A
nut, on a
stringed musical instrument, is a small piece of hard material that supports the
strings at the end closest to the
headstock or
scroll. The nut marks one end of the vibrating length of each open string, sets the spacing of the strings across the neck, and usually holds the strings at the proper height from the
fingerboard. Along with the
bridge, the nut defines the vibrating lengths (scale lengths) of the open strings.