Brass
An alloy of copper and zinc, used for nuts, saddles, bridges and electrical contact parts.
Brass is easy to machine, reasonably corrosion resistant and a good conductor, so it appears wherever a guitar needs a precise, hard-wearing small part: bridge saddles, nut blanks, tailpieces, control plates and the cavity shielding that keeps hum out. Saddles and nuts in brass are commonly described as adding a bright, bell-like edge and a quick attack, which is why retrofitting them remains popular. The drawbacks are weight and tarnish, since brass is much denser than aluminium and so adds mass at the bridge, and an unlacquered part dulls to a dull brown and has to be polished.
Example: Brass bridge saddles on a bolt-on guitar give a brighter snap on the attack that players often describe as more open.
typical use: Nuts, bridge saddles, tailpieces, control plates and cavity shielding.
See also
Related
- PageSaddle
- PageNut
- PageShielding
- PageAdirondack spruce
- PageAfrican blackwood
- PageAfrican mahogany
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley