Quick Tip 11: Filing a Guitar Nut Slot, Adjusting String Height at the First Fret

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The quick tip series consists of short videos on a guitar or amplifier repair or maintenance topic. In this episode, I show how to file a guitar nut so that the strings are the proper height over the first fret. This is useful for filing the starter slots in a brand new nut. Today, I will be reusing some footage from the Harmony Discovery project, showing the installation of a bone nut. By re-posting this information as a quick tip, I'm hoping you now don't have to dig through my series videos to find it!
Who am I? I'm just a hobbyist, not a luthier. I've picked up a few skills along they way, and I continue to learn. If you're into DIY projects and musical instruments or gear, you may enjoy my channel. If you do, please like, subscribe, and leave a comment.

[@WeBuildStuff]

Great way to take the "mystery" out of doing this. My first handmade guitar I sent off to a luthier for a final setup. I just finished my 2nd guitar last night and spent to much money on it to pay a guy to finish it! I made my own nut files out of a feeler gauge set by cutting teeth into them. To get the rounder bottom of each one I wrap a fine grit sandpaper around a slightly thinner gauge. So far I'm thrilled that I was able to finish a nut, adjust my truss rod, and set intonation and action in my basement with "cheap tools". Thank you for the video!!

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Excellent idea to round the file edges!

[@davidbolin8195]

You remind me of myself, I see how you treat every guitar with the same care and respect as if it was an $8,000 custom shop model. Good video 👍

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Thank you! I've never held an $8K guitar, but I've held a hundred $80 guitars. :)

[@graemehill5998]

Great tips !!

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Thanks!

[@Guitar502]

Nice Job! The Dial/Digital Nut Slotting Gauge that Stewmac sells works well (saves a little time) for filing nut slot depths (determining string height).

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Maybe something for the Christmas list. :)

[@trevorohara4070]

thanks fab info

[@hacksguitarhobby]

My pleasure

[@vintagebikes4215]

Nice pace for work in video

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Appreciate it.

[@niltoneduardoalayochavez4395]

Good night. Excellent video. Excuse me, I don't write or read English, I'm using a translation program to help me. Please, what would be the correct height of the six strings at the first fret?. Do you prefer the method in which no fret is pressed?. I have an American Fender Statrocaster. Thank you very much for answering.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

.5 mm is a good height at the first fret with no strings pressed down. You can go lower if it feels too high, probably .4 mm.

[@niltoneduardoalayochavez4395]

​@@hacksguitarhobbyThank you very much for the reply.

[@ivandrimal5783]

Thanks, good video. But I couldn't find information anywhere, whether the height of the gap above the first fret is generally 0.2 mm for all string sizes, or whether it only applies to hardnesses 09 and 010, and for higher hardnesses the gap should be slightly larger or smaller.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

.020” (inches) is a pretty safe height for most string diameters at standard tuning, but look through the comments here… some people prefer heights of .016” or lower.

[@Mishgun2K-ug5vu]

what are you using as your nut files? i havent seen these before. looking for some affordable alternatives, but the torch cleaners dont work as well, not as abrasive

[@hacksguitarhobby]

Not sure of the brand of those. I bought them on EBay 20 years ago and can no longer find them. I have since switched to the MusicNomad files.

[@Mishgun2K-ug5vu]

@@hacksguitarhobby ahh okay, thanks you

[@samxday]

They look like feeler gauges. Look up feeler gauge nut files to see how to make your own.

[@hacksguitarhobby]

@@samxday Thanks, they are close, but the edges on these are radiused.

[@enoffz8021]

How long would this video have been without the generous use of fast-forward during the filing, plus the other five strings? 🤔

[@hacksguitarhobby]

I can easily file a nut in 15 minutes, and probably completely replace one in 30.

[@michaelbevins2405]

20 to 18 is a little high ,8 on unwound and bout 11 on wound string guage 1st fret press the 3rd .

[@hacksguitarhobby]

I appreciate the comment, and I should probably have mentioned the subjective nature of most guitar measurements in the video. I have used the method of fretting the string at the second fret (pressing down on the string between the 2nd and 3rd fret) and measuring the height at the first fret. The nut files I use are actually radiused on the top edges and are made to flip over and rest in the nut slot and on the 2nd fret, so you could technically measure between the first fret and the file and do the whole filing job without strings installed. I've gone back to the method in the video, because I feel like it gives me a little more room for error than the other method. I work on mostly cheaper guitars and just as a hobby, so .020 across the board (unfretted) is pretty safe considering the quality of the fret jobs. But anyway, to show how subjective this whole thing can be, Stew Mac actually recommends .023 to .010 bass to treble (unfretted), Dan Erlewine's spec says .015 to .009, Gibson says .030 to .015, I'm pretty sure Fender is .020 across the board, and I'm sure there are a bunch of others out there.