Brass vs. Steel Rollers

David Pinkston · From: Hendersonville, Tennessee, USA

What is the difference between the brass rollers and the I assume steel rollers. I have asked a couple of builders the difference and was told some prefer one, some the other. Is there a sound difference that is perceptible?

Jimmie Martin · From: Ohio, USA

I had Don Burrows to make me gauged brass rollers for a Magnum and it helped some. I told him the string sizes that i was going to use and sent him 1 and he made some fantastic ones. Great guy to deal with.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Where I worked, we used rollers made of the same type of aluminum as the changer fingers.

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

David that is a great question...

I changed from aluminum(Original) to brass because it looked so cool and made the neck just pop out at you. Even got them from Don B.

When I put them on and tuned my Derby back up, I could have sworn the sustain was noticeably reduced. It looked so good though, I just left the brass rollers on and got used to it. That steel is not the one I play out, so it wasn't a problem for me.

I know there are manufactures that install brass rollers. It would be curious to know the exact composition of the brass they are using, any difference in shape(curved vice "V") and the composition of the brass after market parts are made of. Sure would like to hear from enlightened and/or knowledgeable players.

Thanks for asking this question.
Dick Sexton

Ned McIntosh · From: New South Wales, Australia

There are quite a few different types of brass (an alloy of copper and zinc), and then there's bronze, which is harder and usually has a slightly redder colour compared to the bright yellow of polished brass.

A glance in an engineering handbook showed brass of the following types: Cap copper, gilding metals, cartridge brass, 60/40 brass, Aluminium or Naval brass, leaded clock brass, Admiralty Brass, Aluminium brass, Free-cutting brasses and high-tensile or Manganese brass.

Bronze is harder because it is an alloy of copper and tin, and because of its greater hardness compared to brass, it was favoured for edged-weapons in ancient times. In the history of mankind, The Bronze Age was characterised by the widespread use of bronze for weapons and utensils.

Likewise there are many alloys of aluminium, ranging from the very soft pure aluminium to the aerospace alloys such as 2024 and 6061, which have greater strength or improved resistance to corrosion.

However, the use of any other alloy for a roller-nut than the same metal as the keyhead or roller-nut holder brings with it a potential problem - electrochemical corrosion.

Basically, when you put aluminium in contact with brass, you have built a battery. Add moisture and some sort of ionising compound (such as salt), and the electric potential developed will result in the Aluminium turning into a white powder, with surprising speed.

Normally, our steels are not immersed in salt-water, so this potential problem doesn't develop. However, a drop of sweat falling into a roller-nut with brass rollers in an Aluminium carrier is a potential problem.

All the steels I have ever owned have had Aluminium roller-nuts, but I note the use of brass in the Mullen steels (amongst others), which apparently causes no problem. Keeping the roller-nut well-lubricated is always a good policy.
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The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being.

Storm Rosson · From: Silver City, NM. USA

I have a gauged set from Don B also increased the sustain immensely over the stock Beck Aluminum rollers.Also brass forms an oxide or patina as it's called in some circles which tends to make it relatively inert to the somewhat weak electrolytes in sweat.Roller shafts are usually steel so that negates electrolysis between it and brass. So I guess u shouldn't polish the sides of yer nut....rollers lol Laughing

Terry Sneed · From: Arkansas,

Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

Thanks Terry,
I think I'll change back. Of course, it may all be in my old noggin, but I wont know until I do. I was just wondering if anyone else had had the same impression when they changed to brass. Thanks for the response.

They sure do look perty though.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I believe that at one time I even owned an Emmons that had brass changer fingers.
What say you? Very Happy

Marco Schouten · From: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

There are brass rollers on My Sho-Bud Baldwin Crossover, it has good tone and sustain.
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JCH SD-10 with BL XR-16 pickup, Sho-Bud Volume Pedal, Evidence Audio Lyric HG cables, Quilter Steelaire combo

J D Sauser · From: Wellington, Florida

I don't think that brass or even bronze rollers will affect a steel's tone in a noticeable manner as they are not on the main sound side.
In mechanics it is generally not seen as recommendable to have moving parts of the same metal touch each other. Aluminum is a especially complicated material as it tends to bind and/or even grip. That will most likely not easily be the case with nut rollers as the move only very, very slightly. Still, it's considered a "no-no".

I personally don't like to the look of aging brass sticking out of polished aluminum... but that's a personal issue of taste.

... J-D.

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