Blues Creek Guitars - How to Make a Nut, saddle, and slot your Bridge Pin Holes

Another feature video from Blues Creek Guitars. Thus time, how to make a unit, cut the slots, make the saddle, and slot the bridge pin holes

[@lesliefranklin1870]

Such an artist. Gonna watch this a few times to try to catch everything. Thanks for this excellent video.

[@philgranito4043]

Nice delicate work John. Thank you so much for your videos.

[@fiftythree30]

Excellent teaching style. I've gained a lot of insights in re-watching these a few times before each step in m Blues Creek Kit. Thanks for posting. This is my favorite step so far as I'll be hearing the the guitar's voice for the 1st time.

[@khills1181]

I knew there was a lot to guitar set up but after seeing your videos I realize that it is very tedious work and very interesting too. Thanks so much for sharing your vids. I have learned a lot. Keep 'em comin'.

[@kengrant9571]

Hi John, Best demonstrate I've seen on nuts, Great job , Thanks much, Ken G Edmonton Alberta Canada

[@Darrenmccarthymusica]

Great video, it was very helpful to see the whole process being done, thanks!

[@AlbertD711]

Outstanding videos John. I'm really learning a lot from them and they have given me confidence to do things I never thought I would be able to. Thank you.

[@tippie53]

glad you find these useful thanks again for the kind words

[@HC_GUITAR]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge...great to see a true craftsman at work...cheers

[@JohnHall-mf1td]

thanks we are here to help

[@gworxtaiwan402]

Probably the best set-up video I have seen. Subscribed!

[@tippie53]

we are glad that you like it , we are here to help

[@alansauer6853]

I've I Been watching your videos for a while.I 'm about to buy a guitar kit. It's a big step. Thanks for all the videos you provide

[@bluescreekguitars3346]

we are here to help do don't be afraid to ask questions thanks again , We are happy you find these helpful

[@billwendry]

Great! I now have the confidence to give it a go.

[@Theallis1961]

Nice presentation. Very easy to follow and understand. Thanks.

[@tippie53]

so glad you like this we try

[@slowhand500]

Thanks for the video, John! AKA Mister Shakey

[@michaelandmelanieasby4378]

I really learned a lot man....thanks!!!!

[@NudeAmp]

Love your videos sir....great stuff

[@bluescreekguitars3346]

Ross Mctaggart thanks so much

[@Kevin-bp2cw]

Hi John , I am trying to make a new nut for my acoustic for the first time and this was certainly helpful. I learned alot of little tweaks that I did not realize were important. If I could add a little feedback I would just say sometimes the details of what you're explaining are a little quick for the novice, not to be critical as I can imagine this is a difficult thing , explaining ever intricacy of how your working as your doing it. Thanks this has helped me to understand the importance of taking the time to do this right.

[@Stratman6969]

Great stuff

[@WoodesosGuitarMods]

Mate, I LOVE the videos you guys put out. The information is usually gold. But I'm at 47 mins, and I'm waiting for the pay off...;-) Please don't take this negatively, because I don't mean it that way at all. I'd like to see you get a million more subscribers and I personally think with all the information you give, you can do it with one simple but super time consuming thing. Editing mate. It's the one piece of the puzzle I see missing. I know I'm always trying to sharpen my own videos, for both clarity of message and punchiness. I'm by no means the greatest at it, but 1 hour is going to draw in very few nerds like me who'll sit through it. I think you guys are great...just suffering from how bloody long it takes to properly edit a video. I always end up with about 2 hours for my dinky little repairs and try to make them 10-15 mins. Cut, cut cut! You'd be surprised how much BS you can take out of a video. Hums, haws, walking around, thinking before you speak, if your remove all that, with a simlpe transition, you'd be surprised how much time gets cut out of your video. Then narrow down to your message...and off you go. Like I said, I'm not expert. i only comment because i like your channel, and I think you could greatly improve it with some more editing:-) Be well!

[@jamesmoylan2861]

its very calming though and there is a little editing?great info.

[@reithay]

Parabéns pelo serviço

[@WoodesosGuitarMods]

Also...I learned a HEAP from this video. Looking forward to trying to cut my own 'nuts';-)

[@garywesthead8561]

Thanks John

[@tippie53]

glad you found it helpful Thanks for the feedback. We do these so you can have access to information.

[@1976oswald]

instead of bone, i used acrylic, and i'm wondering also about wood .... will this affect the sound?

[@bluescreekguitars3346]

thanks again for all the kind comments. We are here to help

[@walterrider9600]

thank you

[@blindguitarfox]

Amazing video, I’m pretty sure I would wear gloves to use that belt sander though.

