Fabricating Nuts

[DonP]

?????

how so --- is not balance needed for all ?

Yes, but you tend to bend the bass E around a lot less than the high one.

 

[Inspector #20]

I put the sandpaper flat on the table. Then I got some inch square wood and held the nut flat against it while I sanded. That guaranteed that the bottom of the nut was dead square to the sides as well as properly flat.

I keep a 10" x 10" piece of 1/4" plate glass on my guitar bench...

 

[smitty_p]

After cutting the slots deeper, do you then re-sand the top at all?

What Don said. I re-sand the top after the slots are at the desired depth. I sand so the slot is half the thickness of a wound string and just to the full thickness of a plain string.

But, keep in mind, since I only do this for myself, I'm in no rush. I don't try to get it all finished in one fell swoop. I'll rough the nut in and tweak it a bit. I may set the guitar down and come back to it the next day and make a couple of passes with a nut file after playing a bit. At any rate, I try to let the playing determine what I do.

In my perfect world, more guitars would have zero frets and the nut would be, more or less, just a string guide.

 

[jjudas]

I am glad this came up----

I have an 70s era Epiphone Japanese ET-290
View attachment 10699 View attachment 10700
View attachment 10700


that NEEDS a new nut---bad....(like REAL BAD) ...its an ODD width and I cant find ANY stock TUSQ or or other brand nuts that will fit........I ordered said bone blanks....well over 2 months ago----and they are sitting taunting me......frankly......I do not even know where to begin ---I have "adjusted" other premiad or TUSQ brands to fit but not CREATED a whole nut (I havent been a WHOLE nut since birth---er wait maybe its a hole nut???on no I have been that) .....anyway ----oh a squirrel!.....

what was I saying ......yes right

ER HELP.

Hey Adrian, Did you try eBay? I've found ox bone guitar nuts there that I couldn't find anywhere else.

 

[Hackmaster]

I am glad this came up----

I have an 70s era Epiphone Japanese ET-290
View attachment 10699 View attachment 10700
View attachment 10700


that NEEDS a new nut---bad....(like REAL BAD) ...its an ODD width and I cant find ANY stock TUSQ or or other brand nuts that will fit........I ordered said bone blanks....well over 2 months ago----and they are sitting taunting me......frankly......I do not even know where to begin ---I have "adjusted" other premiad or TUSQ brands to fit but not CREATED a whole nut (I havent been a WHOLE nut since birth---er wait maybe its a hole nut???on no I have been that) .....anyway ----oh a squirrel!.....

what was I saying ......yes right

ER HELP.

Bring that poor thing over. That nut is nuts.
Width don't matter, we'll make one to fit.

 

[Hackmaster]

Hack, what is an optimal fallaway? Do you follow the angle of the headstock?

Yeah, sort of. I just angle the top of the nut and make sure my slots are on a similar plane.
No science, just feel.
I like to have as small of a contact area with the string and nut as possible before the string bends down, so the string only makes contact at the fretboard side of the nut, then drops down to the tuning machine and away from the nut.

.

 

[eSGEe]

you said you have a small contact area with your NUTZ buwahahhahahahhahaaa

yes---I am 13 ---mentally

 

[Inspector #20]

Yeah, sort of. I just angle the top of the nut and make sure my slots are on a similar plane.
No science, just feel.
I like to have as small of a contact area with the string and nut as possible before the string bends down, so the string only makes contact at the fretboard side of the nut, then drops down to the tuning machine and away from the nut.

.

I am yet to find slotting files I really like. I saw a set a while back that looked like a pocketknife.

Any suggestions from experience???

 

[Hackmaster]

I am yet to find slotting files I really like. I saw a set a while back that looked like a pocketknife.

Any suggestions from experience???

Mine are from StuMac.
Double-edge Nut Files | stewmac.com
I've had this set for several years, and have used them on bone, synthetic & brass.
They do a nice job.

 

[flatrockmobile]

Check out some of Dan Erlewine videos on nuts on YT. Lots of good techniques there.

 

[RVA]

I put the sandpaper flat on the table. Then I got some inch square wood and held the nut flat against it while I sanded. That guaranteed that the bottom of the nut was dead square to the sides as well as properly flat.

Here is my application of this idea. It worked great. Thank you once again Sir Don.

 

[Inspector #20]

How are these????

Gauged Nut Slotting File Set for Electric Guitar | stewmac.com

 

[RVA]

How are these????

Gauged Nut Slotting File Set for Electric Guitar | stewmac.com

I imagine they are great. I have these


Nut Files - Set of 8 | Grizzly Industrial

 

[syscokid]

How are these????

Gauged Nut Slotting File Set for Electric Guitar | stewmac.com

I have the "Medium String" set. Once you get a technique down with these, they are very good. These files are gauged! Meaning the whole metal file is as thick as its measurement. The .046 is going to be a lot firmer and more stable than the .010. If you don't support the file properly, especially the thinner ones, they could easily bend out of shape. They are very sharp, too.

 

[eSGEe]

MAN YOUR CUTTING BIG NUTS WITH THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!