String buzz, nut question

I just brought home a new Highway 1 Tele the other day. The nut slots were way tight, the strings were binding like crazy. So, I brought out the nut files and opened them up a bit. Now, the G-string sort of "rings" when played open. If I damp the string above the nut with my hand, the ringing goes away. I'm sure the nut slot is not too low, I've actually got a several thousandths clearance between the string and the first fret when I fret the string between the 2nd and 3rd. I've filed nut slots before, to great success, but this one has got me puzzled. I'm thinking the slot needs either more or less angle to get rid of the ringing/buzzing, but I don't have much more room to work, so I'm looking for an opionion which way to go. FYI, this tele only has one string tree on the B/E strings.

Maybe try a few extra wraps on the string post, and get it as low on the post as you can ?

It has staggered tuners, and there are about as many wraps as will fit, so I don't think I can improve that any. I've thought about adding another string tree, but I don't want to put another hole in the headstock for the screw, and I'd like to stay away from adding another string tree, and the tuning issues that can cause.

I have a few telecasters, all with a single string tree, & none of mine do that....so I wouldn't add another string tree....Sounds like the slot is either too wide or has the wrong angle..I had the same issue once in a studio situation...I pulled some of the cotton off of a Q-tip, sat it under the string & all was well. Had to get the nut slot filled & re-filed. I have a friend that has the exact same issue as you. He stuck a tiny piece of paper under the G string & the ring went away. That tells me the slot is either too wide (string vibrating in the slot) or the string is not laying in the slot correctly. There are millions of telecasters out there with a single string tree that don't have this problem. I would take it to a good luthier & have that slot filled & re-cut....Let us know how it turns out.

I guess the next question would be...what kinda Nut files did you use ?

I have the eight-file set from Luthier's Mercantile International, which they describe as being made for the Ibanez factory (doesn't say that on the box, however). The set starts at .010 and goes to .056. They are fast-cutting, round bottomed files (little gauged saws, actually) that made the job of cutting an electric twelve string nut bearable (tedious, but bearable).

Only problem is it has a .024 where you wish you had at least .026 (for instance the wound fourth string on an .010 string set). I'll probably wind up getting an .028 open stock Grobet file from LMI or even from the Martin 1888 shop. I know many techs prefer to use the next size up, but in this set that would be .032 which is kind of sloppy for an .026 string.

I've got a set of "Norman" nut files that I bought off ebay. They too, are like little gauged saws with a rounded bottom. I think they work great, but the sizes are a bit limited. My set goes from 0.034 to 0.046, which doesn't leave many options for a 0.036 wound A-string in a set of 10's.

Sounds like the slot is either too wide or has the wrong angle.

Give that man a Cheroot! Virtually every time I've seen this problem it's because the nut slot angles too much or too quickly toward the headstock. Filing nut slots is about as exciting as watching ice melt, but this is what happens if you get even the least little bit "enthusiastic".

I'm no luthier so I'll stop short of sharing my home grown repair methods. If it's not going to mess with your OCD, common to many guitarists, fill that slot a bit and recut it. Watch the angle. Otherwise get a new nut blank and try again. In a game where hundreths of an inch may as well be a mile, even seasoned luthiers make mistakes if they don't go slow and steady.

Ok, so I decided to make the nut slot for the G string a bit "flatter', i.e. less angle towards the headstock, since the G string has very little break-over. I took all the strings off except the G, and made up a little block to help keep my angle the same:

http://www.sacoriver.net/~cotecj/Nut1.jpg

I sanded the block down to size and set up to file the slot:

http://www.sacoriver.net/~cotecj/Nut2.jpg

I think I got the slot a little to low, but it helped the ringing. It still rings a bit, though. A new nut is definitely going to be the first "mod" that I do. I'm thinking the vintage, unbleached bone from Stew-Mac. Any idea if this neck has a flat or curved slot?

Also, while I had the strings off, I figured I would pull the pickguard and raise the neck pickup. It's too low for my tastes, and it's closer to the treble strings, so the bass strings sound a bit muted. However, I couldn't get the pickguard off. The fretboard hangs over the pickguard, so I couldn't raise it up over the neck pickup to slide it off. I guess I have to take the neck off to get the pickguard off. That sucks. Who's idea was it to put a 22-fret fingerboard on a Tele, anyway. Who plays notes on the 22nd fret? I did peek under the guard, and saw that this guitar doesn't have a swimming pool route. That's cool.

Mike, what do you fill the slots with? I've heard dust from filing the nut mixed with superglue. I have no idea what the nut is made of, and I don't have any more to file off. Could I just use some 2-part epoxy?

Mikey's right, a couple of hundredths of an inch mark the difference between a pro job and an amateur job, and anyone who would let a substandard nut out of his shop certainly isn't acting like a pro.

That's a neat idea for the jig you made. I always eyeball it, but might come up with something like that too.

FYI, unbleached bone is awfully yellow, yellow enough that I decided not to use it on my projects. It's easy to take a little of the edge off the white of a bone nut, which is maybe a shade darker than whatever Fender uses at the factory.