[@homesteadfinishingproducts3919]

Is that a granite top on the oscillating sander or something man made? Just curious

[@Ax4400]

Excellent thank you. I just started learning to play classical guitar with an old beat up yamaha /w plastic nut & saddle. Really unable to tune it nut slots looks gouged. So the making of the nut process is same, are the height specs different? because of nylon strings, no bridge pins just a chipped saddle slot. 2ndly what is the difference from notching strings on center vs evenly space? Just curious. Thanks again for your video wish you were near by. haha

[@tippie53]

it is the same basic process but you need to adjust the slot to fret plane with your 1st E string cut off. Keep working your slot down till you hear it buzzing on the little gauge. Now you know how much you can come down . I generally use about half that thickness. so your looking at about .015 off the fret. As for spacing some players like the space between the strings to be the same and others prefer the strings spaced off the center.. I tried it both ways and I can't say I fell much difference. Use what you like. Thanks again for the kind words

[@frontbum420]

Hi John At 21.56 when doing the bridge pins I noticed huge glob of clear lacquer 22:01 shows it clearly 3/4" above the bridge.Is this the normal? Also along the bridge itself there is what looks like large amounts where the bridge makes contact to the top,runs along the whole length of the bridge,is this normal?

[@LaSalle.ToneWorks]

+JJ JJ those are reflections off the pins if look close you can see them.

[@chrisstanford3652]

🤗🤗

[@williamjahn7514]

Do you feel it's ok to use slotted pin and still slightly slot the pins holes just to allow room for the ball end string wraps?

[@bluescreekguitars3346]

its a little more than that. I want to be sure the ball end can rest on the plate. In reality the bridge plate is there to support the ball end. If I use unslotted pins I have to slot the plate more heavily that if I use a slotted pin. This way I can move the ball end as the plate wears. The most important thing a guitar owner needs to do is to be sure the ball end is seated before tightening the strings and that the pins are not bent. This is what wears the plate prematurely so pay attention to the details. Over slotting isn't good either so just be sure the ball end is well seated. You can also bend the ball end forward to help secure the fit on the plate.

[@garywesthead8561]

Ace videos, but I have a question... If wanted to cut a nut for 11 gauge strings, what size nut files would I buy? Thanks.

[@tippie53]

when you look at a string gauge set the 11 gauge is .011 inch.

[@tippie53]

***** when you look at a string gauge set the 11 gauge is .011 inch

[@danmillane]

A luthier replaced my bridge and has not allowed for string break. Meaning the strings make contact with the saddle and then the wood between the pin holes and saddle. Can you (or anyone) give me any advice on filing out string slots to accommodate the string break properly? Thanks

[@bluescreekguitars3346]

+Dan Millane the break angle is not as important as many people on the forums will have you believe. You can actually be pretty low on an angle before there is loss of tone. Also are we talking ramping for the strings or slotting the bridge this is 2 different processes. To ramp or so remove wood to allow more break angle you can use a small rifler file . Just file away at the bridge to create that ramped area to slot the bridge , you use a small saw and file to cut the slot so the call end will fall more on the bridge. Just be careful as you can cause damage if you take it too wide or too far. You can find my contact info on blues creek guitars give me a call and I can help you out . many think that it is the break angle that determines sting energy transfer to the top but they forget it is where the strings connect that make this possible. From an engineering standpoint the ball end connection , and the overall string height at the bridge determine the energy transfer not the break angle , you have the saddle point then the breakangle then the angle down to the ball end and on top of the you need to figure the centroid of the bridge to determine total energy applied. Hope this helps and if not keep asking questions

[@JohnHall-mf1td]

thanks Woodeso It is hard to say what to remove and we can reedit this. We really like to hear from everyone. We are looking at doing the detailed vids for the beginners , and then we can do a shortened version for more experienced builders. It is hard to edit this for everyone so we may have to start thinking about who is looking at these . Glenn does the editing and I just stand in front . I am sure we can improve.

[@WoodesosGuitarMods]

Well, It's a hard thing as you say. But I can tell you, watching this, cut out all the silence. All the humming and hawing. I also find he's repeating himself quite a lot. Find the cleanest section where he says something he's said a few times and air that. Also the 'action shots' should be kept to no more than 10 seconds. Speed it up and don't talk while you're doing something. Just do it, and speak afterward or record the voice over top after in edit. This video could for example, be cut down to about 10-12 mins losing none of the message or detail. Go watch one of Fletcher's videos. He's the master at well cut guitar videos. He's my example of what to do. His work is on par with yours and his videos are superb! That's where I'd start. Watch as many Fletcher's custom guitar videos as you can. You'll see what I'm on about straight away. And again, I say all this because I like your channel. I'm always looking for improvements on my own. Just thought I'd reach out in a hopefully helpful way to another good member of this community.. Cheers boys!

