Hey!
I have a new strat style guitar neck with a 11/16 flat botom nut slot
I want to Install a tusq xl slotted nut in it.
but they only have 3/4 slotted flat bottom nuts.
so If I trim it down,will it be ok?is string spacing identical?
Thanks!
I have done this modification to my 7 string ibanez with a graphtech tusq nut recently! But yeah I looked it up too and the string spacing seems close to identical to the "Fender style" nut from their website (the E to E length is that information in case you weren't sure), there shouldn't be any significant problem! http://www.graphtech.com/products/brands/tusq-xl/tusq-xl-guitar-nuts
Have some nice guitar nut files or a few different grids of sand paper and you'll be ready to go! Sand the nut slowy and test it often on your guitar... you don't want to sand down too much cause you'll have to start all over...
But anyway, you want the nut to overhang slightly. Just center it and mark it with a pencil or a razor blade. Cut away the excess then sand or file slowly until the ends are flush with the edge of the neck. It is much easier if nut is installed and strings at some tension to hold it down.
You should always start with a slightly oversized nut, and then you thickness-sand it on a granit board, ideally. You wanna broach the nut in sideway, that will ensure a really tight fit and no gluing needed whatsoever, but you can smear just a tiny layer of wood glue on one side of the slot that sits closer to the bridge anyway. You never glue down the bottom of the nut.