Locking nut

A clamping nut, usually part of a double-locking tremolo system, which grips the strings at the top of the neck so they cannot slip over the nut.

Once the strings are clamped, tuning is done at the bridge, and the strings cannot move at the nut no matter how hard the bar is used, which is what makes extreme tremolo work stay in tune. The cost is a slower string change and a heavier headstock, and the need for a fine tuner at the bridge to correct drift. Locking nuts are usually used with a locking bridge rather than on their own, since the saddle end must also be clamped.

Example: without a locking nut, deep dive bombs pull the wound strings sharp over the nut and the guitar is out of tune for the rest of the song.

Locking nut

See also