Arseneau Posted October 5, 2005 Report Share Posted October 5, 2005 Is there a method to calculate how tall the nut should be based on the width of the fingerboard/ bridge height, etc? The guitar I'm building now has a fairly thick fingerborad (about 3/8) and I have a bone blank to carve the nut out of once I figure out the proper height. Even using the whole thickness of the blank barely rises above the board so I'm sure I'll have to raise the nut some, but how much? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted October 5, 2005 Report Share Posted October 5, 2005 there's no real formula that i know of. it needs to be high enough that you can cut the slots deep enough so that the strings are the proper height above the frets. if you'll go to fender's webb site you'll find a link to their standard specs and that should give you a guideline if you're making an electric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickmangumby Posted October 5, 2005 Report Share Posted October 5, 2005 What unclej said! The actual height of the nut isn't important, it's how that compares with other measurements. So, you want your nut slots to be a certain depth, the height of the nut above that shouldn't be too much more, or else the strings can bind in the nut slots. However, you need the height of the nut itself to be high enough so that you can cut deep enough slots so that the strings don't pop out, without the action at the nut being too low... If it seems like the nut is not high enough, you can always shim it. If it is too high, you can file it down. It's preferable to not have to shim it though, so don't file too much, as very small changes in height can really mess things up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted October 5, 2005 Report Share Posted October 5, 2005 When I make a fretboard, I never cut the end of the board off (where the nut goes), I always just cut a slot there. For me one of the very last woodworking steps is to cut the slot for the nut, at the end I can cut it as wide and deep as I like. Sometimes I cut all the way through the fretboard, sometimes not. You want the nut to fit nice & tight in the slot, but not so tight that you can't move it. The way I determine the depth of the nut slots is to take a pencil that's long enough to reach from the nut to just past the 2nd fret, sharpen it, then slice it in half down the middle along its length (cutting wheel on a Dremel) and gently sand it flat without breaking the tip of the lead. Rest the flat side on frets #1 and #2 and draw a pencil line on your nut blank using the pencil as a kind of level. You should end up with a line on your nut blank that is at the same height as the frets that the pencil was resting on (you see why it won't work with a whole pencil...). I got this trick from the Benedetto video series. Now cut your slots, but don't cut all the way down to the pencil mark. You'll want to fine-tune the slot depths after you've mounted the nut (I use superglue) and strung up the guitar. Once the strings are in and tuned to pitch, depress each string at the third fret and measure the gap between the string and the first fret with a feeler gauge. You want something like 0.005 inches there, if you have too much gap then you can deepen the slots. If you have no gap (e.g. string is touching the first fret when you press at the 3rd fret) and you're getting buzzing, you can try filling the slots with a mix of bone dust and superglue, but I find this messy and unsatisfying. So I'll usually end up cutting another nut. I've never made a guitar where I got the nut right on the first try...I usually mess up 1 or 2 before I get one I'm happy with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryDolman Posted October 5, 2005 Report Share Posted October 5, 2005 after you've mounted the nut (I use superglue) and strung up the guitar. I'm in the process of making a nut, I have the bone blank, If I use the your method of gluing the nut in with super glue and I mess up the nut, how easy is it to take out the nut? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted October 5, 2005 Report Share Posted October 5, 2005 Ah this thread came along just at the right time for me...I need to adjust the nut on my tele-carvecaster.... Eric, I like your method....the only problem I have is I have a preslotted Graphtech nut --the slots are the problem, since they're not deep enough...but the nut's black! Well, I imagine I'll see the shine of the graphite, that should be good enough. And I'll finallly have a good excuse to use that buzzsaw blade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted October 5, 2005 Report Share Posted October 5, 2005 The way I determine the depth of the nut slots is to take a pencil that's long enough to reach from the nut to just past the 2nd fret, sharpen it, then slice it in half down the middle along its length (cutting wheel on a Dremel) and gently sand it flat without breaking the tip of the lead. Rest the flat side on frets #1 and #2 and draw a pencil line on your nut blank using the pencil as a kind of level. You should end up with a line on your nut blank that is at the same height as the frets that the pencil was resting on (you see why it won't work with a whole pencil...). I got this trick from the Benedetto video series. now that's one of the reasons that i like hangin' around here. what a great idea and much simpler than the way that i do it. thanks for the tip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arseneau Posted October 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 Thanks for all the replies guys! That half pencil trick sounds like just what I need! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 On the Graphtech nut, you can just fret at #3 and use the feeler gauge to see how far you need to go. File a little, check it...repeat until done. When checking the slot depths, I just use a single drop of superglue to tack in the nut. Then it comes right out with a gentle rap. Once the slots are finished, then you can glue it in for real (also superglue). If the CA is acting tough, a little acetone will soften the glue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted October 6, 2005 Report Share Posted October 6, 2005 I do it much the same way (half-pencil, on fret, etc). Just go a mm or so above that, and voila, perfect nut height, not too much to file through when slotting. One thing: could I dissuade everyone from using CA to glue in the nuts? I've done it in the past, but I'm now switching to a tiny dot of titebond, or just simple white glue. The strings hold the nut in place, and if it fits nice and tight, it shouldn't move much anyway. Eventually, it will get replaced, and a glue that's not holding on strongly is better than one that, even with the tiniest of drops, will hold on quite tenaciously. If you do use CA, use as little as humanely posslbe. Pipette it in, 1 or 2 microdrops, or use a toothpick or something. And not the water-thin kind that'll get everywhere, either. Oh, the horrors or removing a plastic nut that's been superglued in place and sprayed over (you are all installing the nut AFTER finishing, right?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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