Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

What is the best nut material for a 4001? Black Bakelite, Bone, Ebony, Brass, Legacy Ivory, Tusq...

I want the most ringing sustain I can get. I have already replaced (but not gotten rid of) my stock "tail-lifted" tailpiece with a soild brass Hipshot, and was wondering if a brass nut would add even more "ringing sustain".

I was just thinking about the threads I read regarding the "zero" fret and also the ones mentioning differing materials that a nut can be made of. I know this is only an issue when you play open strings, but that can be a lot of the time. Also, it is an issue when using "harmonics".

Any thoughts on this?

every rickenbacker bass i have had came with the plastic nut,i did replace a worn one on a 4002 with a bone nut,which i like to use on all my basses. brass should be fine,but might make a bright sounding bass even brighter. i don't tend to notice a great deal of difference in using different nut material,but it is probably a very subjective thing. i like the look and the feel of bone.

I'm with Woody on this. Bone would be a real good candidate in this case. I use camel bone. Smells bad when cut/sanded/filed, though.

jingle_jangle wrote: I use camel bone. Smells bad when cut/sanded/filed, though.

Yeah, similar to like when the dentist drills into a tooth. Stinky!

rickenbrother wrote:

jingle_jangle wrote: I use camel bone. Smells bad when cut/sanded/filed, though.

Yeah, similar to like when the dentist drills into a tooth. Stinky!

Thanks, guys, I go for oral surgery tomorrow.....

Where might one get camel bone(I know, from a camel), and how does it differ from the widely available fishbone(not the band)?

Bakelite

Bakelite is what I have - there are other good ones but I just go with the horse that got me here...

BTW - Bakelite is just a name for Phenolic plastic... same stuff the old rotors in distributor caps and in alot of instances the cap itself were made from.

I grind almonds , then mold them in a paste to bake in the general shape of (myself) a nut

This is a trick question???

I like Rick Carlos' idea. Almonds...but walnuts do well too.

The only type I have ever used other than factory is brass. Brighter, and better (longer) sustain, IMO.

edski wrote:ike Rick Carlos' idea. Almonds...but walnuts do well too.

I think those are only found on Wal basses.

Wal basses ........Wal-nuts ......... !

i used bone on 4003 i used to own. thinking of doing it to my 06. im not worried about the warranty, what warranty. but thats another story. i do like resonance of a bone nut, but i think its only noticable during open notes.