Technical discussion: "The guitar's natural tone"

[Cuthbert]

I wasn't speaking of the audible portion of the vibratory waveform, I was referring to the actual physical portion.

If vibrational force hits an object that is resistant to sympathetic vibration (i.e. you pluck the string but cannot feel it in the bridge as strongly as in the string itself), then the wave is reflected back into the string. It has to go somewhere, and it will follow the path of least resistance, and like a shock absorber, the string is the path of least resistance. Therefore, the bridge and nut (anchor points) reflect incoming vibrational force back to the source.

The physical wave passing through the minor space of air between the string and fretboard is reflected back to the string by bouncing off the fretboard, however, it is not reflected with the same intensity as the audible portion of the waveform, and therefore does not perpetuate (sustain)[bold] the oscillation as much as the harder material the string is in direct contact with.[/bold]

Are you trying to tell me that the bone of a nut (or plastic,or brass, or whatever) is harder than a stainless or a nickel plated string?

Mmm...not quite.