Official Luthiers Forum!

Wonder who glues or does not glue their nuts. Also wonder the reasoning behind either choice.

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I use a tiny drop of white glue, why, so it wont fall out when changing strings

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I'm with Lance !


Mike

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Mike Collins

Thanks guys: Have been building for a while,started in the seventies,but off and on with just south of 30 guitars completed.Have not glued in one nut and thought everyone else also did not glue.It was brought to my attention with in the last day or so that gluing was common practice. My necks are made with the nut bottom on the finger board plane and the nut captured between an approx. .100 headplate and the end of the finger board.Have found that the nut can be fitted to a push fit into the slot the same way you would do a saddle.Have not had a problem with the nut falling out,they are a snug fit the same as saddles. Wonder if any one else does not glue. Tom.

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I like to taper the nut and the nut slot slightly so that I can get a press fit from the side. The taper is only about .010" so it is not visible. When the strings are off, the nut does not fall out. I thought that I had invented this until Mark Swanson told me he does the same thing.

It's what I do too. I believe Romanillos has been doing it for years.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Yes i glue mine with elmers glue all.

2 little drops of white glue...
1 on the back
1 on the bottom.

They won't fall out this way....

I have played weeks on an un-glued nut... but it will fall out when you remove all the strings...

If I did it for money.. I would definately use a drop of glue... It fits into the same category as the "Customer bolt" that one famous luthier uses on his adjustable necks....

Thanks

John

I use a tapered nut too.........

Here's an example on a Romanillos though it should be noted that Hauser I did this as well:

Barry:Early on I tried to get the end of the headplate and the end of the fingerboard perfectly parallel.Quickly found out that this would be off by a thou or two.Started fitting the nuts from the widest side and gradually fit them to slide in the same as you do although I just let them follow the gap taper. Have never had a problem with the nut falling out.Knowing that people glue in nuts begs the question of who glues in saddles. Tom.

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

So it sounds like most steel-string makers glue the nut in place. Any idea why classical guitars generally do not? The nut can fall right out when you change strings but then again you can drop it right back in in a second or two if/when it does.

If the nut stays in place by itself due to friction, then I don't glue it. If it can fall out, then it gets a tiny drop of glue.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I'll stop gluing as soon as someone can tell me why it's a BAD idea. Anybody?

Mine just get a couple of drops of CA on the fretboard end. Pops right off when you want. Seems like cheap insurance to me.

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

Wes: The only thing I can think of is you have to break the glue joint to remove it.And I guess it's like lots of other things we do ,what ever works for the individual.Think I'll continue using a push fit and no glue. Tom.

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

One drop of glue between nut and fingerboard.

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I just work it until it fits in tightly. That must involve some taper fit/wedging too since I suspect the FB edge and the headplate are never really perfectly paralel...

Just to pick on the "glue it" folks, , why don't you glue in the saddle too?

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Build log

To glue or not to glue.... that is the question.

Is one better to have not seen a nut drop onto the ground an shatter into three pieces? Or is he better for not having to grind new bone until late at night making the guitar ready for the coming day?

And what of those that taper? What can be said of them?

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

I have done both, and don't know which one I like more. It depends on my mood at the time I suppose. I have yet to glue in a saddle......
MC

I have a customer (flamenco player) who likes to change his nut depending on the season, a little like we are used to do with the saddle. So he likes unglued nuts.

That said, on top of the very good reasons mentioned before, who ever bend strings when playing will hate having an unglued nut; it will slip when bending strings near the nut.

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)