Help Me Revive This Baby I Found!

[aznricey]

Recently i got my hands on a Squier tele that apparantly doesn't work,ive fixed up the input jack,and it finally sounds. I couldn't get any strings so i used my ACOUSTIC GUITAR STRINGS i already have.

- Nut problem, the nut that's holding the strings up are worned out, and the G string does funny things.(watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myK_c9Q-Ulg )

- I don't know if the strings always falling out have anything to do with the fact that i installed acoustic strings in..... but the bottom 2 strings almost ALWAYS falls out of the nut after like 4-5 strums.

Pictures:

[bluesy]

Recently i got my hands on a Squier tele that apparantly doesn't work,ive fixed up the input jack,and it finally sounds. I couldn't get any strings so i used my ACOUSTIC GUITAR STRINGS i already have.

- Nut problem, the nut that's holding the strings up are worned out, and the G string does funny things.

Might be partly being caused by the, presumably, heavier gauge acoustic strings, but also on my tele copy there are 2 string "trees" between the nut and the tuners for the E,B,G and D strings. These little devices hold the strings down lower to the pegboard and lined up with the nut. That will surely help stop them popping out.

[dpm99]

It's hard to tell from the picture, but it doesn't look like it has any string trees. These are string trees:

http://store.guitarfetish.com/panibuststtr.html

They're cheap and easy to install. Their purpose is to hold down the higher strings on one piece necks like the one you have so the strings don't pop out of the nut. Could that be it?

-Dave

[Dean]

By looking at your strings,they look to be to high of a gauge.Get some 9's or 10's and try that first.They should stay in, even with out string trees.

[j. pierce]

I'd second the notion that it appears the strings are too high a gauge for the guitar as it is set up - whilst it's difficult to tell from the images, it appears that your strings are sitting on the slots in the nut rather than resting in the nut slots against the bottom. You could reslot the nut, but I'd try going with apropriately sized strings first.

[GregP]

+1 to both those (guage and tree) ... but regardless of guage problems, special +1 to the fact that you NEED the string tree for that guitar. You can tell by the video that it'll never make positive contact with the nut unless there's one.

[j. pierce]

Now I'm at home and can see the video, I agree with Greg's diagnosis as well, it really looks like you need a string tree.

[guitar2005]

- I don't know if the strings always falling out have anything to do with the fact that i installed acoustic strings in

Ouch! don't put acoustic strings on an electric. That's like putting truck rims/tires on a Toyota Yaris. You'll be lucky if the nut is still good.

[aznricey]

The nut is already in bad enough condition lol. Im getting some new electric strings(aww just wasted 10$ so im going to buy cheap strings...) But is there anything i could do to the nut at all before replacing it. I don't know if they sell trees here....they probably do but hard to find.

might sound stupid but i never planned on finding this baby, i was just scouting for secondhand nice guitars for sale,so i didn't want to put too much money in this thing. sounds selfish of me.....

[Geo]

If the nut slots are too high (not deep enough), you can file them down to the correct depth. If they're worn/too low, you should just make a new nut. You can get a blank from a few bucks from any luthier place (such as LMI)...

http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts....uts+%26+Saddles

File the blank to shape. Get some X-acto needle files and an X-acto razor saw and cut new slots. Note that this is a precision job and you need to do your research before you start, or you'll waste more money and have an unplayable guitar which needs the nut replaced again.

Or, skip the shaping and get a pre-shaped blank.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Nuts,_saddles/String_nuts.html

Well, it's a Squier, so you may have to put some money into it to make it worth playing.

Edited July 7, 2008 by Geo

[aznricey]

wow sweet let me see if i have any in my local music store!

but how do i install them after buying it??

[ihocky2]

String trees are easy to find, most guitar stores will have several styles in stock. Just drill a small hole a few mm's deep and screw the tree down so it sits evenly between the two strings.

As for the nut, you need to d oa lot of searching a reading here and google is a good bet. You have to make sure the strings are precisely spaced and spaced evenly. And then there is shaping the nut, the slots, and setting the action to the right height. Not hard to do, but takes a little practice and some tools that are more than common hardware store tools. You would probably do best finding the needle files and X-Acto saw at a hobby store. But the files need to be the same size as the string gauges, maybe .001 thicker, but not more than that.

[Mickguard]

By looking at your strings,they look to be to high of a gauge.Get some 9's or 10's and try that first.They should stay in, even with out string trees.

Pretty rare to find a strat/tele type guitar that doesn't need at least one string tree (without staggered tuners anyway).

Also weird: why do the string wrappings come out past the saddles on the bridge? Is this a string through guitar?

[ProfDrum]

By looking at your strings,they look to be to high of a gauge.Get some 9's or 10's and try that first.They should stay in, even with out string trees.

Pretty rare to find a strat/tele type guitar that doesn't need at least one string tree (without staggered tuners anyway).

Also weird: why do the string wrappings come out past the saddles on the bridge? Is this a string through guitar?

If you look at this picture:

You can see the ball ends sitting just beneath the saddles.

I dont want to be presumptuous, but are you sure you've strung it right?

[aznricey]

No i later found out the holes are underneath the saddle like everyone else's but at the side lol.

Pretty silly of me to do that though haha.