A Fast, Easy Way to Fix Your Nut Slot

Guitar World ^ | 2018-10-23 | Staff

[Rebelbase]

If your guitar's nut slot is cut too deep or shallow, this quick fix can save you both time and money.

Phillip McKnight—whose gear-centric videos we've featured on this here website many a time—recently released a new one that offers a quick and easy fix if your nut slot is cut too deep or shallow.

As it turns out, with just a few easily obtainable tools, you can save yourself some time and money, and fix this issue yourself!

Take a look, and as always, visit Phillip’s YouTube channel for more of his videos.

[Bullish]

No, I didn't click on it but, If your nut slot is too deep, get a taller nut or shim it underneath. If it's too wide you can also fit a shim on one side. If the nut slot is too shallow simply sand down the bottom of the nut until it's the right height. I like to use bone nuts not the plastic ones. I NEVER use glue on a nut. It's held down by the tension of the strings.

[waterhill]

I whittled a peg out of mesquite wood for one of my acoustcs a few years ago. Its still there.

[mitch5501]

Yep.Now that I've seen the vid that is a pretty neat quick fix.

I build electric solid bodies and glue is something I try to avoid.I fit nuts (brass,alluminium,bone etc) by bolting them to the neck with 2 mill stainless allen bolts.Every little bit less glue helps.

[Rio]

Like my dad used to say “These jeans remind me of a cheap hotel — no ballroom!”

[waterhill]

I have used a denture repair kit to fix a bone nut before.

[PLMerite]

In my case, more like: curseyouevelynwood.

[mitch5501]

"I NEVER use glue on a nut"

I hear ya!

[Newtoidaho]

Most of my life I’ve been looking for a solution to this under reported problem.

[thoughtomator]

and here I was expecting something like “tell her to shut up and make you a sammich”

[wastedyears]

I’m curious, why do you try to avoid using glue? Do you build set-necks, or exclusively bolt-on?

[mitch5501]

Simply to squeeze as much sustain out of it as possible.

No glue for nuts and no paint in the neck pocket or on the neck heel.I even bore the bridge post holes after the painting is done.I can't help thinking that any glue (or paint) will act as a buffer for string vibrations going through to the wood.I build with either bolt ons or neck through the body.

[TaMoDee]

I too read the title as “slut”. And here I thought I was going to learn something really new. Oh well there are many posts and comments to go!

[Bullish]

I’m curious, why do you try to avoid using glue?

For one thing you want them to be easily replaceable. I've actually broken the nut on my Strat through hard playing. If you need to replace the nut you sure don't want to deal with residual glue, you want the slot to be as pristine as possible for fitting the new nut. Having to sand or grind out old glue could ruin your slot by widening or deepening it.

[tallyhoe]

Like my dad used to say “These jeans remind me of a cheap hotel — no ballroom!”

That was funny!

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

He was buying his Jean’s wrong

https://www.duluthtrading.com/men/collections/ballroom-jeans/

[Free in Texas]

I’ll go for that. I play bass as well.

[To-Whose-Benefit?]

That’s why you invest in a few small files, or like me, own a set of die makers files.

Y’all need a set of flat, automotive feeler gauges too.

Slip them under the other strings till you find out how many thousandths of an inch deep the slot you’re re cutting needs to be.

Then unscrew the set and snug the right one up against the nut on the fingerboard side before you start filing. It’ll stop you before you file too deep and have to do the job over again.

[To-Whose-Benefit?]

Flat steel auto feeler gauges are also a nifty way to set the individual saddle heights on a Floyd Rose to perfectly match a fingerboard radius.

Cut them to length with tin snips.

The intonation screws on the saddles fit right through the hole in them used to screw the set of feelers together.

Since they’re marked in thousands of an inch it’s easy to find the right one.

And the steel is more than hard enough so it won’t soak up any high order harmonics.

From Fender 9.5” radius to a full 16”, perfect match for the lowest action.

[Vince Ferrer]

If your guitar's nut slot is cut too deep or shallow, this quick fix can save you both time and money.

"Oh, well that's entirely different. Never mind."

[LanaTurnerOverdrive]

My evening with the high priced call girl was progressing better than I had expected. But then she put her finger in my nut slot so I called it a night.