Guitar Nut Replacement | Guitar Tech Tips | Ep. 57 | Thomann

If the nut is broken, too low or the slots are too wide it might be necessary to replace it. In this episode I will show you how to swap the nut on your guitar and how to make a new bone nut from scratch. Enjoy, and If you have any questions please leave a comment!
Check out the Guitar Tech Tips playlist:
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Gear used: bit.ly/2R8cDxw
We use Triad-Orbit stands for our cameras, lights and mics: tho.mn/triad
Recorded and mixed with Universal Audio: tho.mn/uadx1
Monitors optimised through Sonarworks: tho.mn/sonar
Interesting bits and pieces:
0:00 Introduction
0:38 How to remove the old nut
1:35 Measuring, sawing & filing the new nut
3:36 Spacing of the nut slots & filing
4:53 Polishing the nut
5:29 Test the nut before gluing it!
6:05 Gluing the nut
6:29 Filing the nut slots to their final depth
7:13 Time for a test ride
7:53 Outtakes
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[@AndrewAHayes]

Tip-: when using any saw use the full length of the blade this will help to keep your cuts much straighter and will be quicker with less energy from you and your blade will remain sharper for longer

[@ArturBrzozowski444]

My dad likes that I can hear him screaming: Are you a f*ckn' rodent?! STOP NIBBLING It works for files too. Long smooth strokes. Cuts in one direction if possible but it depends from type of the file

[@tomfoolery2082]

This nut thing is an art form all its own . Such a small piece tht has such a big impact .

[@christopherm9353]

I recently pulled my first ever guitar from 25 years ago out of the closet to do some upgrades on it. It is a cheap no brand Japanese guitar that’s probably from the 60’s and is pretty beat, but I figured it was my first guitar and I might as well give it some love. So I gave it a good cleaning, replaced the tuners (the old ones were so loose and worn that they rattled when I played), replaced the pots and it still played like crap…that is until I watched your video. I ordered a replacement nut and after watching your video I realized the action was way too high. So I filed it down and set it up just like you suggested. The guitar sounds a million times better now. Thanks!!!

[@UAMartin7]

Thanks! Wow, this is really a lot of work. Maybe pre-slotted nut is the way for me to go.

[@ArturBrzozowski444]

If you don't want to go through this process and your guitar is buzzing badly after you learned something the hard way: Shim the nut. It's completely valid option. Luthiers do this all the time. Use wood, bone or metal. After the refret nut was too low and I didn't have any tools at the moment so I slapped two pieces of razor blade under the nut. Just be careful and make sure it's supporting whole footprint of the nut You can use hardwood veneer too. It needs to have cohesive thickness You'll be fine And You can save yourself lots of work Kris, you did outstanding job here. People have no idea how much elbow grease you had to put into making this episode. It's good to see your Junior being cured from your love for 15s (strings ofc) Oh, if you want to stop saw from squealing - wax it, soap it, spit on it but please, do not hurt your ears so bad

[@larslengberg]

I shimmed a nut recently with ordinary printing paper (maybe slightly thicker, like 160 g/m2, but still ordinary paper). I attached a small piece to the bottom of the nut with super glue, trimmed the edges, and then soaked (not "over-soak"!) the paper in glue (which effectively makes the shim "plastic" and not "paper"). The upside is that paper is thin enough for small adjustments, easy to work with, and have a smooth surface and cohesive thickness.

[@marcionobrega5117]

Ótimo trabalho 👏👏👏👏🎸

[@excalle]

Always so good to hear your tips Kris ! Very helpful, clear and instructive. Thanks a lot !

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Glad you liked it Gabriel! Cheers //Kris

[@erichemard7066]

Keep a bar of soap handy and run the blade of your saw across it. This will help lubricate the blade and makes cutting through bone much easier and reduces the squeal.

[@hakankillberg6043]

Thanks for a great video Kris as always 👍👏

[@josephhughes9490]

Kris, Absolutely fantastic informative show as always. I would have some second thoughts before performing such repairs on my precious guitars. Your information and show makes repair more possible. I'm a fan of bone nut option as well. Thanks again for your show. Thomann is fantastic.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

As always, thanks a lot Joe! Cheers //Kris

[@riffafrank]

Right on man. Good job. You have lots of patience... I don't like working on guitars.

