What is a guitar nut and what is it for?

The nut on a guitar sits at the point where the fretboard ends and the headstock begins. This simple-looking piece actually has a significant impact on the quality of the guitar as it relates to the following:

• Playability
• Intonation
• Sound Quality (to a lesser extent)

Here's a diagram that shows where it's located:

Materials and Function

The nut is a narrow strip typically made of industrial, synthetic plastic, which is precisely cut and fitted onto the end of guitar's neck, where the neck meets the headstock. As mentioned in the top answer box, patented materials like GraphTech (TUSQ) and PPS plastic are very common.

TUSQ is a man-made ivory, while PPS is a type of engineered thermoplastic.

But whatever the material, its job is to support the strings at the correct height and spacing, which you can see by the small notches that the strings sit in.

Here's what it looks like on my gold and black PRS electric guitar:

It's the black strip at the end of the fretboard, right before that triangular looking piece.

The strings sit in those groves and are then fixed at the bridge as well, which keeps the strings correctly spaced and held in place. This also helps ensure proper intonation of the guitar (more on that below).

There's a subtle impact this can have on the tone as well, depending on the material, width, and quality of the nut. 

More on the Nut and Intonation 

Intonation is the accuracy of the pitch produced when playing different notes or chords on the fretboard. It can also refer to the clarity of the note produced.

Here are some of the variables, involving the nut, that can impact intonation:

• String length from nut to bridge
• Depth and angle of the grooves on the nut that the strings sit in
• Strength and quality of fixing the nut's position 
• Nut width (relative to the neck shape and size)

Player Preferences and Variables

The main concern guitar player's will have, as it relates to the nut, is the width, since this has implications for the feel and playability of the fretboard. For example, this roundup I wrote on acoustic guitars with thin necks, focuses on nut widths around 1.7 inches and smaller.

But otherwise, the nut is pretty easy to overlook.

Other variables include the material used, the color, and quality of craftsmanship. 

Cheaper guitars are sometimes susceptible to cheap nut materials and placement, especially with mass/factory production.

Wrap Up

But all told, a guitar nut is pretty simple

And now you know.

If you have questions about this overlooked guitar component, drop a line in the comments section below and I'll see if I can help out.

Thanks for enjoying and trusting our content.

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