I'm making a nut for my Jazzmaster. The nut slot is curved like the finger board which means the bottom of the nut has to have the same curve on the bottom in order to be seated properly. I put a piece of sand paper on the finger board and rubbed the nut up and down the finger board and ended up sanding a curve into the bottom of the nut which allowed it to be seated perfectly in the nut slot. :D Proud of myself. Subbed!
I don't have any gauged files specifically for string slots. I find them to be overly expensive when I can get equally good results from a set of good quality needle files which are multi purpose. I use a half round file for slotting mostly, the skill is in turning it to keep the slot even.
Great video! Perfect for helping me think through the processes before I attempt to cut my first nut (from a bone blank, for a student classical guitar). Everything was visually very clear and well explained - you have a clear voice and delivery, which is easy to listen to, without the ubiquitous and distracting need to sound 'cool', which I found refreshing, but then I am an old fart. I didn't bother to listen to all of the playing at the end (sorry), and I would like to have heard just some simple playing, around the open strings and first frets, with a clean sound. Otherwise, it was excellent and very helpful. Thank you.
neat...i've never seen a nut shaped like that with the back filed down like that...i'll bet it allows the string to vibrate more...i have done that with the pencil on double bass nuts before...nice work!
OK, so i just finished slotting and filling a bone nut using this and other YT videos for reference, and here's my synopsis of what I did and how it worked: I clamped the old plastic nut to the new bone blank, and ran a razor saw carefully through the old nut's string slots, transferring the precise spacing onto the new nut. I cut down in a little shy of what I thought the final slot-depth would be, and finished using those little tiny torch-tip files that other people recommended using. It worked well for a non-professional way of doing it on a guitar or two. You can get the little razor saws either on-line or from a place like Hobby Lobby. The one I bought this morning was $5, 42tpi, and very sharp and thin. I was able to use it for all 6 slots, though you might want to find something even thinner if you're using 8's or 9's on the treble e-string. This saw easily cut very precise slots in solid bone. I got the tiny round files on-line, there are 13 of them in a little blue metal box. They are cheap little things, not especially sharp, but they do eventually work to create a round-bottomed string slot. For the 2 thickest strings, I initially (after the razor saw) used a tiny half-round file (Harbor Freight, Hobby Lobby, online) to carve out the rough slot and then finished with the tiny torch-tip files.It's a laborious process, and I only did it because I couldn't find a 3/16"-thick pre-slotted bone nut for my Tele kit whose nut-groove in the neck was very poorly and sloppily cut, forcing me to use a slide-saw to more accurately cut it into the right position ( 3.63cm from center of 1st fret). Again- not a method pro luthiers would likely use but it did in fact work quite well after probably several hours total labor (including shaping and sizing the nut). But a Tusq (or similar) pre-slotted is the way to go if you can possibly do it!
Great video! Most of the synthetic tusk materials I believe are themselves graphite, and the permanently lubricated part of it is PTFE added to the graphite. I’ve heard graphite itself is also a pretty great but lubricant though too!
five stars dude. your video is very educational. may i ask, is the bone fresh from the market or you bought it already in the store where it is already cut?
You can get a graphite-teflon grease for the nut. The graphite itself will be shoved together by the stringmovements in no time. The grease forms a film on the nut that will stay for a long time. You just need tiny amounts of it. I dip a sringe into the grease and rub the fine needle through the slots.
yetmeng1 pretty sure it would... of course if the previous one wasn't too bashed. At least the slots and the dimension you should be able to get from the old nut. And also, you don't need to cut both sides from it, you could cut just one saving half of the trouble, because you can wreck a nut if you don't use a good saw
A tip- if you stick the blank on the neck with one side flush with the edge of the neck when you mark it for shaping then you only have to cut off one side with a hacksaw instead of both sides.
Save yourself a ton of money and dont buy those nut files - just get a set of extra long feeler gauges and files some teeth into the thicknesses you need - voila
I know Bjarke! If you think THAT'S bad try working ivory. I tried making something out of ivory once, and I couldn't do it for the smell. Burning flesh!
I use a string guage and a set of auto feeler guages or you will not get it right..I guess this guy is showing you that you can make a nut with no tools but it will not be as good as useing numbers
This is why I hate people who make guitars: they act like doing simple little things is difficult and secret knowledge that must be bestowed upon someone before they can do it. You could take a pocket knife and make grooves if you wanted as playing is what really "breaks in" the grooves. But here is a serious question: why are the nuts always at a 90 degree angle (where the string approaches at a roughly 45 degree angle from the tuner)? Why not curved? Wouldn't that be better?
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I'm making a nut for my Jazzmaster. The nut slot is curved like the finger board which means the bottom of the nut has to have the same curve on the bottom in order to be seated properly.
I put a piece of sand paper on the finger board and rubbed the nut up and down the finger board and ended up sanding a curve into the bottom of the nut which allowed it to be seated perfectly in the nut slot. :D Proud of myself.
Subbed!
I don't have any gauged files specifically for string slots. I find them to be overly expensive when I can get equally good results from a set of good quality needle files which are multi purpose.
I use a half round file for slotting mostly, the skill is in turning it to keep the slot even.