[@JohnHall-mf1td]

Woodeso's Guitar Mods thanks we are going to look into this. Again thanks , anything that can make these better , is a good thing. Keep an eye out for an updated vid

[@WoodesosGuitarMods]

John Hall Cheers boys. And please, I'm really trying to help you improve a channel I already really like. I just think you could reach a wider audience. Most people won't sit through an hour long video, let alone 10-15 mins. But if it keeps moving and keeps your attention all the way through, people will gladly watch. I also watch a ton of car videos and really take a lot of video editing queues from guys like Roadkill and MCM. Really sharp, well edited, super entertaining to watch videos. Sad to say, but your videos, are lacking in the entertainment dept. If these were just instructional DVD's, I'd buy them and tell all my mates to do the same. But this is YT and 99% of people have the attention span of a nat. Including me;-) But I mostly skip around your videos looking for the content I want. I know there's some gold in there to be had. That's why I plough through them. Anyway...really truly, no disrespect at all. You guys do outstanding work, and I think you could be attracting millions of views. Good luck:-) Looking forward to the next instalment:-)

[@thomaspeffer4758]

Woodeso's Guitar Mods Good day mate ... I'm from California not Australia ... Woodeso you make a good point about editing out non action moments ... but misses the mark on the audience ... These are not adult cartoons on television i.e. 20 minute cooking shows, car shows, etc... these are for people who are actually making their first guitar ... John has a business where he provides kits and supplies for beginning luthiers ... these videos support the kit builders and to john's credit the greater good ... ( I do agree that john could have his own TV show if he wanted, but that's entertainment) ... I will sit for hours watching these videos as its like looking over the shoulder and soaking it all in, as i'm making my first guitar ... I like the details that pop up ... i.e. the comment about bending the little metal rollers on the string end to alien with the string plane so it will roll against the support plate, opposed to sideways as it cuts in and causes damage ... I've been playing all the years and have never heard that before... I am always amused by the Aussies giving advice to the Americans on how to do things the simple way as opposed to the best way .... must be a culture thing ... T

[@WoodesosGuitarMods]

I'm Canadian and I'm simply offering advice on not how to make things more simple, but much more difficult. Editing is really time consuming and is difficult to do properly. These videos could be edited, without losing an ounce of detail and be much more entertaining. Very few people will sit and watch something like this. It shows in their view counts. Over time, videos may accumulate views, but a long time. I'm sure they want to reach as many people as possible, and when you're in business, that's key. Yes I know they're in business, and I also know they'd love to sell more stuff, like every business would. My suggestions weren't going to make it easier, they were going to hopefully help attract more viewers and in turn likely sell more stuff. I like this channel. I'm one of the few who'll sit through most of the content. But we're in the minority and unfortunately businesses are in the business of making money, which means lots of sales, which means lots of people:-)

[@tweedguitar9103]

Hi Glenn , What are the essential tools for making a new saddle and nut for an acoustic guitar ? ( martin )

[@bluescreekguitars3346]

much depends on what you have, I use the belt sander and a file then sand with finer grits. A small vice and files. You can also use sandpaper glued to a long stick. You can call me from blues creek site

[@tweedguitar9103]

Haven't got any sander, files or range of grits. I have a small vice. A small sander would be good to put on the small bench I have. What sander, files and grits to you recommend for the purpose of making saddles and nuts from blanks ? All martin guitars 16" radius. Once I can make my own saddles and nuts I ca completely look after my guitars. Thankyou so much for your advice.

[@bluescreekguitars3346]

well you need some simple tools the sandpaper you can get a lowes or home depot a file or if you glue sandpaper to a stick you can use that. Once you make a few you will get the hang of it. You will need to order a good set of nut files. I like the ones at LMI

[@tweedguitar9103]

Thanks Glen, what type of bench-top sander will be best for the job ? bench-top Belt and Disc Sander, drill press ? This type of thing ? reviewszy.com/best-benchtop-belt-sander-reviews/ thank you for your advice. cheers

[@bluescreekguitars3346]

as for a bench top I like the ridgid you can get the paper you need at home depot it should do well. you will want 80 grit that is the one I use the most and figure hand sanding to finish using 320 grit working up from 150 220 320

[@2000SkyView]

You used just one saw slotting the bridge pin wholes? I see Stewmac has more than one saw for this, I'm guessing you are just using the 1.3mm saw. thanks!

[@bluescreekguitars3346]

what I am using now is just a saber saw blade they are easy to use. I to recommend to put something on the top to protect it from pokes. I found the saber saw works better and allows to shape the slot better. I then clean up with a file. Update videos will soon be added thanks

[@tippie53]

yes the material will affect the tonal quality . I use bone but not all bone is the same.

