Jeweler here, those are saw blades and I have a trillion of them in every size. You just saved me hundreds of dollars on nut slot files. Thank you. I had always wondered if this would work.
This is actually amazing trick. I had my electric for quite sometime (around 1 year) and high nut always bothered me. It was hard pressing on strings near nut, notes would go out of tune and action was high. I watched this video few weeks ago and today I decided to give it a chance. I was always scared of messing it up but still, grabed tools and get to work. I used homemade files that were made of things that you mesure heights of sth. And when I was done, It was like new guitar. I still went just a bit above first freth to be safe, and now its perfect. Probbably the best technique I have seen so far. Thanks man.
As well, one layer of painter's tape across the first few frets will add slightly more height, which is effectively the same height as shown in the vid.
why. have you seen other vids from luthiers on this. they are wayyy worse. this is the best vid I have seen so far and ive been looking for daysss. I like this way mre than all of the others.
Great video!! the best method I have found on internet on how to cut down the nut slots while following the fretboard radius..... you are a gennius mate!
The trick is to let the file do the work and apply a very light pressure. You don’t want to feel like you have to help it out. Great video! Very informative! ❤
Lots of negative responses to this, but I've just tried it and it worked for me. I have a cheap Asian made, solid top acoustic which needed a new nut as the plastic one had cracked. I bought a cheap bone nut from ebay and sanded the bottom to try and set the nut action. It was ok on the bass strings, but still too high on the treble strings. The jewellers saw blades worked great and the masking tape worked well as a guide. Proceed slowly, check often and I can't see why it wouldn't work for anyone else.
Thank you your comment. Seems most who comment negatively don't even try this method. They likely just want to voice their ignorance. Too, they may be threatened luthiers who rather charge folks big bucks for this simple task - or who may be selling expensive nut files. If using tape 'bothers' folks then use other materials like plastic or feeler gauges. BTW, tape is NOT spongy as some non-tryers claim. Again, thank for your encouraging remarks...much appreciated!
I’m sure it’s not that hard but personally I just take it to a good repairman. I’m fortunate to have easy access to highly skilled guys who do this all the time.
I broke the nut on my Guitar(335) and some-one had shown me years ago how to repair it using superglue and baking soda to create a new piece....it's lasted years and sounds the same(top E).Raising the top E a bit put some bicarb in the gap and then dropped 1 drop of superglue on top let it harden then filed down and sanded.
Thank you so much for the video and painters tape trick. You saved a guitar build from the scrap heap. Slot depth has been a struggle in my repai knowledge, love this method!
Although I'm okay with the tape hack, isn't the width of the nut slot also important...so that the string doesn't get pinched at the bottom of the slot? and thus why there are different size files for each string. I'm not saying that a jewelers file/saw won't work...just seems like the possibility of it not going right on at least one of the strings is high.
Thank you for posting your method. It has worked for me. My intention here is to leave my experience for anyone about to do this. I have benefitted greatly by reading others' postings. So. I did consider the stacking the feeler guages. Could damage the feeler guages? How do you hold the guages in place and file? The feeler guage won't bend round the fretboard radius to give the same height at every point? I considerd the filing the bottom of the nut. This has got to be a contender. But, mine is a brand new Gibson SG with lots of lovely gloss around the base of the nut. It would look messy when I glue it back? So, I opted for the method posted here. I accept the critique that the 16 layers of masking tape are soft and spongy. But I used them as an indicator, not cutting into them. I was careful putting the tape in place, took my time, got it straight. Each layer with no creases. I had no trouble with the tools. I bought the Stewmac ones! £££. Hope they last! If you get it wrong, there's always a new nut, not £££! I found the whole thing straight forward and I am very pleased with the result. Thanks for posting this video.
Fantastic Info. I am learning to do all my own maintenance, set-ups and repairs, on my Guitars and Bass. Enjoyed your informative video. oNe LovE from NYC
I know your intentions are good but the tape thing is not the way to go. Actually, with strings on, loosen one, move it over, "lightly" file, put the string back and check the height and move on to the next string and repeat. Another way is using something like a wide feeler gage of the proper height you are looking for rather than tape.
How about maybe a couple of layers of tape each side of the nut to protect the neck but not for checking the height, and move the string back to check the height as recommended by gilpi552? Would need some feeler guages to check the height.
Hey thanks for the awesome vid! This made me realize just how much more I had to go trying to use those torch cleaners!! A lot better than shaving a bit off, retuning, detuning, shaving more off over and over again. Cheers
also the comment about the frets being loosened with oil is incorrect, what does water do to wood? makes it swell right? so if you soak your fretboard with oil the wood will swell creating a clamping effect, if a guy is worried about the glue getting in and loosening frets then your frets need to be reinstalled with proper glue thats chemical resistant, no glue will touch the fret tang properly glued with proper glue.. however soaking the fingerboard with oil will cause it to swell ever so slightly, clamping down on the tang and glue, which in turn increases sustain and resonance and keeps frets put.. if you have a budget guitar it may behoove you to tape/dam up the ends of your frets, then run glue into your fret slots under the frets, use a catalyzer, a light wax on the fingerboard prevents the glue from soaking into fingerboard surface.. use a q-tip to apply alight coat of light wax about a quarter inch out on both sides of each fret, use an applicator tip not a tube of crazy glue to apply cyanoacrylate, capillary action will fill the slot to the tang, then hit with catalyzer... stewmac so forth have glue, applicator tips, catalyst all this stuff to do it proper.. remove wax and clean board thoroughly, then oil, I soak boards 24 hours on high end guitars, I soak until the fingerboard stops soaking the oil in.. a slight topical coating does nothing, its gone in a few days and you again have bare wood, oil is nothing new to woods, naturally when growing they have oils, water, chemicals, glucose, so this is nothing new for wood.. its conditioning the wood to insure it doesn't dry up and get brittle, decay, splinter and weaken, and condensate.. do this ESPECIALLY if you live in arid dry regions, if you live in florida not so crucial but beware of salt build up, so keep CLEAN and oil to keep SALT OUT, if you sweat a lot OIL UNTIL IT STOPS TAKING OIL! oil is a waterproofing agent for wood as well as a conditioner, so it will prevent humidity from entering and changing pitch so forth.. just a light layer on top will do nothing regarding this dynamic, load it up with oil, tune and humidity will have a harder time entering and changing things if you gig a lot and sweat a lot like say angus young you will have to do this weekly, clean, and re-oil, you can see what sweat did to his earlier guitar when he wasn't hip to oiling fingerboards as often, he struggled with pitch moving from region to region, remember rosewood isn't lacquered like maple so its bare wood, going from climate to climate moves the wood, changing pitch, the only way to lessen this is to OIL the fugg out of your fingerboard and bring the lacquer right up the side, sealit as good as possible, glue up any areas prone to water leaching in.. or oil well, like nut slots so forth.. glue in your nut then apply oil it will soak in capillary and seal, a lil messy but well worth it, dam it up with tape if you must.. rather than leaving your nut slot bare wood so it can draw moisture, or dry out, pushing or pulling the nut around, notice how angus doesn't struggle with tuning as much these days? he figured it out, he can go from the jungle to las vegas and his guitar is still in tune.. all about seasoning that neck fingerboard completely sealed off..
Hi Dean! Wow! Thanks for your input. I appreciate your commentary. BTW, the "too much oil on the fretboard" originates from a guitar tech friend of mine who has done a lot of guitar work for quite famous people. Just sayin'.
Yep I live in a dry climate and do exactly this with my fret boards. I use the same oil as Gibson and Martin guitars, 3n1 oil you can buy almost anywhere.
Very clever method lower slot depths. I also like how you carefully mask to prevent damaging the guitar finish. Most of the "How To" don't do so. It takes one slip to damage the finish that was so easily preventable. It is a real shame that slot files cost so dang much. They do make this a bit easier to do as the files are stiffer than the jewelers files--for better control, especially for a DIY.
I think a better method would be to stack some feeler gauges, instead of using tape. When you use tape, the file easily cuts though the tape, and you can file too far, and ruin the nut. But with the metal feeler gauges, the file stops at the metal.
I've used the feeler guage method and find it cumbersome. This method i really like -- just used it on my Zager ZAD80. Super fast and easy. The only thing i could add is to use straight-edged files so with 1 layer of tape over frets 1-4 you can lay your file in the slot to be cut and see the gap that needs to be diminished.
I've used the feeler guage method and find it cumbersome. This method i really like -- just used it on my Zager ZAD80. Super fast and easy. The only thing i could add is to use straight-edged files so with 1 layer of tape over frets 1-4 you can lay your file in the slot to be cut and see the gap that needs to be diminished.
Thank you. Your videos are always some of the best ones on You Tube. I have used your taping technique before. I just need to get better Nut Files. Been using a set I got on Amazon. Pretty crappy. 😊 I look forward to your next tutorial!🎸
@@guitarhowtos2148 I just watched a couple of your videos again! Besides learning SO MUCH I just get a BIG KICK out of listening to you. Your camera work is the best on You Tube, Mike Pachelli and Ivor Sorefingers comes to mind also, and I can tell that you really have taken your time to make sure the camera angles are clear and easy to SEE. Really, you just don't cut any corners when it comes to explanations and camera "shots". Thanks again and I want you to know that I have highly recommended your Channel to many friends who want to learn these great ideas. P.S. As a former pro musician and teacher, I am willing to bet that you make one fine Guitar Teacher and performer as well. Stay well, Brother.
I like it! It goes to show there's more than one way to skin a cat (so my grandad would say). I've played and fixed guitars since the 1960's and could never afford good tools. I'd make up nut files from hacksaw blades, hammering and grinding them to the size needed. With care and practice they worked fine. Of course you screw up all the time and learn from your mistakes, that's how it works. I wouldn't go near a vintage Fender or Gibson until I knew I was capable of doing a good job and if I screwed the nut up I could make cut and fit a new one that was identical or better. Eventually I got round to buying sets of Hosko files which are great but you can still screw up just the same . The difference between perfection and disaster are just a few light finishing strokes! It's a bit like Zen and the art of Motorcycle maintenance, sometimes a tin can will do just fine.
The best way to do this is to put your finger between the 2nd and 3rd fret and press the string there. Check your distance between the string and 1st fret, should be very short distance. If not, needs to filed/sawed. I use hobby saw blades, the ones that fit in a handle. I carefully hold just the blade and saw the nut slot a bit then recheck height. For the larger nut slot I hold two blades together. Take you time. Works every time for me.
This worked great for me. I have a Sterling Ray34 that I couldn't lower the action on any further. I just couldn't get my pops to ring off the frets when slapping and popping. Took my time following the instructions and used some crappy nut files I had from amazon and it turned out very well. A very minor tweak resulted in a marked improvement.
Hi Lisa: the important thing is to pile the tape up just ABOVE level with first fret - usually 14 to 15 pieces - but each guitar may be slightly different. Good Luck!!
Great video, thanks! my tele neck is new and without a nut slot yet, the tusq nut that Im installing is 5.71mm in height, how deep shall I file the slot on neck to start with please?
How does that blade make the bottom of the fret slot rounded like the string that is resting in it? Also how do you get them the right size for each different strings? I would just by quality nut slotting files, as I've found that not slotting files are the last thing that should be cheaped out on. Gauged files with a rounded filing edges it a must imo.
You can get good nut slot files from Stewmac but they're just killing you on the price all of a sudden! They're over $22 a piece now. A whole set of 6 is like $130! Hosco is the other brand of good nut files. You can get 9 for $100.
@@joeking433 Good tools have always been costly, the Stew Mac Nut Slotting Files are manufactured in Japan using quality steel. My set of the Stew Mac files has lasted me decades and pair for themselves the first year I owned them. To each their own.
@@joeking433 I agree about Stew Mac's prices. For myself it has proven to be a great one-stop shopping. In the past I've had issue with some of their products (very minor blemish issues), I feel they went above and beyond to take care of me and make it right. I suppose I could save a little money shopping around, no doubt about that, at the end of the day I guess I'm just a happy, loyal customer. LOL, I placed my first order with them back in the 1980s, back then I would call the order in, get the price and mail off a money order. After establishing an account they accepted personal checks. Looking back seems strange compared to how we instantly purchase items online!
omg no one is answering his question correctly. dude you can use anything thats round. I put a little more tape and after your done sawing down use a string and finish the job with that. hopes this helps.
I have a LP Special that has a low cut on the nut slot for the high E string. Sitar sound. It did not do this for the first year and a half. I wedged a tiny piece of foil to bring it up, and then it is good. The rest of the nut is cut perfectly, and there's not a whole lot of nut indentation where the high E is on it. I've seen people use super glue and baking soda to rebuild low nut slots and then re-cut them. I'm wondering if anybody can give me some advice if that actually works or what I should do instead. I guess my main question is how strong will the baking powder/ superglue mixture will be. If so, how long will it hold if I take this route. Any advice is awesome!
@@guitarhowtos2148 If you have extra saddles, or old useless nuts, use a rasp or sand paper to make bone dust, and use that dust with the glue instead of baking soda.
I'm sitting down now to fill a slot. I'll swap the nut eventually as it's only plastic now. There's a lot of great videos on it. Use water thin super glue. Easy to find on stew mac. They also sell a 3 pack of different color dust for the job. Black, white and cream.
You're idea of the tape is good but you really should make feeler gauge files instead & then use torch tip cleaning tool to clean up. You'll get the right width for each slot. You are causing a problem as the slot for each string is not going to be the right size for the string & also the bottom of the slot isn't round. The slot should be filed at the rear on an angle so the take off at the front is correct. You can get fret buzz if the slot are to wide.
how many tapes was that, higher than the fret? 3? by the way the tapes looks higher than the groove of the nut. very bad angle to see it. would have been great to see that before you started sawing.
Your nut should be sloted to the heigth of your frets. Think about it. When you capo your are using the copo's fret AS a nut. And guess how high this "nut" is. It is the height of the fret. So you can measure your fret. Make a spacer the same thickness and place against you nut and file DOWN to your spacer. Great video. Takes the mystery out of doing this.
I use Music Nomad's setup guide with feeler guages checking string height at the first fret. The danger is going too low or too wide - new nut incoming.
I would advise taking guitars to a good repair person for 'set up' which will include nut slots adjustment for the following reasons. 1) There may be other issues such as saddle height, neck adjustment, irregular frets. 2) The correct files which are the only way to make the perfect slot for each string are very expensive. 3) If you make a mistake - you're going to need a new nut.
Yep, I agree with you. This looks like a good way to screw stuff up. That tape is not going to hold the proper height with the file running across it. A set of feeler gauges can be had for dirt cheap and would be a much better option. Saw blades are not going to leave a smooth groove for the string to rest in. The more I watch this the worse it gets. I recommend nobody follow this tutorial.
Agreed filing nut slots may not always be the best place to *start* with guitar adjustments (OP didn't claim that it is), but he hit the important points ... tape a little higher than first fret, stop at tape level, ramp the backside, lube after filing ... that make this doable prior to setup, as nut slot depth to first fret height should be consistent regardless. That said, I'd want my nut slots at the proper depth before I adjust my action or intonation or I'd just have to do those again after I file the slots. Most peeps watching this advanced vid - considering nut adjustments - probably have some experience with setups, are trying to level up, &/or looking to solve ongoing problems (1st fret sharpness, like me) that setups didn't resolve. Unfortunately these days with "a good repair person", "good" is relative, and he/she is usually just a fellow guitarist that's self-taught at setting up & parts swapping that happens to work at a music store, rather than a trained or certified tech. The old saying, "if you want something done right, do it yourself" has worked better for me (that's just me). So yep, I too am one of those self-taught setter-upper people after paying for too many failed guitar repairs or crappy setups & hearing too many horror stories from fellow guitarists that had the same if not worse experiences, but I'm also not claiming to be a pro repair person nor working on others' guitars. All that said, I personally like the tape technique. It makes sense to me. I'm definitely going to try it. But one tweak I'll make (for my own paranoia) is to sandwich in a flimsy piece of aluminum or single feeler gauge under the tape so I don't inadvertently file too deeply & also to avoid tape compression, which could affect filing depth. Cheers.
I use this method after leveling/crowning frets. I’ve had a harder time with the fret leveling learning curve but this worked just fine on my first attempt. People saying other issues such as fret height etc can be issues should fix those issues first anyway.
another nut where the slots are way too deep, file the top off so 50% of the strings are exposed, they only require a slot to sit in like a saddle, not covered with high walls
@@joeking433 only reason I could imagine is if your having intonation issues on the first few frets, which is usually the nut, but then again that should be solved by sanding off the bottom to lower it. I think 50% is correct.
@@daviddigital6887 How can there be intonation issues caused by the nut unless the nut is not cut at the correct angle? Nut issues are almost always on Gibson style headstocks rather than Fender headstocks because of the headstock angle and the string angle coming off the nut. Would saddles rather than walls help a Gibson headstock?
Thank you for your comment, Temple. Personally I prefer to have one or two layers of tape above the first fret to assure first-fret clearance. This of course can be accomplished with this pencil method by putting such tape layers on the first few frets...then scribe. Thanks again.
I mean you could use tape with a thin metal or plastic spacer (old credit card etc) or even card board until nearly the height & then a couple of layers of tape. I do think ppl can get too technical thinking it has to be ultra precise. Err on the safe side & restring & you will know the best method, clearly this works for the guy making this video & he is happy with it.
I use a stewmac file set and micrometer. Go slow follow the angle of the head stock. Better to take a bit off then retry when tuned to pitch. . If you go too low, time for a new nut or the super glue baking soda trick (not a good trick) Good luck
It's a bit too high, I use to do 0.5 mm of gap for all strings, between first fret and under each string that simply rests on the nut, if you have this gap like your method, your strings could have 1mm of gap...
Each slot Width shoujd correspond to the string size or a tad larger. You find a string size you like. Then you stick with it on that one guitar. If you'd like to also have a guitar that houses a different size range of strings. You need either a nut you can just drop in or you need another guitar. If you use the former option. You'll also have to do a complete setup to acvomudate the difference sized strings.
What a nutty idea for the average player to never change string guage on a guitar, because...reasons. It'll be fine, just change string gauge if you want to. You don't need a whole new guitar. Done it plenty, on electric and acoustic, never a problem in my life.
Each measures approximately 5 1/4" (133 mm) long. Blade Size: 0/3 B & S Guage : 27 50 Teeth Per Inch Steel Material 12 Dozen Bundles Fits to 6" saw. Is this correct sir ? Or do I need Mutiple sizes to cut the nut.. And what sizes? Thank you.
Hi Hollis! I bought a pack that contains multiple sizes...enough to last a lifetime! I am most concerned with the high E string so I use the thin blade. You may want to search Amazon for Jeweler's Piercing Saws Blades.
A Joyo Bantamp (the Vox one), an SGX 2000, several reverbs and several delays, several types of small speakers and outdoor speakers (not designed for guitar).
We use feeler gauges in conjunction with Stewmac’s neck caul in the shop. Use proper tools for a perfect job. Accuracy and precision are paramount in this business.
you can use a feeler for the top layer(s) double sticky tape it down to the tape stack, so stack your tap the height of the fret, then use double sided tape to adhere a feeler gauge the depth of what you want your string height to be.. you can stack feeler gauges too.. a guy doesn't need a lot of high dollar tooling to cut a nut accurately
@@deandee8082 use the right tools for the job is what I’m saying. I do this for a living and I work at a busy shop. I do between 3 and 5 guitars a day on average. These tools are not that expensive and pay for themselves after one or two jobs. You know how much dentistry tools cost? Mechanic tools? And so forth. Also tape goes right in the trash afterwards, I use it sparingly. Sorry to rain on your parade man, I just wouldn’t recommend this “cheap” way of slotting a nut. Not disliking your vid, maybe for some diy people it might be good enough, just not for me:)
@@MaVieEnImages how do you attach the rectangle piece of felt stuff to the safe slot? Or is it supposed to be loose ? I just got one but can’t figure out if the back of the felt padding stuff has a sticky surface under the white backing
I used Stewmac's neck caul and somehow cut the high E string too deep. There has to be a better way. I'm going to rig up a feeler gauge blade and glue a couple popsicle sticks to hold a Stewmac file and run them over the frets to get the right action. You would think there would be something on the market like that unless I'm missing something.
lol your wrong! this is a supper great method. mesuring tool are moved around with your hands anyway. can be wrong if you move up or down. next is you eyes you look to see humm is this stuppid tool touching the string. is it moving it up even. or is there light going under or not. hummmm not sure. lol yaaa right that's better. nope it's not!! I love this method better than any I have seen on youtube and Ive been looking for days. THIS is the way I did 2 guitars an man it's fast and perfect!!!
They arent files at all. They are saw blades, the kind you would use for inlay work. Your better off getting the proper files. Or you can make your own by filing fine teeth into feeler gauges and make you you round over the edge first before filing in the teeth. I did it to a whole set of feeler gauges and it really didn't take me a long time to do it. Then you have 30 diffrent ones to choose from.
Mine is little low. A string keeps buzzing. I altered everything I could. Saddle adjustments, Action setting. You name it. I will have to get my nut replaced. But until then any suggestions.
You can add a drop of super glue to the slot on the nut, some people add baking soda too, and then re-file the slot to the correct depth. I'd tape things off and have a towel handy to prevent glue from getting on anything unwanted. There's multiple videos on TH-cam.
your petrolium jelly. what is that. can I use normal vaseline? and you say to never put oil on the fretboard? then what do you use? so it dont get super dry over the years? anything will be some type of liquid.
If you get a Graphtech (or any aftermarket) nut, what are the chances its depths aren't perfect & would need filing before the install's done? Most nut installs using aftermarket pre-filed nuts seem to be perfect in most of the YTube vids I've seen. I could see if you use really light or really heavy gauge strings, but strings from say .9 to .11, the string depths always seem to be spot-on. Unless this is more of a purist's approach & I'm talking out of my arse lol. I'm about to do this for the first time with my two best guitars (Gibson ES-339 & Fender Tele Deluxe) to improve tune stability due to a Duesenberg Trem install on each so I'm taking all the advice I can get before I start hammering away on them.
Hi BJ! Generally I check the nut depths during a set up - even with new nuts and new guitars. The tape must be ABOVE (in height) the first fret. 14 or 15 layers is common, but may be slightly different from one guitar to another.
@@guitarhowtos2148 Thank you, and my next order of business is to determine the correct string clearance from the 1st & second frets once the nut is positioned (before gluing) in case I need to file down the bottom of the nut. An easy job perhaps, but a lot of work if you're doing it correctly. As long as I don't do any damage to my best guitars, I can always take it to my local tech to have it done.
You can’t expect any aftermarket nut to fit a specific guitar without adjustment. The frets are going to be a different height on different guitars, and the nut must be adjusted accordingly. There are many different sizes of fretwire, and even two guitars fitted with the same fretwire will have frets of different height due to wear from playing. Therefore you must always expect to adjust a new nut to make the guitar play properly.
You’d be better off doing it with stacked feeler gauges. The problem with your method is that the tape is not firm enough to guard/keep you from going too far. You can figure out the height of frets with stacked gauges and a straight edge ruler between first and second frets. Then stack that height plus .010 (to give you wiggle room) up against the nut as a guard and file away at proper angle. Go slow and keep checking your work. Ppl can buy a automotive feeler gauge set for $5 or so at a hardware/auto supplies store.
The tape is fine. YOu don't push down on the tape hard enough to compress it; once the files starts touching it, you're done. Why would you keep pressing down and filing away at that point?
I appreciate the effort you put in in this video, but this is a very bad process. First off you can measure the nut slot deepness just by pushing the string at the third fret than tapping the string to the first fret, the gap should be less then 1mm, but should not touch the first fret. If you have your strings off, just use a short straight blade for this. This will give you a more accurate result. Also do not SAW nut slots, always file them! Why? A saw creates a very uneven surface and your strings will bind in the nut slots. If you do not have nut slot files, you can use anything that will fit in the slot and wrap around 1 layer of sandpaper. When I got my slots to the correct depth I always polish them with 1500-2000 sandpaper.
Thanks for the info, but I’m confused any the tapping at the first fret while pressing the string down at the third fret and then measuring for a gap of less than 1mm at the first fret. Could you please clarify? I assume the measurement is being taken at the 1st fret bar and not fretboard, but not sure what the tapping would be. Thanks!
Hi GA! Thanks for your question. Although not shown here, carefully filing a U-shape works. However, one must decide if a square slot would really make a significant performance difference as it seems to be the sides and the bottom of the slots that really matter.
I don't think it matters. For one, you just don't play open strings all that much and when you do they are going to sound different than the fretted strings. And I never see any difference between square bottom nut slots and round bottom nut slots.
@@joeking433 As a beginner that is all I play is open chords. With them being open chords we strum between two and four open strings depending on the chord played.
@@generalawareness101 Yeah, a mix of plastic (or bone) and metal sounds. Not what you would really want. And if I were beginning again I would go right to the barre chords. E major, A major, E minor, A minor barre chords. Then add the 7ths. It will put you years ahead of someone playing only cowboy chords.
Why go through the pickup positions, they have nothing to do with the nut. You didn't change pickups in this vid, so that had me wondering what that had to do with the nut work. I like your method, I had not seen that before. I have all the nut tools and files and such, but I will have to give your method a try next time I put a new nut on.. When I buy a pre-slotted nut, the easy thing I do is simply sand the underside of the nut to good thickness before I do the final gluing. Good video, thanks for this tip.
This aint rocket science! Just check the clearance with strings on by pressing down on 3rd fret. If the clearance between string and 1st fretwire is too high, loosen the string and file down the slot. Just repeat until your ok! By the way. Why not replacing the plastic sh.. nut with a bone one?
If you cut too low, you can check 100 hundred times after that. It won't raise, so then only super glue with bone/plastic dust or baking soda will help or you would need to install a new nut. With this method it's almost impossible to cut too low. See, there are some benefits :)
I would invest in some good Hosco(made in Japan) nut files before attempting any nut work on a decent guitar. Stay away from those yellow Music Nomad files and the cheap Hosco/Stewmac knockoffs.
They have a coating over them that wears off quickly just filing the nut so for sure you'll destroy it in a few minutes trying to notch a saddle. The Hosco's are real files that will last and are cheaper.@@TheClavmeister
I’ve found that it’s very tricky to file nut slots. I’ve wrecked so many that now I’m buying them in bulk from china. It’s a skill that takes time to learn.
The tape idea is one I hadn't thought of... and I might give it a try - although I've just got a set of feelers and I think they'll be more reliable! Also - Ali sell boxed sets of nut files and they're 'inexpensive' - I certainly wouldn't go near a but with a saw blade and hack backwards and forwards on it! As for putting petroleum jelly in the nut slots....? - that's insane - grab a pencil and put a layer of graphite in there like everyone else does. As said - great video idea - but some of the methods and materials will give me nightmares! If the job's worth doing - it's worth doing right!
Wish I had seen this before I wasted money on the nearly useless (for guitars) welder's tip cleaner set. However, your method will make a flat bottomed slot. Shouldn't the slot be rounded?
Almost all "professional" guitar nut cutting files are absolute garbage anyway and a horrendous rip off. They don't cut rounded slots. The problem with the welder cleaner tips is that they are no good for the thinner string slots. However, for the E, A and D strings, the welder cleaners are superior to supposed professional files so you can use them for those slots. The only "proper" files that cut nicely rounded slots are those with diamond coating. Those will wear fast but they are even more expensive.
This is wrong in so many ways... I suggest checking other videos before attempting this. There's different ways even if you don't want to invest in some slotting files. But at least buy a cheap set of feeler guages and set the strings to around .020 .
that's all fine and great advise of how to make you nut better but for me if I'm going to take the strings off then I'm gonna go ahead and change the nut to bone and also give my frets a quik polish and lemon oil wipe . 15 bucks for a new nut , just sayin each to there own but a good tip .
Jeweler here, those are saw blades and I have a trillion of them in every size. You just saved me hundreds of dollars on nut slot files. Thank you. I had always wondered if this would work.
Thank you for your valuable comment. Agreed....I really have an issue buying expensive nut files for occasional minimal use!
This is actually amazing trick. I had my electric for quite sometime (around 1 year) and high nut always bothered me. It was hard pressing on strings near nut, notes would go out of tune and action was high. I watched this video few weeks ago and today I decided to give it a chance. I was always scared of messing it up but still, grabed tools and get to work. I used homemade files that were made of things that you mesure heights of sth. And when I was done, It was like new guitar. I still went just a bit above first freth to be safe, and now its perfect. Probbably the best technique I have seen so far.
Thanks man.
Great to know of your success! 😀
Thank you for your pleasant and honest comment! 🙂
If you half a pencil long ways you can put it on the fret and draw the fret height on the nut
As well, one layer of painter's tape across the first few frets will add slightly more height, which is effectively the same height as shown in the vid.
As soon as watched a few minute of this video, I went to the comments. I wasn’t disappointed.😂
I don't think I'd let this guy touch my guitar....
why. have you seen other vids from luthiers on this. they are wayyy worse. this is the best vid I have seen so far and ive been looking for daysss. I like this way mre than all of the others.
I have NO INTEREST in touching your guitar. That part is up to you.
@@guitarhowtos2148 I wouldn't, he probably plays naked
I agree!!
The tape part is an amazing hack... thank you for this! :D
friggin genius
Excellent idea and video. Some critics here seem to miss the point that you are demonstrating a method. Thanks!
Great video!! the best method I have found on internet on how to cut down the nut slots while following the fretboard radius..... you are a gennius mate!
Thank you!
The trick is to let the file do the work and apply a very light pressure. You don’t want to feel like you have to help it out. Great video! Very informative! ❤
Lots of negative responses to this, but I've just tried it and it worked for me. I have a cheap Asian made, solid top acoustic which needed a new nut as the plastic one had cracked. I bought a cheap bone nut from ebay and sanded the bottom to try and set the nut action. It was ok on the bass strings, but still too high on the treble strings. The jewellers saw blades worked great and the masking tape worked well as a guide. Proceed slowly, check often and I can't see why it wouldn't work for anyone else.
Thank you your comment. Seems most who comment negatively don't even try this method. They likely just want to voice their ignorance. Too, they may be threatened luthiers who rather charge folks big bucks for this simple task - or who may be selling expensive nut files. If using tape 'bothers' folks then use other materials like plastic or feeler gauges. BTW, tape is NOT spongy as some non-tryers claim. Again, thank for your encouraging remarks...much appreciated!
I’m sure it’s not that hard but personally I just take it to a good repairman. I’m fortunate to have easy access to highly skilled guys who do this all the time.
I broke the nut on my Guitar(335) and some-one had shown me years ago how to repair it using superglue and baking soda to create a new piece....it's lasted years and sounds the same(top E).Raising the top E a bit put some bicarb in the gap and then dropped 1 drop of superglue on top let it harden then filed down and sanded.
Thank you so much for the video and painters tape trick. You saved a guitar build from the scrap heap. Slot depth has been a struggle in my repai knowledge, love this method!
Very welcome!
Thank for this. Have transformed 3 of my guitars so far. Very pleased. 👍🏼😁
Glad to know of your success! Thanks!
Although I'm okay with the tape hack, isn't the width of the nut slot also important...so that the string doesn't get pinched at the bottom of the slot? and thus why there are different size files for each string. I'm not saying that a jewelers file/saw won't work...just seems like the possibility of it not going right on at least one of the strings is high.
move around as you wish. take a bigger one if you want it wider. use a old string in the end to round of the bottom. use you brain it will work fine.
Thank you for posting your method. It has worked for me. My intention here is to leave my experience for anyone about to do this. I have benefitted greatly by reading others' postings. So. I did consider the stacking the feeler guages. Could damage the feeler guages? How do you hold the guages in place and file? The feeler guage won't bend round the fretboard radius to give the same height at every point? I considerd the filing the bottom of the nut. This has got to be a contender. But, mine is a brand new Gibson SG with lots of lovely gloss around the base of the nut. It would look messy when I glue it back?
So, I opted for the method posted here. I accept the critique that the 16 layers of masking tape are soft and spongy. But I used them as an indicator, not cutting into them. I was careful putting the tape in place, took my time, got it straight. Each layer with no creases. I had no trouble with the tools. I bought the Stewmac ones! £££. Hope they last! If you get it wrong, there's always a new nut, not £££! I found the whole thing straight forward and I am very pleased with the result. Thanks for posting this video.
Fantastic Info. I am learning to do all my own maintenance, set-ups and repairs, on my Guitars and Bass. Enjoyed your informative video. oNe LovE from NYC
I know your intentions are good but the tape thing is not the way to go. Actually, with strings on, loosen one, move it over, "lightly" file, put the string back and check the height and move on to the next string and repeat. Another way is using something like a wide feeler gage of the proper height you are looking for rather than tape.
All well said. Thank you. I still prefer to use tape, but others may want to use other materials that you mention. Thanks again!
How about maybe a couple of layers of tape each side of the nut to protect the neck but not for checking the height, and move the string back to check the height as recommended by gilpi552? Would need some feeler guages to check the height.
@@guitarhowtos2148 yeah, dude, this is a really nice idea on doing this.
I’ve seen a bunch of videos on this, this is the best technique. Thanks
Thank you! Much thanks!
Hey thanks for the awesome vid! This made me realize just how much more I had to go trying to use those torch cleaners!! A lot better than shaving a bit off, retuning, detuning, shaving more off over and over again. Cheers
Thanks for this. I used your tape trick tonight. Worked like a charm. 👍👍🎸
The convetionial method is easy, and accurate enough. Why mess with success? When you deviate from proven methods, you usuall create other challanges.
also the comment about the frets being loosened with oil is incorrect, what does water do to wood? makes it swell right? so if you soak your fretboard with oil the wood will swell creating a clamping effect, if a guy is worried about the glue getting in and loosening frets then your frets need to be reinstalled with proper glue thats chemical resistant, no glue will touch the fret tang properly glued with proper glue.. however soaking the fingerboard with oil will cause it to swell ever so slightly, clamping down on the tang and glue, which in turn increases sustain and resonance and keeps frets put..
if you have a budget guitar it may behoove you to tape/dam up the ends of your frets, then run glue into your fret slots under the frets, use a catalyzer, a light wax on the fingerboard prevents the glue from soaking into fingerboard surface.. use a q-tip to apply alight coat of light wax about a quarter inch out on both sides of each fret, use an applicator tip not a tube of crazy glue to apply cyanoacrylate, capillary action will fill the slot to the tang, then hit with catalyzer... stewmac so forth have glue, applicator tips, catalyst all this stuff to do it proper..
remove wax and clean board thoroughly, then oil, I soak boards 24 hours on high end guitars, I soak until the fingerboard stops soaking the oil in.. a slight topical coating does nothing, its gone in a few days and you again have bare wood, oil is nothing new to woods, naturally when growing they have oils, water, chemicals, glucose, so this is nothing new for wood.. its conditioning the wood to insure it doesn't dry up and get brittle, decay, splinter and weaken, and condensate.. do this ESPECIALLY if you live in arid dry regions, if you live in florida not so crucial but beware of salt build up, so keep CLEAN and oil to keep SALT OUT, if you sweat a lot OIL UNTIL IT STOPS TAKING OIL! oil is a waterproofing agent for wood as well as a conditioner, so it will prevent humidity from entering and changing pitch so forth.. just a light layer on top will do nothing regarding this dynamic, load it up with oil, tune and humidity will have a harder time entering and changing things
if you gig a lot and sweat a lot like say angus young you will have to do this weekly, clean, and re-oil, you can see what sweat did to his earlier guitar when he wasn't hip to oiling fingerboards as often, he struggled with pitch moving from region to region, remember rosewood isn't lacquered like maple so its bare wood, going from climate to climate moves the wood, changing pitch, the only way to lessen this is to OIL the fugg out of your fingerboard and bring the lacquer right up the side, sealit as good as possible, glue up any areas prone to water leaching in.. or oil well, like nut slots so forth..
glue in your nut then apply oil it will soak in capillary and seal, a lil messy but well worth it, dam it up with tape if you must.. rather than leaving your nut slot bare wood so it can draw moisture, or dry out, pushing or pulling the nut around, notice how angus doesn't struggle with tuning as much these days? he figured it out, he can go from the jungle to las vegas and his guitar is still in tune.. all about seasoning that neck fingerboard completely sealed off..
Hi Dean! Wow! Thanks for your input. I appreciate your commentary. BTW, the "too much oil on the fretboard" originates from a guitar tech friend of mine who has done a lot of guitar work for quite famous people. Just sayin'.
Yep I live in a dry climate and do exactly this with my fret boards. I use the same oil as Gibson and Martin guitars, 3n1 oil you can buy almost anywhere.
Very clever method lower slot depths. I also like how you carefully mask to prevent damaging the guitar finish. Most of the "How To" don't do so. It takes one slip to damage the finish that was so easily preventable. It is a real shame that slot files cost so dang much. They do make this a bit easier to do as the files are stiffer than the jewelers files--for better control, especially for a DIY.
I think a better method would be to stack some feeler gauges, instead of using tape. When you use tape, the file easily cuts though the tape, and you can file too far, and ruin the nut. But with the metal feeler gauges, the file stops at the metal.
Or place one feeler gauge on top of the tape. Different methods can work.
You would have to be a moron to start digging threw the tape and not realize your hitting the fret lol
I've used the feeler guage method and find it cumbersome. This method i really like -- just used it on my Zager ZAD80. Super fast and easy. The only thing i could add is to use straight-edged files so with 1 layer of tape over frets 1-4 you can lay your file in the slot to be cut and see the gap that needs to be diminished.
I've used the feeler guage method and find it cumbersome. This method i really like -- just used it on my Zager ZAD80. Super fast and easy. The only thing i could add is to use straight-edged files so with 1 layer of tape over frets 1-4 you can lay your file in the slot to be cut and see the gap that needs to be diminished.
Problem is you have to hold the feeler gauges to make them conform to the radius which is a huge pita
Brilliant idea with tape,,never seen it done that way before , as I'm about to replace the nut on my strat
...thank you
No problem 👍
Thank you. Your videos are always some of the best ones on You Tube. I have used your taping technique before. I just need to get better Nut Files. Been using a set I got on Amazon. Pretty crappy. 😊 I look forward to your next tutorial!🎸
Hi Dennis! Thank you for your thoughtful kind words. For me, the tape works every time...perfectly. Too, the jeweler's files work well.
Jeweler's Piercing Saws.
@@guitarhowtos2148 I just watched a couple of your videos again! Besides learning SO MUCH I just get a BIG KICK out of listening to you. Your camera work is the best on You Tube, Mike Pachelli and Ivor Sorefingers comes to mind also, and I can tell that you really have taken your time to make sure the camera angles are clear and easy to SEE. Really, you just don't cut any corners when it comes to explanations and camera "shots". Thanks again and I want you to know that I have highly recommended your Channel to many friends who want to learn these great ideas. P.S. As a former pro musician and teacher, I am willing to bet that you make one fine Guitar Teacher and performer as well.
Stay well, Brother.
I like it! It goes to show there's more than one way to skin a cat (so my grandad would say). I've played and fixed guitars since the 1960's and could never afford good tools. I'd make up nut files from hacksaw blades, hammering and grinding them to the size needed. With care and practice they worked fine.
Of course you screw up all the time and learn from your mistakes, that's how it works. I wouldn't go near a vintage Fender or Gibson until I knew I was capable of doing a good job and if I screwed the nut up I could make cut and fit a new one that was identical or better.
Eventually I got round to buying sets of Hosko files which are great but you can still screw up just the same . The difference between perfection and disaster are just a few light finishing strokes! It's a bit like Zen and the art of Motorcycle maintenance, sometimes a tin can will do just fine.
Loved your comment! Thank you.! Good book too. One of my favorites. Robert Pirsig.
The best way to do this is to put your finger between the 2nd and 3rd fret and press the string there. Check your distance between the string and 1st fret, should be very short distance. If not, needs to filed/sawed. I use hobby saw blades, the ones that fit in a handle. I carefully hold just the blade and saw the nut slot a bit then recheck height. For the larger nut slot I hold two blades together. Take you time. Works every time for me.
Is it bad that I just eyeballed things and went at my Classic Vibe with a butter knife the other day? It worked out pretty good as far as I can tell.
hahaha nice.
That’s a cool method! Will try :) thanks!
This worked great for me. I have a Sterling Ray34 that I couldn't lower the action on any further. I just couldn't get my pops to ring off the frets when slapping and popping. Took my time following the instructions and used some crappy nut files I had from amazon and it turned out very well. A very minor tweak resulted in a marked improvement.
Glad it helped
How do you widen the slots for thicker gauge strings? If the depth is fine to begin with?
It's not April 1st is it ....unbelievable
U dont find them to be of use for nuts because they are NOT NUT FILES those are NEEDLE FILES wich youd know if you would just read the packaging
They are Jeweler's Piecing Saw Blades, actually.
Which he said they were
@@guitarhowtos2148 I think the OP was referring to the pack of files with the handles. Yes the jewellers blades are the ones you used.
Point was they are marketed as nut files, which they are not.
Hey man, just wanted to say thank you for this video. This helped me out alot.
You're welcome! Thanks for letting me know!
wtf is this guy doing?.. lol
What if he was your dentist?
@@ramencurry6672 I wouldn't let him near my guitars.
Thanks I ordered these.Also thanks for the tape tip and video.
Hi Lisa: the important thing is to pile the tape up just ABOVE level with first fret - usually 14 to 15 pieces - but each guitar may be slightly different. Good Luck!!
@@guitarhowtos2148 Okay thanks.
Great video, thanks! my tele neck is new and without a nut slot yet, the tusq nut that Im installing is 5.71mm in height, how deep shall I file the slot on neck to start with please?
What a trick what a trick what a trick!
What brand of files are those? All the jeweller files I see are a lot bigger
Search Amazon for German STYLE JEWELERS SAW FRAME with 144 ASSORTED JEWELERS SAW BLADES. The brand is MegaCast.
Thank a million! Great info and help, even for classical and flamenco as well!
Thank you, John! Glad this helped. 🙂
@@guitarhowtos2148 absolutely! The jewelry files . I need to get those ! I also recommend a Swiss watchmakers micrometer.
I use an old Sam club card. Slide it tight against the nut. Gets close, then uses a feeler gage if needed. Yours is a good method also
How does that blade make the bottom of the fret slot rounded like the string that is resting in it? Also how do you get them the right size for each different strings? I would just by quality nut slotting files, as I've found that not slotting files are the last thing that should be cheaped out on. Gauged files with a rounded filing edges it a must imo.
You can get good nut slot files from Stewmac but they're just killing you on the price all of a sudden! They're over $22 a piece now. A whole set of 6 is like $130! Hosco is the other brand of good nut files. You can get 9 for $100.
@@joeking433 Good tools have always been costly, the Stew Mac Nut Slotting Files are manufactured in Japan using quality steel. My set of the Stew Mac files has lasted me decades and pair for themselves the first year I owned them. To each their own.
@@joeking433 I agree about Stew Mac's prices. For myself it has proven to be a great one-stop shopping. In the past I've had issue with some of their products (very minor blemish issues), I feel they went above and beyond to take care of me and make it right. I suppose I could save a little money shopping around, no doubt about that, at the end of the day I guess I'm just a happy, loyal customer. LOL, I placed my first order with them back in the 1980s, back then I would call the order in, get the price and mail off a money order. After establishing an account they accepted personal checks. Looking back seems strange compared to how we instantly purchase items online!
omg no one is answering his question correctly. dude you can use anything thats round. I put a little more tape and after your done sawing down use a string and finish the job with that. hopes this helps.
I have a LP Special that has a low cut on the nut slot for the high E string. Sitar sound. It did not do this for the first year and a half. I wedged a tiny piece of foil to bring it up, and then it is good. The rest of the nut is cut perfectly, and there's not a whole lot of nut indentation where the high E is on it. I've seen people use super glue and baking soda to rebuild low nut slots and then re-cut them. I'm wondering if anybody can give me some advice if that actually works or what I should do instead. I guess my main question is how strong will the baking powder/ superglue mixture will be. If so, how long will it hold if I take this route. Any advice is awesome!
I found that the baking soda and super glue hack works well.
@@guitarhowtos2148 If you have extra saddles, or old useless nuts, use a rasp or sand paper to make bone dust, and use that dust with the glue instead of baking soda.
I'm sitting down now to fill a slot. I'll swap the nut eventually as it's only plastic now. There's a lot of great videos on it. Use water thin super glue. Easy to find on stew mac. They also sell a 3 pack of different color dust for the job. Black, white and cream.
You're idea of the tape is good but you really should make feeler gauge files instead & then use torch tip cleaning tool to clean up. You'll get the right width for each slot. You are causing a problem as the slot for each string is not going to be the right size for the string & also the bottom of the slot isn't round. The slot should be filed at the rear on an angle so the take off at the front is correct. You can get fret buzz if the slot are to wide.
nope. this is better!! he did angle bud. there are 2 tapes on one side and 14 on the other. watch and learn correctly!
wish i was smart enough to come up with this technique. wouldve felt insane haha. really appreciate your effort mate
how many tapes was that, higher than the fret? 3? by the way the tapes looks higher than the groove of the nut. very bad angle to see it. would have been great to see that before you started sawing.
Your nut should be sloted to the heigth of your frets. Think about it. When you capo your are using the copo's fret AS a nut. And guess how high this "nut" is. It is the height of the fret. So you can measure your fret. Make a spacer the same thickness and place against you nut and file DOWN to your spacer. Great video. Takes the mystery out of doing this.
I hope your workmanship isn’t as sloppy as your writing. I had to read this comment 3 times to figure out what you were saying.
What mystery?
@Chance-ry1hq Thanks. Needed my wife to prook read for me. I did go back and attempt to correct.
Same height as the frets???
That would create a zero fret on the 1st fret if you cut the slots the same as the 1st fret.
I use Music Nomad's setup guide with feeler guages checking string height at the first fret. The danger is going too low or too wide - new nut incoming.
Good video never thaught about patrolium jelly. I’ve always used #2 pencil lead. Aka graphite
Use a peice of fretvwire with the tang ground off
Thank you for this! It works great, every time.
You're welcome!
Why do you use a saw instead of a file? The hole should be round or the string will pinch inside the slot.
I would advise taking guitars to a good repair person for 'set up' which will include nut slots adjustment for the following reasons. 1) There may be other issues such as saddle height, neck adjustment, irregular frets. 2) The correct files which are the only way to make the perfect slot for each string are very expensive. 3) If you make a mistake - you're going to need a new nut.
Yep, I agree with you. This looks like a good way to screw stuff up. That tape is not going to hold the proper height with the file running across it. A set of feeler gauges can be had for dirt cheap and would be a much better option. Saw blades are not going to leave a smooth groove for the string to rest in. The more I watch this the worse it gets. I recommend nobody follow this tutorial.
@@alsmith7316 and yet it worked out fine
lol they are NOT always any good. this is excellent work.
Agreed filing nut slots may not always be the best place to *start* with guitar adjustments (OP didn't claim that it is), but he hit the important points ... tape a little higher than first fret, stop at tape level, ramp the backside, lube after filing ... that make this doable prior to setup, as nut slot depth to first fret height should be consistent regardless. That said, I'd want my nut slots at the proper depth before I adjust my action or intonation or I'd just have to do those again after I file the slots.
Most peeps watching this advanced vid - considering nut adjustments - probably have some experience with setups, are trying to level up, &/or looking to solve ongoing problems (1st fret sharpness, like me) that setups didn't resolve. Unfortunately these days with "a good repair person", "good" is relative, and he/she is usually just a fellow guitarist that's self-taught at setting up & parts swapping that happens to work at a music store, rather than a trained or certified tech. The old saying, "if you want something done right, do it yourself" has worked better for me (that's just me). So yep, I too am one of those self-taught setter-upper people after paying for too many failed guitar repairs or crappy setups & hearing too many horror stories from fellow guitarists that had the same if not worse experiences, but I'm also not claiming to be a pro repair person nor working on others' guitars. All that said, I personally like the tape technique. It makes sense to me. I'm definitely going to try it. But one tweak I'll make (for my own paranoia) is to sandwich in a flimsy piece of aluminum or single feeler gauge under the tape so I don't inadvertently file too deeply & also to avoid tape compression, which could affect filing depth. Cheers.
I use this method after leveling/crowning frets. I’ve had a harder time with the fret leveling learning curve but this worked just fine on my first attempt. People saying other issues such as fret height etc can be issues should fix those issues first anyway.
Great tip.
Very nice sound.
Are you just using a little delay?
Thanks! Delay followed by reverb.
another nut where the slots are way too deep, file the top off so 50% of the strings are exposed, they only require a slot to sit in like a saddle, not covered with high walls
Hi Dean! No argument from me. Often times these types of nuts need to be filed or cut down to accomplish what you state.
Why do that? I don't think it matters.
@@joeking433 only reason I could imagine is if your having intonation issues on the first few frets, which is usually the nut, but then again that should be solved by sanding off the bottom to lower it. I think 50% is correct.
@@daviddigital6887 How can there be intonation issues caused by the nut unless the nut is not cut at the correct angle? Nut issues are almost always on Gibson style headstocks rather than Fender headstocks because of the headstock angle and the string angle coming off the nut. Would saddles rather than walls help a Gibson headstock?
My 1990 Fender Strat Plus has a roller nut made of stainless steel which I wish I had on all my guitars. No fuss.
thats not a file its a scroll saw blade
Jewelers piecing saw blade
Great video man...and beautiful chord progression at the end! I listened a few times over. Cheers
Tape compresses. You’ll not
get a fully accurate depth using
tape. And if you say you’re going
to replace the nut, why not just
replace it?
Easier to just sand a pencil in half and draw on the nut by passing it along the top of the frets.
@@TempleGuitars
And that's a great tip
too. Old school.
Thank you for your comment, Temple. Personally I prefer to have one or two layers of tape above the first fret to assure first-fret clearance. This of course can be accomplished with this pencil method by putting such tape layers on the first few frets...then scribe. Thanks again.
Thank you End Of Times for your comment. Tape works for me every time. Tape will not compress as you say as no pressure is put on it anyway. Cheers!
I mean you could use tape with a thin metal or plastic spacer (old credit card etc) or even card board until nearly the height & then a couple of layers of tape. I do think ppl can get too technical thinking it has to be ultra precise. Err on the safe side & restring & you will know the best method, clearly this works for the guy making this video & he is happy with it.
That is one mighty fine sounding Squire! Original PuPs - ? No expensive nut files needed and no groobars! Thanks!!
Pickups are Seymour Duncan Classic Stack.
I use a stewmac file set and micrometer. Go slow follow the angle of the head stock. Better to take a bit off then retry when tuned to pitch. . If you go too low, time for a new nut or the super glue baking soda trick (not a good trick) Good luck
Great information and demonstration, sir. Thanks for posting!
Thank you!
great idea. simple, effective and equally important CHEAP.
piercing saws, nice.
Is it correct to achieve 0.3mm between first fret and underneath the string holding it down on the 3rd fret
It's a bit too high, I use to do 0.5 mm of gap for all strings, between first fret and under each string that simply rests on the nut, if you have this gap like your method, your strings could have 1mm of gap...
Each slot Width shoujd correspond to the string size or a tad larger. You find a string size you like. Then you stick with it on that one guitar. If you'd like to also have a guitar that houses a different size range of strings. You need either a nut you can just drop in or you need another guitar. If you use the former option. You'll also have to do a complete setup to acvomudate the difference sized strings.
What a nutty idea for the average player to never change string guage on a guitar, because...reasons. It'll be fine, just change string gauge if you want to. You don't need a whole new guitar. Done it plenty, on electric and acoustic, never a problem in my life.
These are jewellers fretsaw blades , not files.
Hi Lawrence! Actually, they are jeweler's piercing saw blades. See description.
Each measures approximately 5 1/4" (133 mm) long.
Blade Size: 0/3
B & S Guage : 27
50 Teeth Per Inch
Steel Material
12 Dozen Bundles
Fits to 6" saw.
Is this correct sir ? Or do I need Mutiple sizes to cut the nut.. And what sizes? Thank you.
Hi Hollis! I bought a pack that contains multiple sizes...enough to last a lifetime! I am most concerned with the high E string so I use the thin blade. You may want to search Amazon for Jeweler's Piercing Saws Blades.
I think I'll give it a miss
I like that tone. What kind of amp are you using?
A Joyo Bantamp (the Vox one), an SGX 2000, several reverbs and several delays, several types of small speakers and outdoor speakers (not designed for guitar).
We use feeler gauges in conjunction with Stewmac’s neck caul in the shop. Use proper tools for a perfect job. Accuracy and precision are paramount in this business.
you can use a feeler for the top layer(s) double sticky tape it down to the tape stack, so stack your tap the height of the fret, then use double sided tape to adhere a feeler gauge the depth of what you want your string height to be.. you can stack feeler gauges too.. a guy doesn't need a lot of high dollar tooling to cut a nut accurately
@@deandee8082 use the right tools for the job is what I’m saying. I do this for a living and I work at a busy shop. I do between 3 and 5 guitars a day on average. These tools are not that expensive and pay for themselves after one or two jobs. You know how much dentistry tools cost? Mechanic tools? And so forth. Also tape goes right in the trash afterwards, I use it sparingly. Sorry to rain on your parade man, I just wouldn’t recommend this “cheap” way of slotting a nut. Not disliking your vid, maybe for some diy people it might be good enough, just not for me:)
@@MaVieEnImages how do you attach the rectangle piece of felt stuff to the safe slot? Or is it supposed to be loose ? I just got one but can’t figure out if the back of the felt padding stuff has a sticky surface under the white backing
I used Stewmac's neck caul and somehow cut the high E string too deep. There has to be a better way. I'm going to rig up a feeler gauge blade and glue a couple popsicle sticks to hold a Stewmac file and run them over the frets to get the right action. You would think there would be something on the market like that unless I'm missing something.
lol your wrong! this is a supper great method. mesuring tool are moved around with your hands anyway. can be wrong if you move up or down. next is you eyes you look to see humm is this stuppid tool touching the string. is it moving it up even. or is there light going under or not. hummmm not sure. lol yaaa right that's better. nope it's not!! I love this method better than any I have seen on youtube and Ive been looking for days. THIS is the way I did 2 guitars an man it's fast and perfect!!!
Where do you find a set of files like that?
Amazon. Jewelers piercing saw blades.
They arent files at all. They are saw blades, the kind you would use for inlay work. Your better off getting the proper files. Or you can make your own by filing fine teeth into feeler gauges and make you you round over the edge first before filing in the teeth. I did it to a whole set of feeler gauges and it really didn't take me a long time to do it. Then you have 30 diffrent ones to choose from.
Mine is little low. A string keeps buzzing. I altered everything I could. Saddle adjustments, Action setting. You name it. I will have to get my nut replaced. But until then any suggestions.
You can add a drop of super glue to the slot on the nut, some people add baking soda too, and then re-file the slot to the correct depth. I'd tape things off and have a towel handy to prevent glue from getting on anything unwanted. There's multiple videos on TH-cam.
Tighten neck bolts
I shimmed. Aluminum tape. Bottom of the nut on the adhesive side and trace around with a razor. You can do multiple layers if you need.
100% worked for me. It intuitively makes sense but I get the skepticism because this is such a bro-science-y realm of guitar maintenance.
your petrolium jelly. what is that. can I use normal vaseline? and you say to never put oil on the fretboard? then what do you use? so it dont get super dry over the years? anything will be some type of liquid.
boiled linseed oil,(unfinished bare wood only),or mineral oil,or lemon oil
If you get a Graphtech (or any aftermarket) nut, what are the chances its depths aren't perfect & would need filing before the install's done? Most nut installs using aftermarket pre-filed nuts seem to be perfect in most of the YTube vids I've seen. I could see if you use really light or really heavy gauge strings, but strings from say .9 to .11, the string depths always seem to be spot-on. Unless this is more of a purist's approach & I'm talking out of my arse lol.
I'm about to do this for the first time with my two best guitars (Gibson ES-339 & Fender Tele Deluxe) to improve tune stability due to a Duesenberg Trem install on each so I'm taking all the advice I can get before I start hammering away on them.
Hi BJ! Generally I check the nut depths during a set up - even with new nuts and new guitars. The tape must be ABOVE (in height) the first fret. 14 or 15 layers is common, but may be slightly different from one guitar to another.