Great video! Perfect for helping me think through the processes before I attempt to cut my first nut (from a bone blank, for a student classical guitar). Everything was visually very clear and well explained - you have a clear voice and delivery, which is easy to listen to, without the ubiquitous and distracting need to sound 'cool', which I found refreshing, but then I am an old fart. I didn't bother to listen to all of the playing at the end (sorry), and I would like to have heard just some simple playing, around the open strings and first frets, with a clean sound. Otherwise, it was excellent and very helpful. Thank you.
neat...i've never seen a nut shaped like that with the back filed down like that...i'll bet it allows the string to vibrate more...i have done that with the pencil on double bass nuts before...nice work!
OK, so i just finished slotting and filling a bone nut using this and other YT videos for reference, and here's my synopsis of what I did and how it worked: I clamped the old plastic nut to the new bone blank, and ran a razor saw carefully through the old nut's string slots, transferring the precise spacing onto the new nut. I cut down in a little shy of what I thought the final slot-depth would be, and finished using those little tiny torch-tip files that other people recommended using. It worked well for a non-professional way of doing it on a guitar or two. You can get the little razor saws either on-line or from a place like Hobby Lobby. The one I bought this morning was $5, 42tpi, and very sharp and thin. I was able to use it for all 6 slots, though you might want to find something even thinner if you're using 8's or 9's on the treble e-string. This saw easily cut very precise slots in solid bone. I got the tiny round files on-line, there are 13 of them in a little blue metal box. They are cheap little things, not especially sharp, but they do eventually work to create a round-bottomed string slot. For the 2 thickest strings, I initially (after the razor saw) used a tiny half-round file (Harbor Freight, Hobby Lobby, online) to carve out the rough slot and then finished with the tiny torch-tip files.It's a laborious process, and I only did it because I couldn't find a 3/16"-thick pre-slotted bone nut for my Tele kit whose nut-groove in the neck was very poorly and sloppily cut, forcing me to use a slide-saw to more accurately cut it into the right position ( 3.63cm from center of 1st fret).
Again- not a method pro luthiers would likely use but it did in fact work quite well after probably several hours total labor (including shaping and sizing the nut). But a Tusq (or similar) pre-slotted is the way to go if you can possibly do it!
Great video! Most of the synthetic tusk materials I believe are themselves graphite, and the permanently lubricated part of it is PTFE added to the graphite. I’ve heard graphite itself is also a pretty great but lubricant though too!
Sounds a little more balanced with the bone nut. Badass mate \m/
I’m not sure if this is a theme, but I’ve recently seen a bunch of great luthier vids from Scotland. Thanks for the info.
that is some fine craftsmanship... I tend to use the sight / feel method myself.
Nice job. Looks great. Looks better than the nut on my Les Paul, lol
five stars dude. your video is very educational.
may i ask, is the bone fresh from the market or you bought it already in the store where it is already cut?
You can get a graphite-teflon grease for the nut.
The graphite itself will be shoved together by the stringmovements in no time.
The grease forms a film on the nut that will stay for a long time.
You just need tiny amounts of it.
I dip a sringe into the grease and rub the fine needle through the slots.
Is it not a good idea to lower the height from the bottom rather than redoing your slots every time you take height off of the top?
How are you marking the radius at the top of the nut - I'm struggling with doing this accurately - thanks
im just curious wouldnt it be easier to get the dimensions and string spacing from the original nut before ?
yetmeng1 pretty sure it would... of course if the previous one wasn't too bashed. At least the slots and the dimension you should be able to get from the old nut. And also, you don't need to cut both sides from it, you could cut just one saving half of the trouble, because you can wreck a nut if you don't use a good saw
Another informative video, thanks again Colin.
have the same guitar. Ibanez Art 100, recognized the headstock symbol instantly :P
This video is pretty ace, I'd say! I do wish you would have included a demo of the files you used to cut the slots though. Did you use gauged files?
There will be quite a few videos regarding it coming soon :)
A tip- if you stick the blank on the neck with one side flush with the edge of the neck when you mark it for shaping then you only have to cut off one side with a hacksaw instead of both sides.
Thanks for the tip,makes sense
What sort of glue did you use to attach the nut back on? Or did it just slot straight in the groove? Cheers
Could you do a review of that bugera head?
Nice work
A good vid,young Angus...
that was awesome thank you!
IT SMELLS TERRIBLE!
Save yourself a ton of money and dont buy those nut files - just get a set of extra long feeler gauges and files some teeth into the thicknesses you need - voila
the e and b strings look too close together to me
Gonna widdle on a Deer antler. Havent seen anyone on here with one haha.,
You and I, me brother have pretty similar playin' techniques.
I know Bjarke! If you think THAT'S bad try working ivory. I tried making something out of ivory once, and I couldn't do it for the smell. Burning flesh!
I use a string guage and a set of auto feeler guages or you will not get it right..I guess this guy is showing you that you can make a nut with no tools but it will not be as good as useing numbers
This is why I hate people who make guitars: they act like doing simple little things is difficult and secret knowledge that must be bestowed upon someone before they can do it. You could take a pocket knife and make grooves if you wanted as playing is what really "breaks in" the grooves. But here is a serious question: why are the nuts always at a 90 degree angle (where the string approaches at a roughly 45 degree angle from the tuner)? Why not curved? Wouldn't that be better?
Marry me please?