The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

No, not getting personal. Just talkin' 'bout yer geetar's nuts.

Many of the Mats guitars and basses came with brass nuts (often with corresponding brass bridges). I have always liked them for their beauty (when clean) and durability, and they lend a brightness to what might otherwise be a flatter output, with plastic for example.

But when I got my Vantage VP710 it had a bone nut, along with an MMK53/61 combo. And the sound is quite different.
One of the boyz at the Westone site routinely replaces the brass nut on certain models claiming the sound is improved. I think he may be right.

In a talk with Tom Presley I asked him once about the choice of brass, was it a considered design decision, and he replied that it was more economically based. Brass was inexpensive and easy to work with. So much for a higher plan!

As a final observation, I think the brass may go a long way to help brighten up the tone of the MMK45's which although powerful, can tend to be a bit a muddy.

What's your experience?

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
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I think the contribution of the nut is over rated. After you fret the nut plays virtually no role in the sound. About the only thing I can think where it may matter is by being heavier than plastic or bone it will an impact on how the neck wood will vibrate. That said the impact will have more to do with the individual wood the neck is made of and will differ from guitar to guitar.

My APII TS 350 equipled with MMK45's is brighter than my MMK45 equiped Electra working man. The TS350 has a maple neck and a sycamore and maple body, Vs the Workingman has all mahogany construction. I think that has far more to do witht he sound than the nut.

I have to agree about the nut doing noting once you fret the strings...however MY first 710 had brass top and bottom and it sounded great. Brass is beefier than plastic or bone and I think lets more natural harmonic resonate through the woods the guitar is made of.

As you know Barry, I have recently acquired a neck-thru 810 and it has the same brass top and bottom as the 710 I remember.
The 790 I found in Kitchener sounds the same way except its not a hard tail. The 790's mahogany has a lot to do with it for sure.

I have another 790 on it's way to me as we speak. You know how these Vantage guitars like to congregate
in little bunchies like asparagus growing up out of the ground and I don't want the first 790 to feel alone in the collection.

Cheers everyone

My 710 has a bone nut with steel bridge, an awesome combination!

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com