I’ve hacked up my nut seating slot. Ugh….

[RedPillBlues]

So in an effort to start working on my own instruments I’ve slowly started taking on things. Did a couple of fret levels and crowing with little issue except for scraping up my finger board even though it was taped. I’ve learned to live with the scratches and have sanded and micromeshed them mostly out.

Started soldering which I’ve found Fairly straight forward. Made the decision to switch gauges to 11’s and got a new nut. Long story short I worked the nut seating slot a little too much when I should have stopped and as a result I’m here now. Did most of the damage with a nut seating file and exacto life trying to scape out old glue.

That’s a tusq pre slotted flat bottom with about 5 layers of apple accessory box exacto cut and superglued to it. That made the guitar playable…. I set it up. Intonated with my strobe tuner and it plays surprisingly well with only a few intonation issues here and there. I have these Spanish cedar veneers and a board of roasted maple which is the same material as the neck.

So I’m looking at a kinda v shaped slope with a nut that rocks to either side (without my cardboard shim) although my straight edge is fine in the slot. Radius of the board is supposed to be 13.7”

Any advice? Square off the sides and bottom and then shim the sides and bottom of the slot using the wood and super glue them? Maybe it’s just a case of making a custom nut for this guitar? I know your supposed to work the nut and not the slot but you live and learn I guess.

 

[Dostradamas]

Ugh is right.

Good for you jumping in and giving this stuff a go.

I am still not there yet (cutting nuts or slots.)

I have a couple ideas but i will let other far more qualified advise.

Good luck and curious myself of the recomendations.

 

[Wallaby]

Oh - wow! :/

I hope someone else comes along with better answers than this - I'd consider squaring up the slot and fashioning a new nut from big, oversized blank.

Is the leading edge of the nut slot in the right place now? I think I'd check that before doing anything else.

 

[RedPillBlues]

Oh - wow! :/

I hope someone else comes along with better answers than this - I'd consider squaring up the slot and fashioning a new nut from big, oversized blank.

Is the leading edge of the nut slot in the right place now? I think I'd check that before doing anything else.

As in the start of the first fret?

 

[ChicknPickn]

Yeah, you just have to jump in and get started. Several of my guitars have “love bites.” I once drilled through the body of a handmade Tele I’d just lovingly finished in sapphire-blue glass paint. You learn to go slooooooooowly and think through every move.

 

[RedPillBlues]

Ouch yeah that would ruin my day. It was mostly just me accidentally smacking my headstock off various things before I started working on them myself.

 

[Boreas]

A pro would fill the mess with a wood blank and re-cut the slot properly. All-in-all, it would likely be the easier and quickest repair.

 

[Wallaby]

I mean is the distance from the leading edge of the nut slot still correct for the scale length of the guitar? This is necessary for the intervals to be correct for the fretted notes, for the guitar to play in tune.

I'm liking the suggestion @Boreas made. I think it needs professional attention.

As in the start of the first fret?

 

[Fretting out]

A pro would fill the mess with a wood blank and re-cut the slot properly. All-in-all, it would likely be the easier repair.

I concur

Fill and re-cut

 

[pipthepilot]

If I was given this guitar to fix I, I would start by assessing the damage. Based on the photos it appears you have three problems,

1. The front of the slot is angled allowing the nut to lean forward
2. The back of the slot is angled providing no support for the nut
3. The slot is too deep


The first thing I would do is secure the neck in my fret slotting jig and using a razor saw, I would make two cuts perfectly straight and perpendicular across the fret board. Do not do this if you don't have a jig because there is no way you will get these cuts straight of the correct depth by hand and eye alone and will just make it worse. A fret slot cutting jig is designed to cut straight and perpendicular to the board and the depth can be set.


Although you could try and cut a piece of wood as an insert with angled sides, you will never get this to fully match and getting everything square is a much better process.

Using a very sharp chisel, I would then remove the excess triangular pieces of wood to create a square but oversized nut slot.