@@guitarhowtos2148 Thank you, and my next order of business is to determine the correct string clearance from the 1st & second frets once the nut is positioned (before gluing) in case I need to file down the bottom of the nut. An easy job perhaps, but a lot of work if you're doing it correctly. As long as I don't do any damage to my best guitars, I can always take it to my local tech to have it done.
@@BaconatorJames Sounds like you are on the right track! Personally, I usually glue quite lightly so future removal is easier. Good luck!! :-)
I've never seen a nut be right on a new guitar! The strings are always too high over the first fret out of the box!
You can’t expect any aftermarket nut to fit a specific guitar without adjustment. The frets are going to be a different height on different guitars, and the nut must be adjusted accordingly. There are many different sizes of fretwire, and even two guitars fitted with the same fretwire will have frets of different height due to wear from playing. Therefore you must always expect to adjust a new nut to make the guitar play properly.
Good thing it is a Fender Squier.
Thanks for taking the time to do this. Ckear and very easy to understand 👌
Glad it was helpful!
looks like a bunch of unnecessary steps to me
You’d be better off doing it with stacked feeler gauges. The problem with your method is that the tape is not firm enough to guard/keep you from going too far. You can figure out the height of frets with stacked gauges and a straight edge ruler between first and second frets. Then stack that height plus .010 (to give you wiggle room) up against the nut as a guard and file away at proper angle. Go slow and keep checking your work. Ppl can buy a automotive feeler gauge set for $5 or so at a hardware/auto supplies store.
??? Should wtf be first,
then, the question marks...
The tape is fine. YOu don't push down on the tape hard enough to compress it; once the files starts touching it, you're done. Why would you keep pressing down and filing away at that point?
nope your wrong.
Great idea with those jeweler's files. My only problem is I can't seem to find that type of file. Any suggestions where to buy them? Thanks.
Phil
Hi Uptown! I believe I found these on Amazon. If not, try a search for piercing jewelers saw blades.
They aren't files, they are jewelers coping saw blades.
I appreciate the effort you put in in this video, but this is a very bad process. First off you can measure the nut slot deepness just by pushing the string at the third fret than tapping the string to the first fret, the gap should be less then 1mm, but should not touch the first fret. If you have your strings off, just use a short straight blade for this. This will give you a more accurate result. Also do not SAW nut slots, always file them! Why? A saw creates a very uneven surface and your strings will bind in the nut slots. If you do not have nut slot files, you can use anything that will fit in the slot and wrap around 1 layer of sandpaper. When I got my slots to the correct depth I always polish them with 1500-2000 sandpaper.
I use jewellers saw blades. They are ideal, and NOT rough at all. Try it.
Thanks for the info, but I’m confused any the tapping at the first fret while pressing the string down at the third fret and then measuring for a gap of less than 1mm at the first fret. Could you please clarify? I assume the measurement is being taken at the 1st fret bar and not fretboard, but not sure what the tapping would be. Thanks!
@@tedallen5002 it holds the string down in place so you can measure the clearance.
FYI, a business card of quality stock is almost the perfect height..
lol your kidding right? you do know that different guitars have different fret hights??
Great video! Very helpful! 💪🤘🙏🎸
How do you round the bottom of the slot especially in those upper string slots?
Hi GA! Thanks for your question. Although not shown here, carefully filing a U-shape works. However, one must decide if a square slot would really make a significant performance difference as it seems to be the sides and the bottom of the slots that really matter.
@@guitarhowtos2148 Not sure as I see so many sites say one or the other so it is very confusing to say the least.
I don't think it matters. For one, you just don't play open strings all that much and when you do they are going to sound different than the fretted strings. And I never see any difference between square bottom nut slots and round bottom nut slots.
@@joeking433 As a beginner that is all I play is open chords. With them being open chords we strum between two and four open strings depending on the chord played.
@@generalawareness101 Yeah, a mix of plastic (or bone) and metal sounds. Not what you would really want. And if I were beginning again I would go right to the barre chords. E major, A major, E minor, A minor barre chords. Then add the 7ths. It will put you years ahead of someone playing only cowboy chords.
Why go through the pickup positions, they have nothing to do with the nut. You didn't change pickups in this vid, so that had me wondering what that had to do with the nut work. I like your method, I had not seen that before. I have all the nut tools and files and such, but I will have to give your method a try next time I put a new nut on.. When I buy a pre-slotted nut, the easy thing I do is simply sand the underside of the nut to good thickness before I do the final gluing. Good video, thanks for this tip.
Where do you get the files at?
Search for Jeweler's Saws. I found my set on Amazon.
@@guitarhowtos2148 look for Jeweler's piercing saws
I bought these blades amd was afraid to use them ...i finally did onna cheap acos
What is the purpose of writing 14 on it?
14 layers of masking tape
It’s the 14th nut he’s about to ruin!
This aint rocket science! Just check the clearance with strings on by pressing down on 3rd fret. If the clearance between string and 1st fretwire is too high, loosen the string and file down the slot. Just repeat until your ok! By the way. Why not replacing the plastic sh.. nut with a bone one?
If you cut too low, you can check 100 hundred times after that. It won't raise, so then only super glue with bone/plastic dust or baking soda will help or you would need to install a new nut. With this method it's almost impossible to cut too low. See, there are some benefits :)
I would invest in some good Hosco(made in Japan) nut files before attempting any nut work on a decent guitar. Stay away from those yellow Music Nomad files and the cheap Hosco/Stewmac knockoffs.
Thanks for your input ! I'll follow your tip
What's wrong with the MUSIC Nomad files?I'm looking to notch an ABR Saddle
They have a coating over them that wears off quickly just filing the nut so for sure you'll destroy it in a few minutes trying to notch a saddle. The Hosco's are real files that will last and are cheaper.@@TheClavmeister
I purchased nut files from the Lee Valley Luthier tool catalog and extremely impressed with there
these work the best ;)
I’ve found that it’s very tricky to file nut slots. I’ve wrecked so many that now I’m buying them in bulk from china. It’s a skill that takes time to learn.
Nice tone!
Thank you!
The tape idea is one I hadn't thought of... and I might give it a try - although I've just got a set of feelers and I think they'll be more reliable! Also - Ali sell boxed sets of nut files and they're 'inexpensive' - I certainly wouldn't go near a but with a saw blade and hack backwards and forwards on it! As for putting petroleum jelly in the nut slots....? - that's insane - grab a pencil and put a layer of graphite in there like everyone else does. As said - great video idea - but some of the methods and materials will give me nightmares! If the job's worth doing - it's worth doing right!
That was a good video that. Good playing at the end. I like the atmosphere!
Those are not files , they are metal cutting blades .
Jeweler’s Piercing Saw Blade
ya so.
Wish I had seen this before I wasted money on the nearly useless (for guitars) welder's tip cleaner set. However, your method will make a flat bottomed slot. Shouldn't the slot be rounded?
One could easily round the slots if desired. I've done both and both work well for me. Hope this helps! 😊
Almost all "professional" guitar nut cutting files are absolute garbage anyway and a horrendous rip off. They don't cut rounded slots. The problem with the welder cleaner tips is that they are no good for the thinner string slots. However, for the E, A and D strings, the welder cleaners are superior to supposed professional files so you can use them for those slots. The only "proper" files that cut nicely rounded slots are those with diamond coating. Those will wear fast but they are even more expensive.
Use the string as a file. Works great!
Especially for 3 first strings, right?
Not so much for the unwound strings?
This is wrong in so many ways...
I suggest checking other videos before attempting this.
There's different ways even if you don't want to invest in some slotting files.
But at least buy a cheap set of feeler guages and set the strings to around .020 .
There are.sny ways to accomplish objectives, that's true. This works for me EVERY time.
He is using a feeler gauge. A big blue one.
@@wyattsdad8561 that ain't no feeler guage next time changing spark plugs try setting the gap with some blue painter's tape piled up 🤣
@@thefreese1 I get it. But… as a guy that always does his own spark plugs I know damn well I could accurately gap em using blue tape.
that's all fine and great advise of how to make you nut better but for me if I'm going to take the strings off then I'm gonna go ahead and change the nut to bone and also give my frets a quik polish and lemon oil wipe . 15 bucks for a new nut , just sayin each to there own but a good tip .