Nylon 6.6 nuts used on new 50th R9

[Spicoli]

I spoke with Edwin Wilson of Gibson for quite a while at the NAMM Show this year about the new 50th Anniversary R9 and the new features. He was telling me that they are finally using Nylon 6.6 nuts on the new R9's and had a nut from a '55 Gold Top analyzed and it was Nylon 6 and not Nylon 4.6 as previously though by some. I have Nylon 6.6 nuts on a couple of my guitars and it does make a difference in tone, good or bad is all subjective to the players ear. Has anyone else changed their nut to Nylon 6.6 and how do you like the tone change? What do you think about Gibson now using Nylon 6.6 on the new R9's and not using bone or the previous material?

[FLICKOFLASH]

only bone, ivory or slick stone for me

[Spicoli]

Originally Posted by FLICKOFLASH

only bone, ivory or slick stone for me

If you had a 2009 50th R9 would you change out the nylon nut?

[monroe]

+1 for bone. I don't really care what's vintage correct.

[mapleflame]

Walrus, or elephant

[badhabit]

Originally Posted by mapleflame

Walrus, or elephant

baby seal's teeth

[alexvdl]

the nylon 6.6 nut I made and put in my LP made my LP sound much clearer. I love the tone improvement!

[D4ngerboy]

i like my nuts the way they are

[BurstintoFlames]

I didnt know nuts where made of bone!! They're too sensitive

[Liam]

Originally Posted by Spicoli

I spoke with Edwin Wilson of Gibson for quite a while at the NAMM Show this year about the new 50th Anniversary R9 and the new features. He was telling me that they are finally using Nylon 6.6 nuts on the new R9's and had a nut from a '55 Gold Top analyzed and it was Nylon 6 and not Nylon 4.6 as previously though by some. I have Nylon 6.6 nuts on a couple of my guitars and it does make a difference in tone, good or bad is all subjective to the players ear. Has anyone else changed their nut to Nylon 6.6 and how do you like the tone change?

Hi Mike,

I've compared the Nylon 66 you sent me to my '55 Junior, and it appears to be the same (can do a Rockwell hardness test if that helps!) The guy that's making me a guitar at the moment is using one of your blanks for the nut (might even get the guitar this week). If I like it, I'll make one for my Historic.

Not sure the tone difference will be dramatic, but it will certainly look the part.

Liam

[Spicoli]

Originally Posted by Liam

Hi Mike,

I've compared the Nylon 66 you sent me to my '55 Junior, and it appears to be the same (can do a Rockwell hardness test if that helps!) The guy that's making me a guitar at the moment is using one of your blanks for the nut (might even get the guitar this week). If I like it, I'll make one for my Historic.

Not sure the tone difference will be dramatic, but it will certainly look the part.

Liam

Hi Liam,

A Rockwell hardness test would be cool, I would love to see the results of that!

If possible post a picture of the finished nut, I would like to see how they are turning out on other peoples projects. I'm currently finishing one up right now and getting ready to age it before installation.

Mike

[decoy205]

Whats a Rockwell Hardness test??

[banditguitarist1]

Rockwell hardness test or Shore (Durometer) hardness test. Both methods measure the resistance of the plastic toward indentation. Both scales provide an empirical hardness value that doesn't correlate to other properties or fundamental characteristics. Rockwell hardness is generally chosen for 'harder' plastics such as nylon, polycarbonate, polystyrene, and acetal where the resiliency or creep of the polymer is less likely to affect the results.

The results obtained from this test are a useful measure of relative resistance to indentation of various grades of plastics. However, the Rockwell hardness test does not serve well as a predictor of other properties such as strength or resistance to scratches, abrasion, or wear, and should not be used alone for product design specifications.

The Rockwell hardness tester to measure the hardness of metal measures resistance to penetration like the Brinell test, but in the Rockwell case, the depth of the impression is measured rather than the diametric area. With the Rockwell tester, the hardness is indicated directly on the scale attached to the machine. This dial like scale is really a depth gauge, graduated in special units. The Rockwell hardness test is the most used and versatile of the hardness tests.


I got it from some site after I googled "Rockwell Hardness Test"

[Liam]

It's quite a good indicator of what material you've got. I've got the use of a Rockwell hardness tester at work, so occasionally use it to compare materials.

[idlewild south]

Originally Posted by idlewild south

Type 101,unfilled, nylon 6.6?

Answered this one quite a while back,guys.

[Spicoli]

Originally Posted by idlewild south

Answered this one quite a while back,guys.

I don't think that was the question...

[Mike60]

...so Gibson has gone back to what they were using in the fifties and sixties and people are complaining?...Did I miss the bus?...

[Spicoli]

Originally Posted by Mike60

...so Gibson has gone back to what they were using in the fifties and sixties and people are complaining?...Did I miss the bus?...

No kidding...

[decoy205]

I think its awesome. that corian crap sucks! it makes the strings stick like crazy.

[sapi]

I think i would be fine by it, although - everyone was saying previously it was 4/6 nylon. As was the RS stock, which if i recall well came from NOS Gibson?

I would be fine also with TusQ. I have a pre-ban ivory nut on my R9 now but i wouldn't know the difference vs the original, after the complete HM. Looks beautiful though the way Dave cut it.

[ashbass]

I don't buy the 6.6 line. If that is the case of the original material, what was the stuff that RS got from a gibson warehouse that was labeled 4/6? Why did gibson have sheets of 4/6 laying around? What did they use it for?

More likely, gibson had an original nut examined and it was 4/6 and since 4 isn't available anymore they just said it was 6.6 and here we are chucking all previous notions out the window on their word.

Let's recall that they also said the reissue bumblebees were the total reissue shit when infact they were wesco caps with a black case around them and paint stripes added.

Gibson needs something to make the new R9 special and out of its hat it pulls nylon 6.6 which could've been used forever but only now is it worth their effort to make nuts out of it. Yeah right, I call bullshit.

[dwagar]

but, how much difference really is there between 4/6 and 6/6?

[ReverendJWblues]

Originally Posted by Mike60

...so Gibson has gone back to what they were using in the fifties and sixties and people are complaining?...Did I miss the bus?...

I'm sending a taxi your way Mike, such a shame to miss the bus.

[Mike60]

...

[Mike60]

FWIW...I've got a couple Spicoli nylon 66 blanks and have compared to my '60...seems like the same stuff to me...

[billy]

whatever the difference between the new nuts and what was used on the originals (if any) they will be a hell of a lot better than the previous corain ones!!