Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Nut rebuild or replace


Woodinblack
 Share

Recommended Posts

I have recently got a fender Geddy Lee jazz bass, and it was fine when I picked it up, apart from having really light strings on it, like 30-80, which were way to light for me. So I replaced them with 45-100 strings, and as a result, the neck came up a bit.
Tightened the truss rod a bit and eventually got it right*, but had to lower the bridge a bit and getting the action down caused a lot of rattling.

Having normally worked on ibanez and stuff, I didn't realise that the E string was a bit of a flaw in that you have to make sure the string is right down to stop it lifting out of the nut, but even with that, the strings rattle on the open E and A, but not when fretted at the first fret, so it seems that the nut is just a bit too low.
I don't think there is much in it, but the nut really needs to come up a bit.

I know the right thing to do is to replace the nut, but am a bit nervous of doing so. I have never done it so this would be the first, on what is to me a more expensive bass. Up until last year I hadn't done frets though, and now I know how easy that is I probably shouldn't be too nervous.

The other option is to build the nut up with something, but that feels a bit of a hack.

Well, I suppose there is the other option of getting someone to do it for me but that seems a bit defeatist!

So has anyone tried and had any success with building the nut up at all?


* Really fender? I understand the original reason for putting the truss rod adjustment end there, but when making a copy do you really have to replicate the bad things as well?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are your first three frets level? If they are, fret at the third fret and check the gap at the first fret. This should tell you how far out the nut is. My first attempt at replacing a nut was almost a 100% success. The original nut was awful (probably a Friday afternoon job). I had to saw the old nut out, there was so much glue holding it in. Cutting my first nut was relativly easy, although I went too deep on one string. So I put a mylar shim under the nut - I had not glued it in but had sanded carefully so it was a good tight fit. I've heard of building up the slot (there is stuff on youtube) but this seems a real hack. If the bass is of a good value, i'd get a luthier to do the job (mine was < £200 so hackable with few worries.) I have had a bass where there was slight open string buzz, which went away when I replaced the rounds with flats (stiffer, less swing) and did a setup. Rob - before I removed the old nut I did put some of the mylar film in the slot as a temporary measure until I found the courage to hacksaw the nut out. It worked but had to be held in place when tensioning the string else it slipped out. The excess was trimmed out with a scalpel blade. The Mylar was just a few thou thick and quite tough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've built up nut slots with very carefully applied superglue before and it worked fine. I used a low viscosity glue which allows you to apply a very thin layer to the bottom of the slot at a time. Just repeat until it's built up enough and then file gently to shape if needed. Disclaimer: I'm not advising this as the right way to do it, but if done carefully it does work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='ikay' timestamp='1430304749' post='2759996']
I used a low viscosity glue...
[/quote]

I found this hard to find at a decent price, most stuff is thick, intended to be applied to surfaces and brought together and probably too thick for this purpose. Did find some at a luthier supplier (for fixing loose frets), which seeps into gaps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Low viscocity super glue 0.49p from Maplin - [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/bondloc-cyanoacrylate-superglue-low-viscosity-20g-n56bz"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/bondloc-cyanoacrylate-superglue-low-viscosity-20g-n56bz[/url]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='ikay' timestamp='1430313504' post='2760149']
Low viscocity super glue 0.49p from Maplin - [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/bondloc-cyanoacrylate-superglue-low-viscosity-20g-n56bz"]http://www.maplin.co...osity-20g-n56bz[/url]
[/quote]

B&*%^£r never found this. Tried Farnell, RS, industrial suppliers. Low viscosity is unusual as its for pre-assembled glueing which needs a closer manufacturing tolerance, as it only fills small gaps (0.1mm)
Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does the bass play ok?. It is odd for buzzing from just too low a nut, although you do need a nice break angle on fender etc style necks. The nut being too wide would cause the buzzing.
Could you not try a 105 E string if you have one laying about?, if this helps its because the slot was too wide.

Either way unless you like playing with thicker gauge strings, sounds like you need a new nut. Nut replacement can go easy or there a right pain often overly glued in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bass plays fine. Buzzing is quite reasonable from a too low nut, it it is too low to clear the first fret. It didn't buzz when it had an 80 in, it does buzz with a 100, and it seems to fit fine.
I have temporarily put a bit of solder under the A and E strings which has cured it, but obviously this is temporary as it will fall out when I move the strings, so it needs something permanent.

From what I can see, it looks like it is going to be a pain, which is why I was looking for an option

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it was my bass and I didn't want to bother with recutting slots, I'd put a thin shim under the offending side. To remove the nut first score with a sharp knife along the sides to cut through any varnish, find something to act as a drift and give the nut a sharp hammer tap from the side. It should come right out.
Pop a sliver of hard plastic (Dunlop 0.6mm picks are good for this), cut to the width of the nut under half of its length. Drop a tiny spot of super glue onto one side of the nut at the other side to the sliver. Pop the sliver in, press the nut back in. Done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ok, having put a shim in and all was good for a while, I didn't think about it, but I also ordered a hipshot, so it occured to me that putting that on is going to pull the shim out.

So I looked at replacing the nut, but when I look on the net, the nuts are all a lot bigger for a fender jazz. Is the GL just really small or am I missing something? The graphtech one says its size is:

Top - bottom string centers: 31.06 mm
width - 39.47mm

in fact there is very little difference between their P and J nuts.

My measurements are
Top - bottom string centers: 28.5mm
width - 38mm

obviously the width isnt an issue, as I can file that down, but the string spacing, there is not much I can do about that.

edit: This is the same string spacing as the Squier Jag and the Harley benton Jazz, so I guess it isn't that unusual.

Edited by Woodinblack
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...