Bone Nut and Saddle Replacement in Manhattan
If the open chords sound sharp, the strings ping when you tune, or the action at the first fret is high enough to hurt, the nut is the problem. On an acoustic, the saddle is where tone and intonation live. Both are small pieces of bone or Tusq that make a bigger difference than most upgrades.
Nuts
A hand-carved bone nut is $200: blank cut to the fretboard, slots filed to the exact string spacing and depth, polished. Tusq is $150, a consistent synthetic that's a good choice on guitars with a floating trem or a lot of bending. Factory plastic nuts on budget guitars are the number one cause of tuning trouble and the first thing we replace.
Don't need a whole nut? Nut slotting is $25 per slot for deepening or recutting, and nut edge filing is $30 per side to knock off the sharp factory corners.
Saddles
An acoustic saddle sets action and intonation. A bone saddle ($200) is shaped and compensated by hand so each string intonates; Tusq is $150. If the action is high and the saddle is already low, the fix is bridge shaving ($180) or in the long run a neck reset, which we quote after inspection.
Prices
| Hand-carved Bone Nut or Saddle | $200 |
|---|---|
| Tusq Nut or Saddle | $150 |
| Nut SlottingPer slot | $25 / slot |
| Nut Edge FilingPer side | $30 / side |
| Bridge Shaving or ThinningAcoustic action | $180 |
See the full repair and setup menu for everything else we do.
Nut and saddle work is usually done within the week and is best paired with a setup, since the action has to be reset afterward. Prices are labor; bone and Tusq blanks are extra.
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Common questions
- How much is a bone nut in NYC?
- $200 labor for a hand-carved bone nut at Brothers Guitar Shop, $150 for Tusq. Blanks are extra.
- Bone or Tusq?
- Bone is denser and most players prefer it on acoustics and vintage-style electrics. Tusq is more uniform and slick, which suits tremolo guitars and heavy benders. Both beat plastic.
- Why do my open chords sound sharp?
- The nut slots are too high, so pressing a string at the first fret stretches it sharp. Slotting the nut ($25 per slot) or a new nut fixes it.
- Can you lower the action on my acoustic?
- Usually, with a setup and a saddle adjustment. If the saddle is already low, bridge shaving ($180) buys more room, and past that it's a neck reset which we quote after inspection.
- Do I need a setup with a new nut?
- Yes, a new nut changes the action, so a setup is the right pairing. Standard setup is $145.