Need a new nut for a MIM tele; help!

Looking for a precut or slotted nut for a MIM tele....can I get some advice about size and such/part number and where to go to get the best prices/help?

Thanks!

Here is one. It works for both flat bottom and curved (by removing the little protruding post on the bottom in the middle. I have used these with great success. I suggest you not glue it in place until you have played it for a short period to determine whether you need to do anything to it. The strings will hold it in place just fine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TUSQ-XL-STRAT-TELE-STYLE-SLOTTED-NUT-PQL-5000-00-/220882577587?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item336da0a8b3

Graphtech or Tusq are pretty much the options for a drop-in replacement.

They'll be a little longer than the slot, so you'll need to carefully sand the ends to trim, and it'll be a little wider than the slot, so you'll have to sand the thickness carefully. You want to fit as snugly as possible.

Yeah, those preslotted Graphtechs and Tusqs are a good choice.

Check out the tutorial by "Spacklehoss". You're actually removing material as needed from the UNDERSIDE of the slotted nut blank to fit; although this gives many people conniptions, the very idea.

Too bad that MIM nut is no good. That cyclovac material is normally good, plenty good stuff. Is it cracked or broken, or has it been replaced badly already?

Yeah, those preslotted Graphtechs and Tusqs are a good choice.

Check out the tutorial by "Spacklehoss". You're actually removing material as needed from the UNDERSIDE of the slotted nut blank to fit; although this gives many people conniptions, the very idea.

Too bad that MIM nut is no good. That cyclovac material is normally good, plenty good stuff. Is it cracked or broken, or has it been replaced badly already?


It is not cracked or broken...it is as if the high G,B,E slots are way too tight! I don't have any fret files to give it a go either...figured by the time I bought some files (and probably botch it up...) I could just replace with a graphtech nut.....

I think you're better served just taking the guitar to a shop to get those slots filed properly. They may do just that job for relatively little money, or do it as part of a setup.

The slots on the premade nuts are okay, but they tend to be a little wide. I don't think a replacement will wind up being that much better than what you have, just different.

Buy some slot files; you'll need them anyway.

Check the Allparts catalog for that set of 3 dual sided files, Hiroshima. There's no need to replace that nut, just get the slots done properly. Buy these from your local Allparts dealer or perhaps from Warmoth:

http://www.allparts.com/Nut-Slotting-File-Set-p/lt-1025-000.htm

Don't pay $ 110; your consumer price should be maybe $65.00.

Buy some slot files; you'll need them anyway.

Check the Allparts catalog for that set of 3 dual sided files, Hiroshima. There's no need to replace that nut, just get the slots done properly. Buy these from your local Allparts dealer or perhaps from Warmoth:

http://www.allparts.com/Nut-Slotting-File-Set-p/lt-1025-000.htm

Don't pay $ 110; your consumer price should be maybe $65.00.

May or May not. The Tusq nut I used worked quite well as it was as far as nut slot goes.

Setup and intonation are spot on. No problems at any fret on any string so far.

I've had great luck with these pre-shaped bone nuts

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Texas-Customs-High-Quality-Bone-Nut-1-5-8-42mm-Fits-Tele-or-Strat-style-Necks-/290704786923?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item43af5b05eb#ht_1482wt_1333

So, if the guitar is not fret-leveled, and then you add a nut, wouldn't it likely not be fitting to the guitar in question?

So, if the guitar is not fret-leveled, and then you add a nut, wouldn't it likely not be fitting to the guitar in question?

Leveling the frets doesn't make a difference. The difference that does matter is the height of the frets, and how far above them the bottom of the slot is. Best case with a pre-cut nut is that you just have to sand some off the bottom to get the height correct.

May or May not. The Tusq nut I used worked quite well as it was as far as nut slot goes.

Setup and intonation are spot on. No problems at any fret on any string so far.

Yeah, I really like the existing string slots on the Tusq and Graphtech nuts and IF a guitar genuinely needed a new nut, for a new guy, these are my choice.

And I found I always had to take something off the bottom of these nuts. Just most of the "tooth", or depending on the radius or lack of one on the slot in the neck, the underside may need to be "re-radiused".


But the O.P. later let on his stock nut was intact and I thought it sounded real fixable, so I switched my recommendation to the files.