Roller nut
A nut in which each string sits on a small free-turning roller, so it can slide with almost no friction when tuning or using the tremolo.
The problem it solves is binding: on a conventional nut, wound strings catch in their slots and drag, so a bend or a dive leaves the string slightly sharp. Rollers remove that friction, which stabilises tuning without the clamping of a locking nut, and they suit players who want tremolo use without a double-locking system. The trade is a small amount of tonal change, since the string no longer rests on a single hard edge.
Example: a guitar with a roller nut and a vintage-style tremolo stays in tune through moderate bar use where a plain nut would not.
See also
Related
- PageLocking nut
- PageNut
- PageTremolo
- PageAction
- PageArchtop
- PageB-Bender
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley