A Detailed Tutorial On Guitar Nut Replacement

[@therookie3445]

I've looked at six or seven nut replacement videos, and this is by far the best I've seen. Thanks!

[@setupmyguitar7973]

+The Rookie Glad you found it helpful! At this rate, you won't be a "rookie" for long. :-)

[@sirbillmumptono.b.e.3946]

Thanks for the tip regarding putting the slim strip of sandpaper into the slot to cut/rub the bottom of the nut to the desired radius. Phil, UK.

[@drzainnas]

Thank you sir, one of the best demos very professional, well explained informations, and spectacularly well done. Tip my hat for you and best regards from ENGLAND.🙏🏼👏

[@eliasfigueroa8791]

Great video!!! Now i'm ready to install the new nut on my strat 👏👏👏😃. Thanx for share that wisdom pearl with us!!! Cheers from Viamão City - Brazil. 👊😆🎸

[@fabbell5020]

Great instructional video and tips. For accuracy in slotting new nuts, I like to start by scoring the nut with an X-acto then follow with nut files.

[@Mrs.3617]

i can hear the ring of the guitar and thanks for the video tremendous amount of knowledge given in an understandable way.

[@ljgood]

The most detailed nut replacement I've ever seen. Thank you for taking the time and doing this. Wish you were nearby... lol I have a vintage tele that needs a nut.

[@jthonn]

Folks don't realize all what goes into making a nut. You did a great job. You have to "sneak" up on it, because if you cut too much, you'll be starting over with a new blank. I have never changed one on an electric. On my acoustic I marked the slots and cut them on the guitar sawing in the direction of each tuner, worked well. Thanks for sharing

[@Finom1]

Bless you for sharing your wisdom with us!!! Great educational video.

[@melodicman3032]

Nice hairy arm towards the end of the video. Very informative video. Ive never seen the gauge you used in this video but I understand the gist of what you are doing. Thanks

[@deplinenoise]

One tip for a depth stop is to use half a pencil and lay it on the first few frets and draw a line on the nut. Your slots have to end above that line. Good video!

[@weneedtermlimits]

Really, REALLY great video, thank you. One thing i am not really clear on is how you are using the dial indicator. You zero it how? At the string height at half tension? If so, doesn't the saddle height make this arbitrary? I have to put a nut on a new neck that has never been on the body so I have no way of telling where to set the bridge height, doesn't that matter? If the bridge is raised or lowered it will change the string height so I am confused. Next, it looks like you push down the string with the feeler gauge and slide it under the indicator, correct? Doesn't that make the string at an angle and affect the measurement due to the width of the feeler gauge? I don't get the concept here I guess...it's really hard to tell in the video. Thanks so much for your patience, if you could maybe just explain the dial indicator parameters a bit further it would be much appriciated.

[@donaldmcculloch6400]

Another great video. You make it look so simple. The sign of a true artisan! I wish I had you selection of specialized tools.

[@setupmyguitar7973]

Donald-- I'm humbled by your comment! And I'm pleased to know that this may be useful and interesting for some.

[@cratecruncher6687]

I just finished replacing the poopy plastic nut on my Squier strat with bone but the slots are still a bit too high because I chickened out on the last several thou basically. Thanks for showing a way to accurately measure the height with feeler gages and a dial indicator. I rebuild engines and just happen to have that stuff!

[@setupmyguitar7973]

+Cratecruncher I'm glad the info helped and you're fortunate to have the tools and know how to use them! Those are lifelong skill advantages in whatever you do. Years ago I lost a race with time and cracked the V-6 engine block in my Mustang II. Back then, I was pretty strong, and I carried the block upstairs and downstairs and off to a Magnaflux house where they used fluorescent penetrants on the aluminum engine block to verify I had a crack between the water jacket and one of the cylinders. I rebuilt the engine from a bare block, and it ran great for 40,000 miles before I sold the car. Much respect for those who can do this work! Once was enough for me, though! I worked as a machinist at the time and my company supported me as I left the new block under their huge surface plate for days as I "blue-printed" the engine. I was able to re-machine the heads and bumped up the compression by some small percentage-- boy was I relieved when I fired things up and the valves didn't hit the pistons!

[@cratecruncher6687]

@@setupmyguitar7973 Well, I consider my wrenching skills and tool investments a "life hack" as the millennials call it. I just finished a Jaguar XK engine all polished up and purdy. Tolerances were in the .0005" range. What a pain. I do some light lathework but mostly teardown and reassembly. I couldn't do much without reliance on experienced automotive machinists. It's a hobby that allows me to drive whatever I want and maybe flip them for a small profit. The guitar thing is new to me. It's a cautious first step and I think I'll probably make a better luthier than player. I started with a 1/4 rectangle blank nut and filed it down to a toothpick. I immediately noticed the tone knobs on the guitar don't act like off/on switches after the install. They actually filter the tone now! I found the Squier in a pawnshop for $50. It was something I wanted to tinker with as much as learn to play. My next project will be learning to level and profile the frets.

[@setupmyguitar7973]

@@cratecruncher6687 You are well on your way.Enjoy the journey! There is a lot of satisfaction for you, and in my case, there have been a number of surprises-- mostly good.

[@Riverdeepnwide]

You mentioned your .020" nut slotting file cutting a double vee shaped profile. That's a very astute observation which shows the quality of your craftsmanship. Something we can get caught on while working is assuming that the tools we have are perfect. In fact those tools are just as likely to have imperfect samples as anything else manufactured. We must do our own quality assurance inspections to make sure the tools actually are doing what we think they ought to be doing. A little test cut in scrap material held up to a light or contrasting surface, using a magnifying glass of sufficient power to really see what's going on, it's so much fun to discover these unseen secrets which make such s difference in the quality of our work. Great video thank you for making and posting it.

[@setupmyguitar7973]

+Riverdeepnwide You have no idea how proud I am of you right now! This is my message, boiled down to a simple case in point. I don't know everything. Far from it. But if I can keep peeling the onion to get to the truth (or root cause, or whatever you'd like to call it), I have a chance at gaining wisdom to apply to the next challenge. This is a journey. And I'm glad you're along for the ride!

[@btodoroff]

This was great! Perfect amount of detail and learned a ton.

[@setupmyguitar7973]

+Brian Todoroff Glad you liked it; hope it helps!

[@jamman6]

Hi there, I have a G&L S500 and I'm in the process of replacing the nut, so this video is perfect, thank you. One question - it's easy to get the bottom of the new nut to radius, but what about the top?

[@mikebob7184]

You are Right-On about that...! When You gently get to the target depth and all is sized and polished ( Oh yeah, they never talk about "not polishing below the glue line anywhere", this is where You don't want it slippery, the adhesive grips this area ) OK, back to Your subject... File the top of the nut to set the wound strings 1/2 to 2/3 depth, then file down the treble strings to sit 100% in the slot, hit it with 400 600 1,000 and finish with 3,000. There are a couple other critical procedural points that need to be learned also, that never get shown!!!

[@RozsaAmplificationLLC]

I'm new to luthiering my guitars. For the nut...should I cut it to a depth a certain distance above the fretboard, or until I have a certain relief above the first fret? What should that distance be and is it dependent on the guitar or neck profile....9" radius, versus 12" radius, versus 16" radius?? Any advise is greatly appreciated and I can't seem to find this stuff in videos nor forum threads!!

[@skyout19]

Could you please set the camera on the other side so that your arms don't block the view in future ? - thanks. What happens after glueing the nut in, if you have to remove the nut in a few years ? What type of glue do you use? Is it easy to remove the nut? In this case the nut has been glued to the bottom of the slot. In other luthier videos I have seen the nut tacked on to the fretboard with 2 drops of super glue so that it is easier to remove later, for further adjustment.

[@michaelalbro6856]

Tell us more about your variAC induction heater

[@Djole_NS246]

Do "D" string should be so closer to "A" than to "G"? And low "E" closer to neck edge than high "E"?

[@bluwng]

My strat has a painted headstock and clear coat, it’s like drowning the nut in epoxy. Couldn’t get it out and didn’t want to risk damaging the neck/fretboard.

[@valjatriogina228]

Why all the fuzz with measuring? With the old nut just press down the string to the second fret and see the gap between the string and the first fret wire! After installing the new nut, file down the slot until you reach the same gap between string and first fretwire! As for the radius of the new nut, just hold a strip of sanding paper 240 grid across the first fret space on the fingerboard, instead of sanding the thickness of the nut blank that it fits loose in the nut gap and sand the radius in the slot! So first get the correct radius, then the correct thickness for a snug fit in tge slot, then get the correct width of the nut and finally the correct slots. When the old nut didn't break on removal, you can use it as a template for comparison on every step!

[@GuitarNTabs]

Excellent video, I must say. Great coverage and detailed information - superb! A question, if I may... Have you ever experienced, after having cut the slots to final depth, or atleast close, that, lets say the g-string, will suddenly make a ringy or such tone? I noticed that on the last nut I made and installed? Could it be a faulty angle, when I cut the slots, or? I hope this makes sense. Thanks and have a great day. Cheers.

[@setupmyguitar7973]

+GuitarNTabs Thank you. I'm glad it was helpful. If the "ringy" tone you refer to is a sitar-like buzzing sound, then yes, the most likely culprit is insufficient back-relief to ensure the string stops vibrating at the onset of the nut. I suppose there are other problems that could manifest slightly differently-- for example, I had a nut file that cut a double-"u" shape that resulted in weird behavior. The best check against that is to file a piece of scrap nut material, then use a jeweler's loupe to examine the groove. If it's not a 'vee' shape with a gentle radius slightly larger than the string's at the bottom, you have a problem. I suppose if the nut slot is way too wide, you could get some weird distortion if the string is wandering around, too. This would usually show up as a "clicking" sound when you fret the string.

[@GuitarNTabs]

Thank you very much for your detailed reply - I really appreciate it! :-) I guess you could describe the sound like that.. even though it's hard to explain correctly... I fully understand the importance of the string having to stop its vibrations at the onset of the nut, and it makes perfect sense. That's what I always try to ensure I'm doing, but I see that the nut files can be a culprit as well.. The nut files I have is an expensive set of Hosco 10-46 gauged nut files, so.. but I know that nothings perfect, especially when it comes to tools and such. But still.. I will keep your points in mind, next time I'm going to craft a new nut. Perhaps look for some other nut files, to see if that could solve the problem. Thanks again, I really appreciate it! Have a great day & cheers!

[@mjjames2442]

Heat? What is that thing? Hair dryer could substitute?

[@สมศักดิ์วงษ์เหมือน-ฃ4ว]

ควรออกแบบเครื่องจักร ให้พอดีกับระดับของสายกีต้าร์ สำหรับปาดลงไปพร้อมกันทั้งหกร่อง เพื่อความรวดเร็ว แม่นยำสะดวกสะบาย ชื่อเพลง *เสียงแห่งรัก* ท้องฟ้า หาดทรายยังสวยงาม ฉันเคยเฝ้าทวงถามถึงเสียงแห่งรักนั้นหายไปไหน เสียงแห่งรัก ฉันเคยฟังดังไพเราะเข้าไปจับในหัวใจ มาวันนี้เธอหายไปพร้อมกับเสียงเพลงแห่งรักนั้น เสียงเพลงแห่งรักนั้นที่เธอเคยบรรเลง ให้ฉันได้รับฟัง ยังอยากรู้ว่าเธอ มีใครอยู่เคียงข้าง บ้างหรือเปล่า เขาคอยนั่งฟังเพลงรัก ในทุกครั้งที่เธอนั้นได้บรรเลง อยู่แห่งไหน ที่หัวใจของเธอแอบซ่อนอยู่ ฉันอยากรู้ อยากจะค้นเข้าไปในหัวใจ เพราะอะไรถึงได้หลง ถึงได้รัก เสียงเพลงแห่งรักนั้นที่ดังทุกครั้ง จับหัวใจ โปรดอย่าจากฉันไปไกล อยู่กับใครที่แห่งไหน อีกเลย ท้องทะเลยังเคียงคู่กับท้องฟ้า รู้ไหมว่าคิดถึงเธอมากแค่ไหน คนเคยรักเคยคิดถึง พอรู้ไหม ฉันยังอยู่ ฉันยังอยากให้เธอเข้ามาเคียงคู่อยู่ใกล้ๆ โปรดอย่าให้เสียงแห่งรักนั้น จากฉันไปไหนอีกเลย อย่าให้เสียงของเธอนั้น ไปพูดคำว่ารักกับใคร ฉันคนนี้อยากให้เธอมอบเสียงแห่งรักนั้น เก็บใว้ในใจของฉัน นานเท่านาน * จบ*

[@MasterGuitarFrets]

Ok great tutorial less afraid to attempt this on my axe👍

[@robertwatkins8220]

First I must say, I am not a novice. After much research i decided to install a Tusq XL graphite nut in my rosewood fretboard. Doing so even with much care, the rosewood from the nut toward the tuners broke out (roughly even with the bottom of nut slot). Now I am thinking of installing a roller nut that actually screws in place since there is no longer a slot. The rosewood removed for the roller nut will obviously be toward the tuners instead of toward the body. Does this make sense to you? OR, do you have any other ideas?

[@setupmyguitar7973]

+Robert Watkins I'll offer a quick opinion, recognizing that a more thorough response would require photos of the area in question, make and model of the guitar (maybe it's a G&L?), and dimensions for the roller nut you're considering... I think there are two ways you could proceed: 1) repair the damaged/missing rosewood using a technique similar to the one explained in my "Gouged Fingerboard Repair: Warwick Thumb Bass" found here kzbin.info?o=U&video_id=anbpcESvfZE, then continue with your planned nut replacement, or 2) install the roller nut, ensuring you get the scale length right, then deal with the aesthetics as you see fit. If you decide to pursue option 2, please review some material here: see Section 4 of this fine page from Finger Lakes Guitar: fingerlakesguitarrepair.com/lsr-roller-nut-installation/ and also this write-up from posters at the Seymour Duncan site: www.seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php?211935-Installing-a-roller-nut. Remember the three rules of nut placement: Location, Location, Location! First you have to get the scale length right. And even experienced guitar techs can struggle getting screws to hold things in exactly the right spot. You can clamp the pieces together while transferring pilot holes and still have the pieces shift at assembly, Aaaarrrrgh! Please let us know what you decide and how it turns out. (I'm happy to offer more specific suggestions if you get a chance to share more details.)

