SLOTTED NUT
- Thread starter Bruno
- Start date
Cagey
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 24,425
I'm not sure if you're asking or telling us something here, but I'll proceed on the assumption you're asking.
Yes, it's fairly simple, but for a Warmoth neck I wouldn't use that particular part, I'd use this one. Warmoth nut slots have a flat bottom, and you want the nut to make as much contact as possible. You'll still have to do a small amount of sanding to get the width correct in some cases, as the nut comes 1 3/4" wide. If your neck is that wide, you're all set, but if it's 1 11/16", you'll have to remove a bit of material from either side of the thing for a proper fit. If you're neck is narrower than 1 11/16", I don't think you'd want to use one of these as the slots will end up spaced wrong and with the high/low E strings too close to the edge of the fretboard. In that case, you're better off buying a blank and slotting it yourself.
Once you're happy with the fit, a thin line of CA or Titebond on the floor of the nut slot will keep the nut from shifting around. Be sure it's well-seated, and if you have a capo laying around, use it to clamp the nut in place for a bit until the glue cures.
Yes, it's fairly simple, but for a Warmoth neck I wouldn't use that particular part, I'd use this one. Warmoth nut slots have a flat bottom, and you want the nut to make as much contact as possible. You'll still have to do a small amount of sanding to get the width correct in some cases, as the nut comes 1 3/4" wide. If your neck is that wide, you're all set, but if it's 1 11/16", you'll have to remove a bit of material from either side of the thing for a proper fit. If you're neck is narrower than 1 11/16", I don't think you'd want to use one of these as the slots will end up spaced wrong and with the high/low E strings too close to the edge of the fretboard. In that case, you're better off buying a blank and slotting it yourself.
Once you're happy with the fit, a thin line of CA or Titebond on the floor of the nut slot will keep the nut from shifting around. Be sure it's well-seated, and if you have a capo laying around, use it to clamp the nut in place for a bit until the glue cures.
I would use a single tiny drop of Elmers or the like - all the glue has to do is keep it from falling out during string changes. Unless you're doing like, gorilla-style three whole-step bends on the 2nd fret, any extra glueyness beyond "hang on" is overkill. In fact, I haven't even glued any of mine for years now - I have this weird compulsion to play slide on everything possible, so most of my guitars have both a low nut and a high one. What it actually works out to is just a big ol' sack o' nuts in the drawer, I'm probably five ahead or something. I just leave the bottoms and sides of the nut relatively rough, like 180 or 220 grit or thereabouts.
While on the subject (or at least in the neighborhood nutbar) there's another really odd "fact" that gets passed on from one expert-type person to the next to the next etc, apparently there are a lot of people who make nuts without playing guitar? :icon_scratch: And that is,
This guy below has most everything right, but he works on violins, cellos, mandolins and such where string bending (and whammy!) isn't such an issue.
http://www.lutherie.net/nuts.html
To me, it seems like this "one-half diameter" meme gets passed along because it is a useful way to keep strings from binding in a sloppily-cut slot, but I have to have slots that are deep enough to hold the strings when a certain amount of sideways pressure is applied - the slots just have to be carefully-shaped. But I have a lot of weird ideas, ask me about intonating a guitar with week-old strings because that's going to be a lot closer to what you usually play on, versus intonating with brand new strings so your guitar is out-of-tune 95% of the time. I can pop the top offa people's skulls with that one, because it's... it's... just... wrong, that's all. That's not the way Saint Erlewine decreed it!
(But my guitar plays in tune!) :laughing3:
You should always do all of your adjustments with brand-new strings, so when you're playing it always sounds like... you need new strings. :icon_thumright:
While on the subject (or at least in the neighborhood nutbar) there's another really odd "fact" that gets passed on from one expert-type person to the next to the next etc, apparently there are a lot of people who make nuts without playing guitar? :icon_scratch: And that is,
You don't have to go into even one-quarter Gorillanistics before you have strings popping out of their slots all over the place.
This guy below has most everything right, but he works on violins, cellos, mandolins and such where string bending (and whammy!) isn't such an issue.
http://www.lutherie.net/nuts.html
To me, it seems like this "one-half diameter" meme gets passed along because it is a useful way to keep strings from binding in a sloppily-cut slot, but I have to have slots that are deep enough to hold the strings when a certain amount of sideways pressure is applied - the slots just have to be carefully-shaped. But I have a lot of weird ideas, ask me about intonating a guitar with week-old strings because that's going to be a lot closer to what you usually play on, versus intonating with brand new strings so your guitar is out-of-tune 95% of the time. I can pop the top offa people's skulls with that one, because it's... it's... just... wrong, that's all. That's not the way Saint Erlewine decreed it!
(But my guitar plays in tune!) :laughing3:
You should always do all of your adjustments with brand-new strings, so when you're playing it always sounds like... you need new strings. :icon_thumright:
Cagey
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 24,425
StübHead said:
I use Titebond because that's what I've got around here. But, it is as you say - a little dab'll do ya. I usually take a toothpick and lay a thin line along the bottom of the slot and call it a love story. CA works, too, but mainly because it's not a good joint for CA. Dissimilar materials and surfaces make for a pretty weak joint with CA, and it is as you say - you're just trying to keep the nut from falling out when unstressed or moving around when it is. I've been tempted to not glue at all, as the nut usually sits in the slot pretty tight, but old habits die hard.
I agree about disregarding the "only bury half round" dictate as well. You'll pull the strings out of the slots doing it that way if you're a bender. Besides, having tall slots doesn't hurt anything. You don't increase the friction on the string, since the contact ends at the tangent point.
Cagey
Mythical Status
- Messages
- 24,425
Bruno said:Oh yes, I see graptech web site, but in local store (online too) I find only pql-5000 :-(
(obviously I don't want to pay shipping costs much more than tusq nut... :icon_biggrin
I understand. I end up with a lotta spare parts because when I need something, I try to buy other things I think I'll use in the future so I can get as much on one shipping charge as I can. Doesn't make sense to pay $8 shipping for a $5 part, but you can often get a pile of little parts in the same $8 box.