Now I would cut and shape a new piece of wood and glue it into the oversized nut slot and leave it clamped up over night.


Once the glue has set, I would put the neck back in the fret slotting jig and make two new saw slots in the correct location for the nut.


The next job is to then remove the material from between the two saw cuts. This is probably the most difficult bit, I have a one of these Veritas Miniature Router Plane - YouTube planes which is perfect for cutting a nut channel, but you could use a chisel if you're extremely careful.


The last job would then be to sand the sections of the inserted piece that are standing proud of the board, matching the neck width, fretboard radius, corner radius etc.

As I said at the start, this is what I would do but if you don't have the tools and the jigs, you will just make it worse and ultimately, you'll will be better off taking it to someone who does have the tools and expertise.

 

[effzee]

If I was given this guitar to fix I, I would start by assessing the damage. Based on the photos it appears you have three problems,

1. The front of the slot is angled allowing the nut to lean forward
2. The back of the slot is angled providing no support for the nut
3. The slot is too deep
View attachment 1086505

The first thing I would do is secure the neck in my fret slotting jig and using a razor saw, I would make two cuts perfectly straight and perpendicular across the fret board. Do not do this if you don't have a jig because there is no way you will get these cuts straight of the correct depth by hand and eye alone and will just make it worse. A fret slot cutting jig is designed to cut straight and perpendicular to the board and the depth can be set.

View attachment 1086504
Although you could try and cut a piece of wood as an insert with angled sides, you will never get this to fully match and getting everything square is a much better process.

Using a very sharp chisel, I would then remove the excess triangular pieces of wood to create a square but oversized nut slot.
View attachment 1086506

Now I would cut and shape a new piece of wood and glue it into the oversized nut slot and leave it clamped up over night.
View attachment 1086507

Once the glue has set, I would put the neck back in the fret slotting jig and make two new saw slots in the correct location for the nut.
View attachment 1086509

The next job is to then remove the material from between the two saw cuts. This is probably the most difficult bit, I have a one of these Veritas Miniature Router Plane - YouTube planes which is perfect for cutting a nut channel, but you could use a chisel if you're extremely careful.
View attachment 1086511

The last job would then be to sand the sections of the inserted piece that are standing proud of the board, matching the neck width, fretboard radius, corner radius etc.

As I said at the start, this is what I would do but if you don't have the tools and the jigs, you will just make it worse and ultimately, you'll will be better off taking it to someone who does have the tools and expertise.

The effort and expertise that went into just creating that post leaves me thinking you know what you're doing, wow

 

[pipthepilot]

The effort and expertise that went into just creating that post leaves me thinking you know what you're doing, wow

I've been know to navigate my way around bits of guitar shaped wood. Flamed top Thinline Telecaster Build | Telecaster Guitar Forum (tdpri.com)

 

[FuncleManson]

Great advice from @Boreas and @pipthepilot. I would add, for future reference, it's probably best to shape the nut to fit the slot, not vice versa. That way, if there's a mishap, you've just messed up a $15 nut instead of the neck of your guitar. Good luck!

 

[Boreas]

If I was given this guitar to fix I, I would start by assessing the damage. Based on the photos it appears you have three problems,

1. The front of the slot is angled allowing the nut to lean forward
2. The back of the slot is angled providing no support for the nut
3. The slot is too deep
View attachment 1086505

The first thing I would do is secure the neck in my fret slotting jig and using a razor saw, I would make two cuts perfectly straight and perpendicular across the fret board. Do not do this if you don't have a jig because there is no way you will get these cuts straight of the correct depth by hand and eye alone and will just make it worse. A fret slot cutting jig is designed to cut straight and perpendicular to the board and the depth can be set.

View attachment 1086504
Although you could try and cut a piece of wood as an insert with angled sides, you will never get this to fully match and getting everything square is a much better process.

