Quote Originally Posted by Farrar View Post
The nut on an instrument of the viol family is that small light-colored piece or plastic/ivory at the very top of the fingerboard. It has indentations in it to help hold the strings in place. If your instrument is cheap or badly-maintained (and his was) it is possible to break the nut at one of those indentations as they are naturally that piece's weak spots.

Back on topic: found out that the small cigar I bought at the gas station is grape-flavored. Ew! I am glad I don't need to smoke it for very long to do my test.

Farrar
Woosh....(never mind)
Sure, guitars and banjos (not part of the viola family, but a "vulgar" instrument) have them as well...On mine the 5th string has a brass nut...and 24 stainless steel nuts around the head. Beat that! (All puns intended.)


Also back on topic: +1 Cherry cigars are much better.