New order with Tusq XL nut, question

[ScottZ]

I just placed an order for a roasted maple neck for my strat.  I chose the Graphtech Black TUSQ XL standard nut.  This is my first replacement neck, how much fitting will be needed on the nut slots?

Thanks,

 

[bagman67]

I just placed an order for a roasted maple neck for my strat.  I chose the Graphtech Black TUSQ XL standard nut.  This is my first replacement neck, how much fitting will be needed on the nut slots?

Thanks,

As far as I can tell, Warmoth fits their nuts with the slots cut (or cast, or sintered, or whatever) at the nut factory.  This means you may need to cut them a little deeper for low action.  But I have also fitted Warmoth necks with the Graphtech nut straight out of the box and it suited me fine.  Whether you'll have to deepen the slots is more a matter of taste than necessity.

 

[ScottZ]

Thanks

 

[Cagey]

The nut slots from the factory are pretty shallow. They don't know what strings you're going to install or how high you want them, so they leave room in both dimensions for finessing them to where you need them to be. I think as they come, they're wide enough for a set of 10s, but any wider or lower you have to adjust for. Note: they always need to be lower. Nobody in their right mind would try to cut slots to their proper depth without stringing the thing up. That's just asking to throw away what could have been a perfectly good nut.

 

[ScottZ]

Thanks, that's good to know.  I usually use 9s or 9.5s.  The current neck on the guitar that will get the new one had to be shimmed, but I don't know if that is due to the neck or the body. I'm expecting to spend a bit of time on setting it up already.