Hey:
I was going to be changing my tubners on my Epip. S-210 and figured I would put the graphite nut on it while I was working on it. The only problem is, when I look at MF.com they has multiple sizes, how do you know which one to get? Do you have to measure the old one, there did not seem to be widths on the new ones...The only size given was 1/4 not sure if that was the height. Any guidance is appreciated...
If the river was whiskey and I was a duck, I would swim to the bottom and never come up. (Traditional Lyric)
I'm going to save you a bunch of time and trouble: Take it to a tech or luthier.
Cutting a nut is precise work that generally requires a lot of patience and precision, along with the careful use of a jewler's file. Find a tech, have them install one.
Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life...
Or you could try it yourself if you want to. The proper file might be a little expensive, but nut blanks are cheap enough that you could screw up a few times if you like. No harm done, especially if you save the original nut.
I have made a nut for one of my guitars and i think it was helpful but also a large waste of time. I was so afraid of doing it too much that I took a long time to do it (like a few hours). It was educational though so next time I can do it in shorter time.
aka Izabella
can't you buy repacement nuts that are already carved or filed?
If the river was whiskey and I was a duck, I would swim to the bottom and never come up. (Traditional Lyric)
No - there are a number of different ways guitars are built (nut flat on the neck, or inset into the neck) so the height will vary... then with so many different string gauges, each one has to be slotted for depth individually. If you didn't carve the nut, you'd have to go deep with the slots, which means string binding. On the other side, a nut too low means fret buzz, and slots too shallow means strings may jump out.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Nothing at all to be lost in having a go yourself appart from a little money.
Im all for peeps having a go at the stuff that wont ruin your guitar if it goes ..wrong :shock:
Buy some cheap plastic nuts from your local music shop and read a tutotial on problems you may encounter (ie as said above the correct slot cutting/filing/shaping is essential for a good setup)
Using the cheap plastic nuts you have everything to gain by giving it a go yourself (as long as you are careful removing the original if its glued in hard).
You will learn a lot about how important the nut is for your action and also learn what happens when you make the changes , after you pick this up use the best one as the idea for your more expensive final nut.
Ignore those saying stay clear , give it a shot , one afternoon you may need to do some emergency work during your soundcheck :) with no techy local !!! it all helps
Live dangerously & give it a shot your only here once & the next time you need to do it , it will be a breeze.
can't you buy repacement nuts that are already carved or filed?
There are generics availible with precut slots but you would be lucky to find one that you can alter to get a good quality setup as they are usually the cheap plastic "chineses copy" stylie and not really worth putting on anything other than a kiddies guitar (even then it would probably put him/her off playing :P )
Just my newbie (as far as this forum goes) opinion .
Have fun
Dont give a shite about punctuation or spelling , I have to do that all day at work.
Free times for rocking !!
yep give it a shot. Worst thing that could happen is you'll have to take it to the luthier which you were going to do anyway.
I do all sorts of stuff with my guitar that I never would have thought of doing years ago.
I fill in string slots that are to deep, fix surface cracks, cleat wood cracks, remove and replace bridges, create my own saddles, etc etc.
I suppose if you have a source of super-cheap nuts and a lot of time and you're confident in removing the nut, then you could go for it.
But, speaking as a big proponent of DIY, I would still probably take it to a tech. At the least, you can watch them work and see how it's done, so you have an idea of where to go.
I have no problem replacing my tuning machines, pickups, bridge, cutting saddle slots, etc etc etc, but none of that is 1/10th as delicate as making your own nut.
From my experience, most people who take a run at this aren't even prepared to deal with the issue of string spacing, and that's hardly the biggest concern.
If you are bound and determined: do the research, watch it be done a few times, get the RIGHT tools, and take your time to get it right. Doing a hack job isn't worth it.
Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life...
A set of nut files is pretty expensive. They'll last for years though! I've used plain ol' needle files to pretty good effect, though I have to say I do mostly slot deepening for personal setups. The other guys are right though; it's sort of fun and satisfying doing it yourself. It takes the mystery out of at least that part of things. :)
undercat has a good point. If you aren't willing to screw up, or aren't willing to do your homework, take it to the luthier.
I'd copy my string spacing on a piece of cardboard prior to starting.
