How to replace the nut on your guitar

One of the best upgrades you can make to your import guitar is replacing the factory installed plastic nut with bone or another high quality alternative. This week Dan and Paul illustrate a fast, easy way to replace a nut in a Fender Squier Bullet Stratocaster. The job is fast, requires almost no tools, and anyone can do it.
TUSQ XL Nuts
stewmac.com/item/1891
Slotted Unbleached Bone Nuts
stewmac.com/item/6003-VS
3M Stickit Self-adhesive Abrasives
stewmac.com/item/5768
Understring Radius Gauge
stewmac.com/item/0353
Micro-Mesh Touch Up Stick
stewmac.com/item/3707
Titebond Original Wood Glue
stewmac.com/item/0620
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[@antagonizerr]

Nice to see you guys working on entry level guitars as well. Not everyone can afford a branded guitar like Fender or Gibson so this tells them that their inexpensive Squier can also do with benefits of being upgraded by a trained Luthier.

[@rb032682]

Yes. And, for those players who can't afford to have a trained luthier do the work, these stewartmcdonald videos and other luthier videos can help anyone do upgrades and maintenance.

[@ytanddave]

Yes and thanks great vid well shot clearly explained great subject (squier) THANKS

[@jswearengen7109]

Using the fret board as a radius sander for nut blanks? I can't believe how many things I learn by watching these videos. Thank you!

[@bakerXderek]

Best guitar tutorials around, much respect to you guys !

[@topdeadcentermoto8319]

CHEAH!

[@bilbobobbytoucansam]

Aaayyy look who it is😂

[@tony.guitarplayer]

I'm using TusQ XL for my tele and my Les Paul. Thoose things are amazing. Increasing my open tone and tuning stabillity

[@bestplans9051]

A luthier replaced mine on my Epi LP from plastic to Tusq XL, best money I ever spent! Extremely stable tuning now :)!

[@gunkanjima3408]

How’s the tusq treating you, all these months later?

[@tony.guitarplayer]

they are still going. and never dissapoint me

[@malicesmom]

The Tusq nuts are great, but I would recommend using a more precise caliper to measure before you order. There are tons of different sizes available and alot of them vary by fractions of a mm. Also, great tip to use the radius of the fretboard to shape the nut when you don't have a flat slot. 👍🏻

[@tsurc1090]

Instructions unclear: I am now a father

[@jond8013]

Congrats bro 😎

[@rm9308]

2:11 The instructions are very clear.

[@laranjiinha77]

@@rm9308 they don´t say what string gauge did they used to measure the space between the string and the fret.

[@rm9308]

@@laranjiinha77 You did not click my carefully placed timestamp...

[@3rdeyespy967]

Same thing happened to me, insert, bone, nut=kids

[@jerrymorganjr]

Dan is like the Yoda of luthiery. Also that guy said "tremellow".

[@brae_t]

People saying tremellow gives me extreme anxiety

[@iangarza990]

u guys call it trem system? or wut

[@ThatBeTheQuestion]

@@iangarza990 TREMello, not tremELLo.

[@iangarza990]

@@ThatBeTheQuestion i i didnt notice lol

[@sucktion]

He also said “heighth”

[@ooDriveoo]

Wow, a long needed one, thanks for sharing this and for making luthier mysticism accessible to us mortals!

[@MyriadSociety]

Timing on this video was perfect guys. As it happens, I own an American Strat that I’ve been wanting to replace the nut on with a Tusq nut and was just starting to look for videos on how to do it. Your channel was the first place I looked. New sub!

[@sonicwingnut]

Those TUSQ nuts are great, I'm glad they do left-handed ones as well - One thing didn't get mentioned here I was taught is that automotive feeler gauges are good for precisely measuring the action at the first fret - you can pick em up for next to nothing at any auto shop and they do metric or imperial ones. I prefer working in mm to fractions of inches.

[@maekong2010]

_That_ , my brother, is a _great_ idea! In fact, it's the perfect solution.

[@chiliandcornbread09]

Would a left handed one just be a regular one upside down

[@_RLP]

These guys know their stuff. This was pretty cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@DandamanV]

I can't thank you guys enough for these valuable guides and knowledge that you share so freely. Sincerely, thank you!

[@Ryan-ve9wu]

Best explanation of how tone is effected by each nut option!

[@MrTom-Songwriter-Composer]

@StewMac One thing that I like to point out, is a great number of "off brands" of inexpensive electric as well as acoustic guitars made in China and a few other places actually super glue the string nuts in. And if a person is not experienced in this sort of work, the nut "may" come up a little bit, then the glue that attached to the nut route can rip away the wood and make MANY chips in the fret board.... just wanted to add that as precaution as it not reference that strongly in your video. Happy Holidays to all! - MrTom

[@OverlandOne]

Excellent information, as usual. That drop test really was a great demonstration.

[@joeharvie8362]

My grandson has an old Italian guitar. We thought we would bring it back to life. Great teaching!

[@randymanx2674]

Great video. I would recommend using vernier calipers for the string spacing, they can also be used for a height gauge. Much more accurate and simple.

[@stEFEwonder]

Thanks for this! Couldn't have DIY-ed my strat's nut replacement without your video.

[@ItsaDaPope-a]

Haha. You folks are awesome. I'm brand new on the guitar scene and this was very helpful!

[@garym5701]

Tre-mellow

[@BessieBopOrBach]

He said "tremolo" with the accentuation of "vibrato" 😂

[@SuriSanJose]

Always love these videos. So relaxing.

[@Kevin.Kelly.]

Hey baby. I’m relaxing too.

[@khay2210]

Thanks for the video, now I can still play my first guitar again after all these years.

[@samiam5557]

Always dig on those tips from ol' Stewie Mac!

[@bristolfashion4421]

Greetings from Bristol, UK - I love your videos. Between yours and Dave's, up in Canada, I'm covered! I replaced the nut on my Ibanez ArtCore the other day and it all went so well, thanks in part to your advice. It's a different guitar now - gone from OK to Great ! So cool. Thanks, guys 🙂

[@donaminta]

really appreciate this video, im going to be repairing an old 70s guitar i found in my grandparents attic. it has no nut or bridge saddle, and the neck is a little loose but otherwise just fine. looking forward to getting it in playing shape :)

[@vadimberezenkov4934]

That ending riff is actually good and so emo!

[@sucatpat]

emo riffs make every music channel better

[@wolfhorsky]

Sounds similar to Bon Jovi I wanna be loved

[@MobileDecay]

Emo sucks.

[@Catsncorn]

@@wolfhorsky thought it sounded a bit like that's what you get

[@liampezzano]

@@Catsncorn I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it was. I was a big emo fan as a teenager. The Chord work is nothing to write home about but Emo music gets it's money's worth in the riffs. I suspect that's because it grew out of punk. Just natural music evolution man. I dig it.

[@lurklingX]

great!! have a guitar i'm bidding on and just realized the nut is broken. nice to see it isn't a terribly difficult fix.

[@Colin.W]

Love the tutorials and the selection from the store. Only thing is shipping is insane.

[@GuitarNTabs]

Dear StewMac. Thank you for doing this instructional video, about replacing a nut on your guitar, it's much appreciated! One thing that I feel is missing in this video, would be some info about how the guitar should be adjusted... I've read in some of your online "how-to" guides, about nut making, that the neck should be adjusted straight... Does that only count when making a bone nut from scratch, or?? Also, in order to get the 1st fret action right, wouldn't it be best to follow these three set-up steps, before starting to deepen the string slots: 1. Adjust the neck for the desired relief. 2. Set the action at the bridge, and match the radius with the saddles. 3. THEN start to deepen the slots, and get the 1st fret action correct? Thanks again. I hope to hear from you, that would indeed be great. All the best.

[@JosephWheeler14]

GuitarNTabs I know this is a pretty late reply, but in my experience bridge height has little effect on first fret action. Definitely make sure the radius is correct but if the nut is cut too shallow, you can’t fix that at the bridge.