[@thestcroixkid]

very nice job, ive got a Tele w/ Bigsby I built that needs tweaking and I dont have the time, interested?? Where are you located(roughly)?

[@setupmyguitar7973]

I'm in New England. But I wouldn't mind traveling to the US Virgin Islands right about now!

[@thestcroixkid]

Oh..I'm in New York!!..my handle is a fishing reference...

[@setupmyguitar7973]

@@thestcroixkid Why not send me a private message and we can see if it's feasible to get together? Here's how: Go to my channel, click the “About” tab. Click “Send Messages” button, enter your private message and click “Send” button. Telecasters are on my short list of favorites!

[@sinjon]

This may seem like a dum question, but you mentioned that G&L says to start with but slot depth. How is that going to help if any truss rod adjustments are off? It seems backwards to me

[@setupmyguitar7973]

The 3 steps to a setup, in order, are 1) Set relief, 2) set action, 3) adjust nut (if necessary). What I may have said was that G&L specs for nut slot depth are at 1/2 tension in the strings. I hope this helps. Elaboration added 1/12/2019-- @Noel E - Please see my reply below for a more complete answer.

[@setupmyguitar7973]

All, and particularly @Noel E - I stand by my original response, but Noel caught a legitimately confusing caption in this video (at exactly the 1:00 minute mark). I had a nagging unease at the way I answered Noel's question. I had to refer back to my copy of the G&L Setup Manual (which you may find on the web) to verify they put nut slot adjustment as the first step. They do, for basses, hard-tail, and vibrato guitars. I receive guitars in a wide variety of conditions. Some have their action so low, or so high, that nut slot geometry measurements would be dramatically affected. Furthermore, if frets are loose, uneven, out of profile, or the neck has severe issues, these ills need to be addressed first. So, yes, barring any defects that need remediation, I set relief, then action, then check the nut geometry. In the case of the guitar used in this video, the very accomplished musician-owner requested that I change the nut (he knew it needed replacement), so that is why the entire tone of the video is, "let's change this nut!" Even under the circumstances, my approach was to start with the basics, then move on with the nut replacement. I hope this is a more satisfactory answer. BTW: there is an excellent elaboration by a highly skilled craftsman on this subject at the "Guitars By Leo" board here: guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1596. Rock On!

[@sinjon]

setupMyGuitar that makes a lot of sense. Thanks so much for the detailed answer. It helped answer a lot of my questions

[@paulkliment2625]

On the bass E you used a 50 thousandths file. What file did you use on each of the other strings?

[@setupmyguitar7973]

Great question! At the 10:20 mark of the video, I mentioned that I started all the slots with the .012" file after using the slitting saw. Then a short time later I mentioned that my .020" file cuts weird. Then I mentioned the .050" file for the low E (.046" string). I did not go through each and every file size. You basically want to use a nut file spec'd for a couple of thousandths of an inch larger than the string gauge. In a pinch, you can use a file spec'd for about the same size as the string-- working the file to preferentially cut a little heavy on one side, then again on the other side, to widen the slot over what is spec'd on the file. I bought the following combo files" .012" / .020" .026" / .032" .050" / .060" and use mostly those, according to the guidance above. (I also have a couple sets of Swiss jeweler's files that allow me to tweak and customize.) A set of 10/46 strings has these sizes: .010" .013" .017" .026" .036" .046" So I would use the .012" file for the .010" string, use the .012" file for the .013" string (making it cut a little wider), use the .020" file for the .017" string, use the .026" file for the .026" string (making it cut a little wider), use the .032" file for the .036" string (making it cut a little wider), and use the .050" file for the .046" string. Try using the file on a piece of spare bone material, then use a magnifying glass to evaluate the shape and size of the cut. In particular, you can place a short length of string in the slot and evaluate whether it's a good fit and if the string rides in the slot nicely. Hope this helps!

[@paulkliment2625]

@@setupmyguitar7973 thanks. Great info.

[@setupmyguitar7973]

+Paul Kliment :-)

[@stratcat7162]

I wish you were my neighbor

[@setupmyguitar7973]

+strat cat71 The feeling is mutual, I'm sure, certainly so after checking out a couple of your uploaded vids!

[@rhugh02]

I just learned that I better not try this because I will dick it up for sure. Lol

[@eyeswideshot7347]

It's ALl JUST aDEad' world PRODUCT

[@EricGlassMusic]

just get 1k worth of tools......

[@wedrivebynight]

Probably wouldnt hurt to raise tour action slightly because those bends die off fairly quick. Just personal opinion. Excellent work though.