clicking out of tune string - pencil lead

[g6120]

the other day noticed while tuning one of my guitars a pinging sound and determined the string was making the noise at the nut so i broke off a small piece of pencil lead crushed it and placed in in the slot and so the string also stayed in tune better without that clicking sound as well had no problem since .

just wondering what other folks are using for that sort of ailment .

anyone use this
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Nuts,_sa...lubricant.html

[repeatofender]

Similarly I "draw" into the nut groove with a pencil when I change strings.
It makes the biggest difference with tremolo equipped guitars.

[Ronkirn]

at the hard ware store, you can buy white graphite powder. That way you don't have black crud on the nut.., if such things are important to ya.

Ron Kirn

[repeatofender]

Originally Posted by Ronkirn

at the hard ware store, you can buy white graphite powder. That way you don't have black crud on the nut.., if such things are important to ya.

Ron Kirn

I like the psuedo "grease monkey" appeal to the black smudges...
I'm odd I know it.

[g6120]

Originally Posted by Ronkirn

at the hard ware store, you can buy white graphite powder. That way you don't have black crud on the nut.., if such things are important to ya.

Ron Kirn

hi ron

maybe today i take a ride to my local hardware store and check it out and the thought of grease i would think can attract dust ? but i guess a trace amount would not cause such .

[CHAZ2]

Originally Posted by g6120

the other day noticed while tuning one of my guitars a pinging sound and determined the string was making the noise at the nut so i broke off a small piece of pencil lead crushed it and placed in in the slot and so the string also stayed in tune better without that clicking sound as well had no problem since .

just wondering what other folks are using for that sort of ailment .

anyone use this
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Nuts,_sa...lubricant.html

have used pencil lead for years, works great

[g6120]

you know i often wondered having this problem is it a common occurance with other guitars ive had but just lived with it . tried the pencil lead thing and it did the trick and also as the guitar ages with play i would imagine the nut wares and the sticking of that string goes away at some point -


wonder if this is something a tech could cure or do most peolpe just place a lub or lead in the slot instead of paying $

[CHAZ2]

Originally Posted by g6120

you know i often wondered having this problem is it a common occurance with other guitars ive had but just lived with it . tried the pencil lead thing and it did the trick and also as the guitar ages with play i would imagine the nut wares and the sticking of that string goes away at some point -


wonder if this is something a tech could cure or do most peolpe just place a lub or lead in the slot instead of paying $

Well i'm no tech, not by a long way.... but its an age old probem especially guitars with wammy bars...strings can hit a tight spot and jump , especially the wrapped strings...i also use Vaselene..............on the guitar i mean....

[Dave Yeats]

Originally Posted by g6120

hi ron

maybe today i take a ride to my local hardware store and check it out and the thought of grease i would think can attract dust ? but i guess a trace amount would not cause such .

Graphite isn't greasy. It's a dry lubricant. I have a small tube of graphite, but I've never seen it in white. Nice to know...

[Ronkirn]

Yep the graphite is a powder available in a small "puff" tube... it's available in the normal Black an in a White version..

rk

[g6120]

just ordered

GHS GraphitAll Guitar Nut Graphite Lube cream colored

did not get it from musicians friend but this is what it looks like

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.c...&CJPID=1350534

[buddywayne]

I use chapstick and pencil lead with good results.

[BritishBluesBoy]

The tech at Andy's Guitars in Denmark street, London showed me the pencil lead trick in about 1982 and I've been using it on all my guitars ever since.

[Geo]

Just curious, was it the B string that made the ping?

[g6120]

Originally Posted by Geo

Just curious, was it the B string that made the ping?

it may have very well been the b string but ive decided to put a bit of lead in each of the slots on the nut and noticed an improvement overall .

[adifferentbreed]

I use chap stick on mine..never have that problem.

[robinje]

What about that Big Bends Nut Sauce stuff... any good?

[BellyBoy]

Nut sauce works great but is pretty expensive.... I use vaseline mixed with white graphite, works awesome and stays where you put it. And I have a life time supply with one small jar and a small bottle of Graphite.
I mixed it up and got a syringe from a do it yourself ink printer cartridge kit and put it in the syringe. I just squeeze out a little bit and use a toothpick to put it in the slots.

[JPark]

ahahaha yeah, I had this problem (or one similar to it) on my brother's guitar, the e string rang like a sitar, so as a quick fix I put a small piece of tissue under the string on the nut. Problem solved

[BlueRob]

Interesting! I learned a new thing today!...I never thought using the graphite from a pencil as lubricant...excellent!

[bowman]

I use the Nut Sauce already mentioned, as well as the ancient pencil lead remedy. Both work equally well in my experience.