[@timothy5974]

Hello Dan &Paul, I’m interested in making a cheap guitar into a slide only guitar. I hope maybe to see a future video on making adjustments to set up a guitar for slide.

[@proddreamatnight]

Using the contour of the neck to shape the filling, so good

[@kevinpiip3427]

“The simplest thing you can do” *proceeds to use 20 special made professional tools*

[@joshchristian8598]

Yeah... lol 😆

[@danhutchinson8649]

20 special made "EXPENSIVE" professional tools....BUT everything at stewmac is EXPENSIVE!

[@rdaws73]

Old post, but still. Stewmac isn't for the one off job. Its more geared toward actual luthiers and hobbyists that do this sort of thing more than once a lifetime. You're better off paying someone to do it if you're not interested in learning the trade.

[@kalvino67]

Your videos are awesome! So informative! Thank you!!

[@drew2dee2]

This is my favorite channel on youtube

[@dennisellis968]

Really helpful video, nice work, thank you both.

[@jfmax2000]

Excellent Upload.. You Guys are Awesome.. Thanx a Mil for Uploading and Sharing 😎👊💯

[@nehpetsamenied9068]

My plastic squire nuts original and from '94, the strings have cut down into the nut almost to the fretboard. Needless to say, i really needed to watch this video for a long time

[@WillaLamour]

My goodness! This is awesome!

[@prodbyANT]

This tutorial was nuts

[@allyhellkiller5535]

Love that pink Squire!

[@tommartin7728]

This is cool. I'm seriously looking at putting a Tusq nut on my tele and strat.

[@mattheweastel129]

Tom Martin do it, they’re superb. Particularly if you use a whammy, but I’ve put them on all my guitars

[@ConcertsAndCovers]

Thank you for the clear and detailed explanation! I learned a lot from this vide. You guys are far and above the many other clowns that you find now days in front of a phone posting videos on KZbin. Thank you!

[@normanperkel139]

Thank you for this. I have a neck and body that was built by legendary luthier, Jim Donahue, that I was going to cut a bone nut for, but after seeing this video I’m going to give the Tusq a shot. For one they are already slotted (I need to verify this and do some measuring), and moreover I’ve never had tuning instability with former guitars utilizing the Tusq material. Question for folks who have used pre-slotted Tusq nuts, did you find the need to adjust the slot depth to better “seat” the individual strings following installation?

[@globalprofits101]

Og and young Og. Love it thanks for your time boys.

[@leascaart]

THANK YOU!! I bought an Alvarez for $20. I bought strings to replace the old ones and the bone nut came off!!! I've been a drummer for many years and I'm learning guitar now. I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!!

[@gentelmanjunkie542]

Answered every question I had, thanks!

[@Michael-gx1cg]

Great info, thanks!

[@nickfischer7374]

Thank you for the detailed instructions! I'm going to try replace an old plastic nut on my very beaten up Epiphone Flying V from the 80s. It has an Explorer headstock, so it's a model with a strat-like neck and fretboard radius. The Problem is, that the original nut is about 43 mm wide x 4 mm thick, but the TUSQ replacement nut I can get my hands on is 3.4 mm. There will be a little gap between the nut an the wall of the nut slot in the fretboard. Should I ignore the gap and just use a little more glue, or should I fill the gap with a piece of a toothpick or something similar?

[@MrMjp58]

Excellent video. Thanks.

[@JCavLP]

1:04 Tray mollo

[@VortechBand]

Tres Molos

[@rafaeloda]

TrayMellow

[@RetroPlus]

He's just super fancy

[@keithforbes4544]

he's a mellow guy

[@saywhat4314]

Tramellow

[@davidatyson]

Stew Mac rules!! 🤘🤘🤘

[@MrWhoevr]

Good job

[@taokichavez9319]

really nice video, thanks!

[@momo-ym5cz]

Hey Stewmac! Hope your having a wonderful day. Which glue do I use to safely install a graphtech nubone 5000? Regular woodglue or something else?

[@mboyer68]

I have a strange issue. My strings are really buzzy between the nut and tuners. Why the hell is the upper bridge or upper string guide, or whatever descriptive name you can come up with... why is it called a nut? So weird! Wow, using the fretboard between frets to sand the nut... that's brilliant! Some people are just very mechanically inclined and able to think of the easiest way to do something. That's a gift from God. It's nothing you can teach someone. Excellent work! Thank you for taking the time to create, edit and post your videos!

[@AdrianBoisclair]

HOLY SMOKES! That's amazing! I never thought to use the fretboard in order to get the nut-radius to match! This I'm shocked this is the first time I've heard of this technique. (03:09 -> Using sandpaper taped to the fretboard to sand bottom of nut to match and fit fretboard radius)

[@loopedmess]

Before my 74 pbass split I had replaced mine with the handle of a toothbrush

[@dvd5542]

Amazing guys, thanks allot!

[@wtangodelta1715]

Dan, you just killed me~a 'nutty lesson' !!!!! best laugh yet today!

[@giannoncene]

3:29 Which fret should we use as reference if the neck's got a compound radius?

[@jacobsamano9761]

What can I use to remove the glue residue in the not slot after removing the old nut? I tried sandpaper lightly but didn’t seem to remove the old glue spots too well. Thank you!

[@RozsaAmplificationLLC]

Would be nice if they had noted the string height about the 1st fret. Would like to know personally the spec for a USA Strat and Les Paul Custom nut height above the 1st fret and for all strings.

[@jacobguitar1809]

What gauge piece of string do you use on each string when checking for the correct distance from string the bottoms of the strings to the tops of the frets?

[@CristiNeagu]

1:00 When you use the tre-whatnow?

[@aaroneddleman733]

Any tips on replacing the nut on a guitar with a Jackson type of “spiked” headstock? I’ve had issues with it in that once I start winding the high e at all, the new nut pops right off.

[@samlarsen8370]

Perfect, thank you.

[@TheMinorFallsTheMajorLifts]

Very helpful video, thanks. The three dabs of glue to secure the nut: how much trouble will that pose when it comes time to remove this nut if you want to replace it in the future?

[@monz7951]

Not much, you should be able to tap it out with a small piece of wood and a rubber/wood mallet

[@phililpb]

"check the height by eye and use a bent string to check the height" this does not tell me much. what gauge string what height

[@N00dleBandit]

Looks like an A string in comparison to the thicker E string. Probably normal gauge, like 9s or 10s, so there ya go. If anything, what you want is about a millimeter of clearance when you press down the 3rd fret.

[@richarduv]

You don't need to mess with a guitar if you don't understand .

[@phililpb]

@@richarduv very helpful. with that philosophy how do you learn anything new

[@diegopedroroldanmerino4208]

Hello! What is the value for the cap between the in and out of the vol pot? The other Im guessing es 0.5mf for the tone. Thank you!

[@dpm4298]

6:06 anyone knows where is that from?

[@pleximanic]

What happened to the Slipstone nut? They were awesome!

[@AngeloLuis22]

What is the best way hmm filling up the slot with baking soda and super glue or to replace the nut?

[@rskirk22]

Casually drops a dad joke at the end at 6:25 - “That was a nutty lesson and a good one.” 😆

[@zrxdoug]

What about filing to depth for proper string retention? These aren't shipped pre-cut to fit every possible gage, are they?

[@globaltrekkerexplorer]

Quite a bit of work to get the nut to fit properly. Interesting video!

[@deltacharlieecho4732]

I'm a fan of brass nuts and will be doing an adjustable brass nut on my next build, i've always handed them off to luthiers if they were blanks but I'm planning on doing this one myself. Is there anything different I will need to do to make this work? My current project is taking and making it nearly as good as a base level MIA strat aside from balance. The project right now is Wenge neck, brass nut and saddles, SS frets, either S1 or Dimarzio Invader/Area pickups, dimarzio electronics with dual push pull and custom wiring, locking tuners. By the time this project is done the only thing that will be stock will be the wood from the body with a new coat of paint and electrical isolation on it.

[@jwguitar]

I prefer Tusq or Nubone as compared to bone. It is a lot easier to work with and shape to get the perfect string height.

[@dalton7145]

Can you but replacement nuts that have already be filed for strings if one doesn't have nut files?

[@Thurston86]

The A string on my Fender Affinity sounds fine with any note but when played open its slightly dull sounding. Could the Nut be causing this?

[@johnnyblevins3846]

What do You if the neck is off of the guitar?I am doing a build ,should I wait till I bolt the neck on , then change the nut after that? That way I can use the 2 E strings to measure ?

[@DMan-1979]

No need to adjust the slot depth/angle after installation?

[@bassfishingwiththeantichri2921]

If the contoured bottom of the Tusq nut is used on a flat neck slot wouldn't the gaps underneath be considered undesirable to those with super human hearing ability?

[@truyentrinh8419]

Hi. Thank yoy very much for your very helpful video. I have a question. My new Squier Tele 40th anniversary have a problem that the high E string sound dull when play open, i changed the higher nut but still the same. Please advise. Thank you. Troy.

[@chrissagredo7129]

What do I do if my nut doesn’t fill the void between my top fret and my headstock completely? There’s a little bit of a gap. Stock nut on my Epi LP failed and was replaced with a bone nut professionally. Played great until I went up to .10-52 and didn’t accordingly bore the low side for the thicker strings. Nut popped off again, and my previous attempt to reseat it failed. I miss my LP.

[@anthonythedeadguy]

Omg thx you saved my les Paul

[@Gibboncore]

Great tip to sand the nut radius using the fretboard!

[@Duke_de_Plata]

sure but many guitars have a different radius around the higher frets than the nut area.

[@skincookiez7576]

3:20 brilliant!

[@johnnyboy_rn4l_826]

Why do my strings keep moving my knut around. It's the stock knut that comes with it and everything. But I changed my strings and when I start tuning them to standard the tension of low E string pulls the knut...even if everything else is tuned

[@grandesguitarristas635]

What's the difference between tusq and synthetic bone? Or are they the same thing?

[@gunkanjima3408]

I happen to have Titebond original wood glue sitting right in front of me, how awkwardly convenient

[@cuzzbaby]

What was the riff at the the end G to C to ?? Is it from a song because it sounds familiar

[@J__C__]

Ok so my strat copy has a different nut setup. It doesn't have a slot. It just sits at the begging of the fretboard. Are those still replaceable? 🤷‍♂️

[@gixxer6000]

I was so motivated by this video that i took my metal saw an mostly pulverised the old nut, no chance of getting it out in one pice that nut was glued to hell. Whyle sawing i slipped of once to the fretbosrd and once towars the headstock. But hey it isnt the first scratch on that les paul so i just added some chracter xD.

[@endofradio3507]

Why do the US Fenders have a curved slot for the nut? I can't think it adds any tone (the bearing surface is essentially the same) and it's more difficult to manufacture than a flat bottomed slot.

[@rakusin]

Because they first make the radius and then groove the fretboard with a blade that copies the radius.

[@chopsddy3]

Whew, thats a relief. I thought you were going to replace me!

[@jimnewearthblues1672]

No need to cut the slots to size and angle?

[@geneschulp8598]

They come pre slotted now.

[@philippgrunert8776]

I found it quiet hard to find a suitable nut for my squier... 38 mm String spacing... Which mit was this one?

[@Dobermanator]

1:11 anyone else notice the five great lakes behind on the bottom of the window frame. Above the tool holder / empty shelf. Is that an Easter Egg find that now qualifies me to receive copious amounts of stewmac tools and paraphernalia at no cost?

[@1sylvan1]

What type of glue are you using to set the nut? I'm assuming it would be a type that is easily removed for the next time replacing. Thanks

[@BlairNeis]

i have a old telecaster neck with a 1.65 (42mm) nut width. its pretty standard but all the nuts on the site are wider than that measurement. i would like to get a slotted bone nut to save me time but they all measure to wide so that the stings would be slipping off the fretboard. i find it hard to believe that stewmac doesn't offer a slotted bone nut to fit a vintage fender. what are my options other than a nut blank?