[@RLJmusic4life]

*NOTICE* -- Make absolutely certain that you wear eye protection when working with real bone. If you get bone dust in your eye, it will be a bad week of trying to wash it out. Also bone powder or dust when mixed with water, turns into glue. You will be rinsing glue out your eyes for days. It was a miserable week for me. Wear eye protection or else you will suffer. 👁️

[@boomerbassmeme]

Awesome tip! Thanks Kris! 😊👍

[@randomcontent345]

This video helped alot. I had to replace the same style one and it turned out great. Thanks dude. Got some parts coming in the mail too so when they come I'll make a video of modding a guitar project I have, check that out (in about a month from now) and tell me what you think Thomann

[@electrolytics]

You made that look easy. That guitar sounds great, nice gritty P90 snarl.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks Darkstar! I love this guitar a lot. I used to have 15 gauge strings on it (open C for slide playing) so it was about time to change the nut back to normal. haha! //Kris

[@Cherry_Sunburst]

Ich bin echt gespannt wann es bei so einer großen und wichtigen Firma für Musiker/Gitarristen wie THOMANN endlich mal eine große Auswahl an Gitarrenwerkzeug geben wird...ALLES VON A - Z!!!

[@user-ir2bj3re1z]

Nicely done 😁👍

[@MS-to2tg]

Helped me big time man!

[@MusicTherapyLaz]

Cool video Kris... I've never cut my own bone nut but will be some day... once I get an those nice tools! 😎🎸🤘

[@konradtomaszewski3077]

As always great video! :)

[@whynottalklikeapirat]

This is nuts! 🥁

[@Fraggr92]

Nah. This is nut. (Singular)

[@whynottalklikeapirat]

@@Fraggr92 😆 - aye - but the principle is generalisable …. 👌 …. These are nuts

[@paulcoleman3081]

Honestly, that was absolutely terrifying! I was hiding behind the sofa most of the time. I'd rather shave my man-bits with a blunt knife than change the nut on my Les Paul like that.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

It's only terrifying if it's the first few guitars you're fixing. After a few dozen (I lost count of all the guitars I swapped nuts on) it feels absolutely normal and you pretty much never make a mistake anymore. Cheers Paul! //Kris

[@paulcoleman3081]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses You're a brave man Kris and I admire you!

[@jamescopeland5358]

Good video

[@grausch6260]

Hi, will scouring the finish with a scalpel also work on thicker poly finishes like that found on Harley Benton guitars? Seems like the nut is a lot easier to remove on Gibsons which have a thinner nitro finish than the really thick poly finish found on the HB.

[@dennisneo1608]

I will NEVER EVER forget the smell of bone, when I cut it with a dremel. Never again!!!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Yeah man, it's not pleasant and also not healthy to breath in. Wearing a mask is highly recommended. //Kris

[@marcmuller3429]

Helpful Video! Can u do a Video, where you change the Frets?

[@billyfield7880]

Great Cheers Thnx

[@Steven_SK]

I better leave that to the experts. As important as the nut is I know I would f that up but good!! You did make that look easy however. Nice job!

[@imannonymous7707]

Ya i get that lol

[@06szymonszymanski]

2:37 I've run out of my room 😂

[@flexy456]

Hi, thanks for the vid and your GREAT guitars :) I cannot find the video link you mention about doing this with a pre-slotted graph tech nut. Also, I am a little confused since you start hammering the nut toward the front, but on my HB SG-Style there is an edge also in front (just like in the video) which is likely to break if one does this? So obviously it would need to be hammered out sideways as well? (As you do in the clip). Also, since you're from Thomann, do you know what nut material had been used on an old (early 2000s) SG-style (pre-cursor of DC-580) HB? They had a plastic nut, right?

[@tomfoolery2082]

Btw what amp u plugged into . Sounds good .

I have a fret 1-2 millimeters next to nut. Should I lay the strings on that fret when installing the nut or should I leave them above the fret? it is the case on acoustic guitar. Thx a lot!

[@pankajjoshi2032]

Do we need to change saddle as well ?

[@gregory7572]

what kind of metal file do you use? does it have a specific grit? Thanks!

[@alanpearson299]

I got a squire jazzmaster and the nuts a little off center,should I replace the bone or reuse the existing that came from the factory

[@April-Seventh]

will steel nut be good for electric guitars or not?

[@AnomieTrain]

I need to get a set of files to clean out the seat of the nut slot. The old nut broke on one of my cheapy guitars so I decided to replace it with a bone nut, but it's not sitting properly.

[@evenseb7574]

Make sure the files have u-shape profile. Ibanez makes a good set of those

[@charlesmoore1307]

I ended up with a 335 with no nut. I guess I should level and crown the frets first, then, measure from the first fret then add so many thousandths to the measurement?

[@charlesmoore1307]

I ordered a graphtech nut.

[@hanten10]

It looks easy but making a good nut is very difficult, I see you didn't use any measuring tools except for the string spacing, it must be difficult to do it by feel for beginner 😅

[@popollo22]

Have you done a video on lowering the action on an acoustic either at the nut or saddle?

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

We have a video on acoustic guitar setups where I explain a lot about the options you have. I don't show how to lower the bridge saddle though, is that something you want to see? You'll find the episode on the Guitar Tech Tips playlist (it's in the description box). Cheers //Kris

[@popollo22]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses I’ve seen another random video on it but it would be nice to have another take on it if others are interested. I have 1 acoustic a bought in a bit of a hurry and I’m finding the action to high.

[@baorozzo]

I don’t have all that patience, that’s why my luthier is always happy to see me LOL 🤣

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Haha! That's fine too. We don't wanna leave all the guitar techs without a job. This series is equally a tutorial series as an info source to see what kind of work is to be expected when swapping / fixing parts on guitars and basses. It might help people to understand what they are paying for in case a tech is doing all of this for you. :) Cheers //Kris

[@stealthbum34]

One thing no one ever mentions- should the neck be straight when doing this?

[@navigator3744]

Hosco makes three different types of nut files. First : the three double edged nuts files to a set with the colored handles; Second: the longer files with the red tang; and third: the compact, black nut files which require the holder. Which set would you recommend to a non-professional who only works on his own guitars? I've read that the double-edged three files to a set files cut the slots too wide. Is that true or were they probably talking about the cheap amazon/ebay knock-offs? How are the files with the red tangs used? It seems they don't require a holder, but what about the thin files for the high "E", "B" and "G" strings? How do you use those? ?

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

I prefer using these Maxparts nut files with the red tang. You can clearly see how I use them in this video. They don't need any holder, you just have to be careful with the 12 and 10 gauge ones not to bend them. The double edged ones are fine too but yeah they file a little too wide so be careful with those. Cheers //Kris

[@navigator3744]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses Thanks for the reply. I looked up the Maxparts nut files with the red tang; they look just like the Hosco.

[@Kianquenseda]

So I have a T 60 Peavey. It had a 1/8” nut my replacement nut is 3.5mm. So how do I enlarge the nut slot to accommodate the 3.5mm new nut ?

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hey Dennis, changing the string spacing on a pre-slotted nut is very tricky. Basically it's not doable, unless the pre-carved slots are way too high anyhow. Then you can ignore the shallow slots and file the old spacing in the new nut. If that's not possible because the slots are filed too deep for that, you have to stick to the new wider (3.5mm) spacing for this nut. Try it first without gluing the nut and see if it's playable. If not, you'll have to search for a fitting 3.17mm (1/8th inch) pre-slotted nut of a blank nut which then you have to file completely. I hope that helps. Cheers //Kris

[@kielmaglaqui9931]

I have question is also the nut is one of the factor of a sustain in an electric guitar? my guitar doesn't have a lot and much of sustain that is why im curious if nut is the problem. thanks in adv.❤️

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hey, thanks for the comment! If you feel like the open strings have a shorter sustain than the fretted notes, then it's the nut's fault. If fretted notes have an equally long sustain as open strings, then it doesn't have anything to do with the nut's quality. I hope that helped . Cheers! //Kris

[@imannonymous7707]

I just bought a new martin 00015....the high e string slips off the board often....is this due to the nut carve? And what is the long term solution? I had the store set my guitar up when i bought it. I believe something happened at that point

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hey, if the E string slips off the fretboard, it's just too close to the edge of it thanks to the position of the nut slot and of course the bridge saddle slot for that string. A store can't change that without you seeing it afterwards. Also, they'd never do such thing, they probably just adjusted the truss rod, if that was necessary. This is a production issue, this is how the guitar left the factory. First of all, if you still have warranty, definitely use it and try to convince the store to check the guitar properly. They could try to swap the nut and make the slots closer to each other, with which the other strings will not be that close to the fretboard edge anymore. They should also take a look at the bridge saddle, check if it's possible to carve a slot for that E string closer to the other strings. I wish you the best of luck! Cheers //Kris

[@nuitari666uzgurzmor6]

Is there a difference in sound, if the nut is narrower or wider? Is the nut also responsible for string ringing behind the nut?

[@ArturBrzozowski444]

It might be but I'm not sure if you can even measure it. You can't change that dimension anyway Yes because it works kinda like a fret but you can't fix it with nut

[@edbrito-swdev]

So, my main issue/question is... If I have a 4 string bass and I want to use BEAD, for instance, I really need to widen all the slots in the nut. I tried it once using a file on a cheap nut I got to try it out (before destroying anything important) but filing was really difficult... I don't know if it was from being plastic (or the file sucking or me sucking) but it was being very difficult... Also, the slot shape became all weird. How can you do to have a proper "curvature" inside the slot, especially with strings that are like 130 (low B)?

[@BigEdWo]

i think the "curvature" is not necessary. no reason. i use right angled files which i made from steel sheet plates. works fine.

[@mauriziocampese8577]

Hei Kris, question, what to do if only the first 3 frets show dents due to string wear by playing mainly open chords, it is an SG, could you show how to work partially on frets? Danke Maurizio

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hey Maurizio, check out our latest Q&A video (it's on the Guitar Tech Tips playlist), I'm talking about exactly this subject. I hope that helps. Cheers //Kris

[@mauriziocampese8577]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses thank you Kris, appreciated

[@master_alienhead]

Old video. But I watched it and I did it.

[@wuldntuliktonoptb6861]

Don’t use the superglue even a drop. I did that and when it came off next time it took a nice piece of the board out with it. The woods softer than the superglue lol.

[@keithangstadt4950]

I agree. If any glue is used at all it should be glue designed for use on wood. If it gets stubborn to remove a few seconds with the heat gun will loosen it. I don't think the heat gun works nearly as well (if at all) on super glue.

[@PooNinja]

When rough shaping a blank bone nut with a grinder be forewarned it’s gonna smell like burning bone 🤢, wear a mask!! Go Graphtech cause Robotbone is self lubricating 🤖🦾

[@Mathcartney]

burning bone smells nice 😈

[@valendis]

Tip here: change your Gibson style guitar to a compensated nut, my LP intonation is flawless!

[@evenseb7574]

Compensated nut?

[@hanneman4509]

Does the neck need to be super straight when replacing the nut?

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Almost straight, yes. It's best filing a new nut to a height that works with your ideal setup / neck relief. That is of course different for everyone: for super low action the neck only needs a very slight bow, for medium action you need a bit more. So clearly the first step is to set up the guitar to how you like it and then replace the nut. Cheers //Kris

[@hanneman4509]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses 🤘 Thanks! Love the channel!

[@androidgameplays4every13]

Silly question, how do I know when I have to replace my guitar nut?

[@illeandreas920]

For example, if you want really low string action all the way down, you will have to make sure your neck is as straight as possible. So when you adjust the trussrod to an, lets say optimum and you have buzzing when ur playing the open strings, the nut is filed too much down. I hope it's understandable and all correct. Correct me if i'm wrong please!

[@Dan_Bautista_Sounds]

Hallo! Danke für das krass gute Video! Ich wollte noch fragen, was für einen Kleber ihr empfehlen würdet? danke schon mal, Grüße

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hi, ich benutze Sekundenkleber, aber wirklich nur 1-2 Tropfen. Sonst kriegt man den Sattel nie mehr raus später. :) Ciao //Kris

[@Dan_Bautista_Sounds]

Danke sehr für all die tollen Tipps 🙌🏽🙌🏽

[@tobywestfall2970]

I use a wood file

[@didierlancien4774]

Archîe Shepp

[@bluesmon54321]

What horrendous pain in the butt! Just get a Guyker 6 way adjustable brass nut and be done with it. And, you will then always be able to adjust up or down whenever you want in less than a minute.

[@chaosandorderstudio]

Too much of a hassle for me. Better buy a pre-slotted nut. You might just have to file it down to your preferred height.

[@sorenahlback]

12000?!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Well, yes 12000. You don't have to go that shiny, but it looks pretty awesome imho. Cheers //Kris

[@BigEdWo]

i could smell the micro mash.

[@maxbunkercamp]

😅I think he's really a mess

[@andylane8815]

Don't forget to buy a few blank's. You're going to ruin a few.

[@s.cackalackyvol2246]

Dude are the teeth killing noises really that necessary?

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Haha, I wanted to give you the full "pleasure" of working on a bone nut... Yeah, it sounds terrible. //Kris