I just bought Fender Original Blank Bone Nuts (Fender Part #: 099-4920-000). These are obviously extruded plastic of some kind. Why does Fender call these "bone"?

Wound up purchasing actual bone from AllParts.

It's no big deal, since none of this was very expensive, but seems like Fender shouldn't be calling plastic "bone"

I actually intend to practice setting up the Fender plastic nut, (since I've never cut one myself) then drop in the AllParts once I've got a good feel for the technique, so in the end I'm glad I have both.

Is there an "actually came from an animal" bone nut from Fender? If so, how would I order it?

That does seem to be an example of deception, Tom.

Personally, I prefer corian but I'm not too anal about nut composition. Many of my guitars are still equipped with the factory nut -- I change them out only if it becomes necessary.

Best of luck with your "experiments". Learning the ropes as a luthier/tech can be quite satisfying.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

@TomHug
Hey, when you use real bone, you do realise it's piece of dead animal, hey ?
No "Hugs" from the greenies for you Tom, methinks

I believe one forum member here said he gets his bone from a meat market where they cut up beef and other meats. He uses real bone. I can't remember who it was though. I considered trying the same thing but I don't know which bone is better. Leg, rib, neck????

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"

Has to be cow ankle bone. No other part of the animal is dense enough. You can have camel bone, mammoth bone or ivory, cow bone, pre-ban elephant bone or ivory.

It makes not one iota of difference to the sound of a guitar. Offers worse string path because it's so hard to cut. When you get a bad bit of bone, your high E string can slice through it as soon as it's bought up to pitch.

I don't rate bone. I only use it because it's free.

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No no and no

With all due respect to those who choose not to use animal products, I personally don't have any major issues with responsible consumption of various animal products. I'll bet that bone nuts are recovered from cows slaughtered for other reasons so the net impact on the animal world is zero. Heck, it might actually be greener to use recycled organic material than to use any plastic, chemical, or petroleum derived materials.



I also recognize that there are risks with organic materials. But I don't agree that there is no difference with tone and bone nuts:

No less an authority than Dan Erlewine recommends bone in his Nut Making Step-By-Step

On page 92 of The Fender Stratocaster Handbook, Luthier John Diggins states that "Bone has the advantage of being self lubricating"

Finally, if I feel better about what I've done to my guitar (even if it's only psychological), I'll probably play better.

There has to be a reason that real animal bone is what many of the high-end and hand-made shops use, besides mere tradition.

Thanks for the input, all

Yes, it's because people incorrectly believe it makes a difference. Therefore manufacturers can charge more by using something butchers throw away.

The nut plays no part in 95% of the neck. Every fretted note does not use the nut. So how does it change how fretted notes sound? Then ask yourself how does it affect the pickup to alter the sound of the guitar when open strings are played. If the breakpoint is cut correctly then it shouldnt even affect string arc.

I'm not posting this to in any way belittle your opinion, you are correct that if you are more comfortable, then you'll play better. I just want people to think about what their told about guitars. Particularly by Erlewine, he'd tell you the sky is green if it meant he sold a tool.

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No no and no

With all due respect to the OP, I agree with the above in its entirety.

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You dig?

I thought that no one sells real bone nuts any more, but that they are all synthetic bone and the companies just refer to them as bone.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

G'day nikininja, I play a lot of open string notes. There is a significant difference in sound between open and fretted notes when using a plastic nut.
On the other hand, I have another Strat with a locking nut (metal) on which the open notes match perfectly with fretted notes.
From your post, I surmise that nuts should be made of metal to match the fret material, and that this will make a 5% difference. Do you agree?

Respectfully
....Mark.

Lou folks still sell blanks. I'm waiting on some mammoth ivory from your side of the pond.

Mark, no I can't agree with any of the points in your post. If a nut is cut properly it can't interact with the string at all, therefore can't alter the sound of the string. It's the one reason why nut slots have to be just so.
Sorry mate.

Whats next people worrying about the silver content in their frets?

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No no and no

Thanks nikininja,

I thought that you were kidding about the mammoth bone and other exotic sounding materials.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

OK cool, I know better than to argue with someone with 13000+ post to there name.

If you ever get a chance to play a resonator with a brass nut in open tuning, tell me if you can notice the difference.

All good. Just interested.

....Mark.

Ha Nik, that's why I use corian, free as free can be. I just go to the local home improvement store, to where they do the kitchen cabinets and ask for a couple sample blocks.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.