I talked to one luthier about zero frets. He felt that zero frets were more trouble than they were worth and that its just an added PIA.
-
Everyone has an opinion, and is entitled to it. I just express mine.
-
A Zero fret can potentially wear more quickly than the other frets, because they are constantly in contact with strings. Other than that they are an improvement IMHO. Originally Posted by Sigmund451
In terms of real zero frets, I talked to one luthier about zero frets. He felt that zero frets were more trouble than they were worth and that its just an added PIA.
-
No arguement from me. None of my guitars have one.
-
Yes, the nut setup is paramount for the rest of the setup. It affects the action everywhere. You want to shoot for med-low if your preference is low or med-high if your preference is high. Too low makes the playing feel weak or can buzz, while too high can push the notes sharp and is unpleasant to play. Originally Posted by GuyBoden
-
Imo bone nuts kind of have poor tone even though they're reputable colloquially.
For a warm roundwound tone I would recommend Corian which is what Warmoth uses as its warm option. (Its bright option is Graph Tech but I recommend Corian.)
-
Even if you don't use open strings, which limits you're playing drastically, the nut should be cut correct height. As I said in the first post that there is really no room for error except for going with a nut too high. I used a dropped D tuning for some Johnny Smith tunes so the nut is important. A zero fret can work well it is just not normally used by most guitar makers and especially the big names. They do work fine I have one on my Heritage Johnny Smith Rose and it plays great period no question. It is the only one of my guitars and I probably would not do it for any since it simply is not the norm. I am a creature of habit for sure.
-
Zero frets got a bad rap because they were used on cheaper guitars, since they require much less time and skill to install and get right than do standard nuts. Thus most buyers don't want them, thinking they're just cheap, so manufacturers don't offer them. They seem to be common on gypsy jazz instruments, but little else. I would prefer them over standard nuts. There is a company which offers conversion kits to put zero nuts on standard installations, but it's more trouble and expense than I think is worthwhile. I've installed ZeroGlide conversions on a couple of guitars, just to see how they work, and I find they work fine once installed, but there is more work involved than I care to invest again. It might be worth it to someone installing a new nut.
-
After playing the guitar with no Guitar Nut, I can attest that you definitely don't need a Guitar Nut. (If you don't use open strings.)
-
Checking it out now, thanks. Originally Posted by AllanAllen
-
I've heard similar opinions from others, but I have a bone nut on the way, so let's see. It can always be switched out for the Graph Tech later if bone sucks. Originally Posted by Strat-itis
-
Good luck. Again, I recommend corian for roundwounds because it has the bassiest roundest tone. Graph Tech emphasizes the harmonics, but is a good all round option. Bone is the worst material, a downgrade from basic plastic ime. But people can do what they want and you learn from experience.
Reply With Quote
A very special NGD: a custom build that brought my ideas to life.
Today, 06:11 PM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos