Official Luthiers Forum!

Strung one up two weekends ago.Everything turned out real good except the high E string is cut a little deep at the nut.It isn`t buzzing or anything,but I`m concerned it may at some point in time,seeing as I have set the relief at .005.I`m thinking fill the slot with bone dust and CA and re-cut.Or maybe dust and epoxy would be better? If I have to I can obviously re-do the entire nut.It`s just that I really like the looks of it ,it`s unbleached with some nice light tan coloring running thru it,and also the rest of the strings are set up the way I like them.
Advice Please
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Hey Skin!

I always make a new nut but others here have posted that they mix bone dust with the CA and fill and refile the slot.

I say if it ain't broke then don't fix it. If it's setup and not buzzing then what's the problem.
I've done the the dust and CA thing.

You may be right Chris,I`m probably being anal.It`s just that I know it`s a tiny bit lower than it should be,maybe by about .004.
Does seem a bit rediculous.
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Hey James.

I'm with Chris on this one. Chances are with time the neck will get more relief and therefore decrease the chance of buzzing. That said, if you want to fix it anyway, I'd suggest making a new nut, as Hesh mentioned. I've always had trouble with filling nut slot. It wears out faster than bone so you end up with your initial problem eventually anyway. Plus I find the strings don't slide as smooth in a filled slot.

My 0.02$!

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

If you're going to keep it, do what suits you. If it's to be sold, then definitely do not fill it. If it plays without buzzing, I'd leave it. If it's .004" lower than the others and it isn't buzzing, then perhaps the others are higher than is needed.

That's my two cents.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

James,
Just another idea... the guitar will settle in over the first month or so of being strung up. The neck set and relief will change, the top will adjust to the tension, and all of this is working 'for' you, instead of against you at this point. Just play it and let it settle in and open up. You can always adjust or make a new nut next time you string up!

Just my .02 I work cheap

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

Thanks for the suggestions.I think for now I`m going to leave it and see what happens.
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Another option is to shim the nut. I really try to push my nut slots as low as possible for super-buttery playability. To me, the difference of a few thousandths is a lot. On one of my instruments (which was a prototype that I don't plan to sell) I cut one slot too low, and a couple others a hair lower than ideal. I haven't fixed it yet, but I'm thinking about applying a few-thousandths-thick layer of CA on the bottom of the nut (I might try StewMac's brush-on CA glue, or just otherwise smear a layer of medium CA on there). It would take a bit of sanding to level it, and maybe a couple applications, but I'm thinking I could make an invisible "shim" this way and raise the whole nut by just a few thou.

The ultimate nut slot filler, which I just learned about from Frank Ford and Dan Erlewine at the latest GAL convention, is some stuff that dentists use for fillings. You need a special (expensive) high intensity light to cure it, but it cures hard as a tooth and can be colored to match the nut perfectly. One of these days, I'll invest in the set up to use that stuff. Dan says it's great for drop fills on modern finishes like polyester as well.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Todd,

Duck double-sided tape does a similar thing if you are only a few thousandths away.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

My sister is a dentist, and years ago I had her rebuild my chipped Les Paul nut with that stuff. It worked, but making a new nut would have been be easier...

For shimming a nut, I like to glue on a thin piece of bone to the bottom of it and then file it to fit. The glue ling will be invisible.

Another option for rebuilding a single string slot is to square up the faulty slot, glue in a matching piece of bone, and then cut a new string slot in that. It will last longer than bone dust/ CA, even though that can work for a long time too.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

I haven't used the stuff, but Frank and Dan's photos and discussion of using it to fill nut slots and other purposes made it appear pretty quick and easy. It sure seems like it could often save time over making a new nut. Then, there are the times when you're working with an original nut on a vintage instrument and you want to save that nut to keep the instrument as original as possible.


I like both of those ideas.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/