is adjusting/installing a nut hard?

[HolyDirt]

is it that hard? people tell me pros should do it, but pros had to start somewhere, right? someone wanna gimme directions on how to remove, file and install a nut (dont worry, i'm trying it out on a butchered guitar neck)

 

[orbiter]

http://www.stewmac.com/nuts

this covers it pretty well.

~G

 

[jeremy]

if your gonna do it then get a couple extra blanks, they are cheap and youll probably need them, that article by dan is pretty easy to follow so just go slow and be careful. nothing is worse than getting almost done and messing it up

 

[Fresh_Start]

That first link is great. Here's some other good info from Frets.com:

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Setup/NewNut/newnut1.html

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/GenSetup/Nuts/nuts1.html

I've made 3 good nuts out of 6 attempts. Apparently that's not too bad for starters. Frankly, it's a bear to get it right and takes a lot of patience and concentration. Also, while some people can do fine with make-shift tools, I couldn't have gotten close without a set of nut files from StewMac. Fortunately, the guitar building bug bit me hard and I'll be using those files more in the future.

Oh, the section on making a new nut in Dan Erlewine's "Guitar Players Repair Guide" is worth the price of the book itself (cheaper at Amazon/B&N than at StewMac BTW). More comprehensive than that online article.

Hope this helps,

Chip

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

I bought all the stuff I needed to make my own nuts from www.stewmac.com

I used to practice by having another good nut to copy and using cheap plastic nuts....After I'd get my own nut all sized up and the slots pretty close by using feeler gauges to measure slut depth etc..I'd elmers glue the new nut on and see if it was something workable...After doing several this way,I eventually got into doing bone and TUSQ, etc...Now I consider myself very good at it and every one of my guitars has nuts that were shaped and slotted to the depth I Like...I Like the strings as low as I can get them at the first fret but so I can hit open strings hard and not have fret buzz...I always use feeler gauges placed on top of the neck as I file in the slots to keep from going to low...It takes some practice,alot of blown nuts,and some patience before you start consistently getting them right...But it is fun...

HONEY I'VE BLOWN MY NUT!

John

 

[Curly]

that nut ruler that StewMac has helped me get the spacing right

John's right about using something on the fretboard to keep from filing down too far ... in lieu of feeler guages, you can also use a nickel, then a penny as you get closer to finish depth

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

that nut ruler that StewMac has helped me get the spacing right

John's right about using something on the fretboard to keep from filing down too far ... in lieu of feeler guages, you can also use a nickel, then a penny as you get closer to finish depth

Yep..Curly has some good ideas with the cion thickness..People use coins to adjust pickup heights also..I bought the newest rulers from Stew Mac...1 is the nut spacing ruler and I also bought the smaller ruler that has the different graduations in 64ths...Actually it has alot of different measurements and it's thin enough to use as a nut slot measurer...The more cool tools a guy has,the easier these types of tasks become..

John

 

[orbiter]

buy dan the mans book.. I meant to say that before.. thats one of the best investments a guitarist who wants to know how more about taking care of and/or tweeking fixing etc.. his/her guitars.

his "how to make your guitar play great" is also good and comes w/ useful pop-out tools..

when I learned I was told ..biginners should buy 3 nuts for every one you plan to make .. I got lucky and my 2nd attempt was really good.. take your time .. good luck.

 

[jeremy]

the more you practice it the better youll get, just like anything else. the first one can go down hill quickly if you dont take your time, so go slow and dont drink too much coffee before ya do it

 

[orbiter]

the more you practice it the better youll get, just like anything else. the first one can go down hill quickly if you dont take your time, so go slow and dont drink too much coffee before ya do it

HA! .. thats funny .. and true..