Broken Neck Nut

Hi guys, I've been lurking around here for a little bit and finally decided to make a post! Nice to meet you all, right now im fixing up an '88-'89 MIJ Telecaster which I found in a used music store that was quite beat up (the electronics were all switched out to EMG pickups, the nut is broken, all the knobs were replaced...).

So on to business! As mentioned above, the nut is broken, I bought some bone blanks from fender without realizing that they're blanks. Looking into grooving it myself (which I found out is not so easy). At the moment I called the local guitar store I like to go to, and they're saying they can get the string spacing down and start the grooves for me, and let me go at it myself after for about $20.00, I've already paid $10.00 for the blank nuts (along with shipping).

So right now im at a bit of a dilemma: I believe that to buy a replacement nut that's grooved would run me about $35.00 (im not entirely sure, but that's what my research has lead me to believe, correct me if im wrong), but if I do it myself it'd run me about $30.00 total plus the fact that I can't return the bone nuts I already bought, but I'd have to do the grooving on my own, with no real experience, and also no tools to do it with.

The guy I spoke to explained that I could use the top 3 strings to file down their respective grooves, but since the bottom 3 do not have any sort of grit to them, I'd have to get the tools or something like that. Im pretty much at a loss as to what to do, or how to go about this, and also if there's an alternative. So if anyone knows and wouldn't mind parting some of their wisdom, I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks!

Check out stewmac.com 's nuts (heeheehee). They will be cheaper probably, and they have lots of other awesome stuff, some of which you never knew you needed!

Man, the local guitar shops here will sell you a blank for a buck, and a pre-cut fender (strat/tele) nut for about $7. The tech I use will make a nut and do a setup for around $75 - $80. I'd say your being taken.

Hey guys, thanks so much for the quick replies!

@Joefaity: Checked the stewmac.com site for nuts and all I could find were pre-shaped ones, but none that were already cut to fit strings, any ideas on how I could file down the bottom 3 grooves for the bottom 3 strings without having to buy the actual file?

@Ironwolf: Yea, Im still looking around a bit to see what other guitar shops are pricing this stuf at...wish I could find somewhere that carried a pre-cut fender nut. Although I do know that the shop im talking about will make me a whole new custom nut along with setup for about $75.00, but I guess they're trying to sap me to just go for the whole setup and everything for $75.00 and make them some extra money, instead of them just doing a small part and save me a bunch of money.

Using strings to cut the nut sounds like a good way of getting frustrated, ruining a perfectly good nut, and wasting your time.

You're going to need to spend more money on some tools to make your nut. The question really is, is that throwing good money after bad?

For example, you can buy a pre-slotted Tusq nut from Allparts for $13:
http://www.allparts.com/Tusq-Graphite-Ebanol-Nuts-s/112.htm

Or a pre-slotted bone nut for $6:
http://www.allparts.com/Slotted-Bone-Nut-p/bn-0206-000.htm

A $1 sheet of sandpaper (to sand the bottom to get the height right), some glue, plus one of those nuts and you've got a new nut. If you can return the current bone blanks, you're out $15 maybe.

If you're still not deterred, look into buying some cheap feeler gauges and notching them to make nut files (google it). That's the cheapest way of doing it, and can work pretty well if you're patient and careful.

@ievans: Oh, awesome I'll just get one of those pre slotted bone nuts for $6.00, great! Thank you!