[@williamjahn7514]

If you are using slotted bridge pins why do you slightly slot the pin holes?

[@bluescreekguitars3346]

there is a sound reason to slot the bridge. I want that ball end on the plate so help control wear of the plate. If you don't the ball end is held on all by the pin. This will bend the pin and eventually the ball end starts to erode the plate . So slotting helps to avoid that. As the plate does wear you can then go to unslotted pins to push the ball end more to the plate.

[@williamjahn7514]

@@bluescreekguitars3346 I did notice the pins you used had more of a C shaped groove like Gragh Tech offers two types of pins instead of the usual square corner U shape . That might help some since the string fits deeper in a U shaped groove. It's to bad pin grooves are not sized to the string wrap , that would also help rather than places offering only 2 basic groove shapes. I don't have high end acoustics. The last one I bought is a Recording King has plastic pins but they fit so tight , sit up 3/16" before they feel to tight . The bridge is not wood it's called Revebond , unlike wood doubt it will split. I have a set of spare Gragh Tech Tusq pins . These pins as well as the plastic ones are 3 degree taper and I need to turn them down so I can get the proper fit . I'd rather deal with a pin than reaming the pin hole. I've done my own work just never ran across pins that fit so tight. They should fit snug in the plate and the top . That's what I'm trying to do. These have the groove through the skirt and not many I can find do.

[@gcbovard6686]

I swear I think you could build a complete guitar with just a belt sander!😂😂

[@viol999]

Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.

[@johnhelton457]

I am sure you can still buy handbook with all info you need on woodprix. Just google it.

[@bluehornet6752]

Very educational videos, but I have one suggestion: Your camera should be 90-degrees to the work. In other words, his arms/hands should not be blocking the shot, because it's the process of doing this work that you want to show/teach...not just the result. There are a whole bunch of times where we can't see what he's doing for 10-15 seconds, and then we see the result. Many of those times the process was pretty self-explanatory for the most part, but not always. So it would have been most helpful to simply have the work oriented at 90-degrees from the orientation we see here. Then his hands wouldn't be in the way.

[@tippie53]

we are learning more as we shoot videos thanks for the input

[@mickkennedy1344]

John, an absolutely excellent video -- but if only you Americans would work (like the rest of the world) in metric measurement - I keep a calculator at hand to instantly convert all your specs to millimetres. One thing I can't understand is why you luthiers (except a few of you) build your guitars without a 'zero fret' -- a 'zero fret', for me, does away with quite a few nut problems. Do you ever build acoustic bass guitars? -- I'm currently converting a 4-string bass, re-cutting the nut slots, to make it into a low 'B' bass -- which are usually only available in 5-string format, the strings too close together to allow for comfortable playing. Can you tell me, because 'electro-acoustic' guitars, although great for playing on stage through an amp (but not so great as proper 'acoustic' guitars), how much sound, string vibration, the piezo strip under the saddle prevents from being transmitted into the body and soundboard of the guitar? -- a guitar, for me, must always be, first, an ACOUSTIC and only secondly, an 'electric' -- I strip out the piezo strip, re-fit a hard bone or metal saddle, fit the guitar with a magnetic pickup so that it is a true acoustic than can also be used as an 'electric'. Thanks, John -- look forward to more of your 'stunt man' videos. :))

[@bluescreekguitars3346]

I guess since I am a Martin traditionalist I don't use the zero fret but if it works for you , and they do work then use it. I have made 1 bass acoustic based off a martin Jumbo. I hope you pop into the kit guitar forum and share info . I would love to see you . again thanks for the kind words.

[@mickkennedy1344]

blues creek guitars So, John, where is this 'kit guitar forum' -- how do I get to it (I live in Ireland)?

[@bluescreekguitars3346]

blues creek guitars do a search on google and kit guitar forum will pop up. www.kitguitarsforum.com/board/search.php?search_id=active_topics&sid=17f012a0148adb6b0e6c805150f0cc9b

[@tippie53]

Mick Kennedy www.kitguitarsforum.com/board/search.php?search_id=active_topics

[@mickkennedy1344]

***** John, I've tried accessing my KGF account, I can't remember whether I used my Christian name only or its shortened form or whether I used my full name, plus I don't know which of my two email accounts I used -- I'm locked out:: what should I do?

[@bluescreekguitars3346]

we are here to help You can also catch me at Kitguitarsforum.com

[@patrickniedermeyer2112]

Damn the first couple of minutes of camera work are dizzying. No coordination between camera and his movements. No idea what he just did with that nut.

[@slidersson]

Camera work sucks