Bought a Warmoth neck. Just installed the E string and it is touching the first fret.

Well, that looks like a plastic squier nut that is filed much too low, or is too shallow for that slot. No way did you adjust the relief properly without even putting the rest of the strings on. And anyhow, is that a Warmoth neck? Looks like a stock squier logo on it with a basic squier plastic nut...Without the guitar in front of me I can't tell for sure. It looks like the string is resting on the 1st fret but clears the 2nd fret, which indicates a much too high 1st fret (which you could have checked already) OR a nut that is cut really low or is set too low in the slot. Also, since the guitar is in front of you, you can look at.
So, there is plenty in your post that makes me think you ought to take it to someone who knows what they are doing instead of calling companies - Warmoth is pretty clear they are not in the business of building guitars for people or providing tech support - so you'll call or email, they won't be helpful, and you'll be mad at them. Again, sorry if that's rude but it's the kind of thing that happens. Guitar setup isn't always that easy. There is a little bit of knowledge and mindset required to fix something like that. It certainly doesn't look like Warmoth or any other company did anything wrong here.

 

Yeah what's up with that?

 

The nut simply isn't correct for the guitar as it is. This isn't an issue coming from Warmoth; it simply is not a correct fit (like every other nut).

Rather than contact Warmoth, you may want to try to return the nut to Graph-Tec or wherever you got it from, after spec-ing the correct height of nut. If you're getting a TUSQ nut, go to StewMac's website to look up the correct part number; they have more complete information (they have the radius of the nut, although Graph-Tec oddly does not on their own site). You can also get a TUSQ blank and have a nut built.

I use pre-slotted nuts a lot when doing replacements on customer guitars, not because the nut is perfect for the guitar already, but because the pre-slotted nuts save me labor time. None of them fit correctly straight out of the package.

Like some others have said, you can shim the nut to raise it high enough so you can play while sourcing a new nut. The guitar will need a setup once it's assembled, and that is typically when the nut's finishing touches are taken care of. If you don't know how to do a setup and you'd like to learn, get the book, "Guitar Player Repair Guide" available from StewMac. Good luck getting that guitar up and running!

 

I wouldn't have weighed in with advice if not for that, @blowtorch

There's nothing worse than getting down to what you think is the end of the project and having something not go right, and that one something prohibits you from finishing up (and in this case, keeps the OP from playing his new guitar).

 

you added a squier decal to a warmoth neck?

 

Woah! This changes things!

 

Sometimes I feel this site is getting more like TGP...,and I don’t mean that as a compliment.
Hope you get it fixed and end up loving your guitar, OP. Focus on the good advice some members gave you.

 

I think I’m gonna watch this thread just to figure out what’s going on here.

 

Don't shim a brand new build. Buy the correct blank and cut it properly

 

Agree. It's ok to shim temporarily to roughly assess the fret job and neck and determine a path forward, but I wouldn"t leave it shimmed. Once you find the proper height of nut, you can consult G-T and see what they have that would match, or get a blank and make one.

Don't get frustrated - this is how you learn. Guitars don't just fall into place. Sometimes they need tweaks, sometimes they need a BFH...

 

It takes a lot of practice to make a good nut.
I would suggest that you take it to your local tech/luthier and have a custom bone nut made for it.
The nut is one of those things that should be, and needs to be, perfect.

If it's not done right, you are robbing the strings of energy.

 

I already dig that Squier.

Good call to let a luthier to fix the nut and make it sing again.

 

You can shim the existing nut or ,and I highly recommend this,have a qualified tech cut you a new one that FITS YOUR CUSTOM BUILD EXACTLY.
Nut cutting is an art and no pre cut nut will ever be perfect.

 

No such thing exists .
You first assemble your guitar and than you cut the nut.

 

Yes - the group has become somewhat snarky lately. This ebbs and wanes. Probably doesn't help that we are a month away from an election, a pandemic is still raging, and rioting in the streets of some cities.

Let's all try to forget about the real world and focus on guitars, kindness, and empathy. Many of us come here for respite.

 

I have installed several dozen nuts in many types of guitars. I have yet to find a GT nut that didn't work. They are made proud on all dimensions, so they need to be fit, but not cut from scratch. If that is what you choose to do, great - but you don't have to. This is why they are such a time-saver - and so popular. And Tusq works exceedingly well on trem guitars and with players who do bends a lot.

 

I’ve bought maybe six Tusq nuts and the only thing I had to do to some of them was make them a bit thinner.