Questions about JP's nut replacement intervals

[schenllwind]

I've just purchased a new JP15. It's a fantastic guitar.
But I have one question,
I know that the nut on this guitar is a compensated nut made of melamine,
How durable are these nuts, and how long will it take for them to wear down to the point where they need to be replaced, assuming normal play?

 

[DrKev]

Great question! Melamine (more specifically melamine-formaldehyde resin) is one of the toughest thermosetting plastics there is. It is one of the undisputed kings in plastic surface hardness and break resistance (which is why it is by far the most common plastic for tableware and nothing has beaten it in over 60 years). It's an excellent choice for guitar nuts and will last as long or longer than any other material out there.

How durable is it? Well, back about 10 years ago I lowered the string slots in the nut of my Silhouette Special (I had just ordered new nut files and wanted to test them out). I filed a little too far but got away with it. If I hold the D string down at the 3rd fret there is basically no clearance over the 1st fret - It's right on the point of the open string buzzing if it hit to too hard. It should therefore quickly show any wearing down of the nut slot with open string buzz increasing over time. But in ten years it hasn't moved at all.

You have nothing to worry about.

 

[beej]

I'm going to run all of my plastic tableware questions through Dr Kev from now on.

 

[schenllwind]

Great question! Melamine (more specifically melamine-formaldehyde resin) is one of the toughest thermosetting plastics there is. It is one of the undisputed kings in plastic surface hardness and break resistance (which is why it is by far the most common plastic for tableware and nothing has beaten it in over 60 years). It's an excellent choice for guitar nuts and will last as long or longer than any other material out there.

How durable is it? Well, back about 10 years ago I lowered the string slots in the nut of my Silhouette Special (I had just ordered new nut files and wanted to test them out). I filed a little too far but got away with it. If I hold the D string down at the 3rd fret there is basically no clearance over the 1st fret - It's right on the point of the open string buzzing if it hit to too hard. It should therefore quickly show any wearing down of the nut slot with open string buzz increasing over time. But in ten years it hasn't moved at all.

You have nothing to worry about.

Thank you for your professional and experience-based detailed explanation.
Sounds like I don't have to worry about the nut.

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

The nut should last a long time, and the usage of a lubricant such as graphite or "big bends nut sauce" will help to further extend the lifetime of it.

On another note, some countries have been known to add melamine to baby formula to help the milk "pass" q.c. testing. That's nuts!

 

[schenllwind]

The nut should last a long time, and the usage of a lubricant such as graphite or "big bends nut sauce" will help to further extend the lifetime of it.

On another note, some countries have been known to add melamine to baby formula to help the milk "pass" q.c. testing. That's nuts!

I've never heard of that "big bends nut sauce" before, but after checking it out, it looks like a good one. I'll have to buy it and give it a try, many thanks!