How To Mark The Shape Of Your Guitar Nut

The key to successfully making a custom guitar nut is to shape it correctly. A simple DIY tool that can help with is a nut pencil. Here's how I make and use one.
Nut Shape Marking Pencils: amzn.to/37uzC9Y

[@paulievee8830]

That is the most gorgeous fretboard would I have ever seen!!!

[@jeff1407]

You’re a flippin’ genius! I’ve learned so much here. This is an awesome tip! Thank you

[@clemmcguinness1087]

Hope this helps: I place a playing card on top of the frets before marking (the top) and cutting, then scribe again when I'm finished, without the card. Love your videos. Thanks

[@clemmcguinness1087]

@@chipsterb4946 yes, exactly

[@mattaquinn]

To make my half pencils I use a contractor pencil which is already flat and rip it in half with a scroll saw and then sand each half flat. Twice the half pencils, less time sanding.

[@GlarryGuitars]

Thanks Chris, another great video!! I appreciate you. I'm a master carpenter but an amateur luthier, and I'm trying to make the transition both ocupationaly and physically!! I will always respect everything u have taught me my friend. Godspeed

[@HighlineGuitars]

Thanks Glarry Guitars, I really appreciate the kind words.,

[@adancalderon8915]

very clever

[@stratpod]

looking forward to the next one , thanks for posting :)

[@short6691]

Looking forward to nut slotting video! Thanks for sharing this tip!

[@chrisscott6961]

Perfect Chris! You explained it and demonstrated it perfectly!

[@surfrby8876]

Love the pencil ✏️ thanks

[@NecropsY1]

great tip : love ur channel - keep it up !!

[@josephmartinez3851]

Thanks for your great explation

[@TheRrgilm]

Wow Chris, you are really ingenious!. Thank you for the tip

[@walterrider9600]

thank you Chris

[@bcruzin2]

I have 2 12string that need new nuts. this is a great way for me to start.. and yes.. I bought some extra nuts to practice with

[@mikeivey8471]

Going to be making my very first guitar nut very soon , so this video is very timely & useful !! Love all the helpful tips !!

[@gordonsteeves9950]

Thanks Chris

[@evanwilliams8908]

That’s a fantastic trick. I have a few instruments that require customized nuts and I will certainly use this trick. Thank you for sharing.

[@robinjones6692]

I've just sanded a pencil!! Thanks for the excellent tip.

[@paulc3960]

Thank you for the video. Half pencil is an excellent tool that I have ever seen. Since I had already done mine prior to seeing your demo, now I will try your way to adjust my strings height.

[@michaelcrosby4970]

Thank You

[@FAMUCHOLLY]

BRILLIANT!!!

[@pentachronic]

Alternatively, 3D print a “lead holder” with a 2mm half hole at the end and a grub screw clamp in the side and then sand off the small 2mm lead that you have at the end.

[@pentachronic]

Make it a 3/4 hole and then face the lead point at an angle.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Go for it.

[@MikePickettDesignCo]

Great tip! Going to make my "Nut pencil" tonight.

[@bigtguitars7312]

I used a plane to make mine much quicker

[@tracymcdougal4729]

This rocks, i am going to the best builder as a plumber can be.😂😂😂

[@alabamahebrew]

Excellent tip! I have just recently began doing things like changing the nut and I never seem to find the right size and end up messing up the one I bought lol. I have some old bones from a cow, I think they are like maybe the pelvis area bones? What bones work best for making nuts, I was thinking like the leg or shank bones most likely because they are the most dense.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes, the bones in the leg.

[@jrenner325]

The Flencil!

[@GuitarNTabs]

Thanks for sharing this wonderful series on Guitar Nuts! A question... Is it important to take the neck relief into consideration, when making a new nut, and when having to file the slots to the desired depth? Should the neck be straight or with the desired relief? Cheers.

[@HighlineGuitars]

With regards to the depth of the slots in the nut, I am only concerned with the height of the string over the first fret.

[@nicholasrigg8999]

Never seen anyone use the half pencil trick, I wonder how they manage to get it right with the full width pencils they use?

[@derekjesse2582]

King

[@jameshenz1780]

Ty for sharing. That pencil trick always puzzled me because if you are going off of the frets, the pencil mark is the same height as the first fret thus when cutting the slot to the pencil line, to me , the strings would be hitting the first fret. The pencil line being fret zero per say.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Don’t forget about the pencil line’s thickness. The top edge of the line is higher than the first fret by the same amount of the line’s thickness. Since the strings gradually climb toward the bridge, their clearance over the first fret is slightly higher than the pencil line’s thickness. Ideally, you should slot to a depth just above the pencil line and gradually creep up to the final depth.

[@jameshenz1780]

Ty! 👍

[@jameshenz1780]

Question when you find the time. I'm about to slot my nut. Some ppl just cut the slot at neck angle and let all of the string rest on material. Others roll it so that just some of the string touches the material. Then profile nut to remove material to make strings rest in a not so deep slot. Particularly the wound strings. What's your thoughts? Thanks for your time! Jim.

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@jameshenz1780 I don't understand your question, but this video explains how I slot a nut: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z569fHuhqrythtU

[@SwainBjornstrandt]

What is the fretboard material in this build?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Bocote.

[@SwainBjornstrandt]

@@HighlineGuitars beautiful. Would you descrbe porous ornot?

[@yoheff988]

Do you think that thickness of a nut is playing a roll in sustain in any way (Thickness I mean like a Les Paul verses a Strat)? I see that your nuts have the thickness of a Les Paul

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes. A thicker nut increases to odds of losing sustain if the nut isn't cut properly.

[@kingstonlord8679]

I use a micro planer to cut my pencils in half

[@GlarryGuitars]

One more thing Chris, these fools don't know a 64th of an inch from a hole in the ground 😮😂