Using a very sharp chisel, I would then remove the excess triangular pieces of wood to create a square but oversized nut slot.
View attachment 1086506

Now I would cut and shape a new piece of wood and glue it into the oversized nut slot and leave it clamped up over night.
View attachment 1086507

Once the glue has set, I would put the neck back in the fret slotting jig and make two new saw slots in the correct location for the nut.
View attachment 1086509

The next job is to then remove the material from between the two saw cuts. This is probably the most difficult bit, I have a one of these Veritas Miniature Router Plane - YouTube planes which is perfect for cutting a nut channel, but you could use a chisel if you're extremely careful.
View attachment 1086511

The last job would then be to sand the sections of the inserted piece that are standing proud of the board, matching the neck width, fretboard radius, corner radius etc.

As I said at the start, this is what I would do but if you don't have the tools and the jigs, you will just make it worse and ultimately, you'll will be better off taking it to someone who does have the tools and expertise.

Great esplainin' of the process! Also will remove the radiused base of the slot if this neck has one. A good time to consider a zero fret if desired.

 

[hopdybob]

i would choose this option and tell you why.
i have this roller nut on my Cort strat for year and would not want anything other.
(and i set up the yangle bridge that it is fixed)

 

[Boreas]

i would choose this option and tell you why.
i have this roller nut on my Cort strat for year and would not want anything other.
(and i set up the yangle bridge that it is fixed)

What prompted the installation of this? How was the slot filled? Any pix of the installation?

 

[RedPillBlues]

If I was given this guitar to fix I, I would start by assessing the damage. Based on the photos it appears you have three problems,

1. The front of the slot is angled allowing the nut to lean forward
2. The back of the slot is angled providing no support for the nut
3. The slot is too deep
View attachment 1086505

The first thing I would do is secure the neck in my fret slotting jig and using a razor saw, I would make two cuts perfectly straight and perpendicular across the fret board. Do not do this if you don't have a jig because there is no way you will get these cuts straight of the correct depth by hand and eye alone and will just make it worse. A fret slot cutting jig is designed to cut straight and perpendicular to the board and the depth can be set.

View attachment 1086504
Although you could try and cut a piece of wood as an insert with angled sides, you will never get this to fully match and getting everything square is a much better process.

Using a very sharp chisel, I would then remove the excess triangular pieces of wood to create a square but oversized nut slot.
View attachment 1086506

Now I would cut and shape a new piece of wood and glue it into the oversized nut slot and leave it clamped up over night.
View attachment 1086507

Once the glue has set, I would put the neck back in the fret slotting jig and make two new saw slots in the correct location for the nut.
View attachment 1086509

The next job is to then remove the material from between the two saw cuts. This is probably the most difficult bit, I have a one of these Veritas Miniature Router Plane - YouTube planes which is perfect for cutting a nut channel, but you could use a chisel if you're extremely careful.
View attachment 1086511

The last job would then be to sand the sections of the inserted piece that are standing proud of the board, matching the neck width, fretboard radius, corner radius etc.

As I said at the start, this is what I would do but if you don't have the tools and the jigs, you will just make it worse and ultimately, you'll will be better off taking it to someone who does have the tools and expertise.

This info is invaluable! Thanks. I think I will pick up that mini router plane and a few small chisels. The fret jig is pricy. How much would you typically charge for a job like this? What’s your fret saw of choice?

 

[RedPillBlues]

The effort and expertise that went into just creating that post leaves me thinking you know what you're doing, wow

Ditto this!

 

[RedPillBlues]

Great advice from @Boreas and @pipthepilot. I would add, for future reference, it's probably best to shape the nut to fit the slot, not vice versa. That way, if there's a mishap, you've just messed up a $15 nut instead of the neck of your guitar. Good luck!

Yup! Besides getting wood glue out I’ve learned my lesson.

 

[schmee]

ugh. That's ugly.
Put in an LSR roller nut! They need a wider slot anyway.
Or you could change to a Gibson style thicker nut .