Are you sure you need to take the pickguard off of your guitar to adjust the pickups? I was sure that this model had the pickup mounted to the pickguard.

Mike, what do you fill the slots with? I've heard dust from filing the nut mixed with superglue. I have no idea what the nut is made of, and I don't have any more to file off. Could I just use some 2-part epoxy?

Your first guess is one I think all of us have used. Many guitar shops save "nut dust" (leave it alone boyz!!) of different colors in old pill bottles or something. Put a tiny, and I do mean tiny, drop of superglue in the slot and sprinkle in some of the dust. I usually use a piece of thin cardboard from like a cereal box top to dam up the front and (especially) back of the slot.

If you can't get any nut dust/filings, here is a trick I've used more times than I care to count and on far more than guitars. Put the same tiny drop of superglue in the slot, then sprinkle a little baking soda into the glue. NOT baking powder. It will actually fizzle a bit and very quickly harden to a hard plastic-like compound. I've used this method to "fuse" things where glue alone would've never held.

The neck pickup isn't mounted to the pickguard, I'm assuming it's mounted to the body.

I'll try the superglue and baking soda trick tomorrow. Hopefully that will get me along until I get a blank to make a new nut.

That neck pickup is screwed to the body with springs in between just like in 1950.

Use the baking soda liberally and just blow away the excess when you're done. I'll be anxious to hear how you made out.

I tried the baking soda and superglue trick, and it worked great! I practiced on an old plastic nut I replaced on another guitar to get the technique figured out first. I never would have thought that it would work so well. Thanks for the tip!

So, I do have to remove the neck to get the pickguard off, right? I was looking at the neck, thinking "If I'm going to remove the neck anyway, I could saw the overhang and the extra fret off..."

I was looking at the HWY 1 telecasters online and see some models have the pickguard mounted to the body and some to the guard. Weird that they'd put a 22 fret neck on a guitar with the pickup mounted to the body.

You don't actually have to remove the neck all the way, you can just loosen the neck screws enough to lift the guard out. It is possible to take off that extra fret and the overhang, though making it look good will probably be tough. I'd use a router with a trim bit, sand any tooling/working marks carefully, and then lightly spray some finish on the newly exposed wood. It'll probably need a slight bit of tint to match well.

I was joking about cutting the last fret off, but the thought did occur to me. I understand this was a special run of Highway 1 Tele's, it has a nitro butterscotch blonde finish, 9.5" radius, Nocaster pickups and other oddities. It's a pretty nice package, in all.

cotecj, all 3 of my Highway One Teles have body mounted neck pickups. The only thing I can recommend is a thin single ply parchment pickguard, something thin and flexible enough to get through there. I've already converted 2 of mine. Bill Callaham makes a nice one, or a blackguard depending on your guitar body color.

Mike had all the right ideas, I'm glad things worked out. I worried that the really big frets were knocking you off your stride, setup wise.

Also, while I had the strings off, I figured I would pull the pickguard and raise the neck pickup. It's too low for my tastes, and it's closer to the treble strings, so the bass strings sound a bit muted. However, I couldn't get the pickguard off. The fretboard hangs over the pickguard, so I couldn't raise it up over the neck pickup to slide it off. I guess I have to take the neck off to get the pickguard off. That sucks. Who's idea was it to put a 22-fret fingerboard on a Tele, anyway. Who plays notes on the 22nd fret? I did peek under the guard, and saw that this guitar doesn't have a swimming pool route. That's cool.

yeah the 22 fret board is a pia
i often cut my guards back to just under the board extension
slips out easy then

Your first guess is one I think all of us have used. Many guitar shops save "nut dust" (leave it alone boyz!!) of different colors in old pill bottles or something. Put a tiny, and I do mean tiny, drop of superglue in the slot and sprinkle in some of the dust. I usually use a piece of thin cardboard from like a cereal box top to dam up the front and (especially) back of the slot.

If you can't get any nut dust/filings, here is a trick I've used more times than I care to count and on far more than guitars. Put the same tiny drop of superglue in the slot, then sprinkle a little baking soda into the glue. NOT baking powder. It will actually fizzle a bit and very quickly harden to a hard plastic-like compound. I've used this method to "fuse" things where glue alone would've never held.

I use baking soda for just about everything except cooking he he :lol:
If you have no soda , then simply add a little glue into the slot and scrape the top of the nut so the scrapes fall into the slot .

I tried the baking soda and superglue trick, and it worked great! I practiced on an old plastic nut I replaced on another guitar to get the technique figured out first. I never would have thought that it would work so well. Thanks for the tip!

I'm sure real luthiers the world over held their collective breath when I suggested that, and it's why I hesitated at first. But I have used that same trick to fix so many things that were beyond repair. Glad it worked out so well for you!

I'm sure real luthiers the world over held their collective breath when I suggested that, and it's why I hesitated at first. But I have used that same trick to fix so many things that were beyond repair. Glad it worked out so well for you!

Mikey, I think it's closer to the truth to say that real luthiers the world over have been using that same trick (or more often, actual bone dust) for an awfully long time. Some might even admit to it :wink: