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For decades, luthiers (individuals who make or repair string instruments generally consisting of a  neck and a sound box) have been searching for the perfect material for their guitar nuts. The nut is part of a tremolo system, allowing guitarists to press a lever to loosen the instrument strings and access a different range of sound. When releasing the lever, the strings should spring back to the exact same tension and therefore return to their original pitch. However, if there is friction within the system, the returning pitch will be off.
Luthiers have experimented with different guitar nut materials, including bone, metal, ivory, graphite, and other composites. However, when Raygun Guitar Owner/Operator Chris Verhoeven built a custom guitar with a unique neck design and realized he needed a tremolo system, he went looking for something new.
Enter Quadrant Techtron® HPV (High Pressure & Velocity) material. As a self-lubricating material with excellent wear resistance and a low coefficient of friction, Verhoeven decided to take a shot. He contacted Quadrant for a sample, cut the composite into the shape of a guitar nut, installed it, and ran some tuning stability tests.
Verhoeven’s experiments revealed that, under most scenarios, the guitar nut made out of Techtron® HPV improved tuning stability to the point that (in a controlled environment), the impact to perceivable tuning stability was almost 0. The results were measured as the difference between starting tuning and tuning after tremolo action in cents of a tone.
The results of Verhoeven’s testing were promising enough for him to recommend using Techtron® HPV for other real world applications.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Quadrant EPP’s innovative family of advanced engineering plastic materials.
Editor's Note: This is a sponsored blog post by Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products.
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Re: Raygun Guitar Makes Music with Quadrant Techtron® HPV PPS