[guitarzan13]

Originally Posted by g6120

just ordered

GHS GraphitAll Guitar Nut Graphite Lube cream colored

did not get it from musicians friend but this is what it looks like

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.c...&CJPID=1350534

That is great stuff.....To make it last.... I use a piece of the b or g that I just took off, stick it into the tube opening and smear it into the nut slots. Very little wasted....
TIP: I restring the guitar ,tune to pitch, lift the strings from the slot,THEN lube the slots. If you put it in and then tune most of the lube ends up about 1/2 inch up the string toward the post. It doesn't do much good there!

[refin]

All the above suggestions are good.
But first,check the slots to make sure that they are cut properly.I have a strat that I made a nut for,and I'm gonna have to recut a few slots because of the pinging (too tight).

[rcalverley]

I used to use the 'draw into the nut' technique with a pencil. It does work great, but found it made my nut look really dirty. I bought some 'nut sauce'. it comes in a little syringe. It has lasted me years. I bought it initially for a strat (to aid with whammy action) and it worked a treat. But now i only have teles I have found just a little goes a long way and makes a difference.

[JDaveG]

Originally Posted by robinje

What about that Big Bends Nut Sauce stuff... any good?

REAL good.

I don't know if it's any better than pencil lead, graphite or chapstick (never used any of those). For all I know, I'm wasting money on Big Bends, but that stuff cured my tuning ills on my PRS.

[TxTeleMan]

I take the paper envelope that the sting comes in and rub a pencil point along the edge, and then slide the 'penciled' envelope through the nut slot. This works pretty well in those thin slots that are too small to put a pencil point in, plus it's more precise and less messy than using a pencil point.

[Daddydex]

I go at it with butter knife, a filet knife and a piece of sandpaper and never have to lube again. Call me MacGyver.

Dan

[Boubou]

Originally Posted by Ronkirn

at the hard ware store, you can buy white graphite powder. That way you don't have black crud on the nut.., if such things are important to ya.

Ron Kirn

Wow, I really hat to disagree with ron Kirn, who am i after all.
Graphite is black.
Google
wikipedia:
Another high-temperature lubricant, hexagonal boron nitride, has the same molecular structure as graphite. It is sometimes called white graphite, due to its similar properties.
Phew, as a chemist i am glad to confirm that graphite is still black!
Actually, Ron was right, it is called : white graphite powder
Anyways, got to try the pencil lead at my next string change

[twangus]

I have a bottle of graphite powder that I got from a local locksmith. It's lasted me for years. Can get a little messy if you've been simultaneously lubing your tummy up with your adult beverage of choice though.

...course that's why a shopvac is never a bad investment.

[mellecaster]

A properly cut slot w/ a Sho-nuff Nut File works very well also....

[Hiflyer]

Originally Posted by rcalverley

... but found it made my nut look really dirty.

ok, I

[jimmybusk]

I don't think anyone mentioned that pencils aren't lead anymore.......I think they are....um...graphite. When i used to frame houses,and someone would get a big piece of sawdust in their eye,I would get it out with a pencil, not a sharp skinny one,of course,but the fat carpenter one. The wood sticks to the graphite like a magnet.

[gitold]

Big Bends is the best .I used grafite and vasoline for years and it worked well but since I've been using Big Bends (2 years now on 5 guitars ) I never, I mean NEVER break strings any more.Including a Strat with a Wang Bar.I've had 1 tube that I paid $19 for 2 years ago.Pretty cheap if you ask me.

[cotecj]

Originally Posted by JDaveG

REAL good.

I don't know if it's any better than pencil lead, graphite or chapstick (never used any of those). For all I know, I'm wasting money on Big Bends, but that stuff cured my tuning ills on my PRS.

You're not wasting your money. Big Bends works much better than pencil graphite.

[pjam]

some claim pinging noise can be due to a loose nut

[Ronkirn]

Well I gotta tell ya, while I was out buyin' stuff I didn't need or want, I thought I'd pick up a tube of the "White Graphite" .. They looked at me like I was a crazy guitar maker or something... in several places.... That stuff used to be as common as cockroaches in a trailer park.

I tried the internet too... zippo....

Oh well, I guess I'll treat my 30 year old tube with a bit more respect now..

rk

[jimmybusk]

Originally Posted by Ronkirn

Well I gotta tell ya, while I was out buyin' stuff I didn't need or want, I thought I'd pick up a tube of the "White Graphite" .. They looked at me like I was a crazy guitar maker or something... in several places.... That stuff used to be as common as cockroaches in a trailer park.

I tried the internet too... zippo....

Oh well, I guess I'll treat my 30 year old tube with a bit more respect now..

rk

thought the stuff only came in white. Wasn't that the stuff on car hinges?